Copyright © 2014 by Marilyn Faith
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This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or events is entirely coincidental.
The Prince of Highland Park
Edited by: Heather Sowalla, Windy Hills Editing
Cover Designer: Deer Watson Media
“Cover images licensed from photographer Dan Rocha with permissions courtesy of Flickr.com”
Dedication
To finding hope in the midst of chaos,
To stand tall when expected to fold
To not giving up and following your dreams
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-six
Evelyn Chapter One
When?
When is love going to find me?
When am I going to find the one that sends electrical surges throughout my body when he touches me?
When am I going to meet the one that makes my insides melt when he looks at me?
The one that makes my heart pound violently against my rib cage when he kisses me
The one that takes time to know me and loves me for me
When am I going to meet the one that makes me nervous when he’s around?
The one that makes me feel whole?
The one that I could give my heart to have and to hold
Knowing that he would take care of it
When am I going to meet the one that I can’t live without?
The one who knows when it’s time to hold me?
I know God is writing my love story, but I can’t help but grow impatient.
As the days pass by, I feel empty.
When am I going to meet the one that makes me feel whole?
The one that completes me
Only time will tell.
Leah O.
It’s morning, the birds are chirping, I open my eyes to the sun peeking out of the sky, and it makes me feel like shit right now, but as it goes on I hope it will turn out to be a better day. Every day is different. Some days are better than others, but good or bad I try to press through, especially the dim ones. Today seems to be one of those days that are going to be fucked.
I have to be at the country club today and I’m not looking forward to it. I’ve worked there for three years now trying to save up money for college. The other reason, why I put up with that place is two words, Ryan Knight. I’ve had a crush on him since the very first day I saw him three years ago, sitting outside on the balcony with his friends. He was the most gorgeous, beautiful, sexy specimen of a man my eyes have ever beheld. He has the perfect athletic built, not overly muscular, with a six-pack I would love to run my lips over. He had the just got outta bed sexy dark hair, perfect white straight teeth, and the sexiest dimples known to man when he smiles. Goddamn; long lashes that cover the most intense blue eyes that see right through you, reading all the secrets I have buried deep inside my soul. I found myself staring, unable to help myself. He oozed confidence with his presence and by the way he was looking at me, I get the feeling he knew I was affected by him. I swear if I wipe my mouth there would be drool running down. When our eyes met; there was an unexplained current that pulled me to him. I don’t know if he felt it but I knew then, deep down, I was fucked. As if his beauty wasn’t intimidating enough, when one of the guys that work here said, “You might want to close that mouth of yours before you catch a bug. Also FYI to the wise, you might want to leave that one alone, he’s the prince around here.” Snapping my mouth shut I tried to get a hold of myself. So in other words, he is rich, spoilt and he is the prince of Highland Park, and I was the “pauperess,” if there is such a word, from the other side of town. The nagging rational parts of my brain said. “Keep stepping.”
I don’t get to see him as often during the year when he’s away at college, but I see him more during the summer months when he’s home. During those months I take as many hours as I can get just so I can see him. I was his secret shadow, watching him, sitting by the pool, swimming in the pool, walking to the shower, having either breakfast, lunch or dinner, watching him with his girlfriends. Stalking a bit, yes I know, but I couldn’t help myself. A pang of jealousy building up knowing that’s all I’ll ever get. We don’t talk much, just a few “Hi and Bye” exchanges when we do run into each other. I’ve caught him watching me a couple of times at the club, and I know he has seen me gawking at him more times than I want to admit. He must be wondering why this crazy stalker girl is always watching him with lust written all over her face. Kevin used to say that I couldn’t keep a secret, because my face tells it all. The girls at the club would say “Keep dreaming,” when they saw me watching him, they even commented that, “He is gorgeous, but he will never be into to the likes of you so stop drooling over what you will never have.” I just nod in agreement; because I knew what they said was true. If they had any idea how much I thought about him they would slap me upside my head. Maybe I was crazy to dream, but no harm comes from dreaming right?
Three years later
I watched him coming from the pool all wet, water glistening off that perfected body of his. He was with one of his many girlfriends and still I couldn’t look away. His arms were wrapped around her waist saying something sexual that I can only imagine. She giggles, making me snap out of my stupor and realized he was looking at me. Wondering if he was saying something about me, something crass, causing her to laugh. Her eye caught mine as she turned into his arms and planted a kiss on his lips. I smiled as sweetly as I could muster to hide the jealousy I felt by what she was doing with him. He must have seen the fakeness in my smile, because he dropped his arms, and pulled away from her embrace heading in my direction.
Walking up to me he said, “I’m throwing a party tonight at my place and I would like it if you would come.” Saying I was shocked would be an understatement. I looked over my shoulder to make sure he was indeed talking to me and not someone behind me. I turned back to him and he was standing there waiting for me to answer. “Are you asking me to come to your party today, or is this a sick joke you and your girl are try
ing to pull?” I asked not know where I got off talking to him like that. I’ve heard the girls talking around the club making fun of me behind my back. It’s obvious they knew I have a crush on him. His mouth drops open, in shock I presume, that I called him out on his shit. By the look on his face I would say that no one has ever talked to him that way. We didn’t hang in the same circles, so for him to invite me to one of his parties put me on edge. Why now, why after all these years? What was he up to? Maybe his groupies finally convinced him to pull a prank on me, to see how far my crush goes.
When the shock wore off, anger and disappointment took over his expression. “No, I’m not trying to pull a fast one on you or anything
underhanded. I just wanted you to come to my party.” He gave me an unsure smile as if he expects me to turn around and walk away. “Sure, why not.” I sweetly accepted his invitation for tonight. I can tell he is surprise that I accept; now that made me smile. This should be interesting, the pauperess getting an invitation to the ball by the prince himself. If he only knew that I would have accepted his invite even if it meant that I was only to serve him and his rich friends’ drinks all-night, as long as I could be in his presence.
As the girl from the wrong side of town, I should know my place around here. Realizing I was off in my own world again I heard him say, “Give me your number and I’ll text you my address for later.” I grabbed a pen and paper from my pocket, write my number down, and handed it to him. I walked off as fast as I could; trying to get some distance between us so I can do a happy dance without embarrassing myself in front of him. He is from money and I’m from nothing, so I could see where this was going before it even started … a big fat nowhere. What the hell was I thinking? He just invited me to a party and here I am thinking beyond that?
He is with Samantha Huxley; her family was from old money like his. She is the type of girl his parents wants him to be with. Well, he was with Chloe for a while before they split over a year ago, then he took up with Sam and the rest of the floozies. I could see their lives before they even lived it. They would be married with two kids, a boy and girl, living in their fancy mansion pretending to be undyingly happy, just like every one of these fakers I come across every day. They pretend that their lives are happy and that they are living the way they have always dreamed it would be, but I would see or hear some of the ladies crying in the bathroom, while their husbands pranced around secretly touching the help in places they have no business touching. It’s like when the cat’s away the mice come out the play, not caring about the embarrassment it would cause. The girls that works here who smile and allow themselves to be touch by these married men were no different than the sleazes they let touched them. I’ve heard whispers that they were afraid of losing their jobs if they complain or stopped them, so they just let these guys have their way just so they could keep on working and collecting the big tips they were getting from each of them. Me on the other hand, I’m not for sale, so no big tips or job security is going to justify letting them do that to me.
Looking at the clock I realized it was time for my shift to be over. I went in the back and grabbed my things and headed out before anyone could stop me. I jumped into Betsey, my beat-up Honda Accord and drove off, blasting my music as I jump on the highway heading home. I heard my phone chime; I reach over into my purse and got it. Looking at the screen I see I a text message from an unknown number. Swiping my finger across the screen and read the message:
999 Lincroft, Highland Park, the party should start around seven this is also my number save it, looking forward to seeing you.
I read it again, because I was getting excited over a simple message. I was reading too much into this, him saying he is looking forward to seeing me later was getting to me. It shouldn’t be; I’m pretty sure he was just saying it to be polite. Something he says when he is inviting people to his parties.
It was now five p.m. and I had a little time to relax before I went to this party. I picked up my phone and text my girls Kyla, Madison, Julie and Melissa to find out if they would like to go with me. I’ll have to find out if it’s ok with Ryan before I show up with a bunch of uninvited guests.
Hey; is it ok if I bring a friend or four along?
He replied instantly:
Lol, sure it’s ok.
I waited for my girls to respond. As soon as I pulled up to my house I heard my phone chiming away which only meant they were all answering at the same time. Only Jules was free tonight, but that’s cool I love hanging with her, she was my best friend. I told her to meet me at my house around seven and we will ride together from there.
Walking into the kitchen I grabbed a bottle of water. I was so thirsty from the nervousness that was building inside my gut. What the hell am I doing? Why did I agree to go to this party? I haven’t even told Jules where the party was and I’m a bit scared at what she is going to say. She has heard me talk about Ryan all these years and I’m sure she will think I’ve lost my mother loving mind to be putting myself into the position of getting hurt. She is going to be skeptical of his motive for inviting me. I’m a little skeptical too, but I just can’t pass up the first opportunity that he finally invites me. I’ve always wanted to go, I guess to be in his presence. Maybe dance with him, maybe he will accidentally brush against me, touch my hand and even kiss me. Now I’m off in fucking la-la land again, dreaming of touches and kisses that will never happen. He doesn’t see me in that way and the quicker I accept that the better it will be for me to move on and stop pining over someone that doesn’t see me. Oh God; please don’t let this be a prank, just so he can sweet talk me to get into my pants, ‘cause lord knows there wouldn’t be any resistance. I hope that’s not the case; I know I’m weak when it comes to him; he has my head twisted up when he’s near. I have no intention of being used by him or anyone at the club, and I don’t want to be stupid letting down my guard only to be used. I see the way the men are always eyeing me like I’m a fucking dish they can’t wait to devour. I refuse to be like those other girls who let that shit happen for money; fuck no. They can’t pay me enough for that shit. Snapping outta my head I run upstairs to get ready.
I hear the front door open and know that it’s Jules. When I talked to her five minutes ago, I told her the door would be open and to just come on in. “Where are you Ev?” She shouts.
“I’m in the bathroom, come on up.”
“Well miss thing, I like your hair, you’re smoking tonight,” she says.
“Thanks; I haven’t been out in a while so I’m making an entrance. You know how I do?”
“I hope you’re wearing the outfit we bought at the mall last week. I can’t wait to see you in that skinny jean and sheer tunic top.” Finishing up my hair and make-up; I put on my outfit and stepped in front of the mirror to see the finished product. I heard Jules give out.
“Wow girl! You’re going to get the guys all hot and bothered at this party.” The only person I want hot and bothered tonight is Ryan, so I ignore her comment and said, “I’m planning on having a blast tonight so let’s go.” When we arrived at the address, the nervousness kicked in tenfold. Just by looking around, seeing all the luxury surrounding me, made me feel inadequate. Finally gathering the courage to get out of the car, and putting one foot in front of the other I started walking towards the front door. Stepping into the palatial house further confirms I’m outta my league. Jules and I made our way to what looks to be the kitchen area; standing as close to the door as I could, not wanting to bring any attention to myself while Jules went to get us something to drink. Looking around trying to find Ryan amongst the sea of people was challenging, so instead I focus on not getting run over. I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I looked over, Jules handed me a drink. “Thanks babe.” I smiled taking the cup from her. We just arrived at the party and it is swinging in full force. Looking around I said, “I’m so out of my comfort zone being here.”
“Yes we are.” I hear Jules answer beside me, looking around at all the people l
ooking like they just stepped out of the fucking Stepford wives nightmare all prim and proper. I spot the bearer of my pyrotechnic. Nervousness sets in when I see Ryan coming over to where we are standing close to the door. “Why are you standing so close to the door? Are you planning on making a run for it?” He asks smiling.
“No; I’m not planning on running anywhere. We just got here about ten minutes ago so we were just observing what’s going on.”
Looking Ryan up and down taking in all his manly beauty, I just want to jump his bones right here, right now in front of all these people, not giving a care who sees me. My eye’s travels back up, stopping at his luscious lips watching his tongue run slowly over them. So kissable, man, what I would give to have those lips on me right now. A smile formed on his lips and I knew I was busted. From that smile he knows what I’ve been thinking. I’m afraid to meet his eyes, embarrassed that I was caught checking him out. As I will my eyes to meet his, the intensity was enough to bring me to my knees. I felt a nudge snapping me out of the spell I was under. As I came back to reality I see Jules gawking, realizing my error. “Oh, Ryan, this is my girl Julie. Julie this is Ryan and this is his party.” I try to sound unfazed by his presence, but failing miserably. I was oozing fake confidence I hope he doesn’t see. I didn’t hear Jules answer so I looked over seeing that she was staring and what looks to be drooling. I snapped my fingers trying to get her to snap out of it, all she said was “Hi” lamely, because she was still ogling Ryan right to his face. Who could blame her; that’s the same way I acted the first time I saw him and every day after that.
Seeing movement in my peripheral I looked over to see Samantha Huxley and Michelle Vanderhouse. Of course they would be here; they are the people he hangs with. I watch as I see them walking over toward us smiling. When they got over to where we are the first thing that comes out of Michelle’s mouth is, “What are they doing here?” She asked looking at us like we were something she stepped on. The scent of liquor tickles my nose, of course she would be drinking, that’s all they do at the club so why would anything change here. “I invited them, is there a problem?” I hear Ryan ask.
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