by Ali Parker
“Why are you so optimistic?”
“Why are you so pessimistic?” he shot back.
“You sound like my mother,” I said.
He pulled a face. “She has a much deeper voice than mine.”
I laughed. “Ass. Let’s get some champagne and forget about our lives for a little while.”
“I thought you’d never ask,” he said. “I love Champagne-Soph. She’s quite the character.”
I whirled around him, and my foot wobbled. I grabbed onto a nearby desk to steady myself.
He laughed. “I see Champagne-Soph has already arrived.”
“Shut it,” I said, swatting at him. He had the foresight to move away from my hand. “I’ve only had two glasses. It’s these damn heels.”
“How about I get us something to drink while you stay here and take a load off?”
“I’d love to take these shoes off,” I muttered as he walked away. It would be incredibly unprofessional, unless I sat at my desk.
Matt had already crossed the room in the direction of the drink table, and I hoped he would be able to find me at my desk. Since he had no idea where that was, I shot him a quick text.
Sitting down at my desk near the back of the room, I sighed heavily. I kicked off the devil-heels and curled my toes into the floor. It wasn’t the most hygienic thing, but it felt so incredible after being squished in them for most of the day. The party had started right at six, so I didn’t have time to go home and change.
“Getting ahead on the new year?” a voice asked from behind me.
I twisted in my chair to see Mr. Fraser standing there. He had on his typical jacket and tie, but for once, it was loosened a little.
Feeling for my shoes with my foot, I managed to shove them back inside, squishing my toes into the pointed ends.
Standing up, I smoothed down my black dress that, yes, I had worn to a few funerals in the last five years. “Mr. Fraser. Happy New Year. Well, almost. I swear, I wasn’t working—”
“That’s okay, Sophia,” he said with a chuckle. It was the first laugh I’d heard from him in a long time. I wondered how many champagnes he’d already had. “You’re an important part of the Post. There’s no shame in hard work.”
“I do love it here.” If he’d noticed that I worked so hard, why the hell didn’t I get the promotion that I deserved? I hoped his praise wasn’t just the booze talking, though I intended to remind him of the conversation later this week if he didn’t assign a good story to me.
Matt wandered past my desk and craned his neck to find me.
I shuffled over to him, putting the final push to get my foot into place in my shoe. Grabbing his arm, I pulled him next to me. “Mr. Fraser, this is Matt.”
Matt handed me a flute filled with the crisp, bubbly fluid and used his free hand to shake hands with my boss.
“Sophia!” Mr. Fraser’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Oh,” Matt said, shaking his head furiously.
“We’re not together,” I said quickly. “We’re good friends.”
“I live in Seattle,” Matt said.
Mr. Fraser’s eyes darted between us as if he didn’t quite believe me. How did he expect me to keep up with a relationship when I was always in the office when he arrived in the morning and hours after he left at night?
“I see,” Mr. Fraser said. “Sophia, I know it’s almost midnight, but may I have a word?”
Matt downed his glass of champagne and grimaced. I stifled a laugh and the urge to tell him that I told him so. I should have had him sneak something in, but I was sure the car service from the airport wouldn’t appreciate stopping at the liquor store on the way to the party.
“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Matt said and winked at me before heading in search of more booze.
“He didn’t have to go,” Mr. Fraser said, staring after Matt.
“Matt knows how important work is to me,” I said, smacking the head on the nail a little harder. If I were any more obvious, I’d need a piece of cardboard and a string of lights with the words “PICK ME” in big bold letters.
Mr. Fraser smiled, but it didn’t quite touch his eyes. “I’m afraid I had to do something rash, and I hope you will underestand.”
My eyes widened, and I leaned closer to hear him over the music filtering out of the nearby speakers. They had been strategically placed throughout the room, a little haphazardly in my opinion. I’d nearly tripped on a few of the power cords several times already throughout the night.
“The king of Qatar is stepping down,” he said.
I blinked, wondering what that had to do with me. I rarely covered anything out of the great state of Texas. “Okay.”
Mr. Fraser stared down into his glass. “I’m assuming the eldest son will be taking the throne.”
He paused again, stringing me along like a damned puppet.
“How can I help?” I asked.
“I want to be the first paper to run the story,” he said finally. “I’m giving you the assignment. I want you to talk to the heir and get a piece back to me before anyone else.”
“Wow,” I said. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you for trusting me with this.”
“It’s well deserved,” he said. “But you will have to leave for England tomorrow. The family oil business has an office there, and the son runs it from there.”
It seemed a little strange that the heir to the throne of Qatar was working in England, but what did I know about monarchies? Not much.
Placing my flute on my desk, I knew there wasn’t going to be any more drinking tonight. Packing and researching were the only things on my agenda.
“All of the details will be sent to your email shortly,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you were willing to do the piece.”
I was so willing.
He cleared his throat. “I apologize for you having to leave your friend.”
Shit. Matt.
I found myself saying, “It’s fine.”
Mr. Fraser bobbed his head, muttered a “Happy New Year,” and continued to mingle with his other employees.
My heart fluttered in my chest. If I nailed this story, it might just be enough to put me over the edge for the promotion.
“What did he say?” Matt asked the moment I was alone.
“Were you eavesdropping?” I asked, hoping that he had been. Then I wouldn’t have to give him the bad news that I was leaving him mere hours after his arrival.
“I tried to,” he said, twirling his finger in the air. “The music was too loud.”
I sighed. “He’s sending me on assignment.”
Matt grabbed my hands and squeezed. “That’s amazing. Where? When?”
“England,” I said. “Tomorrow.”
I waited for his face to fall, for the disappointed look to mar his handsome features. “You said yes, right?”
“I did,” I said. “I feel awful for leaving you after you just got here, though.”
“As long as you still give me the key to your apartment, I’m good,” he said. “This is an amazing opportunity, and I won’t allow you to mess it up because of me. I can switch my flight and come back whenever.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, unable to hold back my smile.
“Of course!”
I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed. “This is so exciting. I’ve never left the area for a story before. Now my boss wants me to go to the UK.”
“Your passport is current, right?”
Trapping my lip between my teeth, I considered that. “I think so.”
“You better hope so,” he said with a laugh.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I’ve kept it up on the off chance that something like this would happen.”
“Or if you needed a quick getaway,” he said.
I smiled. “That too.”
“See? Good things happen to people who wait.”
“You’re going to hang this over my head
for a while, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that I’m too happy to care.”
“That’s my girl,” he said. “Do you want to head out of here and start packing?”
I glanced at the clock. There was still another hour left until midnight, but if I was going to be any sort of prepared, I needed to leave. Mr. Fraser would understand, and my co-workers were too preoccupied to care that Matt and I left before the ball dropped.
I wondered if any of my co-workers who traveled around the globe felt this way before an assignment. Did they feel a sharp edge of anticipation cutting into their gut while goosebumps raked over their skin at the chance to break a really good story?
Even if they didn’t, I knew this feeling wouldn’t go away. This was the start of something extraordinary. I could feel it.
3
Luke
For the entire flight to my childhood home, I sorted through emails on my laptop, desperate to keep the conversation with Father as infrequent as possible.
But as king, he had other duties to attend to. While he locked himself in the suite on the private plane, fielding whatever issues were ailing the country that he ran, I did the same with my work. I wasn’t as productive as I would have been at the office, with the constant turbulence and the staff’s eagerness to cater to my every need, but I did get enough done to feel somewhat accomplished by the time the plane landed.
As the plane touched the ground, I drew in a sharp breath, and a sinking sensation weighed in my gut. The plane slowed, and the moment the “fasten seatbelt sign” turned off, I clicked the buckle open and stood up.
The door to Father’s suite opened a few seconds later, and he strode past me with his staff right behind him.
I hadn’t bothered to change into the more traditional clothes that Father would have preferred. I wasn’t trying to be rude. I just wanted to show him that this particular part of our world wasn’t fit for me.
I would only be able to get away with so much before Mother got involved and imposed her will on me, too. So, I took hold of my independence for as long as I could.
Outside, the temperature was much warmer than it had been in the UK. Beads of sweat appeared on my forehead after only a few seconds of being outside.
I dropped my sunglasses over my eyes as I disembarked the plane. There was already a car waiting for us, and Father was inside. I nodded at the man holding the door open for me as I slipped into the backseat.
A blast of cold air clung to my face, and I had a brief memory of how it felt back in England. As much as I enjoyed thawing out, I would have preferred to be there instead of here. I’d spent the last few years avoiding this moment. It had finally arrived, and I still wasn’t ready.
Father didn’t wait long until he started in again. I knew his whole “month” scenario wouldn’t play out. Now that we were back on his turf, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get a word in edgewise about how much I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps.
“I spoke with my advisors, and they are on board with you taking my place,” he said.
I turned to the window, gritting my teeth. I tried to focus on the landscape and how different it was from the beautiful English buildings that I was accustomed to.
Father went on about the importance of running the country and how he saw me taking the reins. I nodded my head and spoke one-syllable responses where it was appropriate. But he knew my stance already. I didn’t want this. No amount of pressure was going to make me accept it without a fight.
Today wasn’t the day to fight. Even though he promised me a month to make my decision—which was already made—I would wait until then to push harder to keep my life as I wanted it.
I didn’t want to ruin the time I had with Mother and Abir, so I allowed him to say whatever he wanted and to get his ideas out of his head.
Even from a young age, Father tended to lecture me, forcing me into a cut-out path that he designed. As much as I appreciated everything he’d given to me, I still wanted my own life.
The decision for me to come to England had taken months of preparation and many talks to convince him finally. I was pretty sure he thought if he gave me the opportunity to make my own life, I would come back when the time was right.
In actuality, it was the opposite. Now that I had experienced independence from the throne, I never wanted to come back to rule. Father knew this, so he pushed the guilt as hard as he could. He didn’t know that I inherited his stubbornness, and I would fight him until the bitter end.
The one-sided conversation with Father lasted the majority of the ride to the palace.
When the palace gates opened in front of the car, Father went silent. It was my opportunity to show him that this wasn’t a request I was about to bow down to. But I waited until the car stopped in front of the steps before giving my last words.
“Father, thank you for repeating how important this position is to our country, but at this point, my decision is firm. You promised me the month, and I will take it until the very last second.”
Father didn’t look at me, but a small smile touched his lips.
I wasn’t expecting him to frown or cry over it, but the smile was a surprise. It was the one that he always gave before giving punishment for one of my misbehaviors as a child. It was an “I know better than you” expression, and it settled into my stomach like a spoiled meal.
The doors opened on either side of the car, and Father got out first.
Stepping out into the blazing sun and heat again, I quickly rounded the car, knowing the staff would handle my suitcase.
I’d packed light, not intending to stay very long, but that didn’t matter too much. I had a full closet of clothes in my chambers, and the palace had plenty of staff to get me whatever I desired.
Father already had two of his advisors flanking him on either side. At least when he was busy with the country’s affairs, he’d get off my back for a little bit. Once we stepped through the doors of the palace, Father went off to his drawing room, and my tense shoulders loosened slightly.
The palace staff bustled around the expansive hallways, but none of them spoke or made eye contact with me. It was the way Father wanted. I would have to change that if he forced me to become king.
I shook my head, banishing those ridiculous thoughts from my mind. I wasn’t going to become king. Not in a million years.
There were other succession options, but I knew Father wouldn’t even consider them until pushed to the absolute brink.
Walking in the opposite direction from Father’s drawing room, I went in search of Mother and Abir.
Knowing where they would be, I walked with purpose down the long hallways and across the glittering marble floors with intricate gold overlays. Being in England for so long with the bleak weather and the different style of houses and buildings, coming home to the palace made everything seem brighter, enough that I yearned to wear my sunglasses again.
Mother would never approve, so I didn’t entertain the option. I merely squinted my eyes until they adjusted instead.
The New Year celebration would take place tonight, and Mother always went above and beyond. It was a time to celebrate family and close friends, and she never skimped on the festivities.
I found her and Abir in the Great Hall, overseeing the staff transforming the banquet space into the most lavishly decorated room in the palace.
Abir was the first to see me. “Luke!” He hurried over to me and reached his hand out to shake mine.
“I see you’ve been eating well,” I said, releasing his hand. “You’ve grown nearly a foot since I’ve seen you last.”
Abir raked a hand through his thick black hair. I wondered what Mother thought of his unkempt look, but I had a feeling she was more preoccupied with the party than her youngest son’s current hairstyle. Though, I knew that she’d make sure he was presentable tonight.
“You don’t look like you’re eating enough,” Abir said, poking m
y arm.
With work encompassing most of my life, I had to schedule a time to eat or else it wouldn’t happen at all.
Mother would change that during my stay. The regimented eating times were strict, and sitting down with Father and Abir was non-negotiable. It wasn’t the first time since the flight that I wanted to go back to England and live life under my terms.
Mother ended her conversation with one of the staff members and walked over to me. Her round face broke into a broad smile. “Dear Luke,” she said. “I’ve missed you so.”
I kissed her cheeks and sighed. “It’s good to be home.” It wasn’t a complete lie, and it satisfied her enough.
“This year will bring good fortune with both my sons here,” she said.
Abir stood straighter and clasped his hands behind his back. He resembled Father more than I ever would. I imagined him being a different kind of leader, but not the type that Qatar needed to succeed Father.
The thought rustled around in my gut before I attempted to shove it away. I had thirty days before I had to deal with that.
At the very least, the party would distract me from the pressure for a little while.
“Go to your chamber to get cleaned and changed for dinner,” Mother said. “The celebrations will begin shortly after.”
I nodded, not fighting those orders.
The rest of the day was a whirlwind. I barely had time to take a breath after eating before the guests arrived. They came in droves to the palace, and Abir and I escorted them into the Great Hall.
Catching up with relatives was the highlight of the party. While it hadn’t been publicly announced that Father was stepping down, there were many questions about my future role in the kingdom. I dodged any direct questions, much to our guests’ dismay, but I couldn’t give any of them fodder for rumors until everything was set in stone.
So much for distraction.
After a difficult time with Mother’s uncle, who was set in the old ways of the country, I looked for a break from the conversation.
Finding Mother nearby, I excused myself and went over to her.
“The party is beautiful,” I said to her.
