by Calista King
"No, but there's a first time for everything," he said, bringing her hand up to his lips for a kiss.
"Mmm, or maybe you could spend the night here," she whispered.
Andreas raised one eyebrow and smiled down at her.
"I don't mean it like that," she said pinching his arm. "I mean you could sleep on the futon if you'd like."
As soon as Laila said the words, she regretted it. What was she doing offering this man her futon? She didn't want him to get any ideas that she was an easy lay, but she had practically begged him to stay the night. What the hell was he supposed to think? Laila knew there'd be no way he'd give up his big comfortable bed back at the hotel to stay on her hand-me-down futon that had seen better days.
She was just about to take back her invitation when Andreas said, "I'd like that."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes really," he said. "I'm actually pretty tired and this couch is looking a lot more appealing than going back out and waiting for the subway."
"Oh...um...all right," Laila said.
She didn't expect him to say yes. Maybe a polite "No, but thanks anyways," but not a "Yes, I'd love to." She stood there for a moment dumbfounded just staring at him with her mouth slightly parted like a fish.
"Were you just asking to be polite? Because I can go," Andreas said, grinning at the expression on her face.
"What? No no, stay. I'll just...I'm just gonna run into the other room and get some sheets and pillows. You stay right there. I'll be back," she said, dashing into her room.
Laila came back out with the bedding and two pillows. She also brought out an extra large T-shirt and gray sweatpants.
"These are for you to sleep in. I figured it'd be more comfortable than your suit," she said, placing the items on the coffee table in front of them. "They're my ex's. He left them here after we broke up. Don't worry, I've washed them. I don't really know why I still have them. I threw away everything else of his that he didn't take. Anyway, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but yeah. I'll just leave them here."
She was blubbering now and hated herself for sounding so silly, but she couldn't help herself. Being around Andreas like this, preparing for bed, but not sleeping together was a whole new experience for her. She'd never had a guy spend the night over at her place besides Marc, and he was her boyfriend.
She'd only known Andreas for less than a week. Everything seemed to be moving so fast and Laila knew she was definitely going outside of her comfort zone, but she found that rather than being scared, it was thrilling. It seemed like every moment with Andreas was a new experience.
"Well I normally sleep in the nude, but I supposed I shouldn't do that here," he grinned.
Laila felt the blush rising up her neck as the familiar heat spread over her cheeks. She knew she was beet red, but her imagination started to form that picture in her head of Andreas lying naked on her futon. She could tell he worked out. The muscles on his arms and chest as she laid her head against him had testified to that fact. She had to make an effort to clear her mind of the mental image, otherwise she'd be tempted to tear the clothes off his back herself.
"Yeah well, um...I'll just leave you to uh...change," she stammered, backing out of the living room.
Once she was in her bedroom, she locked the door and sat on her bed mentally berating herself for being so foolish. "Get a hold of yourself, Laila. You'd think you'd never seen a naked man before. What the hell is wrong with you? He probably thinking you're some crazy stalker the way you were acting," she muttered to herself.
Laila got undressed and slipped on a tank top and pajama pants. She then opened her door and crossed the hall to the bathroom and got ready for bed. She also took out an extra tooth brush for Andreas. Then she walked back into the living room to check on him, but he was already fast asleep.
He was lying on the futon stretched out wearing the t-shirt and sweat pants Laila had left for him. His long legs hung over the end of the futon, and she knew it must not have been comfortable for him, but he seemed to be in a deep sleep. He looked so young and peaceful lying there; his long lashes brushed up against his cheeks as a slight stubble darkened his jaw. His clothes were neatly hung over the side of the rocking chair by the window. She placed the toothbrush on the coffee table by his watch that he had taken off, then walked back into her bedroom and went to bed.
CHAPTER 9
Andreas opened his eyes the next morning and had to shut them again promptly. The morning sun was shining directly in his eyes, and somehow his entire body felt stiff. For a moment he had no idea where he was or why he wasn't in his own bed at the hotel, but then it all came rushing back to him. Laila. He was still at her apartment. He'd spent the night after their date.
The thought brought a smile to his lips. Andreas loved spending time with her and being in her company, and if that meant he had to sleep on a lumpy uncomfortable old futon, then so be it. He'd do it all over again.
Andreas slowly sat up on the futon, though his body protested the whole way. His neck and back felt stiff, and he began to rub the back of his neck when he heard her door open. A moment later Laila stood in her pajamas in the living room. Andreas thought she looked breathtaking. She looked so fresh and innocent in her little black tank top and Hello Kitty pajama pants. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her face was clean and free of makeup. Somehow, Andreas thought she'd never looked prettier.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said. He tried to smile at her, but it came off as a grimace as he tried to stand.
"Hey there. Are you all right?" Laila asked, looking at him in concern. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"It wasn't bad," he lied.
She looked him up and down, noticing the stiff way he sat and the way his head was tilted slightly back, and pursed her lips.
"Yeah right. Move over," she said taking a seat right next to him.
She positioned him so that his back was faced towards her, and began to massage the sore muscles on his neck, shoulders, and back. Andreas let out a deep groan and closed his eyes as she worked her magic.
"That feels so nice," he said.
"It's the least I could do, letting you sleep on this thing here," she said, rubbing his lower back.
Laila's ministrations felt so good; she was firm but still gentle. Andreas was feeling better already, and turned to look over his shoulder at her.
"Thank you Laila. I think that did the trick," he said.
Laila dropped her hands to her sides and Andreas turned to face her completely.
"You look like a wild man," she said, giving him the once over.
Andreas didn't doubt it. He was sure his hair was all over the place; his cheeks felt rough with stubble, and he hadn't showered or brushed his teeth. On top of it all, he was sitting on her couch in a pair of over sized sweat pants and t-shirt that belonged to her ex boyfriend. Andreas had never felt or been as unkempt before in his life, but still, he was comfortable.
He didn't feel like she was judging him or looking down on him because of his appearance. She was just stating a fact. He did look wild, and if the interest in her gaze was anything to go by, she seemed to like it. He rubbed his cheeks feeling the rough stubble scrape against his palm.
"I feel like a wild man," he said.
"It's a good look on you," Laila said. "You're usually so groomed and polished, it's nice to see you can look scruffy too."
"Thank you, I think," he laughed. "I'll have to remember you like the rough and manly type."
"Hey I never said that," Laila said, punching his arm. She got up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen. "Come on, I'll make you breakfast. I left a toothbrush out for you so if you want to get freshened up, I'll get started."
"You're going to make breakfast?" Andreas asked.
"Yeah that's what I just said. Why? Is something wrong with that?"
"No, not at all. It's just, I don't think anyone has made me breakfast before," he said.
And it was true. In
all his years, no one had ever cooked for him. Sure, at the palace and his family's estate, they had a private chef that would cook all their meals, but neither his mother nor any woman he'd ever dated had made him anything because they wanted to. Andreas felt touched that Laila would go through all the trouble.
"Don't go getting all excited. It's just gonna be some bacon and eggs. Pancakes too if you're lucky. Nothing fancy," Laila said from the kitchen.
"That sounds delicious."
Andreas got up from the couch and took his clothes and the toothbrush with him and headed down the hall towards the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and combed his hair and tried to make himself look less "wild". He put on the clothes he wore from last night, and neatly folded the borrowed t shirt and sweatpants and placed it on the vanity. Then he went back out towards the kitchen. Laila was busy frying up some bacon and mixing the pancake batter.
"Mmm smells delicious," Andreas said, sitting at a bar stool in front of the counter that opened up to the living room. "Did you need any help."
"You know how fry an egg?" she asked.
"Uh...not exactly, but I'm sure I can learn. It can't be too hard, right?" Andreas said. He got up from the stool and started heading in to the kitchen before Laila waved him off.
"Actually why don't you just have a seat and relax. We can experiment with cooking another time...maybe," Laila said.
"You sure?" Andreas asked.
"Yeah positive. Why don't you just get out two glasses. I've got some orange juice in the fridge you can pour out."
Andreas hopped off the bar and reached for two glasses from the cabinet Laila had pointed out to him. He then went to the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice and filled both glasses up. Placing them back on the counter, he retrieved the plates and cutlery as well as napkins and set them on the counter top next to the orange juice. He then sat back down and waited for Laila to finish. She finished scrambling the eggs and placed a scoopful on a plate, along with bacon and pancakes, and placed it in front of Andreas.
"Eat up," she said.
She reached into another cabinet and took out some syrup. Laila placed that on the counter before filling her own plate and taking the seat next to Andreas.
"This is delicious," Andreas said, between mouthfuls of food. "You're an excellent cook."
"It wasn't hard," Laila said brushing off his compliment.
"You should learn to accept compliments," he said. "I intend to shower you with them, so you might as well get used to it."
"Damn you're really smooth. Does that usually work with the ladies?" Laila laughed.
"Actually it does. Women can't seem to resist my charms," he replied waggling both brows at her.
Laila laughed at his silly antics, and Andreas found himself falling deeper under her spell. This woman is special, he kept telling himself. Here she was, sitting next to him in her pajamas looking so causal, but yet so sexy after having made him a home cooked meal and joking with him as if she didn't have a care in the world.
As he sat and enjoyed her company, nagging thoughts began cropping up in Andreas' mind. What would Laila say if she found out I was a prince? Would she be this carefree or would everything change and become stiff and formal? Would she look at me differently? Andreas was afraid to find out. He knew if they continued their relationship, he'd have to eventually tell her.
Andreas almost wondered if he shouldn't break the news to her right then. Was it wrong of me to keep this secret from her? he wondered. At least she could decide if she wanted to continue seeing him again considering all the baggage he had. But then the idea of her actually walking away from him caused a tight knot to form in his stomach. He couldn't bear the thought that she would walk out on him because of his background. Worse, what if she changed and became like so many of the other shallow women he had known all his life. He didn't like the thought of that at all.
"What are you thinking about?" Laila asked.
Andreas looked over at her, seeing her face etched in concern. Her mouth was turned down and formed a slight frown.
"It's nothing, really," he lied.
"Nothing, huh? You sure you're not thinking about your mystery female again?" Laila asked skeptically.
Andreas' face registered his confusion and he tilted his head to peer at her. "Mystery female?" he asked.
He could see Laila was embarrassed by her little slip up as the familiar flush crept up her cheeks, giving her a nice rosy blush. Andreas was pleased that he could so easily read her emotions on her face.
"Eh...forget it," she mumbled, taking a sip of her orange juice and avoiding eye contact with him.
"Wait a minute, you thought I was thinking about Caroline?" Andreas asked in wonder.
"Is that her name?" Laila asked. Her voice sounded subdued and a little accusatory.
"Are you jealous?"
"What? No! Why would I be jealous of a woman I've never met before," Laila lied.
Andreas had to hide the satisfied grin that was threatening to break free. She was jealous! It made him feel excessively happy that he could bring out those emotions in her.
"Well, you have nothing to worry about. I was not thinking of Caroline. She's old news and not someone I want to waste my time thinking about," he said, taking her hand and pressing his lips against her wrist. "Not when I have someone as lovely as you with me now."
"See, now that was smooth," Laila said. She tried to play it off like he didn't affect her, but her trembling hands belied her words.
"I'm glad you think so," he said, giving her a crooked smile.
Laila got up from the stool and began gathering her plate and utensils and brought them to the kitchen. She dropped it in the sink and turned on the water. Andreas followed her in there bringing his own dirty dishes and placed it on the counter next to the sink. He stood there towering over her with his back against the counter and his arms crossed over his chest in a casual stance.
"Do you have any plans today?" he asked her.
"Not really. I've got to head into work later though," she replied, not taking her eyes from her task.
"Ah, I see." Andreas was disappointed. He had wanted to spend more time with her. For some reason, he didn't want the date to end. Still. Even after spending the night at her place, he was reluctant to leave. It seemed like she brought the sunshine wherever she went and he wanted to be in her presence. But he reluctantly agreed that he did need to get back to his hotel room, if for nothing more than to shower and change.
"What about you?"
"The same. I probably have to go over some contracts and outline some new proposals I'm working on," he replied.
"Sounds fun."
"It's not."
"Yeah I figured."
"So perhaps I should get going," he said. "I don't want to keep you from your plans or running errands, and I should go back myself."
Laila shut off the faucet and dried her hands on a dish towel before turning to face him. "Oh well I had a really great time last night...and this morning too," she smiled.
"So did I," Andreas said. He hesitated a bit. There was so much more he wanted to say but he held back. He wasn't even sure exactly what he wanted to say yet and he didn't want to frighten her away. "Maybe I'll see you tonight, at the hotel?"
"I hope so...but shit. Jenna's working tonight. That girl is..." Laila didn't finish her thought and just shook her head.
"I know what you mean," Andreas smiled. "Well maybe I'll call you at the front desk again."
"I'll be waiting," she said.
Andreas bent down to give her a light kiss on her lips and a hug before pulling away. She walked him to the door and opened it for him. He walked down the hall towards the elevator and turned back one last time to wave. She was still standing at the door looking after him and waved back. Andreas got into the elevator and rode down to the lobby.
The thought of revealing his true identity to her caused him some concern, but he brushed it away for now. He didn't know exactly
where things with Laila were going, but he was optimistic. Andreas just had a feeling things would work out. He was able to catch a cab easily and was on his way back to the hotel when his phone rang.
"Hello?" he answered.
" Andreas, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for hours!"
"Freddy? I'm sorry, my phone must have been in a non-service area. What's wrong?" Andreas asked.
"Nothing's the matter. We were just worried about you when you didn't call back," he said.
"We? Who are you talking about?"
"Our parents and me," Frederick answered.
"Our parents? Concerned about me? Tell me the truth Freddy, what's really going on?" Andreas asked.
Andreas could just picture Frederick rolling his eyes on the other end and he smiled to himself at how predictable his brother was. He even mimed his brother's answer, which was so typical of Frederick.
"You know they care about you, Andreas. They just have a different way of showing it," Frederick said.
"Yes well, you can tell them I'm perfectly fine. I haven't been causing any scandals or getting drunk or anything. In fact, I've practically been a saint."
"That's good to hear." Frederick sounded like he had more to say, but abruptly cut himself off.
"What's the real reason you called, Freddy? Don't give me that silly story about Mother and Father being concerned over me, and you haven't called me just to chat in...well ever. There must be something going on for you three to conspire to check up on me."
"Honestly Andreas, nothing's going on. You're too suspicious."
"You give me good reason to be."
"So have you heard from any of your friends lately?" Frederick asked.
Andreas was caught off guard by the abrupt change in subject. Something was definitely not right. Frederick sounded uneasy and vague, not like the crisp, no nonsense brother he'd always known.
"No I haven't heard from anyone. Why? Did something happen?" Andreas asked.
"No, I was just wondering how you were spending your time in New York," Frederick said.
"What's with the curiosity over my life now? Are you still worried I'll do something to embarrass the family? You can tell them that will not happen. I gave my word."
