by Calista King
Even though her eyes were glued to the screen, she couldn't take in one word of the movie. Her mind was full of Andreas. His nearness and physicality was so overwhelming, it took over all her senses. She could hear his breath, smell his scent, feel the warmth from his skin, and remember the taste of him as they kissed. She wondered if maybe she should have just forgotten about her scruples and given into her desires.
The movie ended much too quickly. Laila was disappointed when Andreas stretched on the couch beside her and yawned.
"I should head back to the hotel," he said, turning to her.
"You could stay over here tonight," she suggested, shyly.
Andreas looked at her intently, trying to gauge the meaning behind her words. "I would like nothing more, but maybe it's best if I go. You'd be too tempting to resist, and I promised I'd give you time to get to know me better," he said.
"You're right," Laila agreed, but that didn't stop the stab of disappointment she felt.
She remembered she was still wearing his shirt and quickly slipped it over her head and handed it back to him. Feeling suddenly shy, she covered herself with her hands before slipping her own shirt back on. Andreas glanced at her with an appreciative grin before getting dressed and tucking in his shirt. Laila walked him to the door and saw him out. She knew it was silly to be falling so hard so quickly, but it felt like a piece of her was walking away with him.
CHAPTER 12
"Have you heard from your brother lately?"
The tall regal woman was sitting in one of the formal drawing rooms of Rotier Palace. Her cold glare was trained on her eldest son who sat stiff and unsmiling to her left in a wooden back chair, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world.
"Feeling some maternal concern, Mother?" Frederick asked.
"Don't bait me, Frederick. You know why Andreas was sent off to America. Now tell me what is going on with that boy," she answered impatiently.
Carlotta Margarethe Carstens De Berg, Queen of Castonia, was used to being obeyed. She had run her life, her husband's life, and the kingdom with an iron fist ever since becoming queen 25 years ago. Her personality brooked no opposition. She was finding, however, that her children were displaying an annoying habit of going against her wishes.
Frederick had always been a dutiful son. He knew what was owed to his position and to the crown. From an early age, he learned that his life was not his own to lead. He had responsibilities, and Carlotta made sure he lived up to the expectations that were placed on him.
Andreas was another story completely. From the day he was born she hadn't had a peaceful rest. She thought that once she had delivered another son, her duty was done. She had provided the kingdom with two males--an heir and a spare, but she didn't count on Andreas being such a troublesome child. He was always too high spirited and getting into all kinds of mischief.
All the white hair on her head because of that boy, she always said. The latest debacle he embroiled the family into was the last straw. She had always overlooked his propensity for whoring around and partying with his degenerate friends. After all, they had Frederick, but when the scandal broke over his latest exploits, Carlotta knew she could not turn the other cheek. Andreas needed a wakeup call and he needed to grow up.
"I spoke to him the other day. He seemed to be in good spirits," Frederick replied flatly.
"What do I care what his spirits were! What is happening with the company? Has he been behaving himself?" the queen asked.
"As always, Mother, your care and concern for your children is truly remarkable."
"Don't use that sarcastic tone with me, Frederick. What has gotten into you lately?" she asked.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Frederick replied.
The queen narrowed her eyes at Frederick. She did not like his attitude. He was growing more and more like Andreas every day, and that could not be borne. She had to keep a tighter rein on him and keep him in check.
Ever since they had sent Andreas off, Frederick had been acting flippant and irritable. As if he blamed her for Andreas' shortcomings! She held her temper in check because the interview was far from over, and what she was about to bring up next was a very delicate subject. One that she knew Frederick would bristle at.
"I saw Maria Bissette the other day," Carlotta began.
"Oh, here we go again," Frederick said, rolling his eyes.
"Frederick, you know as well as I do what is expected of you. You must marry! You are not a young child anymore. At 35 years old, you should have been married years ago. Why, when your father was your age, he was already married and had you and Andreas!."
"That's all well and good, but I am not Father. I will marry when I am ready to marry," Frederick said, brooking no opposition.
"And when will that be?"
"When I have found a woman I love."
Carlotta gave an impatient snort and waved her hand in the air dismissively. "What has love to do with anything? You are the crown price of Castonia. Do not forget that, Frederick. You must marry a suitable woman! Maria Bissette is imminently suitable. Her pedigree is impeccable and she will not be an embarrassment to this family."
"Mother, we've discussed this several times already. I will not waste my breath any further. You know my position and I will not change. If you have nothing further to discuss, then I will take my leave of you," Frederick replied.
Carlotta was about nowhere near finished and was just about to speak when her husband walked in the room. "Oh Arnulf! Thank goodness. Please talk some sense into your son."
"Which son are you talking about?" he replied.
Carlotta gave him an icy glare and huffed, "Of course I'm talking about Frederick. Do you see anyone else in the room?" she snapped impatiently.
"What's the boy done now?" he asked warily.
"There's nothing to discuss, Father. Mother is trying to convince me to marry and I refuse to be pressured into it. That is the end of the discussion," Frederick said.
Arnulf turned towards Frederick and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Yes, well you must do what you feel is right. But I'm not getting any younger, son. I will feel a lot less burdened if I could see you marry and settle down, while I'm still alive."
Carlotta had expected her husband to storm and rage like he always did, and accuse Frederick of not doing his duty. She was taken off guard by him mentioning his own mortality so openly. Immediately she could sense that it had struck a chord with Frederick, more so than anything she had done so far.
"And we could all use some good news," Carlotta added. "After the whole scandal with Andreas and that wretched woman, this family needs to generate some positive news and press coverage."
Carlotta sat looking at Frederick, waiting for a reply, but he remained silent. She knew she would get no further with him today on the subject of his marriage. Arnulf had been very useful for once in his life, she thought. That little nugget about him not being any younger seemed to do the trick.
She knew Frederick, and knew that would weigh heavily on him. All she had to do was bide her time and drop little hints about her husband's health to get Frederick to act. With any luck, she'd have him engaged by next year.
"That damned woman is at it again," Arnulf bit out, crumpling the newspaper he was holding in his hand. Carlotta snapped her gaze onto her husband and narrowed her eyes.
"What are you talking about Arnulf? What woman?" she asked.
"Caroline Hess." He bit out the words like it was a struggle for him to even mention her name.
Carlotta felt a sinking feeling in her stomach and braced herself for the news. "What has she done now?" she asked.
Arnulf flung the crumpled news sheet to Carlotta and stalked off towards the fire place. She watched him rest his forearm against the mantle place, his back stiff with anger. Turning her eyes on the paper in her hands, she carefully unfurled the sheet in front of her and scanned the headlines. Her eyes were arrested by a photo of the woman and the caption that read
"Caroline Hess, royal consort, has just signed a tell-all book deal with Millbury Books detailing her relationship with Prince Andreas and the royal family."
Carlotta closed her eyes, letting the anger and frustration wash over her. "Will we never be rid of the damned woman!" she bit out, still keeping her eyes closed.
"May I?" Frederick asked, pointing to the newspaper she was still gripping in her hands.
She released the sheet numbly, not even realizing what a tight grip she had on the pages. Frederick took it from her gently and read the caption for himself. She saw his knuckles whiten as he gripped the paper in his hands, and understood what he was feeling at the moment as she was feeling the exact same emotions.
"You can thank your brother for all of that," Carlotta said spitefully.
Frederick turned to her and narrowed his eyes. "There is no one to blame except Caroline Hess. Do not for a minute think that Andreas wanted any of this to happen."
"Yet he should have been more careful who he associated with. And my God, the things that boy did! If it wasn't already bad enough that he did them, he had to go bragging about it!" she shot back.
She could see that Frederick had no answer to that. Though he had always defended his brother, even he couldn't deny that he was shocked by Andreas' conduct.
"I wonder if we could pay her off?" he mused. He spoke so quietly, almost to himself, that Carlotta had to strain to hear him.
"Don't think we haven't tried," she replied. "She says she does not want money."
Frederick looked at her in surprise. "When did you have this discussion with her?" he asked.
"She contacted me before the scandal broke and told me what she was about to do. I offered her money to keep her silence and she refused," Carlotta said.
"Then why contact you in the first place? What was the purpose?"
"Probably to rub it in my face! She's a hateful girl with no decency. I don't know why your brother was so taken in with her."
"Hmm, she might have been after something else," Frederick mused. "She wouldn't be bought off with money, so what was she after?"
"What are people like her always after? Attention, fame, notoriety. It's sickening the lengths some will go to," Carlotta said.
"You may be right. All I know is if that book comes out, we will never hear the end of it. The scandal has died down somewhat since it first broke and I will do everything in my power to make sure it remains buried," Frederick said with determination. "She cannot be allowed to hurt this family any longer."
"What can we do?" Carlotta asked. "She will not be silenced!"
"Don't worry about it mother. I have some friends I can call on that will make sure her book never sees the light of day."
Carlotta eyed Frederick speculatively. "Be careful what you do. She is devious and doesn't play fair. I am very familiar with this type of female. Don't go getting in over your head and make a bad situation worse," she warned.
"I will be very careful. But we must keep the news from Andreas for as long as possible. There can be no good that can come of him finding out. Though, it will be difficult to keep such news from him."
CHAPTER 13
"So is something going on between you and that sexy Mr. De Berg?"
Laila whipped her head around to stare slack jawed at Corinne. "What? That's crazy! There's nothing going on between us," Laila spluttered.
Corinne had just thrown the question out there, not really expecting anything, but Laila's response made her perk up.
"You sure about that?" Corinne asked, eyeing Laila with new interest. "You two have been looking awfully cozy lately."
"You're imagining things," Laila said.
She was trying desperately to think of something to say that would lessen the suspicion. If Corinne knew the truth, she'd probably blab it to everyone. Not because she was a back stabber and trying to get Laila fired, but because she had a big mouth and couldn't keep a secret.
The truth was that she and Andreas had been secretly dating for over a month. Laila had never been happier. Andreas was everything she'd ever wanted in a man--kind, honest, smart, funny, and it didn't hurt that he was sexy as hell. He'd stood by his word that he wouldn't rush her and give her time to know him, and Laila appreciated him all the more for that.
Andreas had extended his stay at the hotel indefinitely. He told her it was because he was having trouble finding an apartment, but Laila thought it was because he secretly liked having her at his beck and call. She didn't really want to rush him into it either because she also liked seeing him every day, knowing he was right upstairs in the hotel where she worked.
Since he came back from Dubai, they'd spent almost everyday together. The routine was always the same. When she was working, he'd always call down to the front desk and flirt with her. It was fun for him to say outrageous things to her and have her try to maintain her composure in case people were listening in. Once she was done with her shift, he'd meet her outside the hotel and they'd head out together or back to her apartment.
Andreas always made it a point to stop by the front desk when she was working just to chat and small talk. He'd always kept it professional, making up plausible excuses as to why he was there. One time he asked about local tourist attractions, and another time he wanted to know when the Bronx zoo closed. Somehow she was able to stretch that encounter to over an hour. On the surface, it seemed innocent and harmless, but Laila knew he was just using it as an excuse to see her.
Now it seemed they hadn't been as careful as she thought. Laila figured if anyone were to suspect, it was best that it was Corinne instead of Jenna or one of the other women she worked with. At least Corinne was her friend and would be happy for her. She almost wanted to tell Corinne the truth. She'd never been happier and wanted to share her joy with her good friend.
"You sure about that?" Corinne asked.
"Um...actually..." Laila hesitated.
"Yes?"
"All right Corinne, you've got the keep this hush hush," Laila whispered. She decided to throw caution to the wind and finally come clean. In fact, she'd been dying to tell someone for weeks now. Her happiness couldn't be contained and she was fit to burst with the good news.
"My lips are sealed," Corinne promised, zipping her lips closed.
Laila glanced around to make sure no one could overhear before she leaned towards Corinne. "It's true. Andreas and I have been seeing each other."
"Andreas?"
"Yes, Mr. De Berg. He's so perfect you have no idea, Corinne. I've never been this happy," Laila gushed.
"Oh wow, I'm so happy for you!" Corinne said. "But how did it all happen? I mean you didn't seem to like him at first if I remember correctly."
"Yeah well that was at first," Laila said. "But I can't really believe it myself. One day he asked me out for drinks and things just took off from there."
"So what's he like?" Corinne asked. "I mean he's fine as all get out, but like, what does he do?"
"He's just...I don't know. It's hard to describe, but there's something special about him. He makes me feel like I'm the most important person in the world, you know?"
"Yeah," Corinne said.
Laila noticed she had a pained look in her eye and regretted gushing so openly about how perfect Andreas was. She knew Corinne was dealing with her own issues with her loser boyfriend Hector. Now for the first time since she'd known her she wished Corinne would just cut the damn cord and kick Hector to the curb. But she couldn't judge her too harshly. It wasn't long ago that she was in the same situation with Marc. What was it about strong, self sufficient women like them getting involved with loser, parasitic boyfriends who just sucked the life out of them? Laila shook her head at the foolishness of it all.
"So are you two serious? Have you met his family?"
"Yes...and no," Laila faltered.
She knew how she felt about Andreas and had a good idea that he felt the same. But since that first night that he came back from Dubai, they'd never discussed their
feelings. At the time it was like they didn't have to. They were both on the same wavelength. But now that Corinne mentioned it, doubts started to creep in.
She realized that she had told Andreas all about her life--her childhood, her family, her hopes and dreams, but he hadn't been as open with her. He never talked about himself much at all. She knew he was running away from some demons; that's what had brought him to New York in the first place, but that was about all she knew.
Laila never asked for more details because she assumed it was a painful topic for him. But even in other aspects of his, life like his childhood and his family, he was just as tight lipped. In fact, he rarely, if ever talked about his family. The only time he mentioned them was when he was talking about his uncle who worked with him. There were times she wondered what he was hiding.
"What do you mean?" Corinne asked, drawing her attention.
"Well his family's in Europe somewhere. I think the only family he has in New York is an uncle who he works with."
"Oh that makes sense. I still don't know how you've done it--keeping this secret. If I were you I would've let something slip by now."
"Yeah well, I don't want to get fired. You know I need this job and there are rules about dating guests," Laila said.
"Oh right, I forgot about those rules. Why doesn't he just go and stay at another hotel? Or better yet, get an apartment if he's going to be in the city permanently. It'd probably be a lot cheaper than staying at a hotel," Corinne asked.
"You're right," Laila agreed. "I don't know why he hasn't checked out yet. It'd make it a lot easier on me."
"Maybe he just can't stay away from you and he likes the thought of you working at the same place he's staying."
Laila had the same thoughts herself but kept silent. She realized that it was about time for him to get his own place or at least put up at another hotel. She really was tired of all the sneaking around and fear of losing her job. It had seemed fun at first, and kind of naughty, but it had recently gotten to the point where it was a strain on her.
"The sooner he gets his own place, the better," Laila said. "I mean could you imagine if someone like Jenna found out? She'd go ratting me out to management quicker than you could say snitch."
