Amara Meadows has always placed her job first, but with her journalism career slowly failing, she seems lost.
Although when she ends up spending a month in the palace covering the coronation of White Bridge's prince, she finds more than herself.
F...
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"You have got to be kidding me." Max and Marie both look at me grinning. Grabbing the edge of the mirror I have to force myself to stay upright. These stupid shoes are pinching the very life out of my feet. How on earth are high heels even legal? Human torture is what it is. Max laughs silently as he places his hands on my hips and slightly tugs me away from the mirror, demanding that I stand on my own. He's been helping the whole afternoon, apparently being french also makes you the all-knowing when it comes to what men want. Although if men want heels so bad, maybe they should try standing in them, that ought to please them.
"Oh mon la vie." Max pulls me closer with one hand and the other moves along my back indicating that it should be straightened. I comply, of course, all be it a struggle when trying not to fall. "You are a beautiful woman Amara, you should not be slouching. Although you should be able to wear heels as well, so what do I know?" His face contrasts his actions as he playfully attempts to spin me around. I however end up ruining the moment when my feet give out from under me causing me to laugh hysterically. Max must have prepared for such because I was being gripped in his arm and against his chest before I could actually fall down. With an exasperated sigh, he looks to Marie. "I think we need something to drink." With our faces only inches apart when he turns back, his breath creates a steady wind that blows small blonde hairs from my face. The room got very hot, very fast. Max smiles innocently as he pulls away, the sudden lack of support causes my legs to wobble a little. But I finally settle in my steps as he walks away.
"That's good," Marie states under her breath as she sits down on the edge of my bed. She looks more tired than usual, I do tend to have that effect on people. No wonder she called in Max to come and help.
Probably ignoring the less than subtle way I was looking at her, Marie hands me the red dress that she chose for me to wear. Creases of soft, candy red silk create a flaring skirt attached to a scarlet bodice. The thick halter straps that taper down to meet the edges of the skirt make it look even more beautiful. Although everything about the dress is fancy, everything about tonight is fancy and I am anything but that.
"A girl like me should not be wearing a dress like this." What was supposed to be a soft mumble of honesty ended up as a declaration of self-pity?
I'm not exactly feeling sorry for myself though, in fact, I'm only stating the truth. I am just another small-town girl who grew up on a small farm somewhere on the coast of nowhere. The most expensive thing I own is a knock-off Guess dress that Wendy bought me. Yet my hands are grasping onto a Vera Wang dress Marie loaned just for me and wearing shoes designed by Louis Vuitton. How completely out of place I am.
"Nonsense." Suddenly behind me, Marie touches my arms and peeks over my shoulder to see my face in the mirror. "You are beautiful inside and out, take it from someone who has seen many girls leave rooms like these. You may not have many riches or a royal title behind your name, but you are the kindest and most deserving of them all. Try to remember that for the rest of your time here, because if the prince's actions tonight have proven anything, it is that this won't be my last time helping you get ready for an appointment with him. "
An hour later I'm making my way to the lost room. This hallway seems smaller than last time. Smaller yet longer, although maybe that's just my mind trying so desperately to ignore the fact that I am beyond nervous. Why I can't even figure out for myself. I've met up with Xavier every day for the last week or so, except those were meetings. All work-related, well not the midnight speech brainstorm sessions, but the rest were. Also, Marie called it an appointment, which implies that it's not a date. Obviously. We might be very friendly, but I do still technically work for Xavier and he is still the prince.
But with or without the facts, it sure as hell feels like a date, and boy does that make me feel giddy.
The closer I get to the room the louder the music gets. And as soon as I step into the room I feel the need to stop for a second and take it in. Everything is so put together and planned, totally unlike I expected it to be, considering Xavier did all of this himself. He moved a little table into the room, the pizza and wine is placed in the center of it. The room which is dark even in the day is lit by fairy lights, placed around the room and hung from the ceiling even the chairs are covered in little sparkling lights. It is perfect, date or not. Yet it all seems quite inadequate compared to the handsome man in front of me.
He's wearing a suit like always, but tonight he looks almost innocent. Especially when he sees me noticing his tie that appears to be the same color red as my lipstick which was clearly coordinated. Along with the very attractive outfit, his hair is tied into a man-bun. I never thought I'd say it, but I've never seen anything sexier.
"Have I told you that I find you stunning?" He steps forward and gently brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. "You truly are, impeccably so." I am sure the pure touch of his hand brought a tint of roseate to my cheeks and I honestly couldn't care less. He has that messed-up effect on me.
"Xavier I-"
"You seem nervous." Leave it to him to somehow hear the nerves spilling from my very lips and I've only said one word, barely even. "You can breathe now, Amara. It is just us, having a pizza and talking."
He always does that, plays off of my emotions, and proves to me how well he knows me. I end up acting like a pathetic girl who is so blinded by his appearance and so compelled by that irresistible accent that my brain refuses to think of anything but that. It raises butterflies in my stomach that scatter to the constant drumming of my heart. My walls crumble with each finger he lays on me and no amount of hurricanes could have caused the damage he had caused in this short week.
The mood somehow shifts when I realize just how close he is now. His one hand on my shoulder and the other barely touched my waist. Absentmindedly I follow the swaying movement of his body. Almost like he sensed it, the way I longed for a small gesture of familiarity, something I could only find in what I told him about myself.
Our first interview. Despite my assured attitude I ended up being a total wreck. However, Xavier didn't point out how ironic it was and he certainly didn't get annoyed. Actually, he very calmly asked Marie to exit the room and waited a few seconds before speaking. We just talked about silly things for the following minutes after that, nothing noteworthy. Although I do remember sharing my weird coping mechanism with him. I told him how I would dance whenever I felt nervous or confused or anything similar. It was an in-the-moment type of thing and looking back it probably would have been my next move if Xavier didn't take charge.
I smile while leaning into the spin. "You actually remembered that?" He smiles as well while slightly shrugging his shoulders.
"I would like to remember every minute of our time together. Your awkward rambling, your bedhead if I entered your room early, your awful dancing, and our careless night with the illuminating moonlight." His voice is husky, more so than normal and the way his brows furrow and eyes drift hides confusion and I don't know why, but I understand what he says and also how he feels.
Wanting to remember everything, but for the life of me not knowing why.
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Oh mon la vie - Oh my life
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So Xavier's a bit of a romantic, but was it a date or not? Thoughts on Marie? Are Amara and Xavier a love at first sight case?
