Natalie Vs. Prince

The dreamy look disappears. It's replaced.

With fear.

"My Prince.." the receptionist says, trying to clear her head.

"Where are they?" I ask, politely.

"The Frying Pan," the receptionist says simply.

I nod. I know exactly where that is. I run out and hop on my bike.

In seconds I'm weaving Midtown traffic like a fucking boss.

The Frying Pan is on the West Side. Think extreme west side.

I see it in the distance.

So, just something really quick about this restaurant.

It's built on an old salvaged barge and it floats on the Hudson River. It's not actually on land. It's a giant barge that's tied up to a dock.

And within seconds I see where Natalie is sitting with George next to her. I see Nadia sitting across from them.

Fuck, I actually think Nadia sees me coming because I get the sense that her body stiffens.

No use slowing down now.

I've got to get fast enough to jump across the water that separates the barge from land.

And then there's gonna be a fucking reckoning.

18

Natalie

I almost wish that the corporate mindset didn't require me to have to be so professional where I had to smile and be polite to this stupid bitch Nadia.

Sorry, I shouldn't call her a bitch. That's really not fair.

But she's sitting right here, smiling at me sweetly, as George and I basically sign exit interview papers that will mean the dissolution of the partnership between Gage Price and the kingdom of St. Albans.

And after that, it means the loss of my job. Because even if George wasn't forced by the partners to have to let me go for losing a client, I would have probably left on my own. I couldn't hold onto one bad boy prince!

Think about all the books you've read in the past. The heroine always manages to tame and reform the bad boy prince. Sometimes they even have babies.

Not so here. This prince...all he ever gave me was a pink slip.

I just don't understand the whole smile at you while stabbing you in the back mentality.

It really just doesn't make any sense how Connor pulled me out of my shell and got me to start falling in love with him, and then just as I'm close to it, just as I'm ready to let go and give into him, and just as he's about to do the same, he goes and does something like this.

I mean, listen, I know it's been three days and I should probably move on.

But Connor D'Avington is the closest I've ever come to just completely giving myself up to someone. I mean, I've had sex before. I've been in relationships before. I've even had my heart broken before.

But this is the first time I've ever honestly been able to picture myself growing old with a man.

I dunno, it just seemed right, you know?