The Princess Finds Her Match

They stopped at a red light and he had cocked his body slightly, angling himself towards her. Bloody hell, she was so achingly beautiful. He let his eyes run over her creamy skin and noted a smattering of adorable freckles dusting her cheeks. Her eyebrows were perfect auburn wings. For a moment he let himself imagine she was an ordinary girl and he was not a puppet in this bizarre drama. For a moment he let himself imagine bending over, touching his lips to hers and claiming her for his own. She must have read something in his expression. Her laughter ceased, her pupils grew wide, and her breathing became shallow.

The blaring of a car horn jerked them out of their strange stupor. They did not speak again until Nic had parked the vehicle and they were walking away from the parking lot.

“It’s the Farmer’s Market,” Lexie exclaimed, recognizing the iconic clock on the tower. “The last time I was here, I was around fifteen.” She mentally recalled the schedule that Theia had printed out for her before she flew off to L.A. The Press Secretary was apologetic about not being to accompany her to L.A. due to a family illness, but Lexie had reassured her that since it was not an official visit, Theia’s presence would be welcome but not really necessary. Plus, Nic vetoed the idea of a chaperone. “I thought we were supposed to be lunching at The Ivy.”

Nic held out his hand and she took it automatically. “Not my scene. This is also a good place for celebrity spotting. Bound to be some paps around here.”

The reminder deflated her. It’s not a date. Do not forget, Lexie. This is just acting.

Why wasn’t she surprised Nic would refuse to follow anything just because it was an order? She and Nic meandered the rows of merchants for a while and decided on Korean food. While waiting for their orders, Lexie startled herself by bursting out, “Where were you the last two days?”

He regarded her from beneath half-shuttered lids. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because we had a schedule to follow, that’s why.” Lexie admitted she sounded huffy and irritated, but one look at him and she knew he wanted her exasperated. She shrugged internally. He had already seen her drunk, or rather tipsy. It was as far from her princess persona as possible so being bitchy was probably no big deal.

“I was at the Polo Expo,” he said simply, leaning back against the teakwood chair.

“Oh.” Lexie’s ire vanished immediately but again resurfaced as she countered, “Why didn’t you call or text me? I could have spent my time being productive rather than lazing around by the pool all day, waiting for you to make an appearance.”

“By being productive you mean shopping?”

“You think that is the only productive thing I do?”

“Why don’t you tell me what other,” a loaded pause, “productive things you can do?”

She speared him a supercilious glance, every inch the princess now. “Oh, just stuff.” And as if bored by his presence, she dismissed him and surveyed the various appetizers in tiny porcelain containers spread out before her. Lexie had an adventurous palate that sadly had no outlet in Seirenada. Global cuisine and ingredients still had to reach their shores. Lexie eagerly sampled some sweetened potatoes, bean sprouts marinated in some soy and vinegar, and crunchy deep-fried small fish. She separated a bowl of peanuts from the rest of the spread. Catching Nic’s questioning glance, she explained, “I’m allergic to them.”

“This is so good,” she moaned at the burst of flavors in her mouth. Nic wasn’t eating anything. “Please try some.” She suddenly felt self-conscious and wiped her lips delicately with a napkin.

“I think I’ll wait for our main meal. My appetite’s already been whetted as it is.”

Was that an innuendo? And Dio, why did everything that came out of this man sound so sexy? She popped a huge chunk of cabbage into her mouth and the tart, fiery taste immediately burned her tongue. Her eyes watered and she grabbed her glass of water, taking big gulps.

“Damnfuckshit!“ she cried when her tongue had stopped throbbing and she could talk. Nic had moved to her side when she started sputtering. “What the hell was that?” The spicy food had burned her mouth and loosened her tongue around Nic once more.