AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Want another beer?”
Not gonna win any genius awards here.Her huge eyes flick to me full of panicked thanks. She knows I’m trying, even when I’m bad at it.
“Summer, did you know I once met a prince?” Marianna asks.
My girlfriend’s head whips around so fast my hands twitch to reach out and check her neck for injuries.
“I— No. No, I didn’t know that.” My librarian is breathless as she leans toward the woman, enraptured before the story even begins.
Briefly, I wonder if this dinner is going to end up screwing me over in a way I hadn’t expected. I know I’m gone on Summer, but she hasn’t agreed to anything more than dating. I should’ve clarified I meant exclusively. Paige never said if Marianna is interested in women as well as men.
And that’s not something I thought to ask Summer.
As the gorgeous writer starts speaking again, I reach under the table to clasp my date’s hand. Her death-grip return squeeze is slightly reassuring.
“I did. But you see, it was not planned. I was dining out with a dear friend in London, and all of a sudden the waiter appears at my table with a note on a silver platter, as if it were part of the meal.” While Marianna describes this, a group of men in Saints jerseys shout at a TV mounted above the bar, making it clear we’re in a different type of establishment than the one in her story.
“What did the note say?” Summer is homed in, her eyes tracking as Marianna sips her beer.
“Well,” she pats her lips with a napkin, “it was an invitation. Apparently the prince, who shall remain nameless and country-less for this story, was also eating there and recognized me when I walked in. You see, I was in London for some television appearances and other publicity for my new book. I am a writer if you did not know.”
I fight against the urge to roll my eyes. Summer nods vigorously.
“So, what did you do?” This question comes from Paige, who seems just as enthralled with her friend’s story.
“Of course, I politely declined. The offer was generous, but I was with a friend. If a prince were to walk in here and ask for my attention, I would do the same.”
Grudgingly, I admit to myself that that was a badass kind of move.
“But if you turned him down, how did you two meet?” Summer asks this. I’m surprised to find she’s no longer on the verge of crawling over the table anymore. Instead, she relaxes slightly, her grip on my hand becoming more pleasant than bone-breaking.
“You see, this prince did not take my refusal well. He decided if I would not join him at his table, he would join me at mine.”
Damn. Rich people are pushy assholes. Not that this is news.
“The man strolled over, had the waitstaff push an additional table against our very cozy two-person arrangement, and then he sat beside me and proceeded to complain about the wine the sommelier had selected for him and comment on my outfit choice during one of my appearances.”
“He insulted your outfit?”
“Oh no. He loved my outfit. Claimed it showed every one of my delicious curves to its best advantage. In fact, my outfit was so lovely, he had not been able to listen to a word I spoke and therefore wanted me to tell him about my book.”
“What did you do?”
Marianna gives us a smile that promises a fantastic response, but she teases us by taking a long leisurely swallow of her beer and patting her lips dry before continuing.
“I kissed him.”
Our table is almost as loud in our reactions as the football fans.
“What?”
“No!”
“He didn’t deserve to lick your dirty dishes!” Summer pounds the table with her fist, finally sounding more like herself.
Paige is the only one smiling, too. She watches Marianna with knowing eyes. “What happened next?”
The woman taps a finger against her red lips. “He was quite surprised. And then pleased. The prince placed his hand on my knee and asked why I had kissed him. No doubt he was expecting me to say that I couldn’t resist, or that I had always wanted to sleep with a prince.”
