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‘I just prefer short-term contracts,’ Beatrice said. ‘It was lovely to be asked, though.’
‘You don’t want some time to think about it?’
‘I don’t.’
‘I’m very sorry to hear that.’
‘Thank you.’ Beatrice let out a breath. ‘I’m terrible at social things. It’s just not for me.’ She very deliberately changed the topic. ‘What time do you leave?’
‘Now,’ Jordan said, gathering up all the files. ‘Can you stay up here for the afternoon? Everyone who’s going on the trip is at home, and Despina finished at one...’
‘Sure.’
‘I doubt he’ll be around,’ Jordan said.
Jordan logged out of her secured profile on her computer and left Beatrice with her limited access.
‘I’ll be in touch all the time. Well, not at the weekend or after five!’ Jordan gave a tight smile. ‘I know you don’t like to be contacted out of work hours.’
‘You can contact me on my private line in an emergency.’
‘If there’s an emergency Beatrice, I doubt I’ll be calling you.’
She meant it lightly—meant that a temp wasn’t on the list of people to call if something dire occurred. It just hurt, this odd Friday afternoon.
‘I’m out of here,’ Jordan said.
She had to get her hair done, she said, and pack a suitable wardrobe... She listed off the million things she had to do in order to be back here long before dawn, so Prince Julius could roll out of bed and board the royal jet.
Well, that wasn’t fair. Beatrice knew Julius worked harder than anyone she knew—including Jordan, including herself. It was just safer to let her mind linger in its current critical and scathing mode than to indulge in the fantasy that was trying to play out in her head—the one where she had a permanent job at the palace and friends who dropped in for a chat and sat on her balcony...
‘I really am going this time,’ Jordan said.
There was a rush of regret as Jordan headed off, and Beatrice battled an urge to call her back, to sayTo hell with it, yes, I would love to stay.
She tried to do some work, but kept getting met with ‘Limited Access’.
Limited Access.
It felt like the story of her life.
It hurt.
Everything hurt today.
Finally she got into a redacted version of the Prince’s diary and did her best not to notice as he came out of his apartment at five.
‘Where is everyone?’ He frowned.
‘Gone for the day.’
‘Jordan?’
Beatrice took a breath and held it in, instead of biting back the information that his PA would be back before dawn.
‘Oh, yes, of course...’ Julius answered himself.
She glanced up at his voice and knew he must have realised, but she tried to hold on to her safe scathing thoughts.
