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“Whoa, what is this? Clara, this is platinum!” Amanda examined the item closer. “This is Cartier. Where did you get this? Spill the beans now, please, before I explode.”
Clara shrugged nonchalantly. “David gave it to me as a gift to match my dress the night we attended the Royal Ballet together. I wanted to refuse it, but David said he couldn’t return the item. This is the second best piece of jewelry I now own. I almost passed out when he put it on my wrist.”
Amanda screeched. Clara covered her ears in mock protest. “Only you would try to turn down Cartier jewelry. You need to be selfish sometimes and take what’s given to you…”
Amanda stopped mid-sentence, noticing the ring for the first time on Clara’s right hand. “Claaaaaara. Is that a promise ring? It’s an amethyst and matches your bracelet, so it’s obviously from David. You’re trying to shush me and get me to lower my voice now, so you obviously don’t want anyone else to know. Are you engaged?” Clara tried to stick a hand over Amanda’s mouth.
Clara had no idea how Amanda had pieced together everything at such a fast pace. Amanda had literally only seen the ring for less than five seconds. Amanda was the queen of mysteries. There was no way Clara was going to be able to keep this a secret from her, no matter how hard she tried. Would David be upset when she told him? No, he’d probably laugh it off and make Amanda promise not to tell anyone. She wouldn’t anyhow. Clara was already missing David when she thought about him. What was he up to now? She could use his smile, his support, and his calmness.
“Amanda. You have to listen to me very, very carefully. There is an official ‘no comment’ stance on David and me dating until we return home.” Clara took a serious tone. “You are the only living person who knows about our little secret. David hasn’t even told his mother yet. We don’t have things figured out, but he is the one.” Clara released her hold on Amanda’s mouth.
Amanda seemed almost too stunned for words, which would have been a rare occurrence indeed. Amanda shook her head. “C, you know better than anyone I would never ever tell anyone anything about you. I expect the entire story later. You are not getting off that easy, but on another note, I am the happiest person in the world for you,” Amanda gushed. This time she succeeded in giving Clara a big hug. It nearly took the breath out of Clara.
“I promised David I wouldn’t let you out of my sight while we were here. You should know your fiancé is dead set on you seeing him again in one piece when I spoke to him. If there is any trouble, don’t worry about me. You get back to the hotel, capisce? ” Amanda said.
Clara was finished getting ready and wanted to get the show on the road. Exactly how long had Amanda and David spoken for? Should Clara be worried about what Amanda might have told him? Amanda was going to be Team David now, no matter what. Those two were scary when they were dead-set on getting what they wanted. Clara sighed. “Okay. If there is any trouble, I’ll hop in a taxi and come straight back to the hotel.”
“Good. Now that that’s settled, let’s go! I need to give my credit card a good workout.”
“Thankyou for calling the Los Angeles Ballet Theater Administrative Offices. My name is Michelle. How can I assist you?” a preppy voice asked over the phone.
David took a deep breath. “Hello. I’m not sure how to go about this, but I am potentially interested in making a large donation to your company. I just need to clarify how it would work.”
“I’m so happy to hear that. I can give you the basic information. Some of your donation would be tax deductible if you are here in the U.S., but depending on the donation’s size, we can tailor your gift to fit your bequests. I can put you in touch with our endowment team if you’d like to pass along your information.”
“I will have to discuss this with my business team, however, if there was a dancer I wanted to see promoted, would my gift help influence your company’s decision?”
Michelle hesitated. “Ultimately LABT’s artistic director and his team review how each dancer is doing at the end of the year. From the past, dancers who have supporters have been more likely to be promoted, but strictly speaking, I can’t give you an official answer one way or another.”
“May I also inquire about your soloist dancer, Clara Little? Can I ask if she might be available to speak with about the rumors of her and Prince David?” David probed.
“Oh. You aren’t the first one to call about Clara Little tonight. We’ve been flooded with requests for interviews with her or the company. She is currently out of the country, however, I can put you in contact with some of her other dancers who can give an interview about her.”
“Thank you, Michelle, you’ve been very helpful. If you could forward my secretary the details for the endowment team, we’ll be in touch,” David finished and disconnected the call.
“This is bad, bad, bad.” David placed the phone down and rested his head on the desk. If it was that easy to phone her ballet company and procure information about Clara, the press would be having a field day. Already BP’s communications staff was working overtime to keep on top of the sheer number of articles popping up everywhere. He needed to find a way to ensure Clara would survive the storm David knew was coming.
She can get through this. She has me, Eddie, and even Amanda. I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of that young lady. She’s a bulldog when it comes to her best friend.David reflected on his conversation with Amanda earlier in the week.
David glanced at his watch. It was nearly half past noon. Clara would be beginning her sightseeing tour of Paris soon. Would she enjoy the Eiffel Tower or the Seine cruise more? Would she welcome the surprise he had planned for her last day in Europe?
A knock on his office door signaled the arrival of his mother. “Please come in, Mother. How are you this afternoon? Are you here to take tea?” David greeted his mother. He stood and pulled out a chair for her across from the desk. She glared at him.How much does she know?
“David. I’ve been waiting to see you all day. I hope you can explain to me why I am being hounded with requests from my press secretary about you and Ms. Little.” David’s mother raised her eyebrow at him and placed her hands on her hips.
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Mother.” David attempted to play coy as he slowly began to fix them a pot of tea with his electric tea kettle.
His mother lightly hit him on the head. “The chemistry between you two is undeniable. I happen to like Miss Little. Don’t mess this up. I want a grandchild.”
David’s hands shook. His mother took a seat. “Grandchild? You are jumping much too far ahead here.”
If she thought Clara and David would be ready to have children anytime soon, she was mad.Although, it would be nice to have a little girl to spoil, with stunning green eyes like my Clar-Bear.David envisioned a daughter standing behind his mother, dancing on her toes in miniature tutu. They would take her to museums, the zoo, and so many other adventures. He shook the thoughts from his mind. He needed to focus on the present, not the future.
“Not too far ahead. I can see it in your eyes and your demeanor. You two are dating. Can you at least confirm to me that you are considering marriage in the very near future?” his mother hopefully inquired. She accepted the tea from David.
“Fine. I’ll give you that. I am considering it in the near future.” David didn’t want to add he’d already proposed.
“Excellent. That is all I ask.” David’s mother kissed his cheek.
