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“Working late,” I grumbled.
“Wow, this will be the first event she’s missed,” Kylie seemed surprised.
But the truth was the Three Musketeers as we used to call ourselves back in the day, we were growing up and growing apart. I had absolutely no desire to grow up ever. I watched as Madison and Kylie became sophisticated women and silently vowed to hold on to my quirky childishness until they laid me in a grave. I didn’t want a high-powered billionaire husband or a workaholic kind of office job. I liked the flexibility I had being a fashion designer. I worked hard, that’s for sure, but I wasn’t cooped up in some stuffy office or chained to a man.
“Yeah, it sucks.”
Just as I was about to pitch myself a pity party, I heard a loud ruckus behind me. A table of five or six men was laughing loudly and raising glasses of Green Guinness to each other. Each was wearing green as requested in the invite, so they were obviously there for the fundraiser, but they weren’t speaking English. Their language sounded Scottish or Irish, which wouldn’t be surprising given the holiday, but I couldn’t make out any of their words.
“Boy, they’re having fun,” Kylie noted.
“I wonder what language that is?” I strained to hear it better through their loud laughter.
“I think it’s Gaelic,” Kylie offered.
“Probably. The Prince of Ireland is here tonight,” I couldn’t help but giggle. “I’ve met him, he’s that older gentleman surrounded by his entourage in the corner. He did donate about one hundred thousand dollars to the event, so who am I to say Ireland doesn’t have a real monarchy?” I laughed a little harder.
“I’m sure they have a very nice little Kingdom there in Ireland,” Kylie teased as well as Alec came back with sparkling water for her and a tall glass of Scotch.
“So, Maralis just informed me that you have an interview in five minutes over by the water fountain.” He lovingly put his hand around her waist, and I did my best to contain my cringing.
“Yeah, it’s for a blurb in Vogue, nothing intrusive, I’ve already given mine,” I confessed forgetting Maralis had set up some publicity coverage for the event.
“No worries. We’ll catch up with you later, Avery.” And with that Alec escorted Kylie toward the cameras and I was left alone.
Actually, I felt alone even when I was with her. I decided I could either wallow in self-pity, drink myself under the table flirting and hobnobbing with people I didn’t know, or I could go out on a limb and approach that table of hot men speaking like aliens. They were already having another round of drinks and they looked fun. This was my party, so why not mingle a little?
Chapter 2
Liam
I was at a St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser in the bar of my hotel drinking with my mates from college, having a much-needed laugh and a catch up after being apart for almost ten years. I was only going to be in America for a short time, so I’d vowed to make the best of it. Soon, I’d have to claim my place on the throne despite my begging and pleading with my father to pass the monarchy to my cousin. He wanted to be king, I didn’t and being with my cronies so many years reminded me that the monarchy was going to be nothing but a burden. The Irish royal family was symbolic. We had no real power or influence in the traditional sense as our royal line ended hundreds of years ago. However, being of ancient royal blood, we built a monarchy by raising our wealth and doing good deeds and services for our country. Because of this, we had power and prestige and with it an honor-bound mandate to act within the strict rules of the royalty. Actually, I did want to be king, but not for the right reasons. I wanted the benefits that went with being a figurehead, but I didn’t want any of the work.
I’d gone to Cornell University with other dignitaries from Ireland, we were all shipped off to the states to get our education and were expected to return. Most of my mates were allowed to stay in New York, I had to go back home to face my royal duties upon graduation. As the only son and heir of a dying monarchy, my father kept me on a very short leash. We were made to follow the same strict laws and ordinances that had been in place for hundreds of years, making for a very unsatisfying social life. I’d had enough of these charity type events to last me a lifetime, but my father insisted I come to this one.
We were launching a similar kind of charity in Ireland and since Living Dream had gotten so much notoriety in the States so quickly, my father wanted me to talk with those who were in charge of the event. I figured I’d get around to it eventually. I invited my old college friends to attend so that I could kill two birds with one stone. I’d get to hang out with my cronies and fulfill my dull duties to the crown.
