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“Okay, hang on . . . I haven’t seen it yet.” I carried the phone into the bathroom, the marble counters and gold faucets gleaming. “The bathtub can fit five people!”
“Party time!” Cristina laughed. “What I wouldn’t give to be royal for a day. We’re going to have to connect every night so I can live vicariously through you!”
I smiled. “It’s kind of surreal, really, but I have one big problem. The queen does not know that Prince Oliver hired me to replace the royal wedding planner she approved. She’s going to flip her royal lid, or I should say her crown, when she finds out.”
“Why didn’t he tell her?” Cristina asked.
“I’m not sure, but he’s afraid she might get rid of me, so he put a stipulation in the contract saying she can’t touch me. ” The thought of meeting her still weighed heavily on my mind. “The queen wasn’t supposed to be here for at least another week. I don't know what I’m going to do. What if she poisons me so they don’t have to pay the money? That’s what royalty used to do, even to their own family members.”
“Grace, you’ve got this. Just take a deep breath and remember who you are. You’re a fantastic wedding planner who has just had a little rough patch. They’re lucky to have you. And regarding the poison, you can drink little bits of it every day until you build up an immunity.”
I laughed, feeling more grounded. “Thanks—I needed that.”
Cristina was the best friend a person could ask for. She was always so positive and supportive.
“I need to get ready for dinner, but let’s check out the view from the terrace before I let you go,” I said. As I opened the terrace door and stepped outside, the magnificent vista before me made me stop in my tracks.
I gasped. “Oh. My. Word.”
Below me sprawled a vast expanse of vibrant green grass, the royal lawn stretching out for what seemed like miles. Intricately trimmed hedges bordered the edges, dividing the lawn from splendid gardens filled with bursts of colorful flowers, roses, tulips, hydrangeas, and more. Graceful willow trees dotted the landscape, their long branches swaying lightly in the breeze. Marble statuary and bubbling fountains added an air of elegance.
“Let me see!” Cristina shouted eagerly over the phone. I flipped the camera around to give her a view of the majestic grounds that unfurled below.
“Okay—here you go,” I said.
“Holy cow!” she exclaimed. “Their back yard is like Central Park in New York, but even more colorful and gorgeous!”
I nodded in agreement, still trying to take it all in. I had never seen anything so grand or beautiful in my life. It was like gazing upon a royal palace from a fairy tale. I stood there transfixed, feeling both awed and humbled by the magnificent view before me.
“I could enjoy looking at this for hours, but I need to unpack and then take a shower,” I said. “Talk to you tomorrow?”
“Of course! Good luck, and fill me in whenever you can, but make sure you know the time here in California first!” Cristina said before we said our goodbyes.
I started rifling through my suitcase, hanging up items as I tried to decide what to wear to dinner. My pants suit seemed too stuffy and the sequined gown too formal. Perhaps I was being too picky and needed to relax. A shower would help, especially after such a long flight.
As soon as I turned on the water in the enormous walk-in shower, I was met with a torrential downpour of water and pressure that felt like Niagara Falls. It was such a dramatic change from the weak drip, drip, drip of the shower back in my LA apartment.
I stood frozen, eyes closed, letting the water cascade over me.
I have no idea how long I stayed in there, but it was so incredibly rejuvenating that I lost all track of time. It was like getting a full body massage. I felt pounds of stress wash away down the drain along with the lavender-scented shampoo suds. When I finally emerged, I felt utterly refreshed, hydrated, and relaxed. Ready for whatever was to come.
After drying off, I slipped into the simple black cocktail dress I had picked out, then did my hair and applied some make-up. I appraised myself in the full-length mirror. I had to admit the dress hugged my curves perfectly.
“You’ve got this,” I told myself in the mirror, hoping I sounded more assured than I felt. Tonight, I would make my first impression on the queen. I couldn’t afford any missteps. But no matter what happened, I knew I had to stay true to myself, just as Cristina had told me.
A gentle knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. I took a deep breath and opened it to find Oliver standing there, his brown hair perfectly styled and a warm smile on his face. He wore what I suspected to be an Italian suit, without a tie, and the top two buttons on his white shirt unbuttoned. That relaxed me, knowing he wasn’t dressed so formally.
“Wow, Grace, you look . . . stunning,” he complimented, his eyes sweeping over me appreciatively.
“Thank you,” I said. “You look quite dashing yourself.”
“Thank you,” Oliver said. “Ready for dinner? I thought I would accompany you, if you don’t mind.”
“Don’t mind at all,” I said as we began our descent down the grand staircase.
“Before we get there, I thought I’d share some tips on navigating dinner with my mother,” Oliver whispered, his voice low.
“I’ll take all the help I can get.”
