Page 26 of A Royal Menace

I force my gaze away from her, staring forward with unseeing eyes as the image of Calliope Barnes wearing my shirt sears through my brain. I fight against the surge of possessiveness that tries to rush through me. Some ancestral instinct buried deep in my genetic code that screams “mine, mine, mine.”

I need to get a fucking grip. Callie is not mine. I loaned her a shirt because she was cold. She accepted said shirt becauseshe was cold. That’s it. Nothing more.

This isn’t the eighties, and I’m not a jock giving my letterman jacket to a girl so everyone will know she’s my girlfriend.

Far from it. Callie doesn’t even like me. She barely tolerates me.

She’s not mine, and she never will be.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Callie

Emmett:Did you know Hawaiian pizza was actually invented in Canada?

Me:No, I didn’t, actually.

Emmett:It’s true. And it has nothing to do with Hawaii, the state. It was named after the brand of canned pineapples the inventor used.

Me:You learn something new every day.

Emmett:Happy to educate you, Elle.

Me:What brought on the need to suddenly educate me about Hawaiian pizza?

Emmett:Someone was eating one at lunch today, and I was thinking about how pineapple does NOT belong on pizza. Your next message determines the future of our texting relationship. Choose your words wisely.

Me:Pineapple on pizza is a travesty of the worst order. I would never disrespect a pie in such a grotesque way.

Emmett:Oh, good. We can still be friends. That makes me happy.

My gaze wanders around the room, watching people smile and chat as they sip cocktails at the post-dinner mixer. I’d planned to stick with water tonight, not wanting to even chance a repeat of last night’s antics, but after the long, stressful day I’ve had, I went straight to the bar and ordered a drink.

Just one. Just enough vodka to settle my nerves and help me relax.

My edginess is all Royal’s fault. After my insane reaction at seeing him flirt with Boobalicious Barbie at breakfast, I was angry at myself and totally confused. Then, at the first panel, he noticed I was cold and gave me his shirt, which sent me spinning in a complete one-eighty. It was a kind and thoughtful gesture, sentiments I never thought I’d associate with Royal Manning twenty-four hours ago. He keeps proving me wrong and changing my opinion of him, and it’s thrown me off-kilter.

Add to that the way his scent wafted off his shirt, making my heart pound and my thighs clench, and yeah, I’ve been a bit of a wreck today.

Plus, there’s been no escaping him. He attended all the same panels as me, making sure to save me a seat when he arrived first or swooping in to snag the chair next to me when I beat him to the room. I remained on pins and needles all day, bracing for either another kind gesture or a return of his usual obnoxious, annoying self…all while being unsure which version of him I prefer.

It’s all very confusing, and while I know this drink won’t clear things up for me, it’s doing its job by relaxing my coiled muscles and giving my mind a pleasant buzz. A soft, blurry edge that eases my uncertainty and irritation.

“Hey, Callie,” a voice says, and when I turn my head toward it, my lips curve up.

“Shannon. Hey,” I say, hugging her back when she leans in to embrace me. “What are you doing here again this year?”

“None of my third grade team members could make it this weekend, so I got to come again,” she says, grinning. Turning to the two people beside her, she says, “You know Adam, and this is Barb. She teaches kindergarten in Tulare.”

I nod in greeting to both of them, and they return the gesture. I’ve known Shannon since my first year attending this thing, and we always hook up to hang out in the evening once the panels and workshops are done for the day. I met Adam three years ago, and he’s one of the most extroverted people I’ve ever met. He’s always a lot of fun.

“We’re going out to a karaoke bar tonight,” he says, rubbing his palms together and grinning a bit maniacally. “You’re in, right? Please say you’re in.”

His excitement is infectious, and I find myself laughing as I nod. “I’m definitely in.”

“In for what?”

My entire body tenses at the sound ofthatall too familiar voice, and the warm buzz I was feeling evaporates. I glance over to see Royal watching me expectantly, and when I don’t respond, he crinkles his eyebrows and turns his attention to the other three.

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