Page 18 of The Princess and the Pizza Man

Will stepped onto the terrace, the smell of fresh BBQ hitting his nose and making him drool on the spot. He had to hand it to the chef of this place; they sure knew their stuff. Will’s specialty was pizza, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t dabbled in many other areas before he settled on one.

Bells was already there—of course—chatting with a man—of course—who looked about ten years younger than her and could rival her on how lethal his hands were while talking. His arms flailed like they were landing a plane, and Bells would match it with her response. Everyone within a five-foot radius was keeping an eye out.

Will made his way over to the buffet-style lunch and grabbed a plate. His stomach jolted with excitement, grumbling its approval as he scooped up a couple of pulled pork sandwiches, a glob of potato salad, and a bag of Frito Lays. He skipped the fruit and veggie tray and went straight for the drinks at the end of the table, grabbing a large bottle of Dr. Pepper. It wouldn’t be his last one either; Dr. Pepper was his drug of choice.

He’d been too focused on the food to notice where everyone was sitting—which was everywhere—and he held his food like a lost kid in a middle school cafeteria searching for someone acceptable to eat with. Bells was occupied—and was bound to whack his plate clean from his grasp with her wild hands—and when he spotted Winter at the bar, a flat screen lit up behind her with March Madness on, he started over. But he stopped halfway when he noticed every seat over there was taken.

Maybe he’d eat standing. He was used to eating like that anyhow.

“William!” he heard from the far corner of the terrace. Ms. Vancouver waved her well-manicured hand in the air, a bright smile on her face. “Come sit next to me, sugar.”

He smirked at the pet name. She was older, so she could get away with stuff like that.

He headed over, catching Winter’s gaze as he went. She’d changed from her camo pants and was now in a light blue dress that hugged her chest and came to just above the knee. Her smooth, long legs were crossed at the ankles, her shoes abandoned on the deck below her high bar stool. He lost his footing staring at her instead of where he was going, but luckily his food didn’t go flying—only his ego.

Ms. Vancouver moved her shawl from the empty lounge chair next to her and patted the cushion. “There you go, hun. Keep me company.”

“I’m surprised this seat wasn’t already snagged,” he said, slouching back into its comfort. “Who’d pass up sitting next to a pretty lady like yerself?”

She put a light hand to her chest. “That charm will get you a long way in this world, my dear. You keep that up, now.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded and then took a generous bite of his sandwich. A moan fell from his mouth with ease.

“Oh, it’s delicious, isn’t it?” she said.

“Heaven sent.”

“Only the best for our princess and her parties. Even after the tragedy of yesterday.”

His heart sank some. Ms. Vancouver wasn’t a real person, only a character. But he was determined not to let it bug him too much; this trip would go by a lot faster if he wasn’t griping about every little thing.

“Truly tragic,” he said, really getting into the act of it. “Will there be a funeral?”

She nodded. “This Thursday.” Then she leaned in. Will wiped his mouth, knowing pork was probably stuck somewhere in his beard. It was probably time for a trim. “And between you and me,” she said, “I think there better be an investigation as well.”

“Murder?” he asked, his mouth gaping wide in exaggeration, surprise hitting him that he was actually enjoying this crazy act. “No…”

“Yes,” she whispered. “And I don’t think Joshua was the target.”

He gasped loud, almost choking himself on the pulled pork. He took a quick swig of his Dr. Pepper. “You think someone’s after Winter?”

“PrincessWinter.” She leaned back into her seat, and Will followed suit, gazing up at the sunny day, even though the bite in the air was still enough for him to wear a jacket… or two. “And yes, I’d bet my life on it. There are a few… questionable people in her life.”

“Like that Michael fella?” Will’s eyes swept over the terrace again, looking for the big guy who really couldn’t be missed. But he couldn’t find him.

“You’ve noticed?” she said, then took a dainty sip from her mimosa. She smacked her lips before continuing. “He still can’t get over her. And seeing her inherit so much money so young… He thought for sure he’d be a part of it.”

“So he’d resort to murder?”

She lifted a shoulder, tilting her head back and forth. There was a glint of amusement in her eye, and for a moment, Will thought that maybe the real person was shining through—an actress who had the time of her life here. A grin teased at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh, but I trust him more than I trust that James. He’s the one you really should watch out for.”

Will ate the rest of his food while Ms. Vancouver dished out gossip on each suspect, all except herself. He wondered if gossip was in her character description or if she really just enjoyed talking to him. Either way, he was all right with it.

Bells laughed from across the terrace, and Will cranked his neck to try to get a glimpse of her. Garreth again—she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, no doubt. Will shared a glance with Winter, both of them making a nonverbal pact to check into that.

He grabbed his empty Dr. Pepper and plate and waited for a break in Ms. Vancouver’s gossipy monologue to get up.

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