Page 60 of His Royal Matchmaker

The ice in my glass gives a final surrender, melting into the amber liquid with a soft clink. I stare at it like it holds answers, while Nova’s voice floats beside me, familiar as my own heartbeat.

The bar wraps around us with its usual blanket of low lighting and murmured conversations, but tonight even this comfortable ritual feels hollow. I’ve ranked all the contestants for the dating show in record time — work that should have taken days, not hours — but efficiency brings no satisfaction. Not when my thoughts keep circling back to the same old place.

“Earth to Emily,” Nova says, waving her perfectly manicured hand in front of my face. “You’ve been staring at that drink like it insulted your grandmother.”

I blink, forcing a smile. “Sorry. Just thinking about work.”

“Liar. I’m calling an official ban on moping tonight.” She taps her glass against mine. “Those rankings are done, and Hugo Bastien is?—”

“Please don’t say his name,” I interrupt, the sound of it making my chest squeeze tight.

She rolls her eyes. “Fine. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is not worthy of your emotional energy.”

I laugh despite myself.

“Speak of the devil,” Nova mutters, her eyes flicking over my shoulder.

For one terrifying second, I think she means Hugo, but when I turn, I see Melissa, a stylist we know from around town. She’s wearing a dress that seems composed entirely of strategically placed sequins, her smile blindingly white as she approaches.

“My two favorite power women!” Melissa gushes, air-kissing both our cheeks. “Please tell me you’re coming to the launch tonight.”

Nova raises an eyebrow. “The perfume thing? I thought that was invite-only.”

“It is, but I’ve got three extra passes.” Melissa dangles shiny gold wristbands between her fingers like bait. “Rooftop at The Palmer. DJ Upscale, champagne, and enough beautiful people to stock a modeling agency. It already started. Let’s go.”

On any other night, I’d politely decline. My usual routine involves being in bed by ten with a book and herbal tea. But tonight, the thought of going home to my quiet apartment, where thoughts of Hugo would inevitably corner me, feels unbearable.

“I’m in,” I say, surprising both Nova and myself.

Nova’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really? You? Miss ‘I-Need-Eight-Hours-of-Sleep’?”

I shrug, suddenly determined. “I finished my work early. Why not celebrate?”

Melissa claps her hands together. “Perfect! I’ll text you the details. It’s going to be fabulous!” She floats away in a cloud of expensive perfume and ambition.

Nova studies me with narrowed eyes. “Who are you and what have you done with Emily?”

“Can’t a girl just want to have fun?” I drain the last of my drink, feeling the warmth spread through my chest.

“A girl, yes. You? You once left a party because it was interfering with your skincare routine.”

“That was an important night cream,” I protest, but a smile tugs at my lips. “Look, I just… I need noise tonight. Distractions. People who aren’t…” I trail off.

Her expression softens. “People who aren’t royalty from small European countries?”

“Exactly.”

“Well, then.” She stands, smoothing down her dress. “Let’s go.”

Thirty minutes later, we step onto the rooftop of The Palmer Hotel, and I immediately understand why this launch is the event of the season. The space has been transformed into a midnight garden. Trellises wrapped with tiny lights create winding pathways between clusters of plush seating, and glass orbs hang from invisible strings, catching the light like suspended dewdrops.

“Now, this,” Nova says, grabbing two glasses from a passing tray, “is exactly what you need.”

I accept the champagne, letting the bubbles tickle my nose. The night air holds just enough chill to feel alive against my skin, and for a moment, I allow myself to simply exist in this space, untethered from my troubles.

“I’m going to find the photographer. I’ll regret it if I don’t get some social media content out of this.” Nova squeezes my arm. “Promise me you’ll mingle? No hiding in corners.”

“I promise,” I say, already scanning the crowd for a quiet spot to observe from.

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