Page 19 of Fake Fiancée, Real Baby
It’s just extraordinary. I don’t know what to do.
To say yes would mean living a lie — if only for a while — but to say no would mean denying herself her dream. She’d said herself it was an impossibility alone, but with the prince’s help, there was no reason why she shouldn’t realize that dream.
And it’s not as if I’ve got roots here. I can go where I choose.
Claire wasn’t wedded to one particular part of Europe. She’d always gone where the work was, and Flandenne was well known for its picturesque qualities and high standards of living. A restaurant there was as good as a restaurant anywhere.
“Are you going to do any work tonight, or am I going to wash all these pots and pans myself?” Anna-Marie said, emerging from the kitchen with a glare on her face.
“Sorry, I’m coming,” Claire said, hurrying into the galley.
But her mind was elsewhere — on the prince, and his remarkable proposal.
“I’ve put out the breakfast things. Everything’s ready. I’m going to bed,” Anna-Marie said, as Claire finished wiping down the countertops.
“Get some rest. We’ve had a long day,” Claire replied.
Anna-Marie paused in the doorway, looking back at Claire with a pitying look. “I don’t know why you’re playing up to him. He’s not interested inyou.”
Claire made no reply. She knew differently, even as she was holding back from giving the prince her answer. She wanted to say yes, and yet doubts were creeping over her, too. What was his real motivation? And how would he treat her once they were away from the yacht? She hardly knew him, and yet he was asking her to trust him with the most extraordinary proposal — literally, a proposal.
“Good night, Anna-Marie,” Claire said, not wanting to fight again before bed.
She made herself a cup of coffee — a bad habit when it came to sleep, but Claire wasn’t yet ready to go to bed. She’d promised the prince an answer, and, waiting until Anton, too, had gone to his cabin, she made her way up on deck. It was a bright, starry night, with the moon almost full, and casting its silvery glow across the waters. Waves were lapping gently on the beach, and the sea was calm. The deck was deserted, but a light was coming from the prince’s cabin. Taking a deep breath, Claire knocked gently at the door.
“I’m all right, Grieg. You can go to bed,” the prince’s voice came from inside.
“It’s Claire,” she whispered, hoping no one else would hear — the yacht was big, but not that big.
A moment later, the door opened and the prince appeared, dressed only in a silk nightgown with his monogram embroidered on the breast. Claire could see his chest hair beneath, and she blushed, turning away, even as he beckoned her inside.
“Please, come in. I was just having a drink.”
Claire had only been in Mr. Bellagio’s cabin once — when Anna-Marie had fallen ill and she’d been the one to serve tea to her employer and his guests. It was finely furnished, with maps and charts, and the ship’s wheel by the window. The bed was unmade, and it seemed the prince had been sprawled there amid the mess of sheets and pillows. A glass of cognac stood on the bedside table, and there was a large box of chocolates, too — open, and half of them eaten.
“You wanted me to give you an answer as soon as possible,” Claire said, as he closed the door behind her. Her heart was beating fast, and she was wondering what he was thinking — what he was expecting.
“I don’t want to pressure you, but… yes… I want to know. But I don’t want you to make a hasty decision.”
Claire took a deep breath. She’d thought of nothing else since he’d spoken of it earlier.
“It’s always been my dream to have my own restaurant. I didn’t think I would. I thought it was a hopeless fantasy. But if you really mean it… then I’ll do it.”
“Never pass up an opportunity,”— that’s what Claire’s dad had always said. Opportunities could appear when least you expected them, and this was surely the opportunity of a lifetime. How could she refuse such an offer, even as the second part of the deal seemed quite extraordinary. But that was the payoff, and if a few photographs and fancy dinners meant realizing her dream, then so be it.
The prince looked pleased — relieved, almost. “How happy I am to hear you say it. I thought perhaps I’d said something out of line. Thank you,” he said, taking her hands in his.
Alone in his cabin, there was sense of intimacy between them, such as Claire hadn’t felt before. There was no one to interrupt them. The boat was quiet. It was past midnight now. The others would be in bed below deck, far out of earshot. The lighting was warm and low, and the moonlight on the waters, visible through the cabin windows, cast an ethereal glow. He was smiling at her, drawing closer as now she looked up at him and smiled.
“The pretending won’t be hard, will it?” she asked, for she really didn’t know what would be involved.
He shook his head and smiled. “We can make it look right, I’m sure. But… we’ve become friends, haven’t we? It doesn’t need to be strained. Can’t we… enjoy the fact, too?”
Claire blushed. He was so handsome, and there was an assuredness about him. He made her feel confident. The way he’d believed in her, and was now trusting her with something soimportant. No one else had ever behaved like this towards her. He made her feel special.
“I think so,” she said, as he raised his hand and brushed the hair back from her cheek.
His fingers played across her skin, sending a shiver running through her as she looked up at him and smiled. Should they really be doing this? After all, if it was meant only as a ruse…
