Page 54 of The Problem with Princes
“You may want to bring a jacket. Even when it’s warm, sometimes the breeze can be a little chilly.”
“Will do, Captain.” I give him a little salute and turn to go to my room but stop in my tracks. “Uh, where is my room?” My bags had been taken from the car and I assume delivered to my room. But I don’t really know. Ty had led me to a quiet study so I could call Mr. Wainwright.
He grins. “I wondered how long it would take you to figure that out.” He pushes himself off the couch. “Follow me.”
We go down two hallways and stop in front of a closed door. He twists the knob and swings the door open before motioning me inside.
I step into the nicest room I’ve ever seen. Although, ‘room’ doesn’t really do it justice. It is more like a suite. We step into a spacious living room, with couches and a gas-fire place to one side and a small desk on the other. The same plush feeling carpet from the night we came for dinner, tickles the sides of my feet. The bedroom is off to one side and is nearly as large as my entire apartment in DC. It’s decorated in creams and blues, with a huge four poster bed in the middle of the room. This is where Hallmark gets it mostly right.
A poof of air escapes my lips.
“I hope this room is okay. I think you will enjoy the view best from here.”
I haven’t even looked out the windows yet. I glance over and sigh. He’s right. The view from here is similar to the one in the room we just left. And the balcony makes enjoying the view that much better.
“It’s more than I could have imagined.”
“You mean you’ve never seen this on a Hallmark movie?” His eyes sparkle with mischief and I remember again why I feel fluttery around him. He’s so charming.
I laugh, but there is no way I’m going to tell him I had just been thinking about Hallmark. “Well, you know. Hallmark is on a tighter budget.” I find my suitcase and throw it on the bed. “Do I need to change my clothes?”
“I think you look great.” He comes up behind me.
“Thanks.” I duck my head and dig through my suitcase until I find my sweater. I hold it up in the air in victory. “Okay. I’m ready.”
He looks at my wedge flip flops. “You may want to change those. I wouldn’t want you plunging overboard.”
I slip them off and grab my Toms. They seem like an updated version of the deck shoes my mom still wears thirty years later. “Good?” I look at him.
He nods and holds his hand out to me. I take it, hesitating only a moment.
* * *
It’s justas peaceful being on the water as it is looking at it. I was surprised when Ty led me to a small sailboat. I had pictured him as a faster, speedboat kind of guy.
I lay back on my elbows on the deck, lifting my face to the sun. This is perfection.
Ty drops the sails and the anchor, letting us bob up and down on the waves. He crawls over and lays down next to me, staring up into the cloudless blue sky with his hands behind his head. “Do you like living in Washington?”
I pull a small cushion from the railing, and put it under my head. “Yeah. There’s a ton to do there, and so much of it’s free. It’s like the cheap daters dream come true.” I fold my arms across my chest. “And it’s the best place to live if you want to be a lobbyist.”
He grins but then becomes pensive. “But what if you weren’t a lobbyist? Would you still want to live there?”
I’m quiet for a moment. Would I live in DC if not for my job? “Probably not. It’s super expensive and crazy busy there.” The breeze flutters the hem of my shirt. “Sometimes I miss the slower pace of life—like I had when I lived with my parents.”
“Have you ever considered moving to another country? I mean, with how many languages you speak, I would think you would enjoy living abroad.”
“I’ve thought about it. But I have no idea what I would do for a living. I’ve worked my whole life to be a lobbyist. I have a hard time picturing myself doing anything else.”
“I’m sure you have great research skills, when you use reliable sources,” he winks at me. “There are plenty of jobs out there for that skill set.” He pulls the arm that is next to me out from under his head and rests it at his side. “Maybe you just need to look and see what else is out there. I think you would be pleasantly surprised. I’m sure there are companies that would treat you better than the firm you work for now.”
“Maybe. But that would require a lot—to uproot my life and move to a country where I don’t know anyone.” My voice lowers. “Right now, I don’t think I’m that brave.”
“What if youdidknow people? Would that make a difference?”
He clearly has a point to this line of questioning—like is he trying to gage my openness to moving to Atraxia? But why would he do that? We haven’t known each other even a full week. It's too early for that kind of a conversation, right? “Maybe. I don’t know. I guess it would depend on how well I know the people there and of course, the job would have to be just right.”
He stays quiet so I turn my head and look over at him. He is staring at the sky, his brow furrowed in thought.
