Page 89 of The Problem with Princes
The guests mill about, forming a line on either side of the terrace doors as the happy couple prepares to leave for their honeymoon ‘to an undisclosed location.’ Grace’s parents and siblings (she has five brothers. Five!), along with their families have all come for the wedding. Texie stands at one of the doors, talking with my cousin Cordon.
My mother and father, the king and queen of Atraxia, dance with each other only a few couples away.
Everyone looks so happy. Even my sister Helena is smiling and dancing.
The wedding planner claps her hands loudly and the room quiets. “The time has come for the prince and princess to take their leave.”
People line up on both sides of the doorway either blowing bubbles or throwing rice as Tyrone and Grace run down the aisle, hand in hand, laughing and waving as they disappear around the corner. Even now they are probably getting into Tyrone’s Jaguar and driving off into the darkness. It sounds more poetic than it really is.
I sigh and roll a small piece of rice between my thumb and forefinger, a frown drawing down my lips. It’s not that I don’t like Grace. I really do. She’s great for Tyrone and is completely different than any other woman he’s dated.
It’s more about how this is affecting me. I sit down at one of the cloth covered tables and stare at the grains in my fingers.
“Hey Barak.” Texie, Grace’s best friend waves and sits down at the table next to me.
I jerk my head up, the rice falling to the table. “Hey.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “What’s up? You’re like the only person here that isn’t laughing and having a great time.”
I smile mechanically. “Nothing’s wrong. Iamhaving a great time.” Or I was until my father said that we needed to talk. That phrase is never good, whether it comes from a girl or a parent.
“Wow, if this is you having a good time, I’m not sure I want to see you having a bad one.”
I let out a small laugh. Texie is a funny lady. She and Grace are very similar in that respect. “Sorry. I just have some things on my mind.”
She pulls me to my feet. “Come on. Come dance with me. I hardly know anyone else here. And your cousin, Ezio, has had too much to drink and is getting handsy.”
I grudgingly let her pull me to my feet and drag me to the dance floor. The band is playingI’ll be There for Youby Bon Jovi. The whole night was a throwback to the eighties in music. Both Tyrone and Grace love the old rock and hair band groups.
I wrap my arms around Texie’s waist, and she steps in close to me. We’re both swaying to the music. Her scent drifts up to my nose. A mixture of peaches and some high-end perfume.
Maybe it’s time I start to look for that special someone. I know that is the conversation I’m about to have with my father, so maybe it will go easier if I preemptively tell him that’s my plan.
Texie lets out a small laugh, and I look down at her. “What?”
She steps out of my arms. “The song ended. It seems those thoughts are still preoccupying you.”
I shake my head. “Sorry. Let me make it up to you. Dance the next song with me?”
She glances over at Grace’s family. “Maybe one more. But I think the Martindale’s are heading back to the palace soon. I should probably go with them.” She grabs my chin between her fingers and jiggles my head. “I just hope when the right girl comes along, you are more attentive.”
I look down at her. Maybe Texie is the right girl. I mean, if Tyrone can be so head over heels in love with Grace, maybe the best friend is the one for me? I look down at her and notice her smile. And not just any smile. It’s an ask-me-out-and-I’ll-definitely-say-yes kind of smile. But it isn't directed at me, but rather someone over my shoulder.
I maneuver her around the dance floor, hoping to catch a glimpse of who can earn such a smile from her. I look over and notice Cordon is speaking with his father, my uncle.
He’s leaning against a high table, his gaze on his father. But every so often his eyes flick to Texie and a hint of a smile appears.
She sighs. Okay. So Texie is obviously not the girl for me.
She thinks she is the girl for Cordan, and he seems to agree.
I swallow and bristle slightly. Never has a girl been focused on someone else when she was dancing with me. I mean, I’m a prince. Cordan is just the younger son of a duke. He isn’t even the heir. Granted, he’s handsome and athletic. But still—
The song ends and I step away this time. “I hope I wasn’t too terrible a partner.”
She swats me across the upper arm. “Of course not. I can understand how you feel, though. I love Tyrone and everything, but things are going to be so different from now on. I mean, Grace and I won’t even be living in the same country. Which is weird, right? She didn’t even like your brother when they first met. And now she’s moved across an ocean and married him.”
“Yeah. But you could always move here. We have law firms that I’m sure would love to have you on their staff.”
