Page 3 of Risky Match
She tilts her head, giving me a view of the mischievous glint in her eyes as she pats me on the chest, again sending a wave of warmth through me. How does she do that?
Feeling her eyes still on mine, I answer, “No. You’re the only one. And even if I meet another one someday, I promise not to say the same thing.” I chuckle.
She throws her head back and laughs softly.
“I’ll hold you to that. By the way, I really am a huge fan of yours. I love watching you play. I particularly admire your serve. That’s something I’m always working to improve in my game.”
“Thanks. I was fortunate to have a great coach when I was younger. You are an excellent tennis player yourself. You don’t compete year-round though, do you?”
“No. I play in as many tournaments as possible, but my royal duties preclude participating in a full schedule. It’s frustrating.”
It never occurred to me that she wanted to play more. It seems we all have others dictating how we conduct our lives.
Without thinking, I share, “Believe it or not, I understand that meeting expectations and following traditions can be difficult. But we persevere to keep up appearances, don’t we?”
I’m normally not that open with a stranger, but she’s so real and easy to talk to. It came out before I could censor myself.
She looks at me as if searching my eyes for the story behind my statement.
As she’s about to speak, the music stops. I’m not ready to let her go, so I whisper into her ear, “Would you like to continue dancing?”
I’m relieved when she nods.
The dance floor is crowded now, so I have an excuse to pull her closer. Before long, there’s no room to move. She rests her arms around my neck, and I wrap mine around her waist, as we stand in place, swaying to the music. We chat, laugh, and tease as song after song plays. Eventually, we fall into an enjoyable silence with her head resting on my shoulder and my arms wrapping her in a gentle hug.
When the music stops for more announcements, I’m forced to take a step or two back from her. I immediately miss her warmth, and my arms feel uncomfortably empty as I offer, “Would you like me to show you back to your table now or would you like to join me on the patio? It may be cooler out there.
“I’d love to join you. I could use a breath of fresh air.”
I’m surprised, but happy, that this beautiful princess wants to spend more time with me. “I’d love your company. Do you need to let anyone know where we’ll be?”
“My bodyguards will figure it out. They don’t let me out of their sight.”
“Okay. We’ll need to weave our way through the crowd. There’s a patio through the side doors.”
She was right about her bodyguards. We’ve barely started across the room, when one of them steps in front of us and parts the crowd while another one shields us from the phones attempting to snap photos.
It’s a relief to step through the door and feel the light breeze on my face and smell the fresh scent of recent rain that permeates the night.
“Let’s step near the glass wall. We’ll have a better view,” I suggest.
From the wall, we have a clear view of the night sky with its twinkling stars and the softly lit flower garden below.
Without realizing it, my hand has been on the small of Princess Brianna’s back since we left the dance floor. She hasn’t complained but it’s probably not proper protocol. It just seemed natural.
As I’m pondering whether to remove my hand, she firmly, but politely, tells her guards, “Please give us some privacy. We’ll be fine here.”
One of the guards stares at me with piercing, dark eyes and clenched teeth silently conveying his threat of what will happen to me if I harm Brianna in any way.
The other guard nods, saying, “We’ll be nearby if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Turning to face me, she shrugs her shoulders. “I’m sorry about the need for security, but my parents insist.”
I wave off her apology. “It’s not a problem. They saved us from being stopped twenty times on our way here, so that’s a definite positive. It’s a relief to have a break from shaking hands and more small talk.”
Her shoulders relax.
