Page 48 of Royal Hottie
“Would you like to stay in my suite?” she asks.
“No, darling. You’re staying in my suite.”
She studies me. “I can’t tell if you’re being deliberately obtuse or you’re so used to getting what you want that you don’t know any other way to be.”
I dig into my shrimp cocktail. They both sound bad. Also, it was the first thing. I can be very accommodating, but not with her. Not until I cement this thing between us. After we’re a definite thing, I’ll give her anything she wants as long as she’s by my side.
She leans close. “I’ll generously say you’re being obtuse on purpose because you want me that bad. Mostly because it makes me feel good to think it. If you turn out to be a demanding a-hole, well, that’s not gonna fly with me.”
I shake my head. “Once again you wound me, Ruby. Now thank me for the kind invitation.”
Her head whips toward me. I force a straight face, and she cracks up. She can’t stay mad at me because she loves me.
“You offer so many things to give thanks for,” she says with a smile.
“I’m very princely that way.”
She leans against my side for a moment, pressing her shoulder against my arm before straightening and taking a drink of wine.
“I got us another box of chocolates.”
She chokes on her wine, and I pat her back. She knows what I really mean.
“Five, actually,” I add. “It’s a long trip.”
“Okay over there?” Anna asks us.
I nod. “She’s fine. Just went down the wrong pipe.”
Ruby holds up a finger while she coughs. Finally she calms down, wipes her eyes, and tells Anna, “Your brother-in-law has a wicked sense of humor.”
“Does he, now?” Anna asks, resting her chin on her hand. “What’s so funny?”
Ruby turns to me. I keep my mouth shut. I’m not sharing that.
“Ooh, it’s dirty,” Anna says, turning to Gabriel. “They’ve got dirty jokes.”
“Parlor,” Gabriel says sternly.
I’m not sure what that means. He wants her to join him in the parlor? A hint at parlor manners?
Anna reaches under the table, and Gabriel jumps. “You okay, honey?” she asks. “Did a gator sneak up on you?”
Ruby laughs. “We have a lot of alligators in Florida. Always have to be careful not to leave small dogs out in the yard or the gator will sneak up and eat ’em.”
Gabriel glowers at Anna. She smiles back sweetly.
She’s perfect for him. Just like Ruby is perfect for me. All I have to do is make it clear that our lives can work toward a greater calling together.
~ ~ ~
Ruby
Our first stop is Tanzania. We’re fortunate to take the private jet, so the travel part is not a slog at all. First we meet up with the Global Sun Water people, who are from England. Their NGO started from a university’s engineering department. Phillip greets them warmly and introduces me as his “girlfriend and supporter of the cause.” I’m immediately welcomed in. They need all hands on deck. We’ll be visiting villages where solar water pumps were previously installed to check on them and perform repairs where needed, along with villages getting a pump for the first time. They explain that they’ve trained locals on maintenance, but it’s not always easy to get parts delivered. Many parts are stolen before they reach their destination.
Before the trip to the village, I go with Phillip to meet the president of Tanzania and some important people in his administration. We have a formal lunch and Phillip appears to be in his element. I do my best to blend and take his lead on manners and proper greetings. But it’s not until we reach the first village after a long journey in a Jeep through dusty hot savannahs that I see Phillip step out from behind the prince persona. It’s a revelation.
Children race toward our Jeep as we approach the village, and Phillip smiles and waves at them. We park and the guards, Henry and Rafe, exit first, urging the children back. The adults in the village hang back watching us. There’s a large open shelter and several homes with no doors or windows, just a roof overhead. In the distance, the sun shines off the solar panels powering the water pump.
