Page 60 of Tall, Royal Hater
“Ha-ha, that wassofunny,” she said sarcastically and wrapped her hands around my arm. She tugged me forward. “Come on. Everyone is asking where you are and why you’re not dancing.”
I frowned and stood my ground against her pull. “My mother and you don’t count as everyone.”
“It’s not just me and Mama Katiya.” She lifted her chin. “Kareem and Prince Arsh asked.” My face fell that time, and her lips spread wide. “Mariyah was asking too.”
I narrowed my eyes at her singsong tone. “Why? So she can trip me up?”
Esmeralda chuckled. “Probably, but you can check with her when she comes back from the bathroom.” She pulled gently at my arm again. “Come on, Sher. Please.”
Unless it was to do with her safety, I found it virtually impossible to say no to Esmeralda. It didn’t help that she had glittery eyes that she could manipulate any way she wanted.
I let out a sigh and stepped away from the wall. “Five minutes, Esmeralda.”
“Okay,” she chimed. But it wasn’t “okay, five minutes,” it was “okay, you’ll stay for as long as I want.”
“Esmeralda,” I grumbled, but she ignored me as she led me towards the crowd of dancing people.
Dread set in my guts.Fuck.
I could stare down the barrel of a gun without flinching. I could beat a man half to death for stalking Esmeralda without a worry of the consequences. I could remember the steps of a simple waltz when she needed help practicing. But the idea of dancing to pop music scared me shitless.
I had never learned to move my six-foot-five frame smoothly enough to look like I was actually dancing rather than flailing around because a rat had climbed under my clothes.
“Don’t touch your tie,” Esmeralda warned as I lifted my hand to it.
I gritted my teeth over a frustrated growl and lowered my hand. But five twitching seconds later, it rose swiftly on its own accord again.
“Sher! You’re ruining it.”
I grabbed the neat knot just as she grabbed my wrist. We both pulled.
She stopped. I stopped. Her lips bunched into a shocked ‘o,’ and I looked down.
My once perfectly knotted tie was hanging loose, almost yanked entirely out from under my waistcoat.
Without lifting my head, I set a dead stare on Esmeralda. She pursed her lips together. “Apologies. That wasn’t…” Her mouth hitched a little. “I didn’t mean to do that…” A giggle slipped through.
I couldn’t help it, my lips curled too, but I sighed heavily upon raising my head.
“Just take it off.”
“I’ll go to the bathroom and fix it,” I said.
“Fine,” she said. “But be quick. I’ll be watching the clock.”
I nodded and advanced to the closest open exit on my left.
The air was cooler and lighter the moment I stepped out into the corridor. There were a few people scattered around, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere even with the music still booming in the hall, and there were several guards standing by all the exits and corridor openings.
Turning left would’ve taken me directly to the public toilets, but I turned right instead, heading for the private ones that were further inside the palace, so I had more time alone.
The guard blocking the corridor smirked at my dishevelled tie. “You okay?” he said with light amusement in his tone.
I smiled tiredly and shook my head. “Don’t ask.” He chuckled as I passed him.
My ears were grateful for the respite once the music turned into a distant but relatively decipherable rumble a few corridors down. My footsteps were muffled too by the plum-coloured rug rolled through the middle of all the dark wood corridors.
Maybe that was why the soft voices emanating from close by were more obvious.
