Along Came A Prince (3 page)

“That was my
choice also,” he replied, his voice suddenly sexy and low as he started to lead
her toward the open door.

They walked over
to the terrace stone wall on the balcony, leaned over, and placed their arms on
the ledge. They stood there and looked out over Hollywood’s blazing, city
lights.

“I really am sorry
for spilling my champagne on you earlier,” Stacia said.

“I’m not sorry.
Because of that incident, I met you.” He turned and grinned at her.

She smiled. “You
really are charming, you know.”

“My mother taught
me it’s better to be nice than naughty.”

Stacia switched
his words around. “Sometimes it’s more fun to be naughty than nice.”

“Are you taking up
my education where my mother left off?”

“Um…see that
nice
table and chairs over there? Let’s go sit down, okay?”

“Lead the way,” he
said. He tapped her shoulder. “By the way, have you ever played dodge ball?”

She settled down
in one of the chairs. “No, why?”

“Because you
dodged my question like an expert game player.” His now-familiar grin covered
his face and made him more irresistible than ever.

She laughed. “Your
mother taught you well, is all I have to say.”

A cocktail waitress
appeared at their table as if by magic. “Could I get you something from the
bar?” she asked as she lit the candle in the flower display setting on the
table.

“How about a
bottle of your best champagne?” Clay requested. “Is that all right, Stacia, or
would you prefer something else to drink?”

“Champagne’s fine.”
What else would a prince order?

“Tell me all about
Stacia Saunders, the actress.”

“Let me see. I
love my work, or I should say, I am my work.”

“What does that
mean?”

“I don’t really
know.” She grinned. “I’ve heard other people say that, though. In my case, it’s
the most important thing in my life…at the present time, of course.”

Their waitress
brought the champagne in a silver bucket filled with ice and put it down on the
floor on its silver legs.

Everything’s filled
with Hollywood glamor
, Stacia thought.

“Would you like me
to open it, sir?” the server asked.

Clay shook his
head. “I’m fine with it.” When she left, he looked at Stacia as he began to
open the champagne bottle. “No extra-curricular activities in your life, like
boyfriends, lovers or a husband?”

She snickered. “Lovers?
You’re kidding, right? Would I even answer that if I had one…or more? Actually,
I will answer. It’s
no
to all of the above. I figure there’s a time and
place for everything to happen, and right now, I’m single and my career comes
first.”

“You mean you
can’t do both?”

“Nope.” She took a
sip of her champagne he’d so expertly opened and poured to the correct level in
their glasses.

“I do ice sculpturing,
which is very time consuming, yet I’d find plenty of time for a woman in my
life, if I found someone special. Ice sculptures are great, but you can’t hug one
in bed.”

“Is that more of
your mother’s education I’m hearing?”

“Could be. We’re
very close, yet I’ve always been able to choose what I want to do with my
life.”

“And your father?”

“He taught me how
to be a man and instilled in me how to treat a woman the right way.”

“Sounds like you
have wonderful parents.”

“I do,” Clay agreed
then changed the subject. “You can hear the music out here as loud as it is
inside. You know what that means, right?”

“What?”

“We can dance and
not be bothered by the crowd.”

“Let’s do it,”
Stacia said.

He stood and stepped
to the back of her chair and held it while she got up. A moment later, and she
was in his arms once more.

One dance turned
into another and another. Stacia felt as if they were dancing among the stars
in the night-blackened sky. An instant of intense emotions zigzagged throughout
her body.

Suddenly, the
music ended. Time for the orchestra’s intermission, she guessed, and time for
her to drift back to earth, and let her feet touch the ground where her
sensible life could begin again.

The ball was over,
but the prince and she were still together. They returned to their table.

“I don’t want our
time together to end, but I have to go back inside and mingle,” the prince
said. “Sam told me that’s what we must do in order to get additional donations
for our charity, but I have an idea how to accomplish both. Would you accompany
me and help me with my duties? Having you by my side could only bring in more
donations.”

Stacia was stunned
by his invitation, although she didn’t hesitate with her answer. “I’d be happy
to help, but aren’t you concerned what people may say seeing us together all
evening?”

“Are you?”

She shook her
head.

“There is one
thing, though,” he added with a sexy grin. “I may have a difficult time
concentrating on other people when I just want to be alone with you.”

♥♥

During the next
few hours, little by little, the noise from the crowd inside the ballroom
lessened until there was barely a sound left. Only subdued talking and quiet laughter.
The orchestra was packing their instruments to go home, and the cleanup crew
had almost finished their jobs. The noise from the bar still escaped outside
but in a lowered tone. Lights had been turned on to their brightest to signal
the evening’s entertainment had ended.

Back on the
terrace once more, Stacia looked into the ballroom. “What time is it?”

Clay checked his
watch. “Midnight.”

“Wow, the
bewitching hour, or so they say. I guess it’s time for Cinderella to run out of
here.”

“Are you going to
leave your slipper, so I have to hunt for you, or may I see you home where I
can find you again?”

“I have a limo
waiting for me.”

“Is it made from a
pumpkin? If so, it’s probably turned back into one now, because everyone knows
what happens when the clock strikes twelve. So, you see, there’s no need to
hurry. I have a limo too, and it won’t turn back into a pumpkin, as that doesn’t
happen to a prince. So if you’d like, I can take you home.”

She laughed. “By
the things you said tonight, you’ve made being a prince not so surreal, but
similar to commoners like me. It’s been a most enjoyable evening. Thank you.”

“And that’s it? I
only get to share one evening with you?”

“You know what,
Clay, I think we’re oceans apart. Both in distance and in the lives we lead and
who we are. I’m dedicated to my career and you’re –”

He interrupted
her. “Right now we’re not oceans apart. We’re very close.” He took two steps
toward her and cradled her hands in his. “See?”

Time stood still.
She couldn’t move and didn’t want to, unless she could move closer to him. Boy,
did his father ever teach him how to treat a woman! Clay must have gotten a
college degree for that lesson alone.

He dropped his
arms and stepped back. “Stacia, we’ve been a success as a team tonight with the
donations we’ve raised for charity. I also think our dancing was successful
also, but I leave town in two days, and I’d like to get to know you better.
Tomorrow is all we have. How about it?”

At that moment,
the word
no
was not in her vocabulary. “I’d like that too,” she whispered.

Stacia awoke early
the next morning when the phone rang. “Hello, Hal,” she said after glancing at
the caller ID.

“This has been an
interesting morning already,” Hal Montgomery said.

“Why?”

“I got a phone
call seconds after I arrived in my office.”

“What’s up?”

“Do you remember
talking to Nathan Sterling and Arthur Keyes last night about their new
venture?”

“They talked. I mostly
listened.”

“And how did you
feel about it?”

“The idea
absolutely intrigued me.”

Her agent laughed.
“But not as much as a certain prince, I understand. Sterling and Keyes didn’t
get a chance to finalize the job they were assigned to do.”

“What are you
talking about?”

“They were given
$25,000 tickets also, and so was Farrell Fontaine. Some mysterious financial
backer is the one who sent all of you the tickets. He, or she, wanted to get
you all together first in order to see if the two men could work with you, and
you with them.”

“You’re the one
who’s sounding mysterious to me, Hal. What do I have to do with their project?”

“Oh…just that they
want you to star in it. In case you don’t know, these two are inexperienced,
but the word is their stars are definitely rising. And the best part is it
turns out they want your star to raise alongside theirs by being in their
movie.”

“Wow!” She closed
her eyes and gave her head a little shake. Was she still dreaming?

“Is doing this
film something you’re seriously interested in?”

“Can you tell me
any actor who wouldn’t be? Just imagine doing a one-woman movie. Almost like
Gravity
with Sandra Bullock, except I’d have the added opportunity to act with actors
who were the best in their day in a top movie of its time. How could I turn
down a chance like that? As Nathan said, it would be similar to a time travel
experience and infinitely better than filming the usual remake. I think he’s correct.
Yes, the more I think about it, the more excited I am to do it.”

“Okay, I’ll set up
the meeting in my office in a day or two, so they don’t think we’re too eager,
and also to make sure we have the home-court advantage.”

Their goodbyes
said, Stacia slipped back into bed, feeling like a run-away train was chasing
her. Not about the movie, that would take care of itself, but about Clay. In
her wildest imagination she could not believe she could be so attracted to a
prince, of all people.
Impossible!

She played a video
in her mind about him. “
Tomorrow is all we have,”
he’d said. How could
she refuse him when he’d sounded so sad…and hopeful? Stacia had all she could
do to walk away from him and go home last night. She’d left alone in her limo, but
before they’d separated, she’d given him her cell number. He’d wanted it
despite her admissions that they had nothing in common. But would he call?
She’d know before long as he’d be leaving very soon.

Since she couldn’t
sleep, she decided to get up and figure out her plans for the day if Clay
didn’t call. Her calendar was empty. Not a problem, she thought, and just as
she was ready to sneak into bed again and relax, her phone rang. She checked
the ID. Unlisted number? Hmm. Maybe she shouldn’t answer. Some of her phone
calls from unlisted numbers she never wanted…ever. Still…it could be Clay. She
hesitated a moment longer before answering.

“Hello?” she said.

“Good morning,
Stacia. This is Clay. I was wondering if you had any plans for today.”

She’d break them
if she did. “Not really.” Did she sound too eager… too easy?

“I’d like to see
you again. How about lunch, an afternoon of your choice, or dinner, dancing and
whatever you’d like to do in the evening? I have a couple appointments today,
but I still have some free time.”

Stacia laughed. He
sounded a little too eager and easy himself. She was suddenly glad she had no
other plans for the entire day. “Lunch sounds good.”

“You know this
area better than I do, so this is your chance to be a tour guide. I’ll pick you
up about ten-thirty, if that’s all right.”

“A ten-thirty lunch?”

“Too early?”

“No, it’s fine. Security
will call me when you get here. You can come up and see my humble abode if
you’d like.”

“I’d like,” he
answered. “We can finalize our plans when I get to your place. How’s that
sound?”

“Good. We’ll figure
it out together.” She loved that “we” word. Stacia hadn’t had much chance to
use it before, and she decided to enjoy it while she could.

After giving Clay
her address, she flew through the house. Partly because she was happy she was
going to see him again, and the other part was she had to hurry. She didn’t
have much time before he’d be standing next to her in her living room.

♥♥

“There’s a gentleman
named Clay here to see you. Do you want me to check his ID?” the security guard
asked when he’d buzzed her about the prince’s arrival.

“No, I was
expecting him.” She clicked off her phone, laid it down, did a little dance,
and then sat down on the sofa and waited for Clay to make his way to her front
door.

It didn’t take
long before she heard his knock. Stacia made it there in two big leaps, checked
the peek hole, and opened the door.

“Hi,” she said and
smiled, hoping she wasn’t breathing too hard. She couldn’t tell because her
heartbeat was pounding in her ears.

“Hello,” he
answered and returned her smile. “Beautiful place you have here,” he remarked as
he entered her living room and looked around. “And it sure isn’t a humble
abode.”

“Thanks. It’s worked
out perfectly for my needs.” She started to walk toward the patio doors. “Let’s
go out here first and check out the city in the daylight, since we saw it last
night in the dark.”

“Ah, last night. I
had a great time, and I didn’t want it to end. However, there were too many
people crowding around us all the time. I would have preferred spending the evening
on the terrace alone with you.”

She kept walking
and didn’t answer, but she agreed she would have rather stayed alone with him
on the terrace. And now they were just that…alone together.

They stepped out onto
the patio. The delicate leaves of the palm trees swayed in the slight breeze as
if they were doing a Hawaiian hula dance. The rosy pinks of bougainvillea
growing wild spread their beauty throughout the view and blended in with the
bursts of a palette of colors from other wildflowers. Soft blue clouds provided
a background for nature’s canvas.

“There’s beauty
wherever I look,” he remarked. He turned toward her. “Especially when I look at
you. You actually rival Mother Nature’s best efforts with your red hair and the
green of your eyes…” He gently picked up one strand of her long hair and held
it close to him, examined it, and let it slip through his fingers and drop back
into place. “Lovely.”

Tingles crackled,
like static electricity, throughout her body as his fingertips touched and
released her hair. For an instant she wanted to throw her arms around his neck
and kiss him as passionately as possible. She looked up into his eyes. They
seemed to express exactly how she felt, but it was too soon. Too easy. “Guess
we’d better make our plans.” She led the way back into the living room.

“Good thing I’m a
gentleman,” he murmured as he followed her.

His comment was so
low she almost didn’t hear it. She smiled to herself and headed for the sofa
and sat down primly and properly, except she felt anything but prim and proper.
“What would you like for lunch, privacy or people?”

“I don’t
understand.” He chose a chair across from the sofa and sat down too.

“Well, remember
last night, when we were surrounded by people the entire evening? That could
happen today if we try to mingle out in public. Privacy means we’d be alone, except
for what we’d see through the black, tinted windows of your limo.”

“Privacy sounds great
to me.”

“Well, then it’s
the limo…and I know you have appointments, so we could have lunch here if you’d
like to save time.”

“Can I help?”

Stacia laughed. “That
was a fast decision. Sure you can help, but it won’t be anything fancy.” She
stood up and beckoned with her fingers. “Right this way, Chef.”  

He followed her
through the doorway into the kitchen. “Nice,” he said as he walked behind her.

She ignored his
remark, not knowing exactly what he was referring to, but she had a pretty good
idea. She opened the refrigerator door. “What looks good to you?”

“I have an answer
for that, but I won’t say it.”

She cocked her
head and looked up at him. “You’re pretty fast with your answers, aren’t you?
Did your father teach you how to flirt too? Do you have a lot of experience, or
does it just come naturally to a prince?”

It was Clay’s turn
to laugh. “Flirting, huh? Is it working?”

“Definitely.” She
averted her eyes, embarrassed by her truthful response.

“Great,” he said.

Focus, girl.
Concentrate
on the job at hand – lunch – and not the temptation of flirting back with a
prince who, at the moment, appealed to her much more than food.

“That is one well-stocked
refrigerator,” Clay remarked as he peeked inside.

“That’s what
happens when you grow up on a farm. Grocery stores aren’t on every corner, so
you load up to last a long time. Anyway, I’d like to repeat,
do you see
anything you’d like
, but I’m afraid you might answer this time.”

“I’ll try to
control my thoughts better,” he said. “That ham looks delicious. There. Was
that better?” An irresistible, sexy smile crossed his face.

Stacia wasn’t sure
what to say as she did enjoy his flirting and didn’t want it to end. She remained
silent as she handed him the plate of ham, took out cheese and condiments, and
a very appetizing bowl of fruit salad she’d made the day before. They set
everything on the counter, then she opened the cupboard doors for the rest of
the luncheon items.

Clay sliced the
ham while she made the sandwiches. “I don’t get to do this often,” he remarked.

“You should be an
expert at it, because you certainly are with your ice sculpturing.”

“I meant…with
someone like you.”

“Is that good or
bad?”

“Distracting…and
very good.”

Stacia wanted to
tell him she felt the same way, only she’d have to admit she had nothing to
compare it with as she hadn’t been in her kitchen before with a man making
lunch or any other meal. What a sorry life she’d led. From high school to
Hollywood without romance and love in between. She’d always concentrated on her
career. No wonder she was nervous. She didn’t even know how to act or what to talk
about. An actress needed a script.

“Did I say
something to make you sad?” Clay asked.

She shook her
head. “I was just thinking of something else for a moment. Sorry.”

“Care to share?”

She shook her head
again. “Thanks, but no.” Stacia wiped her hands on the kitchen towel. “I think
we’re done in here. Let’s eat out on the patio where we can get some sunshine
and air.” She needed air especially. She wanted to fan herself, but resisted
the impulse action.

“I’m sorry I can’t
spend the rest of the afternoon with you,” Clay said when they were finished eating
their lunch and had moved onto her patio chairs. “I tried to get out of those
appointments, but they’re about my father’s bank business, so I couldn’t. I
hope I can make it up to you this evening at dinner.”

“I understand
about appointments. I have the same problem trying to get out of them
sometimes. Dinner will be fine, and if you can’t make it –”

“I don’t think you
understand how much I want to spend time with you.”

He gazed into her
eyes, and Stacia felt spellbound. The saying that eyes mirror your soul was
certainly true, she realized. His did, and she thought probably hers reflected
the same thing to him. It seemed forever, or an instant, when they broke eye
contact. She wasn’t sure which, but she felt as if she could look into his eyes
forever.

He spoke first. “Do
you have a favorite restaurant for dinner?”

“No.”

“Then I’m sure the
limo driver can recommend one. He must have been to every restaurant here,
before and after his passengers ate. He could pick one for us.”

“Sorta like
pot-luck, right? That sounds fun. I like that.”

“And I like you,”
he said, “but I have to leave now.”

“I know.” Disappointment
rushed through her. They had just begun, and now it was ended already.

Clay stood up, and
Stacia showed him to the door. When he started to go through the doorway, he
suddenly put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. He brushed his
lips across hers very lightly. “See you tonight,” he said and left.

She waved to him
even though he hadn’t turned to see it. Thoughts of how many times she’d been
kissed by guys scattered through her mind. None, not one of them, had the power
of the prince’s electrifying kiss and its promise there would be more…and more,
she hoped.  

♥♥

“We’ve come full
circle now,” Stacia said that evening when the lights of Hollywood lit up the
skies. “We started out looking at the moon and here it’s time for it to shine
for us again.”

“It’s been a
wonderful day, both for lunch and dinner,” Clay said. “Thank you for sharing them
with me. I now know all about Stacia the actress, Stacia the farmer’s daughter,
and Stacia the woman.”

“And I think I
know a little what it’s like to be a prince.”

“Suppose you were
a prince. What would you do right now?”

She shrugged.