Along Came A Prince (8 page)

After her guest left,
Stacia closed the door slowly as an unbearable sadness and agony built up inside
her like an out-of-control blazing forest fire. Tormented, she ran to her
bedroom, collapsed on her bed and wept. When she fell asleep, she reenacted the
nightmare of Audra’s part in the atrocity of the evening of her death. She felt
her pain, her suffering, and finally her release to a universe of peace. When Stacia
awoke, she ached all over almost as if, she too, had suffered the same vicious attack
Audra had.

♥♥

He sat alone in
the darkness of his disheveled room, the only light coming from the glow of the
black and white movie playing on his TV. His psychotic mind ravished the
actress on the screen, while he, once again, diabolically rewrote the ending to
meet his own sadistic desires.

It was only a
matter of time now. He had all the ammunition he needed to succeed with his
plan. Anticipating and waiting only made it more hellish.

He watched
silently while his fingers toyed with the loaded revolver resting on his lap. A
smirk crossed his lips as the words of his mother entered his thoughts.
Like
father, like son
…

...“Where did
the puppy come from?” the little girl asked her sister as they made their way
through the piles of rubble and muted bodies. The small child reached up and
petted the dog in Victoria’s arms.

“He was
cowering alone on a street corner we passed on the way to the tube,” Victoria
said. “I felt sorry for the little thing and ran back to get him. He was
shaking all over from fear. By the time I picked him up and comforted him,
Mother, Daddy and you were way ahead of me, and I couldn’t find you because the
streets were filled with people running everywhere.”

“I wondered
where you went, but I couldn’t wait. Daddy was pulling me along behind him too
fast.”

“You know,”
Victoria said, “this puppy saved my life, just as Daddy saved yours. It delayed
me long enough that the bomb exploded when I was still a few blocks away.”

“Can we name
the puppy?”

“You name him,
Lily. Whatever you choose is fine with me.”

“So does that
mean we get to keep him?”

Victoria started
to weep again. “I want to. We’re probably all the family he has, and he sure is
the only family we have. We’re almost home now, sweetheart, so there’ll be
something there to feed him. Here,” she said as she handed the sleeping puppy
to Lily. “You can carry him.”

The shock of
losing their parents and the bombing made them oblivious to the avalanche of
destruction around them. As they turned a corner and approached a sidewalk,
they each took two steps forward and stopped.

“Our house,
Victoria! It’s gone,” Lily said, her voice showing her growing hysteria. She
clutched the puppy closer to her. “Our house...I want mommy...I want daddy...Make
them come back. I want my dolls and my bed and...” She collapsed on her knees
and began to sob.

Victoria cried
as she knelt down next to Lily and hugged her tightly. “We’ll be okay, Honey.
We really will. No matter what, we still have each other...”

♥♥

Stacia’s
flight to the Heathrow Airport in London aboard Clay’s plane was perfect. No
turbulence. Just smooth flying all the way. Services, specialized to Stacia’s
individual desires and needs, were dispersed by a courteous crew. She learned
how a prince traveled as she was treated like royalty throughout the entire trip.
After the plane had landed at the airport, she was walked through customs and then
escorted to a limo waiting to take her to The Dorchester, the hotel Clay had
chosen for her. He’d said he would stay in another hotel to stop gossip before
it started. Thanks to the prince, everything was smooth and easy.

Her
driver explained The Dorchester was a world-class hotel, and she shouldn’t miss
dining in their Grill Room and Terrace Restaurants for they were considered to
be two of the finest eating establishments in London.

When
she arrived at the hotel, she was shown to her rooftop suite. Once inside, its
majestic decor and opulent furnishings intimidated and awed her at the same
time, and the only word that came to her mind was w
ow!
She repeated that
word over and over as she walked through her suite.

Better
yet, soon she would have a handsome man to walk the streets of London with her.
They would drink wine together in an outdoor café, and share everything from
Big Ben to the Changing of the Guard. After all, Clay had promised her a tour
of the city. But she might as well quit fantasizing right there. She could just
see the newspapers’ headlines –
London Affair Actress Having Real Life
London Affair. S
he didn’t need or want that. If there was only some safe
Shangri-la where she could be herself, some place where there was no paparazzi.
Might as well wish for a genie in a lamp to appear and grant her three wishes
as to ask for privacy from the prying paparazzi who were only interested in
getting the most money they could from the rag magazines. In her line of work
among all the fame, the riches and perks, privacy was the one thing that was
not allowed.

But would she give
it all up?
“
No, I wouldn’t,” she said out loud with no one to hear her except
herself. “Well, I always have my disguises,” she added to the silent nobody in
the room.

It suddenly came
to her that she was totally unprepared for London. She spied the
Make the
Most of London
guide on an end table, right next to the welcome gifts the
hotel had provided – a huge basket of fruit, mini-boxes of Guylian chocolates, assorted
nuts, and a bottle of champagne chilling in a shiny gold ice bucket. Fresh
flowers, tucked everywhere, were in abundance. She picked up the book, thumbed
through it and started reading to learn more about the city, until the phone
rang. A man identifying himself as Mr. Obertelli, the hotel manager, wanted to
know if her room was satisfactory or if she wanted anything. He also assured her
they would do everything to guard her privacy while she was there. She hung up
after insisting to Mr. Obertelli that everything was perfect.

Now all she needed
was a phone call from Clay telling her what to expect next in this ultra-rich
world she was not accustomed to. With all this royalty around her, she felt
like a secret spy for the Queen of England waiting for Clay’s instructions for
her next mission.

Her cell phone
rang. She wondered if she should answer it in guarded whispers, “
This is
Agent 000. What’s my mission?
” She was still giggling when she said hello.

“What’s so funny?”
Clay asked.

“Nothing much. I
was just basking in all the royal treatment I’ve been receiving and the royalty
itself surrounding me in this hotel and my suite.”

“And that’s
funny?” he asked quite seriously.

“I’m a little farm
girl, you know. Now I feel like a secret agent who reports to the Queen.”

His tone changed,
and she heard him laugh quietly.

She smiled. “Sorry,
I’m just used to role playing. The airplane flight, a limo waiting at Heathrow,
a fantastic hotel…it’s all pretty enchanting for me, and you arranged
everything. So thanks to you, I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

“Role playing, right?
Now that sounds fun. I think I may be doing that at the moment. You should see
me. I just came out of a freezer. I’m bundled up in warm, heavy winter clothes,
and I look like an ice fisherman in Alaska using my chain saw to slice through
the ice. My chisels and blow torches are also at my side.”

“Can you send me a
selfie of that?”

“You wouldn’t even
recognize me. And speaking of the Queen, her security team has been at Harrods
all morning checking out the whole area. It seems we may have a visitor tonight
from the Royal Family.”

“Excuse me, but
are you serious?”

“Maybe you should
join her security people here, so you can practice your secret agent skills.”

“You’re kidding me,
right?”

Clay laughed. “Yes,
about your secret agent skills, but not about someone from the Royal Family
coming to my ice show.”

“It never occurred
to me that you knew the Royal Family personally, but now when I think about it,
it makes perfect sense that you do.”

“Actually, Prince
William is a good friend.”

“Were you a guest
at his wedding?”

“With my parents,
yes.”

“And no one took
your photo when you attended?”

“We weren’t the
attraction that day.”

Shayna was
shocked. What was she doing here in London with a prince who was so attached to
royalty? That answer was easy. He didn’t seem like a prince. He just seemed
like Clay, a handsome guy, who she was immensely attracted to and wanted to get
to know better.

“I was wondering,”
he said, “if you would like to come to Harrods now for lunch. I can get away
for a while. I thought you might like to do a little shopping this afternoon as
long as you’ll be here anyway. There will be plenty of time to get back to the
hotel and change for tonight.”

“I’d like that. I want
to get a new dress. Suddenly, what I brought along doesn’t seem too appropriate
for your ice show. I need something more formal.”

“I’ll send a limo
for you in half an hour, if that’s okay? Just go to the lobby and tell the
valet there’s a car waiting for you. He’ll take you to it. When you get to Harrods,
call me, and I’ll find you.”

When they said
their goodbyes, she rushed into the bathroom and made a quick makeup repair,
deciding the casual outfit she had on was good enough for a lunch and shopping
trip through Harrods. She pushed away her confusion over his royalty and would
think about that another time, because all she wanted to do right now was see
Clay again.

♥♥

When Stacia
stepped inside Harrods, her first impulse was she’d be content to shop there
for days. She could make a serious dent in her upcoming $30 million salary very
easily in this shopping mecca. She grinned as she thought of what Hal’s
response would be to that! Anyhow, she guessed Harrods’s motto, “
Omnia,
omnibus, ubique
,” which translated to “Everything for everyone,
everywhere,” was certainly true.

“Stacia.”

Just one word, but
she recognized the sexy voice she’d now know anywhere. She swung around to
greet him.

“I found you,” he
said and kissed her cheek. “Follow me.” He picked up her hand and led her
across the sales floor to the elevator which was empty. They quickly ascended
to the executive office floor where the doors spread open.

“I have an office
here, so we can talk privately there.” He stopped by the desk of the woman stationed
in front of his office. “This is Stacia Saunders, and Stacia, this is Elizabeth
Harrison, my administrative assistant. We’re going to use my office for a short
while, Elizabeth, so if anyone wants me, you can buzz me.”

“I’ve enjoyed watching
your movies, Miss Saunders,” Elizabeth said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing
London Affair
.”

“Thanks,” Stacia replied,
thinking how small the world was today with TV and social networks. It wasn’t
that way back when the movie first aired.

“Has Sam been
around?” Clay asked.

“No, sir. I
haven’t seen him yet today.”

“Well, let me know
if you do.” He turned toward Stacia and extended his arm toward the office. “Shall
we go in?” He walked over to the door and opened it for her.

She was surprised
when she entered the room. She didn’t know what his office should look like,
but she didn’t expect it to be so large and exquisitely decorated. It was a
true executive’s office any male would be comfortable with. “This is so
luxurious,” Stacia said.

“My father, Sam
and I share this together when we’re in London. My father and Sam are on the
Board of Directors here at Harrods. Now, let’s see, where did we leave off in
L.A?”

“I think we were
still trying to get acquainted,” she said.

“You’re right,” he
agreed. “So, what would you like for lunch, privacy or people?”

Stacia laughed.
“That sounds familiar.”

“Hmm, someone once
gave me that option. I can’t seem to remember who it was though.” His
irresistible smile appeared. “Seriously, we can eat here, or there are several
other great restaurants in the store and around the area.”

“Well, since we
don’t have a lot of time because you have to get back to work, and I have to
shop, why not a quick lunch right here?”

He went over to
the big table that served as a desk, opened a drawer tucked under its top and
pulled out a menu for the Caviar House Seafood Bar. “They have delicious smoked
salmon from Russia. How does that sound? Here,” he said as he handed her the
menu.

“I don’t need to
look at it. I’m fine with the salmon.”

Clay picked up the
phone and dialed the restaurant. After ordering the smoked salmon, he added
shrimp cocktail and St. James Caviar to his order, and also wine.

“I want to discuss
the plan for tonight. First, your ride will be at the front door whenever
you’re finished shopping this afternoon. I’ll have a limo waiting outside your
hotel at seven p.m. When you arrive back here, I’ll be waiting upstairs for
you. Walk on the red carpet, and a lift will bring you to the fourth floor
where the exhibit is. Then we’ll explore it together until I can leave with you.
I thought then we could have a late dinner at Dorchester’s Grill Room. I try not
to miss eating there when I come to London.”

“It sounds like
the food must be excellent there. The limo driver on the way to the hotel
recommended it too.”

“Are you okay with
this itinerary? You can veto any part of it.”

She saluted him.
“Yes, sir, I am fine with the plans, and I shall proceed to complete my mission
forthwith.”

Clay started
laughing. “Stacia, you not only bewitch me, you also have a sense of humor
which I as a prince, according to you, do not have in your fairy tales.”

“You make up for
all those princes by being charming and making everything so simple for me. I’ve
never felt as pampered as what I feel when I’m with you. You’ve arranged
everything on this trip, and it’s all been amazing and awesome. Thank you very
much.”

“You’re very
welcome.” Clay walked over to his desk and picked up a white envelope and
handed it to her. “This affair tonight is by invitation only, so here’s yours.
Just give it to the doorman when you arrive.”

A knock on the
door announced their food had arrived, and Clay called out, “Come in.” Two
servers arranged the food on the table and transformed lunch, as Stacia knew
it, into a feast fit for a king…or a prince.

“This salmon is
beyond delicious,” Stacia said a few minutes later, as she took another bite of
fish.