STACIA
Iwas totally going to be late to work today. But the biggest news to hit Bay State University since the announcement that Prince Ruslan Bashkir was coming here on his grand tour of the United States just blew up the entire internet. “Holy crap, you guys. Have you seen the sitch?”
Nobody better to share the gossip with than my book besties at the Moon Bean bookstore. The guys at the Wolves’ Den Bar and Grill would totally not care about a missing crown prince. Don’t get me wrong, bartenders were huge gossips, but my coworkers didn’t give a hoot about the royal family of Bashkortostan.
“Hey, Stacia. We got in that royalty romance series you ordered. Wait, what situation?” Selena, the Moon Bean’s owner, waved at me from the cash register and then looked around like there was paparazzi behind her or something. Rosie didn’t even look up from where she was bent over her laptop at the table in the corner, probably hard at work on her latest romance novel. Something rattled in the back, probably Charlize puttering around.
I held up my phone. “How could you miss it? The internet is exploding. Prince Ruslan is missing.”
Selena rolled her eyes but smiled at me. She understood.
Maybe I was a little bit obsessed with the royals. I bought my ticket to the Queen of Bashkiria’s talk at the student center approximately point five seconds after they went on sale. I was not missing this chance to get up close and personal with a real life royal. I couldn’t stop myself from talking about, thinking about, dreaming about meeting Prince Ruslan Bashkir since their tour of America had been announced. He was the world’s most eligible bachelor.
And I was the world’s oldest virgin bachelorette. I wasn’t kidding myself that he’d want to hook up and whisk me back to his castle in Bashkiria. I wasn’t princess material. Not with my muffin top, jiggly thighs, and so very American upbringing and accent.
I simply wanted to see him in person, maybe be swept away with a kiss where I get to push my fingers into his sexy dark curls. Hear him whisper sweet nothings in my ear in his Bashkirian accent. Ooohh. Shivers.
I shoved my phone, open to the BBC’s report, in Selena’s face. I accidentally bumped the elbow of a guy standing near the cash register with a newspaper up to his face in my hurry to reach Selena or Charlize. His big nerdy glasses and his paper went flying like in a cartoon, scattering everywhere.
“Oops. Sorry about that.” I squatted down to help pick up the mess.
He knelt, snagged his glasses, shoving them back on his face, sadly covering his pretty golden eyes that sparkled, and then gathered what I hadn’t. “Don’t worry about it.”
Under his breath I heard him whisper, “Bollocks. I was hoping not to have to pay for that.”
Whoo-boy. He had the yummiest European accent ever, all posh and proper… and panty melting. Exchange student maybe? I was an awful flirter, but this was too good of an opportunity. I had to try. Besides, maybe he knew the British royal family.
“From one poor college student to another, let me get that for you.” I picked up his paper and set it on the counter along with the stack of books Selena had ready for me. An awkward laugh slipped out with my words, because I was definitely a huge dork and not good at talking to guys. Oh geez, what was I even doing?
He stared at me like I’d grown twenty-two heads. Must not be the custom in Europe or wherever he was from to be friendly like that. Or was it my obnoxious American laugh? I’d heard Europeans all thought we were loud.
But his slightly horrified, definitely surprised look turned into a smile that had me forgetting how to breathe. “Cheers, but not necessary.”
He practically bolted out of the bookstore and left me with only Selena there for the emotional support I needed after being bowled over by a severe case of the swoonies.
“You listen to me right now, Stacia.” Selena had that you’re-in-trouble mom tone going on and it pulled me out of my lusty fantasy.
No, I was not imagining him wearing a crown and nothing else. Shut up. I’m not all hot and bothered, you’re hot and bothered. Just because he sort of looked like Prince Bashkir, didn’t meant he’d be up for a little prince and princess role play.
“If you don’t go hunt that boy down and kiss the European daylights out of him, you’re fired.” Selena wagged her finger at me.
Snort. Like he’d be interested in me. With an accent like that, every girl on campus would be falling at his feet with her legs wide open. “He clearly wasn’t into me and also... I don’t work here anymore.”
She’d already fired me for how many days I’d taken off. Well, she didn’t fire me. She found me a new job at the bar next door. I made more money there because of…honestly, my big boobs got me some great tips. So I didn’t have to work as much.
“Uh, yes he was. I’ll call Liam over at the Wolves’ Den and tell him he has to fire you.”
“He’s going to fire me anyway if I don’t clock in, like, five minutes ago. Put these on my account?” I grabbed the stack of books and bolted for the door.
I’d just reached for the handle when Selena grabbed my arm and hissed, “Wait.”
The sound of a bunch of motorcycles tearing down the street cut off any questions I was going to ask. A bunch of male voices called back and forth, and the laughter had a nasty edge to it, definitely at someone, not with. It made me glad I hadn’t just stepped out the door.
Selena still had a tight grip on my arm as she watched the last of the bikers go by, and I could have sworn I heard her growl down low in her chest, but it was probably just the echo of the engines.
“Whew, that was close.” I flashed Selena a smile. “Thanks.”
She blinked like she’d forgotten she was still clutching my arm and finally let go. “Be careful out there. And don’t forget what I said.”
