Newly crowned Cordonian King Nicholas lost the love of his life on his own Coronation night. Working with his best friend Drake to bring her back is about to make things complicated.
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I'm doing another TRR playthrough and I'm at the scene from Applewood with Drake and the MC. I've edited down these screenshots to dialogue that has spawned so much fanfiction over the years ..
..at this point Drake could leave, or he could stay. In the chapter he left.. but I wish he hadn't....
I know the MC (Katherine) puts ice on his bruised ribs, but what about the fact that Drake got punched in the face too? 😦 🤕 Ouch!
While New York slept, it was early morning in Cordonia. With a sigh, King Nicholas rubbed the crust from his eyes and rolled over in bed. Morning light leaked around the curtains, reminding him that his night of restless sleep was finally over. The press conference was a few hours away and his country's unanswered questions had weighed heavily on him during the night. He hoped he was prepared enough to answer them.
Although the glass of bourbon had helped knock him out, it had also been nightmare fuel. As much as he tried to forget the horrors of the train station attack by day, it still haunted him in his dreams. Last night it was Kate's bloodied body that he'd held in his arms, and not Madeleine's. Seeing her pale face and wide eyes looking up at him in shock and agony, had jolted him awake to a tangle of sheets and a cold sweat. Squeezing his eyes shut and taking a series of deep breaths to settle the bile storm brewing in his stomach, he'd tried to shake off the terrified screams and thunderous gunshots that threatened to swallow him whole all over again. Once his galloping heart had settled down to a slow trot, sleep had finally caught up to him again.
In Cordonia the King and Queen are an important symbol of strength and stability. Being the newly crowned King should be a reason to celebrate hope for the future. But the champagne had hardly dried in the flutes when the assassination of Madeleine had put the future of his reign in danger. His people would be looking to him for reassurance that the attack was an isolated incident. The royal family still being a target was a terrifying thought. No terrorist group or individual had stepped forward to claim responsibility yet, and the police were still investigating. With Bastien also injured, his personal security within the Palace was also a concern. But he couldn't let his citizens know he was afraid.
Beyond the threat to his life, the media was still buzzing about the scandal surrounding Kate and Tariq Kazim that had blown up his Coronation. He was fairly certain, based on the photos and the familiar handwriting on the envelope, that his father was behind it. But he still wasn't clear as to why Kate had been targeted.
Sitting up on the edge of the bed, he raked his hands through his hair. Hana and Maxwell were flying to New York today to pick up Kate and Drake. He could only guess how their few days together went, and he wondered whether or not Drake had given Kate his letter.
With a sigh he realized that Kate was lost to him now romantically.
But, despite the scandal that had sent her away, Kate was still the people's favourite to be queen. Her charisma and compassion meant she'd have no problem being an inspiration to his people. Being a commoner, she would have been offered a duchy as part of their engagement. The northern duchy of Valtoria was currently without noble representation, so his Queen could claim the manor as her own. Being an honorary member of the Beaumont family she could have claimed the Duchy of Ramsford as her own as well.
But the fantasy he'd been living in during the social season, of having the Queen he loved, had been doomed from the start. He'd stupidly trusted his best friend to look out for her and keep her safe. The end of the year was fast approaching, but he didn't physically or mentally have the capacity to entertain new suitors, so he had to consider his other options for choosing a queen:
Madeleine had been a strong political match but they'd lacked physical attraction, Olivia Nevrakis with her family's volatile history was too problematic to gain public support, Kiara Theron and her family had diplomatic and cultural influence but he worried about the opinions of her overbearing father, Penelope Ebrim has deep Cordonian ancestry but is weak on intellect and confidence. The only other noble candidate he had connected with and felt good about was Hana Lee from Shanghai.
Hana as the daughter of a Cordonian noble and a wealthy Chinese businessman is the heiress to her family's fortune. With impeccable manners and a diverse education she easily charmed commoners and nobles alike. They were like kindred spirits, He and Hana, both groomed from childhood to a structured life of diplomacy and duty. Throughout the social season and suitor competition she had quietly supported Kate as frontrunner for Queen, making herself an unofficial lady-in-waiting. In Kate and Drake's absence, she had become a surprising source of emotional support for him as well.
Getting out of bed, he thought of how she had come to comfort him. The tenderness in her touch, and the shyness in her kiss, had brought a smile to his face for the first time in days. He didn't want to rush into anything, but as soon as a suitable public mourning period for Madeleine was over, he hoped to spend more time with Hana and see where things went. For now, he wanted to test how she might be received by the public, so he planned to invite her to the press conference today.
With a newfound lightness he hadn't felt since the attack, he walked into his bathroom to get his day started.
..
On the other side of the Royal Palace the morning sun lit up Hana's room. Leaving the curtains open was her favorite way to rouse herself from sleep each day. With a sigh she stretched out her limbs and smiled. She was excited to fly to New York today to reunite with her friends and bring them back home.
Her parents had insisted she come home right after the Coronation, but she convinced them to let her stay a little longer because Madeleine's funeral was tomorrow.
Hopefully her mother would be overjoyed that she and Nicholas had become friends during the social season. God willing, they could be more than that in time. But rushing into anything serious too quickly would not reflect well on Nicholas while he's supposed to be in mourning. So for now it would mean being polite and proper around him in the eyes of the public and press.
..
Maxwell was still asleep. His thick velvet curtains cloaked his bedchamber in darkness. On his bedside table his phone screen lit up to show his notifications. He had unread text messages from a friend.
..
Later...
As the Mediterranean sun climbed higher in the sky, the shadows retreated from the rose garden outside of the breakfast room. By 8:30 am, the sun had enough power to lift the dew from the velvety petals and lush green leaves, lending a humid tropical balm to the air.
On the other side of the window glass, the golden morning illuminated the faces and warmed the shoulders of those assembled around the table for breakfast:
Hana, Nicholas, Maxwell and his older brother Bertrand.
As the only woman in the room, Hana commanded most of the attention. Maxwell was further lightening the mood by pretending his stack of pancakes could talk, making Hana laugh. From high above, the crystal chandelier caught the morning light and painted rainbows across the walls and pristine white tablecloth.
Bertrand scowled silently at them both as he sipped his tea. Nicholas watched the three of them, thoroughly amused. He missed small, informal meals like this. It reminded him of a time when he was just a crown prince spending time among friends.
Tomorrow, Breakfast with the King would be a traditional formal affair. Kate and Drake, and the rest of the court, would be joining him ahead of Madeleine's funeral.
He hadn't seen or spoken to Kate since the Coronation, and he wasn't sure how he was going to feel about seeing her and Drake together. Would they observe proper decorum in front of the royal court? Were they a couple now, after only a few days together in New York? Drake didn't make friends easily, especially with women. Did Kate really feel the same way about him?
He had to remind himself that they were both consenting adults entitled to their happiness. Kate no longer had any obligation to him as a suitor. But it wasn't going to be easy to temper his love for her against the simmering jealousy he felt towards Drake. Their long term friendship was bound to suffer because of this.
The delightful sound of Hana's laughter brought Nicholas back from his tormented reverie. He took the opportunity to mention today's press conference.
"Lady Hana, before you and Lord Maxwell depart for New York this afternoon, I have a special request if you are free."
She turned to him and smiled. "Certainly your Majesty, how can I help?"
"My first press conference as King of Cordonia is this morning, and I could use some friendly moral support."
Hana's heart swelled with pride at being chosen for such an important task. "I'd be honoured to. What time is the press conference?"
"Eleven o'clock, in the throne room. If you could meet me in the ante room at 10:30 we can discuss preparations to meet the Press?"
Hana nodded. "Certainly. I'll be there."
Nicholas nodded back and smiled, rising from his seat. "Splendid. Now if you all will please excuse me, I have an appointment to keep with Regina before the conference."
Everyone respectfully stood and then sat down again after he exited.
Maxwell finished up his pancakes, then poured himself another cup of coffee.
"So Hana, have you ever been to New York before? I bet it's beautiful this time of year."
"No, I haven't. I can't wait to reunite with Kate, and maybe bring back a souvenir."
Bertrand set his teacup down on the saucer. "You won't have much time for sightseeing, I'm afraid. After landing you need to hire a car, help Kate load up her luggage, and then return to the airport and get checked back in for the return flight."
Hana's smile faded, and she looked down at the table. "I suppose you're right. The flight there and back is going to eat up most of the day. Taking pictures en route will have to suffice as my souvenir. But that's ok, having our friends back is what matters."
Maxwell patted her on the arm. "That's my girl, always looking on the bright side. I'm so glad you decided to stay."
Maxwell's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he took it out to check it. He'd received a reply text from Tariq.
Bertrand frowned at him. "Can't that wait? Or better yet, Maxwell, take it outside."
Maxwell pointed to his phone. "Actually it can't wait. It's Tariq. Drake wanted me to find him, so we could clear up this scandal for good."
Bertrand's face twisted with disgust. "That insufferable cad. I hope he's apologising for tarnishing Ms. Darling's reputation. With Walker bringing her back from New York, do you think Kate and His Majesty could reconcile? We could have another chance to put a Beaumont on the throne."
Maxwell and Hana exchanged a look, and then Hana spoke up, "When I last spoke to Kate she said that she and Drake have gotten pretty close, so unless Nicholas breaks them up, I don't see her becoming Queen."
The Duke rubbed his brow, giving his head a shake. "No, no, no..this won't do. Walker is so uncouth and common, all the etiquette training to raise Kate up to noble standards is for nothing with him dragging her down."
Pushing his seat back, Maxwell stood up to defend his friend. "Hey, Drake isn't that bad. He helped us pull together this year's Beaumont Bash, remember?"
Bertrand sighed, "So he could help himself to Kate, apparently."
Maxwell's phone vibrated again and he moved over to stand by the buffet to reply to Tariq's message.
::
Maxwell:
Hey, man. Where have you been?
He plucked a slice of bacon from a tray while he waited for a response.
Tariq:
I've been all over the place, but my parents have cut off my credit cards and now I'm stranded in New York City.
Maxwell:
Wow, what a coincidence. I'm flying to New York today! Want to catch a ride back with us?
Tariq:
Us? who are you flying with?
Maxwell:
It's going to be Me, Hana, Drake and Kate on the plane.
Tariq:
Being trapped on a plane for several hours with Drake is not going to be fun. Ever since that night at Applewood I've been dreading being anywhere near him or Kate again.
Maxwell:
I understand what you mean. Drake's likely to punch you for just looking at her wrong. You'd better have your "I'm so sorry for everything.. Please don't hurt me Drake." rehearsed and ready to go.
Tariq:
Not very reassuring. Maybe I shouldn't fly back with you then. I can call my parents and ask them to arrange a return flight for me instead.
Maxwell:
But without a credit card how will you manage in the meantime? It could be days before they get your return flight arranged.
Tariq:
I guess you're right. But only if you can promise me that Drake isn't gonna kill me.
Maxwell:
Kate knows you were set up just like she was. She's not going to let Drake seriously hurt you. Just keep a polite distance, and you should be fine.
Tariq:
Ok well if I must endure Drake's glaring at me for a few hours, I guess traveling with you all is my best option. I appreciate you reaching out to me. I could use a friend right now. The tabloid story has put a target on my back, and I didn't know who to turn to.
Maxwell:
Yeah, we all want this scandal crap to go away. As long as the weather is good, we should be there by 3pm. I'm not sure what airport we're landing at, so I'll send you a text when we arrive.
Tariq:
Ok, it's really late here in New York. I need to get some sleep. See you later.
Maxwell:
👍
::
Maxwell sat back down at the breakfast table. "So it turns out Tariq is stranded in New York. We'll be bringing him back with us."
Getting up to leave, Bertrand respectfully nodded to Hana, and then turned to Maxwell. "Well good, try not to miss your flight today brother, remember the King is counting on you."
After Bertrand left, the servants started to clear away the breakfast buffet. Maxwell followed Hana out into the hall.
"So you're doing a press conference with the King today. That's a big deal. Do you know what you're going to wear?"
Hana shrugged, taking Maxwell's arm as he escorted her back to her room. "Not quite sure. Maybe a pantsuit, or a blazer and a skirt. Wanna help me pick something out?"
Maxwell smiled. "Of course. This is your debut as Nicholas' plus one. You need to shine."
...
King Nicholas had just settled down into his chair when there was a knock at the door to his Study. He leaned back against the leather cushion and responded, "Enter."
Steve, his security guard, opened the door and then stepped aside. "Her Majesty Queen Regina, to see you, sir."
"Send her in."
Regina swept into the room, a file folder tucked under her arm. Steve pulled the door shut behind her, resuming his sentry position outside the office.
"Nicholas," Regina said, with a deferential nod of respect.
He gestured to the guest chair facing the desk. "Regina, welcome. Please sit."
She sat down, holding the folder against her lap. "Thank-you for seeing me on such short notice, Your Majesty. I thought we should meet and discuss some of the potential questions the media might lob at you today."
Nicholas appreciated her stoicism, though she was in mourning. Madeleine had been her niece, and Regina had heavily endorsed her as the Crown's favourite for Queen. Although her posture was straight, and her clothes and hair were impeccably styled, her make-up couldn't hide the puffy redness around her eyes and her hollow haunted expression. Losing Madeleine had seemingly aged her years in a few short days.
"I've already gone over my statement with the PR team regarding Madeleine's private memorial." He looked down at the folder that her delicate hands had clutched in her lap. "Is there new information I should know?"
Regina took a deep breath and then leaned forward to lay the folder on his desk. "Your father and I took the selection of your suitors for Queen very seriously. We kept detailed files on each woman, updating their information as the events progressed during the season. Kate Darling was an anomaly that we hadn't prepared for, so after asking Lord Maxwell some basic information to start her file, we put her under closer scrutiny."
Nicholas crossed his arms across his chest, and after giving the unopened folder a brief glance, he replied. "You did a background check, naturally, which anyone would. Her financial information, her education, potential criminal record and whatever I assume."
Regina nodded. "Yes, we wanted to determine her reasons for accepting Beaumont's offer. Is she deep in debt, and looking to be raised out of poverty? Did she have political aspirations or some radical anti-monarchist agenda? Or, was she here seeking a romantic fantasy with a Prince?"
Nicholas' eyebrows lifted and he opened the file. "She seemed to be taking the suitor competition seriously. And despite Olivia and Madeleine's cold reception of her, she was perfectly decent and respectful. Would it be such a bad thing if her motives were romantic? We got along very well and given more time and proper guidance Kate could have made an excellent Queen. Is it because she's an outsider? Is that why you and Father were so critical of her? What could you possibly have against her?"
"It depends on whether her lineage matters to you as much as it does to your father."
He flipped through the pages, and then landed at the last one. "You sent her DNA away for analysis? Did you ask for her consent first?"
Regina avoided looking at him directly. "The DNA testing came back showing a high probability of European ancestry, so we looked up her family tree. We were surprised to find a significant Cordonian connection."
Nicholas' brow furrowed. "A simple interview would have been sufficient. Prying into her family history secretly wasn't necessary. She's from New York, so how significant a connection could she have?"
"Your half-brother Leo is her cousin."
The paper he was holding fell from his hands, and then slid over the edge of the desk and onto the floor. "What?" He croaked.
"Laurena Allen, Leo's mother, and the former Queen of Cordonia was Kate's great aunt. Her paternal grandmother's younger sister."
Nicholas stared at her in disbelief, trying to wrap his mind around what he'd just been told. Constantine, his father, is Kate's Great Uncle? He knew very little about Leo's mother, because she had left long before Nicholas was born. He was fairly certain his own brother knew even less about his mother Laurena.
"This... is rather unsettling news. Are you quite sure there's no mistake?" He replied.
Regina shook her head. "We were able to confirm that Laurena Allen and her sister Katherine were present during the royal social season of 1983. Constantine fell in love with Laurena, and against his parents' wishes they married. She gave him an heir, and everything seemed to be perfect."
Nicholas' mind spun as he tried to imagine a young Constantine following his heart instead of being duty bound by the politics of the Crown. "If they were such a good match, then why did she leave?"
"Love alone does not make someone a suitable Queen. While she was expecting, Laurena was allowed to step away from Royal Life and focus on her health."
Nicholas leaned back in his chair. "That's understandable, she was carrying the royal heir."
"Laurena kept a journal while she was pregnant. All of her fears about motherhood and her insecurities about being Queen were in it. Shortly after Leo was born Constantine expected her to return to doing public appearances and hand off Leo into the arms of the Nanny."
Nicholas frowned. "That's rather cold hearted on his part. If he really loved her, he would have allowed her more of a grace period before returning to public life."
"Pressure from the public and from within the royal council weighed heavily on them both. Laurena was too fragile, mentally, after Leo was born and suffered from depression. Although the baby was well cared for by the Nanny, Laurena retreated completely from all royal responsibility. Including the marriage bed. Constantine was devastated, but agreed to annul the marriage based on medical advice. Laurena went back to England to seek treatment for her depression, and never came back."
Imagining a crying infant Leo being abandoned by his mother, saddened Nicholas, but he was struck by the parallel lives both mother and son shared. Laurena married for love, but ended up abdicating the throne. Leo abdicated his right to the throne so he could marry for love.
Nicholas chuckled bitterly, "Father has been married three times. So I find it hard to believe he was broken up that much by her leaving."
Regina leaned forward, her voice taking a serious tone, "But he was. He was a young King with an heir, but without a queen. He threw himself into his duties and hardened his heart. Instead of nurturing a fatherly bond with Leo as an infant and toddler, he left his son in the care of the Nanny. Leo reminded him too much of Laurena, and that tainted their relationship."
Nicholas leaned back in his chair musing on the rebellious nature of his older brother, especially his lack of respect for following his Princely duties as heir. Leo bailed on his own social season and refused to court the women the Crown had chosen as candidates for Queen. Madeleine had been one of them.
"This smear campaign implicating Kate and Tariq, was orchestrated by my father wasn't it?"
"Yes," Regina replied, making eye contact with the King at last.
"He saw how close I was getting to Kate, and he feared I would do as my brother did and shirk my duties to the Crown and marry her instead."
Regina nodded. "Was that your intention?"
"Well..yes, and no. Marry her, yes. But I take my position, and duty as King seriously. Kate wasn't trying to influence me to leave my country and citizens behind. Her connection to Leo and Father is fairly weak. Kate and I aren't related by blood, so there's no reason why we couldn't have been betrothed."
Regina continued, "Ever since we discovered Ms. Darling's connection to Laurena, Constantine has been plagued with nightmares. He's convinced that Kate's the ghost of her come back to haunt him. He didn't know how to explain his misgivings to you, so he chose to discredit her with fake evidence of infidelity. He wanted a way to eliminate her as a proper choice as queen."
Nicholas stood up and leaned forward on his desk, pointing an accusing finger at his Stepmother. "But somehow your niece was supposed to be a better choice for me? There's nothing strange about Kate, and we got along very well. We could have been good for each other. If Father wasn't already dying I'd shoot him myself for meddling so bluntly in my personal affairs."
Regina flinched back in her chair. "He was just trying to prevent you from making a bad choice."
Nicholas sat back down, his outburst leaving him raw with regret. He was mad at his father, not Regina. Leaning his elbows on his desk he rested his head in his hands and dug his fingers into his hair. With a sigh he looked up again.
"Look, I appreciate that a dossier was kept for each candidate. But all of this information should have been shared with me, so I could make the choice for myself. I'm not some besotted school boy, Father should have trusted me, as the grown man that I am, to find the Queen that was right for me. His mistrust sent Kate away, without giving her a chance to prove herself worthy. And now Madeleine is gone too. Some great plan that turned out to be."
Regina looked down at her hands. "It's a shame that Madeleine didn't get the chance to prove herself worthy to you either. She really wasn't the bad person that others at court made her out to be." She looked back up at him again, a woman hollowed out by her grief.
"Constantine's health is getting worse. He wanted to see you take the throne with a worthy Queen by your side. He wanted to see you married, and to know that something good came out of his legacy. I fear that's not going to happen now."
"Are the treatments not working?"
She shook her head, her hands wringing painfully in her lap. "The doctor says that he's reached his limit for radiation. The cancer has spread too far."
"How much time does he have?"
"A few weeks, maybe a month. A palliative care team is bringing equipment to the palace today to set up a room for his round the clock care."
Nicholas' mind spun and his chest ached. All the air had been sucked out of the room. His father had been a constant in his life. Even while apart he felt the weight of his hands on his young shoulders as they steered him through his duties. Constantine had taught him everything he knew about diplomacy. The Cordonia that Constantine had built during his fifty year reign was his now, the good and the bad, and it was up to him to shape what came next. But he'd hoped to have more time to tap into his Father's vast knowledge and experience.
Clearing the dryness that constricted his throat, Nicholas spoke up, "You've given me a lot to think about. But let's get today's press conference out of the way, first, and then we can discuss how to handle the rest. I'm counting on you to keep me well informed on Father's condition in the coming days. We'll keep that information as private as possible, for now."
Regina rose from her chair, leaning on the arms for support. With a deep steadying breath she answered, "Certainly, Your Majesty."
Nicholas busied himself by collecting all the scattered papers from Kate's file. "Oh, and see to it that any and all files you've been keeping come to me as well. I want to know more about who comprises my court."
She nodded. "Of course, so we'll meet again for the conference today?"
"Yes, and now if you'll excuse me I have preparations to make."
Regina knocked on the door and then Steve opened it to let her pass.
When he was alone, Nicholas pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk and looked at his bottle of bourbon. He wanted a drink to settle his nerves, but he feared one drink wouldn't be enough. With a sigh he closed the drawer again. Putting Kate's file away in another drawer, he tidied up the rest of his desk and then stood up. He would be meeting up with Hana soon, and before he did he needed to take a walk to clear his head.
...
The marble hallway outside of the throne room was humming with activity. Security stood guard outside a pair of heavy oak doors, while reporters and photographers from various news outlets milled about checking microphones and recording equipment.
Hana Lee picked her way through the crowd, wondering which of the many heavy wooden doors along the hallway led to the King's Ante-room. Dressed in a blue blazer and skirt she blended in well and wasn't stopped by any of the reporters as she passed.
Hana recognized Nicholas', very tall and imposing, personal guard Steve, standing by himself in front of one the single oak doors. Hana took a moment to straighten the cuffs, and smooth down the lapels on her blazer, before approaching him.
"Good morning, Steven. King Nicholas is expecting me," Hana said, smiling up at him.
Steve looked her up and down, and then looked to the left and right to check that there were no reporters or photographers following her.
"Miss Hana Lee?" he asked quietly.
She nodded.
Bringing his hand down to his side he did a quiet discreet knock against the door.
His knock was answered by Nicholas' reply from the other side,
"Enter."
Steve turned the handle and swung the door inward. Hana turned and sidled her way in and then Steve pulled the door shut behind her.
Nicholas stood in the middle of the room gazing up at a large painted family portrait, hands clasped together behind his back. He turned his head when he heard the click of her heels on the polished marble.
Nicholas smiled and then stepped toward her. "Hana, at last, please do come in."
After doing a brief bob, she smiled and approached him.
"Your Majesty."
Nicholas caught a whiff of her perfume as she came near. It was something exotic with a hint of spice. He resisted the urge to breathe too deeply, he needed to keep his mind on business.
Nicholas gestured to a long velvet tufted bench along the wall. "Let's sit."
As Hana settled down on the edge of the soft cushion she looked up and around the room, appreciating the beauty of the high ceiling with its ornately arched mouldings, blue satin wall coverings and painted trim and finishes. The one tall ceiling to floor arched window was shuttered against the Mediterranean sun, and draped in green velvet. Other benches lined the room and faced a gallery wall of paintings above a tall ivory colored marble mantel.
Doors to the left and right led into other rooms.
Nicholas watched her gaze settle on each feature of the room. "The door on the gallery wall leads to the Royal Throne Room, and the door opposite leads to the Royal Council Chamber. "
Hana nodded. "For an official waiting room, this space is quite lovely."
Nicholas sat down on the bench next to her. "Usually this room is where others would wait to see the King, but today it's my quiet sanctuary instead."
Although he'd known Hana for several months, and was never awkward around her before, now that they were alone he felt like a nervous little school boy.
It's just Hana. Just charming, beautiful, incredibly scented Hana.
"So, have you attended a press conference before?" He asked.
"I've attended a few of my father's public appearances. I was instructed to sit quietly while my father or mother answered all the questions."
Nicholas reached out to take her hand. He chuckled softly, "It will probably be more of the same, today. You're here to be my oasis of peace and calm amongst the shifting clash of chaos."
Hana squeezed his hand, lost in the handsome details of his caring face. His gentle smile crinkled the corners of his sapphire blue eyes and lit them from within.
Feeling her skin flush under the adoration in his gaze she looked down at their joined hands.
"What about you, Your Maj --"
He interrupted, lifting her chin gently with the knuckle of his finger so that she looked him in the eyes.
"Please, Hana. While we're alone we can drop the formalities. Just 'Nicholas' is fine."
She blinked. "If that's what you'd prefer?"
He nodded, tilting his head and encouraging her to ask her question again. "You were saying...."
"Have you been to many press conferences before, Nicholas?"
"Only minor ones, at charitable events in the middle of the social season, usually alongside my stepmother or my Father."
Hana smiled. "So this will be your first time leading one as King. Besides me and the press, is anyone else attending in an official capacity?"
"Probably just Regina, where Madeleine was her niece. There will be the inevitable questions regarding the funeral."
Hana rested her other hand on top of his. "Is there a public memorial planned?"
He shook his head. "Her family has requested just a small private service. You, Maxwell, Kate, Drake and Bertrand are welcome to attend if you'd like."
Hana turned toward him, acutely aware that their knees were now touching too. Her voice faltered as she spoke, "Of..Of course, we'll be there."
Nicholas can't help but enjoy her scent now, breathing deeply as her body heat intensifies her perfume. He reached up to caress her cheek, and the silky softness of her hair whispered against the back of his hand. His gaze dropped from her beautiful dark eyes to her mouth as he spoke.
"If you only knew how valuable you've been as a member of my royal court this year. Such a wonderful friend to everyone."
Hana lowered her lashes, leaning into the warmth of his hand, the delicate way his thumb stroked her cheek bone sent a ripple effect across the surface of her skin. Her voice was a bare whisper as she responded, squeezing the fingers of his hand, and then looked back up. "You know I'd do anything for you.. Your -- .. sorry..I mean..Nicholas."
She was jolted by the intensity in his gaze. He moved his hand and cupped the back of her head as he leaned in closer. He whispered, his eyes dropping down to focus on her lips again. "If I may?"
She gasped, "Yes, Nich-.."
Her words were cut off as his lips met hers, applying a tender pressure that Hana eagerly returned.
A knock at the door broke the spell, and they pulled apart.
A muffled voice was heard,
"Your Majesty, the camera crew and reporters are ready for you now."
Sitting back and straightening his jacket, Nicholas answered.
"Thank-you, we're on our way."
Hana noticed the faint smear of pink lipstick on Nicholas' mouth.
She gestured, circling his lips with her finger. "Oh wait, you have a little.."
He pulled out his handkerchief, wiping at his mouth.
"Is that better?"
"Yes, much better. I'm sorry, when I did my makeup today I didn't know I'd be kissing a King."
Tucking the handkerchief back into his pocket he replied, "I'm only sorry we were interrupted. But duty calls."
They stood and he reached out for her hand. "Shall we?"
Hana nodded, letting him lead her as he opened the door to the throne room. Two Royal Guards were standing in the doorway. Nicholas tapped the left one on the shoulder and the guard nodded, touching his earpiece and spoke quietly, "Commencing royal escort."
As they entered the room, Hana noticed the many rows of people rising up to stand in front of their chairs. They were facing long tables with a podium in the middle with a microphone. Snapping shutters and flickering camera flashes followed them across the room. Nicholas led Hana to the table, pulling out a chair for her to sit to the right of the microphone. His stepmother Regina was led by a guard to sit at the table to his left. He approached the microphone, holding a hand up to acknowledge the crowd and signalling for them to sit. His guards took up a position a few paces away, their eyes keenly watching the room.
Nicholas cleared his throat and then spoke, "I'd like to thank everyone for being here today. I'm going to begin with a brief statement, and then we can proceed to the answering of questions."
Nicholas held his hand out to Regina, and she got up from her seat and stood next to him.
"As you all know, three days ago the Royal motorcade was attacked while we were retrieving Countess Madeleine at the train station. Despite the heroic efforts of the security team, casualties occurred. One of our bodyguards, Bastien Lykel, was critically wounded, as was the Countess. Bastien remains in hospital, and is expected to make a full recovery."
Nicholas paused, staring out at the expectant faces of the press. Bodies shifted in seats as they hung on his every word. Unspoken questions buzzed at the back of their throats. The King carefully pieced his thoughts together, knowing his next words would unleash chaos into the room.
He reached out and took Regina's hand. "Countess Madeleine sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and though the surgical team at Cordonian Memorial Hospital fought valiantly to save her, she did not recover."
A rumble of overlapping voices preceded the raising of hands among the assembled press. Nicholas pointed at a representative he recognized from the Cordonian Broadcasting Corporation near the front. "Yes, Mr. Brine. You have a question?"
"Your Majesty, have any hostile groups come forward to claim responsibility for the attack?"
Nicholas answered, "Not yet. But now that their attack has become successful, I expect it won't take long before we hear something. Meanwhile our investigation is ongoing."
A reporter from the Cordonian Daily News asked, "Will there be a public memorial for the Countess?"
Regina answered, "At the request of Madeleine's family we've decided to have a private memorial service. Members of the public are welcome to express their condolences by making a donation in her name to a charity of their choice."
Ana De Luca from Trend magazine spoke up, "Your Majesty, now that your engagement to the Countess has come to such a tragic end, what's next for you? Is the Monarchy stable enough without a Queen?"
Nicholas glanced at Hana then back at Ana before replying, "I'm still standing, so the Monarchy remains stable. My Reign has just begun, and when I decide to choose a new Queen I'll make an announcement."
Another reporter asked, "Speaking of potential Queens, what do you have to say about the scandal that sent Kate Darling back to New York?"
Nicholas took a sip of water before responding, "It has come to my attention that the photos taken of Kate Darling and Tariq Kazim were part of an elaborate hoax. A credible witness to the event depicted has come forward, and both Ms. Darling and Mr. Kazim have been absolved of any fault in the matter. On behalf of the Crown I would like to sincerely apologize to both of them for the incredible inconvenience this has caused."
"Does this mean that Ms. Darling is back in the running to become Queen?"
Nicholas' stern reply held a cutting edge, "Considering that the funeral of Countess Madeleine is yet to occur, and out of respect for her family member present, you may want to choose another question. As I said earlier, when I decide to choose a new Queen an announcement will be made."
The reporter sat back down, and then the journalist next to her stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, are you concerned about the recent photos taken of Kate Darling and your friend Drake Walker in New York City?"
Nicholas gripped the edges of the podium. "No, I'm not. Should I be?"
"They seemed to be rather romantic in nature. I thought she was your favourite to become Queen during the social season."
Nicholas sighed, "The suitor competition ended on Coronation night with my choosing of Madeleine, thus releasing Kate Darling of any obligation to be my Queen. In other words she's a free woman, and can be with whomever she chooses."
"Even your best friend?" She asked.
"Especially my best friend. They both deserve to be happy, and if they're happy together then so be it. And furthermore I want all pictures and stories online and in print that portray Kate Darling in a negative way taken down and destroyed. The scandal that sent her back to New York has been exposed as fake, and must not have any more power to ruin her life, or the life of my best friend Drake Walker. Any news outlet or gossip magazine that refuses to remove or retract any offensive content shall face being sanctioned by the Crown."
There's a buzz of conversation among the assembled press, and Nicholas decided to bring the press conference to an end. He raised his hands again to signal for quiet.
"We'd like to thank-you all again for coming, and that will be all the questions for today."
The Guards escorted Nicholas, Regina and Hana out of the Throne Room.
Regina looked from Hana to Nicholas, taking notice of the elegant cut of her blazer and how nicely she and Nicholas looked together. She rested her hand on Nicholas' arm.
"That could have gone better, but I'm so glad that it's over. It can be so uncomfortable to stand in front of the press. You look especially nice today Lady Hana, I trust we'll be seeing you tomorrow at the memorial service."
"Of course."
Regina smiled, patting Hana on the arm and then left them alone.
"I should go find Maxwell. I know it's still a couple of hours before our plane leaves, but I want to make sure he gets there on time." Hana said, giving Nicholas a quick hug and then heading off to her room to change.
Nicholas nodded, and then turned around to walk back to his office, realizing he'd just boldly lied to the press.
Beth unlocked the door to the apartment building and Daniel held it open so everyone could go inside. In the quiet of the lobby, Kate turned to look outside. The emergency vehicle lights blinking and bouncing off the hard and soft surfaces reminded her of the disco lights at the club. But there wasn't any music and nobody was dancing. Drake wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she turned away from the scene outside and folded herself into the comfort of his embrace. Tucking her face into his shirt the grip of the night's trauma released and her body shook as silent tears fell.
Stroking her hair, Drake kissed the top of her head. He met Beth's eyes and she gave a silent nod, taking Daniel's hand and they went up the stairs.
Kate sniffed, wiping at her face. "I..I'm sorry. I'm making a mess of your shirt again. Yuck, Drake. Am I cursed or what? Twice now you've had to punch out a guy for treating me like trash."
He gently kissed her on the forehead. "None of their stupidity was your fault, and you're not cursed. I would face a league of thousands, defending and avenging you until my last breath. Wreck my shirt all you want, it matters little compared to how much you mean to me."
It crushed him to see the damage to her face from hitting the ground. There was bruising and puffiness already developing, her lower lip was swollen and the raw scuff on her chin would probably take a week to heal.
She turned away from him, with a sigh, "Oh my goodness, you're going to make me cry all over again. Let's just go upstairs and put this night behind us."
Silently counting each step in her head out of habit, the numbers jogged a recent memory and she stopped halfway up. Drake nearly collided with her, and went back down a step grabbing the railing for support. "Something wrong?"
Turning around, Kate said, "The phone number you gave the police officer wasn't yours, it sounded local to the New York area."
With a crooked grin Drake glanced in the direction of the exit and then back at her. "Because it was. I saw it on one of the takeout menus in the hotel suite. We're leaving the country soon and I sure as fuck don't want them trying to track us down for more stupid questions."
"Oh my god, you really are the anti-hero in your own morally grey world. You gave false information to the police, which is a crime, and you're trying to justify it as your escape plan."
He frowned at her. "Yeah, so?"
Kate shook her head and then resumed going up the stairs. "One of these days you're going to get yourself into big trouble."
Drake kept quiet. He didn't want to admit that he'd already proven her point many times.
..
When they entered the apartment Beth and Daniel were sitting at the kitchen table eating leftover pizza.
Beth wiped her mouth on a napkin and then spoke up, "Hey guys, want to join us for some Midnight munchies?"
Kate glanced at Drake and then at Beth. "Save me a slice, I just need to get a shower first."
Drake followed her down the hall. "Can I join you?"
Outside of her bedroom door, Kate stopped and said, "Usually I'd appreciate the company, but I need to do this on my own. Go have a slice of pizza. I'll be ok."
He shook his head. "Not in the mood for pizza. I'll just tidy up in the bedroom and see you after your shower."
"In that case, take these." Unzipping her jacket she pulled her arms out of the sleeves and then handed it to Drake. Bending over she unzipped her boots and then stepped out of those too. With a sigh of relief she flexed her bare toes against the carpet. "Halfway there. A shower is going to feel so nice after...well everything."
He crouched down to collect her boots. "Is there anything else M'lady desires from her humble servant?"
The amused look in Drake's eyes made her want to laugh, but the soreness of her face meant she couldn't. Touching his cheek, she whispered, "Later, Ducky."
"You insist on calling me that. I wish you wouldn't."
"But ducks are adorable, and it's a term of endearment not an insult. I didn't realize it would ruffle your feathers so much."
Drake's mouth twitched and then he looked away. "Just..go, before you make me fly south for the winter."
Leaning in close she whispered, "I like it when you go south."
Before he could respond she turned and walked down the hall to the bathroom.
..
At the kitchen table Beth glanced up at the time display on the microwave oven. "Ugh, it's almost 1:30. No wonder I feel so wiped."
"Hours of dancing and drinking will do that to you," Daniel mumbled around his mouthful of pizza.
Beth pushed her plate of pizza aside. "Plus I worked a full shift at the bookstore."
Leaning in his seat, Daniel listened for sounds down the hallway. He could hear the shower running. "Do you really think that they're going to come back out here for pizza and coffee?"
Beth quirked an eyebrow. "Considering the way they were all over each other at the club tonight, and how the fight on the street turned out. I think their appetites will be for something else. Seeing Drake bust up Jeff with that punch was kinda hot."
He shook his head. "The murderous look in his eyes when I ran up to them was scary as fuck. I know you and Kate are fascinated by this guy but he's seriously a walking red flag. What if he actually hurts her one of these days?"
Beth folded her arms and leaned on the table. "The way she talks about him, and the way he looks at her? Look, I understand your concerns. We barely know him. But Kate has been around Drake for months and she's clearly seen a softer side. He's come all this way so that's got to mean he's committed to being good to her. Right?"
Daniel looked toward the hallway and then leaned his elbows on the table. "He told me, back at the bar, that he loves her too much to live without her, and that he understands the sacrifice she's making by leaving us behind."
"Well then maybe he's not such a red flag afterall? Especially if he's channeling his aggression into her personal protection."
"Unless that protection also means he's trying to control her." Daniel said.
"Kate's tough and smart, with dreams and ambitions of her own. If he does her wrong, heaven help him, cuz she's not afraid to tell him so. I swear she can negotiate an apology out of a hurricane and make it give her sunshine and rainbows."
..
Drake dropped Kate's leather jacket and boots by the door to her closet, and then went over to the desk and hung his jacket on the back of the chair. He caught his reflection in the mirror behind the dresser and saw the blood and snot crusted on his t-shirt. Plucking the fabric away from his skin he tugged it off over his head. Looking around for somewhere to dispose of it he saw the laundry basket in the corner. Balling it up he tossed it in with Kate's clothes. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out her crumpled panties and then threw them into the basket too. The formal clothes he'd left on the bed needed dry cleaning so he tucked those back into the garment bag to be cared for back home. With a grunt and a heavy sigh he moved his suitcase off the bed and then kicked off his shoes.
Looking around her bedroom he realized just how small it was compared to his room back at the palace. And yet she managed to have almost as much furniture as he did. Everything had a place and her things were tucked away neatly. He was looking at her accumulated life for the past five years or so, and he wondered how much of it she was going to take with her. Certainly not any of the furniture, but there had to be some of her things that held sentimental value.
His gaze landed on the dresser and he thought about the ruby ring in her jewelry box. If he was right, it was worth a significant value all by itself. He couldn't shake the feeling that it had come from Cordonia somehow. The date, she said that there was something engraved inside the band.
With a quick glance toward the door, he went over to the dresser to get the ring. He turned the ring over and leaned in to squint at the elegant script etched into the gold on the inside of the band. There was a heart and a date: 9/7/83
The ambiguity of it being either September 7th, or July 9th wasn't what concerned him most. It was the 83. It only dated back to 36 years ago*. Turning the ring over again to judge the size and sparkle of the gem, the idea of it being more of a romantic gesture than a birthday gift made more sense. There had to be more of a story behind it than belonging to her grandmother and her birthday being in July.
A giggling female voice filtered in through the bedroom wall, "...that tickles."
Drake's ear twitched and an uncomfortable prickling heat crept up the back of his neck as he heard Daniel answer, "Well, yeah. It's supposed to."
The doorknob turned and Drake tucked the ring away into his pocket. Kate, wrapped in a pink bath towel with her damp hair hanging loose around her shoulders, stepped into the room. There was a band-aid on her chin and a white box in her hand.
Drake shoved his hands in his pockets, a self conscious habit that pained his bruised knuckles and aching hands. His fingers touched the ring he'd hidden away, and biting his lip, he hoped the guilt he felt wasn't obvious on his face.
Kate held up the box and gave it a little shake. "I brought Band-Aids in case you need your boo boos covered too."
Pulling his hands out of his pockets he looked at the roughened and torn skin on his knuckles. "I think I'd be better off with ice and some kind of pain reliever. What about you? I bet the shower helped clean off some of the grit from the sidewalk."
As she stepped closer, the delicate scent of her met Drake's senses first. The dewy glow of her soft skin, and the droplets of water that trickled down over her collarbone, made his mouth ache suddenly for a taste. His tongue tingled with thirst.
Tossing the box of bandages on the bed, she touched the side of her face, and prodded the cut on her lip with her tongue. Drake's eyes were drawn to the pink tip of it as she spoke,
"My lip stopped bleeding, which I'm grateful for. But I don't know when I'll feel comfortable enough to smile again."
Studying her face, Drake brushed a wisp of damp hair away from her forehead and then leaned in to place a soft kiss between her eyes, whispering, "My mouth still works just fine. Tell me where you hurt, so I can kiss it better."
The corner of her mouth lifted, and she closed her eyes with a sigh, "I've heard that kisses are a proven remedy to make boo boos feel better."
Moving down to her shoulder, he licked a droplet from her skin and then nudged her earlobe with his nose. "Just call me Doctor Love. I'll have you feeling better in no time."
Kate flinched at his hot breath in her ear. "Ow. Sorry, my neck still hurts from where Jeff was trying to choke me."
Stepping back, Drake looked down at the scrapes on his hands as he painfully made a fist.
I should have hit him harder. That bastard deserved to leave in a body bag.
The burn in his knuckles brought back the memory of his hand colliding with the side of Jeff's face, and the image of his elbow wrapped like a boney noose around Kate's neck. He looked back up to see Kate touching the skin of her throat, wincing as she found the spots that hurt most.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Maybe kisses should wait until after ice and painkillers. I hope I didn't make things worse."
Reaching up to touch his cheek, she shook her head and offered a small smile. "No, no.. not at all. Why don't you go out to the kitchen and make us up an ice pack. The pain pills are in the cupboard above the sink. A little white bottle with a red cap. I'll put on some clothes and meet you out there in a few minutes."
Leaning in to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek, he gave her a hug and then let go. "Bring the box of band-aids with you and we'll doctor each other up."
With a giggle, she shooed him out the door. "Ok then, Doctor Love, your patient will be with you shortly."
..
The darkness of the hallway swallowed him up when she closed the door behind him. Looking to his left, he stood still for a moment to listen. There weren't any more amorous noises coming from the bedroom next door. They're either really quiet lovers, or already asleep. Holding his breath, and listening intently he was rewarded with the creak of a mattress and a soft snorting exhalation. Asleep, and snoring. Good.
Turning to his right he walked down the hall to the kitchen, the floorboards squeaked beneath the carpet as he passed the closet. The linoleum of the kitchen floor was cool under his bare feet, and he stopped, letting his eyes adjust to the weak moonlight coming in from the living room window. Luckily there was enough light that he could discern the shapes of the table and chairs and the counter and cabinets. Shuffling over to the stove, he reached for the switch on the exhaust hood above it, looking for a light. Clicking the switch resulted in the loud drone of the fan instead. The noise made him jump and he cursed as he flicked the switch in the other direction and the light came on. Fuck, that was loud enough to wake the dead.
Kate giggled as she walked into the kitchen behind him, "I should have shown you where the light switch was. Sorry about that."
Turning around and leaning back against the stove he frowned and crossed his arms. "Or a nightlight somewhere, anywhere, would have helped too."
Kate shrugged, cracking open the door on the fridge. And then closed it again. Drake rolled his eyes and then looked away with a smirk. "Yeah, yeah. I should have thought of that."
Opening up the fridge again, Kate picked two bottles of water from the bottom shelf and then handed one to Drake. "Ok then, Dr. Love. Since you're the tall one, can you reach up into the cupboard and grab the Tylenol? Oh and bring down the jar of chocolate bars next to it."
The cabinet door squeaked as he opened it, and the pills in the bottle rattled as he put them down on the counter. He gave her a quizzical look as he reached for the tall mason jar with chocolate bars in it. "So is this your chocolate stash, or Beth's?"
Opening up a drawer, Kate pulled a zip top freezer bag out of a box. "It's mine. I hate the chalky taste of swallowing pain relievers so I chase them down with a couple squares of chocolate."
Drake opened the bottle of Tylenol and tipped out two tablets into his palm. "They're not that big. A sip of water works just fine for me. But I am fond of chocolate. And that's got to be safer than the glass of whiskey I usually pair with pain killers. What kind of chocolate do you have?"
Kate gasped, "You drink alcohol and use pain killers at the same time? Holy crap, Drake. What kind of painful injuries have you been medicating this way that require knocking you out?"
Drake opened up the bottle of water and took a sip before popping the pills into his mouth, swallowed them and then chased them down with another sip of water. He set the bottle down again, crossing his arms and looking down at his feet as he leaned against the counter. "I've seen my share of fights over the years, some planned as part of the royal guard training program, others...well, my temper hasn't always worked in my favour."
Kate got an ice tray out of the freezer and cracked some ice cubes into the freezer bag. "Uh huh, and I suppose you got your ass kicked more than once. There's that troubled chaotic life of yours serving you consequences."
"And those consequences meant that I had to nurse myself back to health. At least for a few hours anyway, if Phips wasn't around to fix me up."
"Who's that?"
"Doctor Philips, the palace physician."
"Oh, right." Kate zipped up the bag of ice. "Well tonight we can look after each other. Just like that night at Applewood."
Drake's hand slid down over his side as he thought about where Tariq punched him months ago. "It took a while for the bruises to go away, but I appreciated you wanting to help me." He picked up the jar of chocolate bars and looked at the options. "So what pairs best with pain killers, milk chocolate or dark chocolate?"
Opening up a cupboard, Kate took out a cereal bowl. "It depends on what ails me. Milk chocolate for headaches and hangovers, and I save the dark chocolate for period cramps."
"Oh," Drake answered, and picked the bar wrapped in blue paper. "And on a scale of one to ten how would you rate your current pain?"
She reached for the bar and tore it open, breaking it up into squares and putting them in the bowl. "About half a chocolate bar's worth. Two or three squares per Tylenol tablet. My cheek still hurts, and the scrapes on my knees sting a little."
Drake pushed himself away from the counter. "Ok then. C'mere and let me take a look at you."
"Take a look at me?"
He cleared some space on the counter top, and then patted it with his hand. "Hop on up. Or we can do this on the table if you like."
"Haven't you had me on the counter already?" She smirked, moving over to squeeze into the space between Drake and the counter. Wrapping her arms around him she looked up. "I bet Dr. Philips doesn't work shirtless. Dr. Love is very distracting, and hot without his shirt. It's enough to make me forget what hurts."
Drake braced his hands on the counter on either side of her. "Flirting with the doctor is gonna get you into trouble."
"Oh, really? What kind of trouble?"
Leaning in he whispered into her ear, "The sweetest kind."
Caressing down her sides he kissed her cheek and a delicious warmth tingled down her spine. "Mmm, Drake. Never mind the Tylenol, you're the best medicine."
Gripping her waist he picked her up to sit on the counter. In just a tank top and shorts, her hair in a loose braid, and a bandaid on her chin, there was an air of innocence about her. But there was nothing naive about the way she looked at him, or the way she filled out her clothes.
Kate caught him staring at her, and she reached into the bowl for a piece of chocolate. "Here goes square number one, could you dispense a pill for me?"
Watching her put the chocolate in her mouth, and then lick her fingers, Drake nearly dropped the cap as he opened the Tylenol. "Oh, sure.. here."
After handing her a pill, he saw the red scrapes on her knuckles and palm. "Are the cuts on your hands bothering you?"
She shook her head and then popped the pill into her mouth and then swallowed. "My knuckles sting a little, but nothing serious."
Reaching into the bowl of chocolate again, Kate picked up two squares. After putting one in her mouth, she held up the other for Drake. Catching her hand in his, he took the chocolate from her fingers. Savouring the sweetness as it melted in his mouth, he licked his lips and then kissed her knuckles. After placing the lightest touch on each one, he turned her hand over and kissed her palm. Lifting his eyes to hers he kissed the inside of her wrist, and then stepped into her arms as she wrapped them up behind his neck.
Kissing the unbruised side of her face, he whispered, "I know your lip is swollen. I don't want to hurt you.."
Turning her face so that their foreheads touched, she closed her eyes and said, "Then let me kiss you instead."
Softening his mouth, his lips tingled in anticipation. Resisting the urge to return more pressure than necessary, he accepted the soft pillow of her upper lip against his.
As her lips parted and her tongue tasted his, the sweetness of her mouth and the gentleness of her kiss was overwhelming. Struggling to keep his hunger in check, with a soft groan he pulled her in tighter. Since he couldn't kiss her the way he wanted, his hands stroked and massaged up and down her back instead.
Her pulse quickened as Kate pulled back, a sigh of pleasure escaping her lips, "Dr. Love hasn't lost that magic touch. Don't your hands hurt too?"
Moving his hands down to grab her by the hips, he pulled her hard against him. "Pain? What pain? I was too distracted by the taste and pleasure of your mouth to notice."
"Good boy, now come and get your medicine." Reaching for the last piece of chocolate she popped it into her mouth.
"Don't tempt me. I don't want to make your lip bleed."
Digging her fingers into his hair she leaned in again. "Shut up and kiss me."
The smell of chocolate on her breath made his mouth water and he ran his lower lip through his teeth before he replied, "No, not here. Not like this."
Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her cheek against his shoulder with a sigh, "Then take me to bed, Drake."
Kissing her shoulder, and sliding his hands down the back of her thighs he whispered, "Hold on tight."
Kate wrapped her legs around his waist, and his arms tightened around her as he lifted her away from the counter. Carrying her down the darkened hallway, Drake was grateful that she had left her bedroom door open.
"It's a good thing you're not heavy," he mumbled as he backed into the room.
He leaned over and sat her down on the end of the bed. Kissing her cheek, he let her go and then went over to close the door.
Scooting back a little, Kate bent her legs and placed her feet up on the bed. "If Dr. Love is still interested in taking care of boo boos my knees could use some attention."
He chuckled, "I see that. And would you prefer kisses or band-aids?"
Watching him unzip his jeans and walk over to the end of the bed, Kate's gaze slowly traveled down the length of him. Starting at the smirk on his lips and down his bare chest over his defined abs and then stopping at the strip of dark hair that disappeared into his underwear. Did he groom it this way, or was his body hair always this deliciously natural? She wanted to pet every inch of him and hear him growl like the handsome beast that he was. He leaned one bent knee on the bed and stroked his hand up her thigh, waiting for her answer. When he lifted an eyebrow, her eyes went back up to his face.
"Oh, kisses first, always," she said, feeling her face flush with heat.
Tucking his hand behind her bent knee he set her foot on his thigh and leaned over. Keeping his eyes on her face, he gave her skin a lick and then blew on it before kissing the roughened pink patch on her knee. The unexpected warmth of his tongue and then the coolness of his breath sent delicious mixed signals down into her lower belly and up her spine. Goosebumps prickled her skin and she shivered. Her leg twitched involuntarily in his grasp, and her toes touched something hard in his pocket. "What's that?"
Kissing her knee again he mumbled, "Hmm?"
"There's something in your pocket."
He straightened up, and there was the faintest pink in his cheeks, as he lowered his lashes and stuck his fingers into his pocket. "Oh...that. Come here and I'll show you."
Kneeling down on the carpet, Drake was grateful for the slight cushion because his knees were bruised too. There was a curious look on Kate's face as she shifted forward on the bed to sit down on the end, and he hoped that he didn't trip too badly over the sentimental words that he wanted to say.
Looking at her hands, he saw that the knuckles on her left were scraped much like his own. But the fingers on her right hand were smooth. He offered his left hand to her and she smiled as she slid her fingers into his. "Drake, what is it?"
He couldn't quite look her in the eyes, so he focused on their hands as his thumb stroked her knuckles. "As one thief to another, I have a confession to make."
Her fingers twitched in his hand at the word thief but he didn't let go. "Let me explain."
"All those months ago when you followed me out in the snow, I realized then that there was something different about you. You weren't like all the other shallow noble ladies at court. You actually cared when Olivia hurt my feelings. And when you held my hand, you stole a little piece of my heart at the same time, and it scared me. I'd felt so alone and guilty since my sister disappeared. Like I'd failed her somehow and caused her to leave. I was afraid of scaring you away too. As time went on, and we spent more time together, I found myself thinking about you more and more while we were apart. And in that space you'd taken in my heart, feelings began to grow. And I wondered if you thought about me in the same way."
The vulnerable way he looked up at her then, caught Kate off guard. She couldn't speak, eyes welling up with tears, so she gave him a nod instead.
"By the end of the social season I realized how much more of myself I wanted to share and give you too. My arms ached to hold you, and call you mine. But it wasn't just a physical attraction. I saw the love I felt for you reflected back at me in every smile and every touch. That night at Applewood I came to your defense knowing I'd break down the door if I had to. Because my whole heart and soul had been stolen. And I was willing to give up my own life to prove it."
Kate whispered, "Oh, Drake ..."
He interrupted her by kissing her hand, and then spoke softly "Hold on, let me finish."
"The night of the Coronation when you got dragged away, and I watched your plane leave, it broke my heart. I thought I'd failed you too. My one chance at being in love and loved in return was gone."
Kate couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "Oh my goodness, Drake. It broke me too. I didn't think I'd ever see you again. Nicholas had his Crown and Kingdom, chose Madeleine to be his queen, and all the months I'd spent trying to impress the royal court had been for nothing."
Shaking his head and fighting back tears of his own, he said, "Your time in Cordonia made a huge impression on me. And there are still those at court who love you. These past few days with you have been the happiest days of my life. And tonight, showed me how easily you could have been taken away from me, again. I've been wanting to say this ever since we reunited in the hotel lobby and my broken heart became whole again, but the timing didn't seem right. Since we're flying out of the country tomorrow, and we don't know what the future holds,
there's no better time to express how grateful I am for you loving me. And I want to spend the rest of my life trying to prove that you've made the right choice."
Shifting his position on the carpet, he dropped down to one knee, and pulled the ring out of his pocket. "I know this ring is already yours, but it represents a promise that I intend to keep. To replace it with one of my own."
Picking up her right hand he brought it up to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
She smiled, reaching up to touch his cheek, heart hammering in her chest. The earnest expression on his face, the tears brimming in his gorgeous eyes, made her believe him.
He slid the ruby ring on the ring finger of her right hand, and chuckled, "I know this is the wrong hand. But I didn't want to hurt the knuckles on your left so..."
Looking down at the ring, her hand trembled in his, and she held her breath as she waited.
Taking a deep breath of his own to settle his nerves, his words came out in a rush, "I love you so much Kate. Will you marry me?"
Pure joy bubbled up out of her chest, choking off her reply. Leaning in and placing her hands on his cheeks she nodded whispering, "Yes."
Drake smiled pulling her into his arms. "I'm not sure I heard you. Was that a Yes?"
Ignoring the pain in her lip, she kissed him. "Yes, Drake. I'll marry you."
Squeezing her tighter, he sighed with relief. "Oh thank goodness, because I'd really like to get up off my knees."
Letting her go, Drake leaned on the bed and then with a soft groan of relief he stood up.
Kate crawled up into the middle of the bed and then sat down. "Oh, right. I forgot that Jeff knocked you on the ground too. Take off your pants and lemme see."
Pushing down his jeans and pulling his feet out of them revealed bruises on his kneecaps. He rubbed his hands on them to assess any further damage, but there weren't any cuts or swelling. "Ow, but I've had worse. I think I'll live."
Kate pulled back the covers and patted the bed beside her. "Good, now come over here and let's get some sleep."
He walked over and turned off the light and then climbed into the bed next to her. "This isn't really my preferred side of the bed, but sleep does sound wonderful."
Turning over onto her side she faced him in the dark. "Well this is my bed, and both sides are mine. I think you can manage for one night. I've never shared this bed with anyone before."
Rolling over onto his side, he tucked his arm under her pillow. "Oh, really?"
She shook her head, and trailed a finger down the center of his chest. "None of the dates I brought home made it past the livingroom."
He placed his hand on her hip, drawing little circles on her skin with his thumb. "Then I feel honoured to be the first."
Laying her hand flat against his chest she leaned in for a goodnight kiss. "And the last. Now let's get some sleep."
Beth wove her way through the crowd of bouncing and flailing people. When she found Drake and Kate they were swaying together in a slow dance in defiance of the upbeat music. She gently tapped Kate on the shoulder, raising her voice to be heard. "I'm all danced out. Gonna sit with Dan and take a breather. Are you two staying out here for another song?"
Kate glanced between Beth and Drake and then shrugged. "I finally got him out here to dance with me again. What do you think, hon? Can we stay out here a little longer."
Drake sighed looking around at the other people. "I'm done with dancing in this noise, too." He leaned in to speak into Kate's ear. "We can pick this up later, all alone in your room. Choose our own music. Clothing optional."
She patted his chest gently and whispered back, "I like that idea."
The music and dance lighting came to an end, and Drake led Kate off the dancefloor holding her hand as they went back to their table where Beth was sitting with Daniel.
Drake sat down first, trying to pull Kate down to sit on his lap. She let go of his hand and stepped back. "Nah, ah. Sorry. I need to take a trip to the bathroom."
"Oh ok." He turned in his seat and leaned his elbows on the table. Daniel handed Kate's purse across the table to her.
"Here, you can have this back. I promise I didn't snoop in it."
Beth followed Kate and left the guys to themselves.
She smiled and picked it up. With a tilt of her head in the direction of the bathroom she made eye contact with Beth and her friend nodded back. "You two stay here and behave, and we'll be right back."
Drake tilted and rocked the empty water glass in his cupped hands, his eyes roaming around the room to find some inspiration. He noticed that one of the pool tables was free, and was about to suggest a game when Daniel spoke up. "So is what you told the security guards about your Dad true?"
He shrugged. "I dunno, I've just never met anyone from a Kingdom before. Did...did something bad happen to him? Sorry...You kind of referred to him in the past tense earlier."
Drake nodded. "Yes. Why? Did you not believe me?"
There was a cold detachment to Drake's voice as if his statement was rehearsed. Daniel wondered if he got asked about his Dad a lot.
"He was shot during a press conference when he pushed the King and Queen out of the way. There was a gunman among the protestors in the crowd. My Mom and I were in the audience. Thankfully my sister had decided to spend the afternoon with a friend somewhere else that day."
He said nothing, staring back at him in the awkward silence that followed.
"Jesus... Shit, Drake. I'm sorry I asked. I guess he went out as a hero, though. Right?"
Drake blinked, turning in his seat and held his hand out to Kate. She smiled and took it and then he pulled her down onto his lap. He slipped his arm around her waist and she folded her arms around his neck and then leaned in to give him a kiss. "Did you miss me?"
Over Drake's shoulder, Daniel saw Kate and Beth coming back to the table and he sighed with relief. "Oh look, the girls are back."
"Yes," he mumbled against her lips and then kissed her back.
Beth stood behind Daniel resting her hands on his shoulders. She fiddled with the collar of his jacket, and caressed the side of his neck with her thumb. "You two really are something else. It's like I'm watching two people on their honeymoon. Or are you just mellowed out from all the alcohol?"
Kate ran her fingers through Drake's hair, messing it up and then smoothing it down again. "A little of both I guess. We can't get enough of each other."
Kate tipped his chin up for another kiss. "Aww, you're so sweet. Gimme some of that sugar."
Drake leaned to the side so that he could speak to Beth. "Tomorrow is going to be a weird day wasted between packing up and a long trans Atlantic flight. By the time we land we're going to be several time zones ahead from here. I want to enjoy as much Kate time tonight as I can."
Drake's arms tightened around her as he kissed her back. Beth interrupted, "Ahem..Seriously, you guys. Get a room already."
Keeping his voice low so that only Kate could hear Drake whispered, "God, Kate, sometimes I can barely control myself around you...if only we weren't in public. I can't wait to take you home with me."
A pleasant warmth tingled Kate all over because she knew home meant living with Drake full time. It meant falling asleep in his arms every night, and waking up each morning to his love.
Studying his face, she smoothed her fingers across his forehead and brushed the hair back at his temple. With a light touch she followed the shell of his ear and then the chiseled line of his jaw and finally traced the edge of his lower lip with her thumb as he smiled.
"As much as I love the personal attention from you, I don't want to hog all of it. I think Beth deserves some too."
Kate smirked back at him, "I hate it when you're right."
He patted her knee and then she got up off his lap. "Must be the whiskey talking."
Kate circled him and then settled down into her own chair, frowning at how cold it felt against her bare legs. Beth signalled to a passing waitress and then sat down too. When the girl arrived. "Can my friend and I have a couple of Cokes?"
She nodded and then looked over at Daniel, "Can I get you guys something too?"
Drake shook his head, "Nah, I'll pass. It's getting late and I want to be conscious for the walk home."
He looked at the empty glass in front of Drake, "Do you want another one?"
When the server left he looked at Daniel and said, "There's a pool table free, do you play?"
Drake smirked, getting up from his seat. "I'm not falling for that. Game on, batter up and all that shit."
Daniel turned in his seat and looked over at the pool tables and then back at Drake, "I've been itching to get up off my ass and do something besides drink, so yeah. You're not too drunk to lose to me, right?"
Kate watched Drake and Daniel chatting together over by the pool table, their conversation swallowed up by the ambient crowd noise. Beth reached across the table to touch Kate's hand to get her attention.
"I hope so, too. Sure he has his issues, but who doesn't, right? His temper gets him into trouble, but when he stormed into my bedroom and confronted Tariq that night, taking bruises in the process....Damn it was scary, but I'm glad it was Drake that came to my rescue. How can I not love him for that?"
"You've fallen hard for Drake. I hope he's worth it."
Beth shook her head in disbelief, "I don't know who this Tariq guy is, but fuck, Kate. Why do you keep attracting the attention of the worst men? Mark was a sleazy cheat, Nicholas ghosted you and then kicked you out of his country. Drake? I still don't know if I trust him. He certainly has an aggressive side."
Kate thought of Armando from a few hours ago, and then scoffed with a snicker. "Oh my goodness, Beth. You know that pretty black dress that I bought at the thrift store? I wore it to dinner and met the designer at the hotel."
Kate paused while the server placed two glasses of Coke with ice on the table for them. Beth pulled some money out of her purse to pay for the drinks, and then waited for the girl to leave.
Beth's mouth dropped open, "No, way! What was he like?"
Sucking in a deep breath and then letting it out, Kate took a sip of her Coke. "The guy was handsome and charming for like a millisecond, and then he accused me of stealing the dress from the model he designed it for. When I told him I bought it at a thrift store he practically spat at me in disgust."
"Geez, what a dick," Beth responded picking up her Coke glass.
"Lemme guess, Drake didn't like that idea." Beth raised her eyebrows and then took a sip of her drink.
Kate nodded, and then set her glass down. "He got all defensive of his work and wanted to check the label in the back of my dress to prove it wasn't some knock off made by someone else."
"Well, no. Neither did I. Armando was creepy as fuck. Drake threatened to break his face if he touched me. Oh and I think there was mention of tearing his arm off and hitting him with it."
Shaking her head, Kate said, "No, the threat seemed to be enough for Armando to get the hint. But then he had the nerve to give me his business card, in case I was interested in a dress for a special occasion. Drake stuck his foot out and tripped the guy when he was trying to leave, and he ended up crashing into a waiter."
Beth covered her mouth to hide her laugh. "Holy shit, Kate. Did he really hit him?"
Beth looked over at Drake and Daniel, and then back again. "Let's hope if Daniel wins, that Drake doesn't take it too personally then."
Kate watched Drake lean over the pool table to take a shot. "I'm sure they'll be fine. It's just a game."
The cue ball banked off the side of the table and smacked into the cluster of multicolored balls to scatter them. Drake was playing the solid colored balls, with Daniel playing the stripes. There were more solids on the table than stripes.
Straightening back up again, Drake sighed in frustration. The game hadn't been going well for him so far. He was out of practice and had underestimated Daniel's level of skill.
Drake leaned on his pool cue waiting for Daniel to complete his turn. "So who taught you how to play pool?"
Daniel looked up from the table. "I watched a lot of it on TV, and Kate would play with me at the bar. She's pretty good, too."
Drake glanced over at his girlfriend, and caught Kate watching him. She winked back and as a prickling heat rose up his neck and settled in his cheeks he smirked and then shifted his eyes back to the pool table.
"So it's Kate's fault that you're kicking my ass. Great," Drake grumbled with a sardonic chuckle.
Drake held his breath as he anticipated his turn. Daniel sent the thirteen ball rolling toward a side pocket, but it missed and bounced off.
Daniel knocked the ten ball into a corner pocket, and then looked for his next shot.
"Five ball, corner pocket," he said.
Drake let out his breath with a sigh of relief and then circled the table to line up his shot.
Leaning over the table he hit the cue ball with a firm strike and knocked the ball into the back of the pocket. There weren't any more clean shots available so he sent the cue ball down the table and targeted a cluster of striped and solids, being sure to hit one of his own first.
The seven ball broke out of the cluster and rolled into a side pocket. Heart pounding with optimism, Drake saw more potential shots open up. The two ball was blocked by the eight, so he stayed away from it. The three ball sat alone near the center of the table with the pocket to the left partially blocked by the thirteen. But he wasn't in the mood to give Daniel any freebies. The pocket to the right was open but it would be a tricky shot because of where the cue ball sat.
Breathing in deeply and then letting it out Drake went for it anyway. The cue ball hit the three, but not quite in the right spot, making it spin toward the pocket instead of rolling straight and then it stopped short.
"Shit," Drake cursed and slapped the edge of the table.
Daniel smirked and then moved around to line up his shot.
"That's too bad, man. You had me worried for a sec."
The cue ball had stopped in an ideal position for Daniel to sink the thirteen and he took it. He sank the nine as well.
Folding his arms Drake frowned. "Oh, really?"
"Well, maybe a teeny tiny bit."
Kate walked up to Drake and wrapped her arm around his back, tucking her fingers into the ass pocket of his jeans. He looked over at her and grinned, "If you're trying to distract me, so that Daniel can win it's working."
"Just trying to get you to relax a little," she giggled.
Drake turned toward Kate, tilting her chin up and kissed her. Lowering his voice so only she could hear, "I'm just about done with the Twisted Rose, how about we head back to the apartment soon, just the two of us?"
Kate glanced toward Daniel, and then at the pool table. He only had two balls left to clear, and then the game would be over. "Daniel's winning all on his own. You'll have to try harder next time."
Drake whispered into her hair as he pressed her up against the table, "Speaking of harder. I'd rather play with you right now, right on this table."
"Daniel and I played pool after work sometimes. So he's had a lot of practice," Kate replied, ignoring his flirting.
"That's not the kind of play I was talking about," Drake laughed.
Kate patted him on the cheek, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Down boy, I know exactly what you meant. I thought too much alcohol was supposed to deaden a man's sex drive. Ever since we got here you've been horny as hell."
"Honestly? Just being around you is intoxicating enough. I don't need to be stupid drunk to want to do wild things with you. I used to drink whiskey in my room by myself, trying to forget you. Because seeing you with Nick hurt so much that I couldn't sleep without it."
There was an odd mix of sadness and longing on his face, and she didn't know what to say. Bringing her hands up to caress the sides of his face she dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him in for a kiss. He gasped and closed his eyes, at the tenderness of her lips. Tears pricked behind his eyelids, and it surprised him to feel a warm tightness in his chest. Fighting back a sob he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers to catch his breath.
"It's ok, Drake. I've got you," she whispered with a smile. "You never have to feel alone again."
Daniel came over to shake Drake's hand. "Thanks for the game, man. I didn't know losing would make you this emotional. But hey, a kiss from Kate has got to be the best consolation prize. What do I get for winning?"
Kate punched him playfully on the shoulder. "There, congratulations."
"Ow! Thanks. A handshake would've been enough, but ok."
Daniel rubbed his shoulder, and Beth came over to give him a hug.
Daniel gave her a quick kiss and then they all walked back over to sit down at their table.
The voice of the DJ cut through the ambient noise to announce the beginning of the lipsync competition.
"Ok everybody let's have some fun. Man vs Woman, boy on girl, he said - she said. Friend vs Friend. No singing ability required, we want you to fake it. It's lipsync battle time! Meet me here in the booth to see what songs we have to offer, or bring me your own. Don't be shy."
"Umm, I don't know..." Daniel looked back at her with his eyes wide in terror.
Beth looked at Daniel, remembering his threat to drag someone on stage with him. "Come on, why don't we try out this lipsync thing."
"Oh come on, if Drake could get up on stage and sing his heart out, we can lipsync a couple songs."
Beth grinned, her voice bubbling with excitement, "Oh wow, this is going to be so much fun."
Daniel squirmed uncomfortably. "Only if you go first."
Grabbing Daniel by the hand she dragged him over to the DJ booth.
Kate leaned against the table with her arms folded. "Hopefully Daniel can do this. This is not his sort of thing."
"All he has to do is pretend the song is only for Beth, and ignore the audience. That's what I did."
Kate laughed, "Yeah right, that's why you dedicated the song to all the single ladies. You wanted to embarrass the shit out of me, and it worked. But just wait til I drag you up on stage to lipsync a song with me."
Drake said nothing, knowing that he'd promised her two songs. But at least he wouldn't have to sing this one. As fun as the evening had been, he was anxious to leave. The double date was over as far as he was concerned.
Daniel and Beth emerged from the DJ booth, holding hands. In the middle of the stage was a single barstool, and Daniel sat down. Beth walked over to the microphone, picking it up. She signaled the DJ to start the song.
Kate smiled as she recognized the song as Ariana Grande's Dangerous woman .
Drake saw her smile, "You know this song?"
Kate nodded and reached for his hand underneath the table.
She mouthed some of the words and Drake couldn't look away. The way she was looking at him made the blood in his body rush south, and he gripped her hand as warm tingles ran down his thighs.
🎶...All that you've got skin to skin.. oh my god, don't you stop boy..🎶
🎶...Somethin' 'bout you makes me feel like a dangerous woman..🎶
"Dangerous eh? Dangerous enough to do what exactly?" He asked.
🎶.. makes me want to do things that I shouldn't... somethin' bout.. somethin' 'bout ... somethin' bout ..🎶
Drake swallowed, trying to clear the lump in his throat. He was glad the room was dark and that everyone else was focused on the stage. Still holding Kate's hand he spread his thighs so that his knee bumped hers under the table. When she looked down at his lap, she bit her lip. The tightness of his jeans was hiding nothing.
Shifting her eyes to the stage, she saw that Daniel had his hands folded in his lap, his right knee shaking a little. Poor guy, he looks as embarrassed as fuck
"I wonder how Daniel is going to recover from this and still be able to perform?" Kate asked.
"I know how he feels," Drake mumbled.
Beth squeezed Daniel's shoulder as the song finished and he almost launched himself off the stool when he flinched at her touch.
The DJ cut in, "Ok everyone hold your applause until after Daniel performs his song and then we'll vote."
Drake leaned over and whispered to Kate. "While Daniel is in the middle of his song, why don't we sneak out."
Kate's mouth dropped open in surprise. "And just leave them here alone? No way."
On the stage, Beth handed Daniel the microphone and then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. He reached out with his other hand to take hers and he turned toward her with a shy smile.
The music started, and it was a song that Kate didn't recognize.
🎶...To be young and in love in New York city, To not know who I am but still know that I'm good as long as you're here with me, to be drunk and in love in New York City,
Midnight into morning coffee, burning through the hours talking..🎶
Under the table Drake touched Kate's knee, sliding his hand up the inside of her thigh. "It's our last night in New York, I want us to have some of it to ourselves."
His warm hand on the cool skin of her bare leg sent an intimate heat rushing up through Kate's body and it settled in her cheeks with a blush. She trapped his hand between her thighs.
"No, not there."
🎶...Damn, I like me better when I'm with you
I like me better when I'm with you
I knew from the first time, I'd stay for a long time 'cause
I like me better when
I like me better when I'm with you..🎶
Drake retracted his hand, placing it on top of her thigh instead. This did nothing to reduce the intimacy of his touch as far as Kate was concerned. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, whispering, "Where else would you like my hand to be?"
Kate bit her lip, shivering at his warm breath against her ear. She lifted his hand off her lap and placed it on his own thigh. "Keep your hands to yourself, for now."
Drake sighed, "No."
Taking her hand in his, he rested their joined hands on the table. His patience was wearing thin.
Up on the stage Daniel trailed his fingers up Beth's arm as the music played:
🎶..Stay awhile, stay awhile
Stay here with me
Stay awhile, stay awhile, oh
Stay awhile, stay awhile
Stay here with me
Lay here with me..
Daniel stood up and danced with Beth in his arms as he finished the song.
🎶..I like me better when I'm with you
I knew from the first time, I'd stay for a long time 'cause
I like me better when
I like me better when I'm with you..
Daniel gave Beth a kiss, and the DJ joined them on stage to announce the winner.
"Thanks Daniel for that lovely romantic performance, now let's vote with your applause. Let's hear it for Beth and her Dangerous Woman."
Drake and Kate both applaud and about half the other bar patrons do too. Kate looked around to see who else is cheering for Beth. She noticed for the first time that her friend Maggy isn't in the building anymore.
"Ok now let's give it up for Daniel and I like me better."
Applauding again for Daniel, Kate can tell that the noise level is a little louder for him. The DJ raised Daniel's arm in victory and then said,
"Alright it seems the first round goes to the guys. Now which one of you ladies is gonna step up to the challenge and even the score?"
Beth and Daniel wander over to the bar to get a couple of beers, and then rejoin Drake and Kate at their table.
A group of men and women over by the pool tables were having a heated discussion over who should go up next on stage.
Drake glanced around the room, the crowd had greatly diminished since they entered the club two hours ago. Now that Monday Karaoke was over, the night was winding down.
Drake looked at the time on his phone, it was 11:34pm. His head felt heavy, and the events of the day had caught up to him. He pretended to stifle a yawn.
"Ok I'm ready to go home, I dunno about you guys."
Beth cuddled up next to Daniel, giggling at something he's whispering in her ear. "We're gonna stay here for a little bit longer, you two can head back if you'd like."
Drake got up from his seat and stretched. "I'm heading down to the bathroom, and I'll settle the drink tab at the bar on my way back." He placed his hands on Kate's shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him and he said, "Will you be ready to go when I get back?"
She reached up to touch the back of his hand. "Sure."
Once Drake had left, Kate twisted in her seat to take her jacket off the back of the chair, and then slipped it on her arms.
Kate sat patiently with her purse held in her lap, waiting for Drake to return. With her back to the bar area she couldn't see him approach, but since Beth was sitting across the table she can. "He's coming back. It's not too late to change your mind and stay out with us a little longer."
A group of four men and women approached the DJ to participate in the lipsync battle.
Drake walked up to the table, picked his jacket up off the chair and slipped it on. Placing his hands on her shoulders, Drake bowed down to talk to Kate quietly. "Are we ready?"
Kate turned her head and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Kate stood up and Drake pulled out her chair, she reached over to touch Beth on the arm.
"I'm so glad we went out tonight."
"Yeah, it was fun," Beth agreed.
Daniel nodded, raising his beer to Drake. "I agree it was a fine evening. Beth and I are going to watch the lipsync battles for a little bit. See you two later."
Kate waved goodbye to Beth and Daniel as Drake escorted her out.
Drake moved his phone and wallet to the inside pocket of his leather jacket. Although the weight of having both in one pocket felt unbalanced, at least now he could comfortably put his hands in his outside pockets for the walk back to the apartment. Kate walked closely by his side with her hand tucked into the crook of his elbow, making their progress slow, but he didn't mind. The night air was cool and clouds blotted out the stars, but the ground was dry. It had been a long and busy day for them both, capped nicely with a dopamine filled evening of drinking, dancing and music. As the hour crept closer to midnight, a comfortable fatigue settled in around Drake's shoulders, and he was looking forward to spending the rest of the night snuggled up in bed with Kate in his arms.
Hidden in the shadows of an alley, a man dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and carrying a knife awaited his next targets. Monday nights were lucrative for him. The drunk men leaving the Twisted Rose were unarmed and docile, and the women scantily clothed. Typically he'd spend time at the club, quietly observing and determining which people were going to be the easiest for him to take. On this night his choice was easy. His date had practically handed them over on a silver platter. When the red head had rushed over to hug Maggy and introduce her two friends he had quietly sized them up. He recognized the girl from the neighborhood and thought she'd be simple enough to knock around and have fun with. He just had to take out her designer shoe wearing, European scum boyfriend first. He hated guys like that. They didn't belong here. The way Drake had openly kissed and had his hands all over his girl in public made Jeff's stomach turn. Who did he think he was?
When he had taken the stage and stirred up all the pussy in the room, that was the last straw. Jeff couldn't wait to leave after that. Stopping in at his apartment Jeff had changed his clothes and chosen his favorite sharp implement for his late night stick and grab operation. He had followed Beth and her date home one night two weeks ago. Keeping his distance of course, just scoping them out. He had planned on tonight being their night. When Beth had shown up tonight with friends it had pissed him off at first. But now he felt excited about the opportunity to take out the new guy. He looked down at his knife. It wasn't that long as far as stabbing implements go, because he wasn't a killer, but it was sharp. It worked just fine jabbed up to someone's back, or up against a throat to scare someone enough to hand over their wallet. The handle was slim so he could tuck it into his boot or into the back of his belt and hide under his jacket. Wiping it on his pant leg he appreciated the dull gleam of the blade in the moonlight. Tucking it carefully back into his belt, he listened quietly for the sound of approaching footsteps.
From his hiding spot he watched the couple walk by, deep in conversation and oblivious. Jeff waited, counting out 30 seconds in his head, sneaking a peek around the corner of the building. They were far enough ahead so he crept out silently to the sidewalk.
...
Beth looked at all the empty glasses on the table, between the four of them they'd had a lot to drink. With her and Daniel now the only people sitting at a table for four, it made her sad. Daniel sipped at his bottle of beer and tried to pay attention to the people on the stage. Their song choices were odd and they were doing a weird job of acting them out. There were fewer people in the club than an hour ago, and reaction from the crowd to each lipsync was lackluster at best. Beth was leaning away from him and peeling the label off her bottle.
Daniel sighed, the melancholy was coming off Beth in waves and he needed to address the sad elephant in the room. "You're missing her already and she hasn't even left the country yet."
Beth leaned her chin on her hand and sighed, "Is it that obvious?"
He reached over to tuck a lock of her coppery red hair behind her ear. "You were this way when she disappeared the first time. She wasn't answering your phone calls, or your texts."
"I thought she was still mad at me. All of her stuff was still in the apartment except for her suitcase. She didn't even leave a note." Beth shrugged.
"Why would she be mad at you?"
"The landlord had given us notice that he was raising the rent, and she was worried about being able to cover her half. I had made the suggestion of bringing in another roommate, and she thought I meant I wanted her to move out."
"Oh, that had to be awkward. Before she flew the coop, I heard her asking our boss about doing extra shifts. Damn he was mad when she didn't show up for those." He said.
Beth reached out for his hand. "I thought something bad had happened to her. She was gone for months."
"And now she's leaving again. She's such a shitty friend," he joked, and then regretted it when Beth glared at him.
"She is not! Kate's the best. I feel like I'm losing my sister all over again."
Daniel squeezed her hand. "Well when Kate moves away this time she better keep in touch. I hate seeing you sad like this."
Beth sighed, looking down at their joined hands. "Fuck it, let's go home. If I have to endure seeing Drake and Kate making heart eyes at each other for a little while longer, so be it. I'm glad she's finally found a guy who honestly cares about her."
...
Kate grinned up at Drake, sliding her arm around his back to hug his waist, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She jokingly asked him, "So according to your song, you Need me Tonight?"
"Tonight and every night. 'Cuz I ain't sleepin," he laughed.
Kate laughed, "Every night? I'm not sure I have the stamina for that."
Drake grinned, stopping to pull Kate close and give her a kiss. They continued walking and turned the corner onto 57th Street. The night air was getting cooler, and a slight breeze was blowing toward them.
Kate shivered. "Almost home, thank goodness. I want to get into my comfy clothes again."
"I hear ya. I'm picturing me and you under a cozy blanket in a warm bed."
"Ugh," Kate groaned. "We left the bedroom in a mess."
Drake squeezed her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll help you clean up."
Jeff followed several paces behind, still silent, the sound of his footsteps carried away on the wind. 57th street as a residential area wasn't brightly lit, and having few streetlights there were pockets of darkness.
Back on the streets of the Cordonian Capitol, Drake had felt relatively safe. There were strict gun laws, and violent personal crime was rare. Still he usually kept his wits about him and felt confident about his ability to defend himself when he was alone. Tonight was different. This wasn't Cordonia and he wasn't alone. The combination of whiskey and Kate's company had induced an ambivalent sort of fog. He wasn't aware of Jeff's rapidly approaching footsteps until it was too late. He froze, instead of turning to react to the sound like he usually would.
Crouching low Jeff plowed his right shoulder into the middle of Drake's back, punching his way through where their bodies had been connected. The force of the impact sent them pitching forward onto the ground with Drake's left elbow hooking Kate hard on the back of the neck and causing her to faceplant onto the sidewalk. Jeff scrambled over top of Drake and veered off to the left, stomping on his hand in the process.
Drake cursed in pain sitting back on his heels and held his hand to his body. Lifting her head and trying to push herself up, Kate gasped at the painful scrapes on her palms and knuckles, grit from the sidewalk clung to the scrapes on her knees. Her leather jacket had protected her arms but she could taste blood and concrete in her mouth. Through the hair dangling in her face she saw their attacker recover his footing and step toward her. After he kicked her purse to the side, she felt searing pain as he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her upward. Scrambling up onto her feet, Kate screamed in pain and then found herself held tightly back against a man's chest with his arm hooked hard up around her throat. Through her frightened tears she saw Drake's angry look of disbelief as he looked up at their attacker.
Getting up off the ground, Drake brushed off his knees. Shaking out his left hand which hurt like hell, he painfully flexed his fingers. "Jeff?"
With a shaky voice Jeff said, "Just hand me your wallet man, and nobody else needs to get hurt."
Watching Kate struggle as she grabbed at Jeff's elbow with both hands, Drake glared at him. "I think it's a little too late for that. Now, let her go."
Jeff had a fistful of Kate's hair twisted up in his grip, and blood was trickling down her chin from her nose, there was also a cut on her lower lip where she had bitten through it. Her eyes pleaded with Drake to do something.
"Your wallet, or I make her sing for her life," Jeff taunted with a curl of his lip, turning his head so he could sniff her hair. "Damn she smells good."
There was a wild look in Jeff's eyes that made Drake nervous. Whether it was influenced by drugs or alcohol, he couldn't tell. But he was hoping that whatever he was on would make his reflexes dull. He needed to find a way to distract him and get Kate to safety. The asshole had crossed the line into stupid town when he had chosen to use Kate as a human shield. He was in for a world of hurt once Drake got his hands on him.
..
Daniel and Beth approached the corner of 57th street. Taking out her phone Beth said, "I wonder if they're naked yet."
Daniel looked at her with a raise of his eyebrows. "They weren't that far ahead of us. Probably not."
"I'm going to call Kate and ask her to put on a pot of coffee. We can eat leftover pizza and help her pack. Have some fun with it."
He stopped walking. "It's going to be really awkward if we walk in and they're already busy."
She gave him a playful shove to get him walking again. "Drake's got the rest of his life to have all the Kate time he wants. For the next few hours she's still my Kate and I want to spend it doing other things."
...
Drake unzipped his jacket and took a step forward.
"Wha..what are you doing?" Jeff backed up, dragging Kate with him. She stumbled, gasping for air as his hold on her neck shifted.
"Just getting my wallet. It's in my inside pocket," Drake said, staring him down as he reached in and took another step.
Jeff reached around behind his back with his free hand. "Just stop right there, and hand it to me slowly."
Drake frowned, taking a step back. "Jeff?"
On the grass nearby, Kate's purse started ringing. Jeff flinched and looked toward the sound, pulling the knife out of his belt and dropping it on the sidewalk. Drake knew what a punch to the face felt like, giving and receiving, and the satisfaction he felt when his right fist connected with Jeff's left cheek made the shockwave of pain that shot up his arm totally worth it.
As Jeff fell back he let go of Kate and she ducked down and then ran past Drake and down the street. Beth met her halfway and Kate ran into her arms sobbing.
"Oh, Kate," Beth said, holding tightly to her friend as she shook all over. "I saw the whole thing."
Throwing off his jacket, Drake stepped over to where Jeff was lying on the ground. Blood trickled out of his nose as he struggled to sit up. He winced in pain as he touched his cheek. As Jeff threw his hand out to grab for the knife, Drake stomped on it and dragged it behind himself and out of Jeff's reach. Narrowly missing Jeff's fingers.
Drake bent over him and grabbed the front of his shirt, hauling him upright into a seated position.
"Now that I've wiped the concrete with your ass, I'm gonna polish it with your face."
Daniel ran up to them, kicking the knife out into the street, and then touched Drake on the shoulder. "I'll call 911."
He looked over his shoulder at Daniel, and then back at Jeff. His eyes were still wild and now a little unfocused. "Good, because when I'm finished with him he's going to need an ambulance."
"If he puts up a struggle before the police get here then hit him again, for me. Kate's ok, Beth's got her."
Drake balled up his fist and tucked it hard up under Jeff's chin. "How does that feel?"
Jeff swallowed, and Drake felt the skin of his throat move against his knuckles. "Not so nice, huh?"
Jeff shook his head, reaching for the wrist of Drake's hand that had a fistful of his shirt.
"Nah, ah. Hands off." Drake slapped him hard on the wounded side of his face.
Jeff cried out in pain and spat out blood as his teeth cut the inside of his cheek.
Drake pushed him back onto the sidewalk and then stood up, going over to pick up Kate's purse from the ground.
"If you know what's good for you? You better stay down."
...
Kate shivered, the shock of the whole incident leaving her feeling cold all over. "It happened so fast. One moment he was knocking us down, then he had me in a choke hold. When Drake's fist came like a blur past my face that was scary too. Was it you that called me?"
Beth nodded and then handed her some tissues from her purse. "Here hon, wipe your face. All that blood can't taste good."
Wiping gingerly at the blood on her lip and chin, Kate's face crumpled at seeing the blood and snot on the tissue. "Yuck. I must look like crap."
"Jeff's face is going to look a lot worse. I can't believe he did this."
Drake looked at the scrapes on his hands and flexed his sore knuckles. "You talk as if you know the guy."
Beth looked down to where Jeff was sitting on the sidewalk with Daniel standing guard over him. "He lives in this area, I've seen him at the Twisted Rose before and at the corner market. I think he works there on weekends. I never suspected he'd do something as violent as this."
The keening cry of sirens could be heard approaching from a distance. A police car arrived followed by an ambulance.
Kate whispered, her heart hammering in her chest, "Here we go."
Drake hugged Kate to his side. "Don't worry I'm right here. Let me do the talking."
Daniel nudged Jeff with his foot. "We saw what this piece of shit was doing, so don't worry we'll back you up too."
The ambulance parked ahead of the police cruiser. The flashing lights of both vehicles bounced garishly off the brick buildings of the neighborhood, bringing curious faces to windows up and down the street.
Fresh tears burned Kate's eyes at the injustice of their last night in New York ending in such a horrible way.
The police officers exited their car, and walked over to them.
"Excuse me folks, I'm Officer James and this is my partner Officer Phillips of the NYPD, are you the people who called 911?"
Daniel nodded. "Yes we are."
Officer James looked them up and down taking in Kate's bloodied face, and scraped knees.
"Do you all live around here?"
Kate nodded, pointing to her apartment building which was two buildings over. "She and I live over there."
Officer James signalled his partner to attend to Jeff on the ground.
"Do you all know each other?" He addressed Drake and his group.
The Officer opened up his notebook, ready to record details.
Beth spoke up first, she gestured to Drake and Dan,"Our boyfriends, Drake and Daniel. The guy on the ground lives around here too. His name is Jeff, but I don't know his last name."
"Your full names?"
Kate wiped at her face again. "Kate Darling."
"Beth Gibson."
Daniel looked over at Drake and then at the officer, "Daniel Sanchez."
After writing down their names, Officer James lifted his eyebrows and then turned to Drake, "And you sir?"
Drake swallowed and then answered, "Drake Walker."
The Officer's mouth twitched, "I'm guessing you're not from around here."
Drake shook his head. "Just visiting."
Officer Phillips came over with one of the EMTs. She addressed Drake, "Mr. Fillpot said that you hit him."
Drake's eyes narrowed. "Who? Oh you mean, Jeff. Yeah, I punched him."
Phillips looked at Kate, who was having her bloody nose and split lip attended to by the paramedic. "Did he hit you too?"
Kate flinched at the alcohol swab as it burned her swollen lip. "No, of course not. Jeff did this to me when he tackled us in the street. Then he tried to strangle me, demanding that Drake hand over his wallet."
Phillips looked down at her notebook and then back up. "That's not the story he gave me."
Beth made a noise, crossing her arms in disgust. "Of course he's saying something different. But we saw what happened.
Officer James held up a hand. "We don't need five different versions of events. Who called 911?
Daniel spoke, "I did."
"Ok, so dispatch has a recording of the incident as you saw it happen."
Daniel nodded.
The paramedic was tending to the abrasions on Drake's hands when Officer James turned to him. "Since you were the one that hit Mr. Fillpot, I'll ask you to tell me the sequence of events leading up to the alleged attack."
Drake frowned looking past the officer's shoulder to see Officer Phillips lead Jeff to the patrol car. "How far back do you want me to go?"
"As you are not from this area, I'm assuming you have no prior relationship with Jeff. "
"Relationship? No. But we met earlier this evening outside of a bar."
Officer James raised his eyebrows,
"Outside of a bar. And what were the circumstances of this meeting?"
"His date introduced him to Kate and I, we waited in line behind him. That's about it."
"So apart from this first introduction, and then your later altercation was there any other interaction between you two at the bar?"
Drake shook his head. "No."
Officer James frowned, "So his date, how do you know him or her?"
Drake answered, "She's an acquaintance of Beth. All that I know is that her name is Maggy. Apart from watching her Karaoke performance, Kate and I didn't see her again."
The Officer nodded, "And were you drinking alcohol this evening?"
Drake looked at Kate, the paramedic had given her a blanket and she had it wrapped around her shoulders like a cape. "Yes, we were."
"How much did you have to drink?" Officer James looked at all of them this time.
Beth shrugged, "Only a couple drinks each."
"How far away is this bar you went to? I'm hoping none of you drove this evening." His voice held a warning.
"We went to The Twisted Rose, it's only a few blocks from here. So we walked," Kate answered.
"So you walked to the bar as a group of four? Certainly Mr. Fillpot wouldn't have taken on all four of you during the walk back. Was he working by himself?" Officer James frowned.
Drake sighed, getting impatient with all the questions, and his left hand still hurt like a motherfucker. "Kate and I left the bar separately from Beth and Daniel. If Jeff had an accomplice, we didn't see them. Only Kate and I got attacked."
"Ok describe to me what happened. In the best detail possible."
Drake recounted the details of the sudden impact, his hand being stomped on, and then Jeff assaulting Kate.
"He kept asking me for my wallet, and threatened to hurt her if I didn't give it to him."
Officer James looked at Daniel and Beth, "And somehow you witnessed all of this even though you didn't leave together?" He sounded sceptical.
"We left the bar about ten minutes after they did, we didn't see everything happen, just Jeff holding onto Kate, and then Drake punching him in the face. After Jeff went down, Kate ran to me all bloody and crying." Beth's eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at her friend.
"All this over just one wallet?"
"He'd already grabbed Kate's purse. And while I was reaching into my jacket pocket for my wallet, Jeff was reaching behind his back for a knife."
"A knife? What knife?"
"He dropped it on the ground when Kate's phone rang, and while he was distracted I hit him." Drake responded.
Daniel looked out toward the police car, "I kicked the knife out into the street. It's...uh, around here somewhere."
Officer James nodded as he finished writing some notes on his pad. "Ok, we're almost done here. I just need the address of your apartment Miss Gibson and all of your phone numbers."
Flipping ahead in his notepad to an empty page, he asked each of them for their details and then after writing it down put his book away.
"I think I have all the information I need, for now. Check in with the paramedics regarding aftercare for your injuries. Phillips and I will search for this knife."
Drake picked up his jacket and put it back on.
"So we're free to go?"
Officer James nodded, "Yes, just don't leave town in case we need more information."
One Handsome Devil (TRR) - Chapter Thirty-One...Coming soon.
A taste of my WIP for an appetizer..
::Drake tilted and rocked the empty water glass in his cupped hands, his eyes roaming around the room to find some inspiration. He noticed that one of the pool tables was free, and was about to suggest a game when Daniel spoke up. "So is all that stuff you told the security guards about your Dad true?"
Drake nodded. "Yes. Why? Did you not believe me?"
He shrugged. "I dunno, I've just never met anyone from a Kingdom before. Did...did something bad happen to him? Sorry...You kind of referred to him in the past tense earlier."
"He was shot during a press conference when he pushed the King and Queen out of the way. There was a gunman among the protestors in the crowd. My Mom and I were in the audience. Thankfully my sister had decided to spend the afternoon with a friend somewhere else that day."
There was a cold detachment to Drake's voice as if his statement was rehearsed. Daniel wondered if he got asked about his Dad a lot.
"Jesus... Shit, Drake. I'm sorry I asked. I guess he went out as a hero, though. Right?"
He said nothing, staring back at him in the awkward silence that followed. ::
Standing at the mirror by her closet, Kate pulled the elastic out of her hair and then ran a brush through it. Her focus was less on her hair and more on the shirtless Drake in grey sweatpants standing in the room behind her. While she was using a brush he was running his fingers through his own hair as he considered the clothing options that were spread out on the bed. As she unzipped her hoodie and tossed it into the laundry basket by the closet his attention was drawn to the waves of her dark silky hair as they spilled over her bare shoulders and down between her shoulder blades. She met his gaze in the mirror as she pulled the brush through her hair again, "What? I can be shirtless too."
Biting the edge of his lip he grinned and then looked away, "So what kind of establishment is this Twisted Rose?"
"Oh my goodness, Drake. Establishment? Could you be any more European?" She teased.
With an eye roll he crossed his arms, "Ha ha, go ahead and pick on the way I talk. You sound like your buddy Daniel. I'm only asking because I don't know what to wear."
Kate turned around and walked over to her dresser, "If you're looking for a dress code rating between Jake's Place and The Ritz it's barely a step or two above Jake's. So it's definitely casual."
"Jake's Place?" He frowned, confused.
"You know, the bar that Daniel and I worked together. The dive you dragged Nicholas and Maxwell to. What did you wear that night?"
He scratched his head, "I dunno, probably jeans and a t-shirt, or my denim shirt and a leather jacket."
As she fished through her jewelry box for two matching earrings, she gestured to him. "Well there you go. Some variation of that will work just fine."
Joining her at the dresser, he moved her hair out of the way and leaned in to kiss the back of her shoulder, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her back against him.
"So, whatcha lookin' for?" he mumbled against her skin as his kisses moved up the side of her neck and his nose grazed the shell of her ear. In the mirror behind the dresser he watched her close her eyes, tilting her head to the side. He felt her gasp and shiver in his embrace.
She opened her eyes, and met his in the mirror. "I was looking for a pair of earrings to go with the chain I want to wear."
He looked down at the velvet lined wooden box that she had opened. Various pieces of gold and silver jewelry were mixed together. An antique looking gold ring with a red stone caught his attention. "What about that? It's kind of pretty."
Moving her hair back behind her shoulder, and pulling away from him, she picked up one of the black stud earrings she had chosen and put it into the hole in her earlobe. "What's kind of pretty?"
"The gold ring. Is that a ruby?"
She shrugged and then popped in the other earring, "I don't know. It belonged to my grandmother."
"May I?" Drake asked as he poked his pinky into the ring and plucked it out of the box.
Pulling her hair off to the side she fastened a chain necklace around her neck. "I don't think it quite fits you, but sure."
Pinching the delicate band between his thumb and finger he looked at the ring more closely.
"I've seen a ring like this before."
Kate pulled out the top drawer of her dresser, and pushed the bras aside to find the black lacy corset top she was planning on wearing. There was a curious look on Drake's face. It reminded her of the way the hobbits gazed upon the Precious ring from the movies.
"Drake, it's just a ring. I agree it's pretty, and all. But I doubt it has magical powers or anything. I rarely wear it because it seemed too fancy to wear to work. I was afraid someone would steal it."
Handing the ring back to Kate, Drake went over and picked up his phone. "Unless I'm wrong, that ring means something. And I'm not just talking about the value of the gold and the stone."
Sliding it onto her finger, Kate wrapped the corset top around her ribs next and then fastened the hooks. "I don't get it, Drake. What's so special about it? Where would you have seen one before?"
"Nicholas's mother had one, and she wore it on her ring finger." He turned his phone around and showed Kate a picture of the queen. "It looks like a traditional Cordonian engagement ring. You may have family ties there after all."
She scoffed in disbelief, spreading out her fingers and giving the ring another look, "Oh come on, it's got to be just a coincidence. Ruby was probably just my grandmother's birthstone. There's a date engraved inside the band, and it's most likely her birthdate. Besides, what if it's a fake and just a piece of red glass cut to look like a ruby?"
Drake was still staring at her. His eyes shifted down to the ring she had put on her right hand, and then back up to her face. She couldn't tell what he was thinking and the weight of the gold band suddenly felt heavy on her hand. The word engagement still hung in the air between them too. Walking back over to the dresser she tugged the ring off her finger and then put it away in the box.
"Snap out of it, Drake. We don't have time to discuss the ring and question my hypothetical family history. We're going out tonight, and you're still standing there in sweat pants."
Sucking in a deep breath he pulled himself back to his original business. "Uhh, ok then. Where were we?"
Kate pulled down her own pants and tossed them into the laundry basket too. "Hurry up and get dressed, or I'm going out to the bar without you."
Casual, she said Casual. He thought. But there was nothing casual about the way his thoughts were zapping around in his brain. Why the fuck does she have a very Cordonian looking engagement ring? When his mind had drifted back to Nick's mother, it had also landed with a thud up against Constantine. Was there another reason for the former king to discourage his son from marrying Kate? A ruby of that size is way out of the price range of the average person. It could just be fake costume jewellery like she said, but what if it's not?
The sound of a knock on the door made them both look. "Time to go, guys. Many tequila shots and karaoke songs are waiting."
Kate went over to her closet in search of something. In just her black lacy corset top and matching panties, she looked more undressed than dressed. But he couldn't just stand there any longer wondering what that ruby ring meant, he had to get ready too.
Pushing the formal clothes on the bed aside, he opened up his suitcase and dug through what clean things he had left to wear. He pulled out a black t-shirt and a pair of black jeans, and then settled on some black underwear too. Oh well, I guess she and I will match.
"Well, did you pick something?" Kate asked as she walked over with a leather mini skirt and a pair of black boots in her arms.
Pulling the shirt over his head and tugging it down over his body, he said, "All black, I guess."
Compared to the way that the boxy grey t-shirt had fit him, this black one was a vast improvement. It hugged him in all the right places and gave the firm muscles of his chest and arms nowhere to hide.
Kate resisted the urge to lick her lips as she watched him swap out his grey boxer briefs for a pair of black jockey underwear.
"I overheard you telling Daniel that blue was your favorite color. But I must say that black suits you so well that it should be illegal."
"Oh, really?" He made adjustments to himself to better fit inside of the underwear. The black fabric looked like it was clinging to his hips and ass for dear life.
When he stepped into his jeans and pulled them up, the hem of his shirt just barely covered the waist band. Low rise jeans had never looked sexier on a man. Combing his fingers through his hair, the hem of his shirt lifted and bared a tantalizing glimpse of toned skin. He caught Kate staring at him and then he dropped his hands to his hips with a smirk.
"Are you getting dressed too, cuz right now I'm winning the race to get out of here."
Dropping her lashes she bit the edge of her lip and murmured. "Sorry, I was just enjoying the show. But since you're winning..."
Skimming her hands down over her hips she dropped the panties that she was wearing. Bending over she picked them up and handed them to Drake. "I promised you a pair, so take this as your prize."
"What am I supposed to do with these?" He asked as he watched her walk back over to the dresser.
Opening up the second drawer she pulled out a pair of red lacy hip huggers and then stepped into them. "Whatever you want. Call them a souvenir from today. I put them on after our bubble bath, then wore them to dinner, where you heroically defended my honor.
Later, in the car, while I had my hand in your....." A rush of heat flared in her cheeks at the memory. "Well anyway, isn't it a rock star thing for women to throw their panties on stage? I've given you a head start on your collection."
Drake held her panties up and looked at them, they were still warm. "They've had a busy day, but I'm no rock star. I doubt I'll get any more thrown at me."
He stuffed the panties into the back pocket of his jeans and then sat down to put on his shoes.
"I guess we'll see what reaction you get from the songs you pick. I honestly don't know what kind of music you like."
After putting on the leather skirt and her tall leather boots, Kate finished off her makeup look at the mirror by drawing on a cateye with liquid liner. Drake watched her pull a black leather motorcycle jacket out of the closet as well. He'd never seen her dress like that before. It was definitely not royal court approved. As her boyfriend he was definitely aroused by it, but he was also worried. Bodyguard Drake would need to be on high alert.
..
In the kitchen, Daniel checked the time on his phone for the fourth time. "Are they getting ready or doing something else? You know that Karaoke isn't my thing, and the longer we wait the less I want to go."
Beth handed him his jacket from the closet, "Don't worry I don't expect you to sing, just keep me company while we watch others make fools of themselves. Besides the more we drink the better everyone is going to sound."
The bedroom door opened and Kate stepped out into the hall; all leather, lace and attitude. Drake followed close behind, with less of an edge to his style, but still in dark denim and brown leather.
Daniel dropped his eyes and busied himself with putting his phone away and checking for the location of his wallet. He'd seen Kate most often in her work uniform, and this was a whole other sexy side he didn't know if he liked. She was a different person now that Drake was around. Hearing the way she had talked about him, there was no doubt she was in love with the guy, but Daniel couldn't shake the feeling that Drake was wrong for her.
Beth's eyes lit up as Kate danced over to her and then pulled her into a hug. "Girl, you look amazing! I should have worn my leather too so we could match."
"No!" Said Drake and Dan at the same time as they caught the other's eye. "Let's just get out of here already," Daniel finished with a nervous chuckle.
Kate gave Beth a squeeze, not wanting to let go. Buzzing excitement and a pang of remorse clashed in her chest, both threatening to make her dissolve. She was leaving America and her best friend behind all over again tomorrow. Tears stung her eyes as she stepped back.
Drake wrapped his arm around her and whispered into her ear as he pulled her close, "Are you okay?"
She sniffed and then nodded, "Not yet, but I will be."
He cupped her face in his hand, brushing his thumb across the tear on her cheek and then leaned in to give her a soft kiss. Seeing the tender look in his eyes, Kate sighed, leaning into him. "Thanks, I needed that."
Stepping away from him she took a deep breath to compose herself and turned back to Beth and Daniel.
"Ok guys let's go, I'm ready to raise a toast to New York. And dance like there's no tomorrow."
Beth smiled and nodded, her eyes wet too, "Yes, let's do this."
...
Out on the street Kate and Drake followed Beth and Daniel down the sidewalk. Drake slowed his pace, slipping his hand into Kate's, and giving them a little space of their own. He kept his voice low so that Beth and Daniel wouldn't overhear.
"I'm sorry for making such a big deal about the ring. It just caught me by surprise."
Kate gave his hand a squeeze before responding.
"I'd nearly forgotten about it, I'm more of a necklace and earring person. So his Mom really had a ring that looked like mine? And here I thought Cordonian rubies were just apples."
Drake nodded, "I'm not sure what happened to hers after she died. Probably in some royal vault. Your grandmother's ring did look nice on you though."
"I'll be taking it with me, since you seem to like it so much. But when I wear it, it'll be on my right hand. It's sort of a family heirloom, I guess. I'm named after her, we're both Katherines.
It may look like the Queen's ring, but I don't want to give anyone at court the impression that it's an engagement ring."
Drake shrugged looking down at his shoes as he walked, he let go of her hand and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Nobody would believe it was a gift from me, anyway. So wear it wherever you want to."
Tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow, Kate sighed. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant to say. I love you, Drake. I'm yours and you're mine and right now that's all that matters. What we have is so new and wonderful, and our commitment to each other needs room to grow and develop. When we're ready to take things further, we'll know."
He took her hand again, lifting it up to kiss the back of it. "Well said... I love you, too."
Damn she's good. He thought. I'd be a fool to let her go.
..
After rounding a corner they came upon a group of people standing outside of a building that looked like an old industrial warehouse. The windows of the upper floor are framed in pink neon, but otherwise the interior is dark. Under the windows a large sign in ornate gothic script says Twisted Rose Tattoo. A lineup of people snaked around the corner to the backside of the building.
Beth waved to a girl at the end of the line and she rushed over to give her a hug.
"Hey Mags, so nice to see you! Let me introduce you to my friends."
Maggy, a petite brunette with her hair in a short pixie style, was dressed in jeans and a black crop top covered in little silver stars. The bare skin between her shirt and jeans showed off tattoos that went up under her shirt and traveled down below her waistband.
Drake's eyes were drawn to the elaborate design, seeing skulls, roses and a thorny vine like rope that could have been barbed wire.
He quickly shifted his gaze back to her face when Beth started to do introductions.
"Maggy is a tattoo artist that works in the studio upstairs. We met a couple of weeks ago when I stopped in for a consult about a tattoo."
Kate looked at Beth, "I didn't know you were considering another tattoo."
Another? Drake thought, as he stole a glance at Beth too. There didn't seem to be anything visible on the bare skin she was showing. Daniel caught him looking at Beth and his eyes flashed a warning, making Drake look away.
A slight blush crept into Beth's cheeks as she answered her friend, "I..I know it was something we were going to do together, but you weren't here. Sorry, K."
Kate looked down briefly and then back up at Beth, "Oh... So did you decide on a design?"
Drake gave Kate's hand a squeeze. His chest felt tight knowing that she had missed out on spending the summer with her best friend. She'd made new friends in Cordonia, but Kate and Beth's friendship went back years. Traditions and promises had been broken between them.
Beth shook her head, "No, not yet. But anyway.. where was I? Oh right, introductions."
Beth turned toward Daniel, patting his chest as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "This is my best boyfriend ever, Dan."
Maggy smirked, "I remember you talking about him. It's nice to put a face to the guy at last. Hey, Dan."
He nodded back, "Hi."
"And who's that?" Maggy added, lifting her chin in Drake's direction.
"Oh ... that's Drake. He came all the way from Europe to sweep my girl Kate off her feet, and steal her back to his Kingdom."
Maggy gave Drake a quick sweep from head to toe, then back up again. "Wow, how romantic and shit. I didn't know people actually did that."
"Well...Beth makes it sound like a kidnapping, but..yeah..." Drake's face softened as he looked at Kate, "It's definitely romantic."
Beth moved on, "Oh and this is Kate, his fair maiden and my bestie. She used to tend bar and wait tables with Dan way back when."
Maggy's eyes narrowed and then she nodded. "I think we've met before, but maybe I'm thinking I've seen you somewhere. Yeah, that's it."
She looked back and forth between Drake and Kate. "Oh wait now I remember. I've seen you two in pictures online. Quite a little scandal. Damn that's hot, good for you."
Kate laughed uneasily. "Yep, just loving that celebrity status. I'm not that special, really."
Drake wrapped his arm around Kate's back, giving her a squeeze, reminding her that she's special to someone.
Beth, Daniel, Drake and Kate file in behind Maggy and her date at the end of the line. She turned and looked back at them, gesturing to the guy next to her in line.
"Oh hey, where are my manners? This handsome dude is my buddy Jeff."
Jeff raised his hand in a brief wave, his mop of curly hair flopped down on his forehead as he nodded then turned back to lean against the wall behind Maggy. When the line moved forward, a small group of people came back around the corner, having exited the club.
"I've never seen this place so busy, they must be keeping a body count for crowd control," Kate said.
Drake said nothing as he stood next to her with a firm hold of her hand. Compared to the happy faces of the people moving past him, he looked grim.
Kate wiggled her fingers to loosen the death grip he had on her hand, "This isn't really your kind of place is it?"
Drake sighed, slumping against the wall. "Not at all. Give me a bottle of whiskey, and you for company any night."
"We can go back to the apartment if you want to."
Drake wrapped his hands around Kate's waist and leaned his forehead against hers.
"I appreciate you offering to rescue me from all this, but I'm determined to tough it out for your sake."
"Besides, I've seen you dance and now I want to hear you sing."
Drake sighed, "I'm only doing this for you."
The line moved forward again and their group was the next to go in. A pair of tall heavily muscled doormen stand resolutely by the door. Drake made eye contact with the one on the left. The guy sized him up and then spoke. "I'm putting you in charge of keeping your little group under control, understood?"
Drake nodded, "Understood."
"Have you ever done security work before?"
Raising his chin Drake responded,
"It's literally in my blood, my Father was the Head of Security for the King of a small European country."
The doorman on the right scoffed. "Yeah right, and I'm the Queen of France."
Drake responded, "France doesn't have a monarchy. It has a president and a prime minister."
The doorman on the left glared at the other guy. "His accent alone is convincing enough for me, just drop it dude."
Righty spoke up again, "So which King did he babysit, and what are you doing way over here in New York?"
"His Royal Highness King Constantine of Cordonia. His son, and the current monarch sent me here on a diplomatic mission."
Lefty's eyebrows shot up. "Wow man that's cool. You got any ID on you?"
Drake walked over and showed the guy his Driver's License and his Palace security pass.
"Holy crap, the dude lives in a royal palace for Christ's sake."
Righty laughed, "You're shittin' me."
Drake impatiently watched Dweedle Dee pass Dweedle Dumb his IDs.
"Ok guys. I think I've proven that I'm well within the legal drinking age, can I have those back now?"
The doorman on the right seemed reluctant to hand them back for a moment, and he looked between Drake and the photos on his cards multiple times. "Ok, fine. But did you know that your Driver's License expired three years ago? You might want to renew that."
Drake held his hands out to the side, "Does it look like I'm driving? Is it a valid ID or not?"
With his eyes still narrowed, the doorman handed Drake back his ID cards. "Yeah, yeah. Take 'em back."
After tucking them back in his wallet, he went back to stand next to Kate. "I officially hate it here, can we go home now?" He mumbled.
The entrance / exit opened again and several patrons came out.
Doorman on the left addressed Drake and his group.
"Ok everyone before entering the club this evening we must perform a weapons check. So please empty your pockets."
As they watch Daniel and Beth show the contents of their pockets and their IDs, Drake whispered to Kate. "You want to see Dumbass #2 eat his words? I still have your panties in my pocket."
Kate felt her stomach drop, and her cheeks burn. "Drake oh my god! You're not serious. Hand them to me and I'll put them in my purse." She hissed.
"No wait, I want to see his reaction first."
After handing back Beth's things, one of the doormen gives her a quick pat down for concealed weapons.
Drake frowned, "I'm not letting that asshole touch you. Forget that."
Before Kate could respond Drake spoke up, "Is the pat down really necessary?"
Once Beth passed inspection, the doorman on the right answered, "In this neighborhood? You bet your ass it is."
Kate shrugged, poking him on the arm, "He has a point, Drake."
Righty beckoned Drake forward.
"Ok dude, I've already seen your ID so you can skip that. But I want to see what's in your pockets."
Drake emptied out his jacket pockets first, showing his cell phone, and his wallet. He turned out the front pockets of his jeans to show them being empty.
He reached into his left back pocket, and slowly pulled out Kate's lacy panties and then put them into the guy's cupped hands.
The guy laughed, "Diplomatic mission? My ass. What are these for?"
Folding his arms Drake replied, "No, her ass. And I collected them for evidence."
"Evidence of wh-...? Nevermind, here take them back." The guy's face screwed up in disgust and then he handed them back to Drake.
Beth burst out laughing as the guy wiped his hands on his pants, blushing.
Drake stuffed them back in his pocket, and then endured the brief pat down from the other guy.
"Ok you pass, her turn." He said, pointing to Kate next.
Kate took off her jacket, and showed that she wasn't hiding anything. She showed her ID, and then opened her purse to show the contents.
When the doorman looked Kate up and down, taking a step forward, Drake shook his head and barked out a warning, "Hey pal, touch her and I'll break your fingers."
He stepped back, catching Drake's icy glare. "Don't threaten me, I'm just doing my job."
Drake nodded, "And I'm just doing mine as her bodyguard. That wasn't a threat it was a promise. Now back off."
The doorman spoke to Kate, "So, Angel Eyes. Is this guy really your bodyguard or just your boyfriend?"
Kate glanced at Drake and then back to the doorman as she put her jacket back on, "Actually he's both. I'd listen to him. He's already made some guy eat carpet for getting too close to me today. And he didn't even touch me."
With a sigh he waved her away, "Fine, you pass too."
The four of them entered the club and Drake sighed with relief. "I see now why the line moved so slowly."
Once inside Drake took in his surroundings. In the far right corner of the building is a pair of pool tables, to the left is a long wooden bar. The space in between the door and the pool tables had scattered tables for four. To their immediate left is a large dancefloor, a small stage in the corner, and a DJ booth.
They chose a table for four between the bar and the dancefloor. Drake pulled his chair over closer to Kate, and then took off his jacket, and hung it on the back. Sitting down next to Kate he laid his arm across the back of her chair and Kate leaned into him, resting her hand on his thigh.
Beth waved over a passing waitress.
"Hey guys, welcome to the Twisted Rose, what can I get you to drink?"
"I'll have a Bud lite," said Daniel.
"A Manhattan," said Beth.
"A Rum and Coke," said Kate.
Drake ordered Whiskey on the rocks.
The server nodded, making a note on her paper, then left.
Drake surveyed the room again, this time looking at the people. The age range looked to be mid twenties to mid thirties, with a gender split of about seventy thirty. The female population were in the majority. Most of the men seemed to be clustered around the pool tables and bar area. The few guys he saw on the dancefloor were surrounded by women too.
Kate noticed Drake's calculated gaze as he looked around the room.
"Sizing up the competition?" she asked.
"More like a lack thereof. I see a lot more women in here than men."
Kate winked at him, "You do realize that women can be competition too, right?"
Drake opened his mouth to reply, but the server arrived before he could answer.
After distributing their drink orders she waited for payment. When the men's wallets came out, Drake pulled out his black card from Nicholas. "You guys were gracious enough to pay for pizza and take us in for the night, so let me handle this."
He asked the server if they could keep a running tab at the bar. She seemed hesitant at first, but then nodded and took his card. "Alright, sir."
Once the server left, Daniel spoke up.
"So Drake, do you always carry women's panties around in your pocket?"
Drake took a sip of his whiskey before answering, "Only on Monday nights."
Daniel's confused look made Beth and Kate burst out laughing. The pulsing dance music stopped and the people on the dancefloor started to disperse. Daniel took a sip of his beer, glaring at Beth over the rim of his glass. "Just for that, I'm making one of you get up there and do a lip sync with me."
Kate glanced at Drake, "I'm not much of a singer, but I can pretend like nobody's business."
Beth grinned, looking at Daniel, "Any time I've seen it done, it gets played out as a Battle of the Sexes. So you're on babe."
Drake sighed, frowning down into his whiskey as he took a sip. Knowing that they're all waiting for him to say something.
"What's this lip sync crap? I thought we were here for Karaoke."
Kate placed her hand on his arm, "Oh they do both on Monday nights. Karaoke first and then couples battle it out for applause from the crowd."
"Oh, great." He mumbled.
As the music started up again with a slow song she recognized, Kate took a big swallow of her rum and Coke. The acidic cola and burning alcohol blazed down her throat and splashed into her stomach like a hot potion of liquid courage. She grabbed Drake's hand, and stood up out of her seat, "C'mon Drake, dance with me."
He looked up at her bewildered, "You know I don't dance."
"Bullshit, I've seen you do it. It's just you and me, and it's not the Cordonian Waltz. I'll try not to step on your feet, if you promise not to stomp on mine." Kate tugged at his hand, her eyes pleading for him to get up.
Taylor Swift's, "Lover" was playing.
Drake glanced at the dancefloor where various couples were gathering.
"Fine, I guess so."
"Good, cuz I love this song."
Drake got up out of his seat and let Kate lead him out into the crowd, where they found some space of their own.
Kate put her hands up behind Drake's neck, and he held her gently by the waist. Smiling he leaned down to give her a kiss.
She whispered as he drew back, "I think this is the point when some dancing is supposed to happen."
"Uh huh." He said.
Drake started to sway side to side, and Kate rocked her hips. She kept her eyes locked on his, while she tried to keep her booted feet from stepping on his toes. With her tall boots on they were closer in height, and Drake appreciated not having to lean down so much to kiss her.
Kate mouthed the words to the song and Drake watched her lips, pulling her closer to him. The sweet message the song conveyed struck a chord within him and he stopped moving. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I think we've found our song."
Kate rested her cheek against his shoulder and she hugged him tightly as he gently swayed her side to side. "That's why I wanted to dance. This song is so us." She said.
She quietly sang along with Taylor Swift as they danced, and Drake felt himself melting inside. Nick and his love letter to Kate was nothing compared to this. 🎶"Can I go where you go? ...Can we always be this close Forever and ever..?"
🎶"Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? .... I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover... Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover..."
"Darling, you're my, my, my, my...Lover."🎶
As the music faded he cupped her face in his hands and planted a firm kiss on her lips.
The other couples began to leave the floor, but Kate and Drake stayed behind, still kissing.
After a few seconds the DJ cut in over the loud speakers,
"Ok everybody, let's get this Karaoke party started...If we could only clear the dancefloor that would be great."
Kate and Drake came up for air and headed back to their seats.
"Thanks you two... Now who's going to join me in the booth and pick out our first song?"
Kate sat down, picking up her glass and finishing her drink. Drake sat down too, the ice cubes have melted in his glass, but he picked it up anyway and finished his.
Beth looked between Drake and Kate, and the way he's resumed having his arm around her shoulders.
Beth shook her head, "Wow Drake, I never pegged you as a Swiftie"
He looked at Kate, and smirked. "Yeah, well I am now."
Kate stroked Drake's thigh, and he nudged her foot under the table. "Careful, Darling." He muttered.
She stilled her hand, but kept it on his leg. When she leaned toward him, he pulled her in for a quick kiss.
On the stage someone is drunkenly butchering a song so bad they don't recognize it. Both Beth and Daniel wince, "Wow that's bad," he said.
Kate covered her ears as their romantic moment was so crudely interrupted. Drake straightened up and then reached for his phone out of his coat pocket. He unlocked it and looked for inspiration in his playlist.
"Even I can do better than that," he grumbled.
Beth pointed to him. "Do it Drake!"
He shook his head, smirking down at his screen, "I need another whiskey in me first."
Daniel waved over a server. When she arrived he ordered four glasses of whiskey for the table.
"There. Some whiskey for everybody." he said.
As the stage went quiet again they all turned their heads in unison to see who was next. Maggy walked up on stage. Beth whistled and Maggy waved, back.
She calmly listened as the music for Twenty One Pilots Car Radio started, waiting for the right time to jump in.
🎶"....I ponder of something great, my lungs will fill and then deflate, they fill with fire exhale desire, I know it's dire my time today....I have these thoughts so often I ought to replace that slot with what I once bought, cuz somebody stole my car radio and now I just sit in silence..sometimes quiet is violent..."🎶
Kate and her group sat transfixed as Maggy hit each word right on.
🎶"...I'm forced to deal with what I feel, there is no distraction to mask what is real,...I can pull the stearing wheel...I have these thoughts so often I ought to replace that slot with what I once bought, cuz somebody stole my car radio and now I just sit in silence."🎶
When the song ended they all clapped enthusiastically, Beth and Drake both whistled. Maggy bowed and then left the stage.
The server arrived with their whiskeys, and Daniel told her that they were running a tab and then she left too.
The DJ chimed in.
"Thanks Mags, who needs a car radio when you can sing it out like that....Alright we have time for a few more Karaoke singers before we start tonight's lipsync battle. So come on up somebody, and let's keep this rolling."
Drake took a sip of his whiskey, enjoying that familiar warmth in his throat. Everyone else at the table sipped at their drinks too. The conversation had stalled. Nobody wanting to volunteer for Karaoke yet. Drake's Even I can do better than that seemed to hang over his head like a neon sign.
Kate broke their awkward silence.
"So Daniel, now that I'm officially moving out are you gonna move in with Beth?"
Daniel nearly spat out his mouthful of whiskey, he carefully swallowed before answering. "I've been thinking about it. Beth's apartment is much nicer than mine."
Beth squealed with happiness and hugged him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Aww, honey that makes me so happy. Hell yes you're moving in."
Drake looked from Beth to Daniel, chuckling to himself. Good Luck.
Another less than sober Karaoke singer made their way on stage. Everyone turned to see how they were going to manage.
This time it's a guy. He cleared his throat nervously and tried to compose himself as his music started. He's attempting Shinedown's version of Simple Man.
After a shaky start he soon belted out a passable rendition.
🎶.... Forget your lust for the Rich man's gold, all that you need now is in your soul, and you can do this oh baby if you try, all that I want from you my son, is to be satisfied..
And be a simple kind of man, and be something you love and understand, baby be a simple kind of man, won't you do this for my son, if you can...if you can 🎶
Kate felt goosebumps break out on her arms, and she reached for Drake's hand. He squeezed back.
🎶...Oh don't you worry, you'll find yourself, follow your heart and nothing else, and you can do this oh baby if you try, all that I want from you my son, is to be satisfied..
And be a simple kind of man, oh won't you do this for me son if you can, so baby be a simple, be a simple man, oh won't you do this for my son, if you can...🎶
The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and whistles. Drake gulped down a mouthful of whiskey.
"Holy crap, how do I follow that?"
Kate turned to Drake, tugging him closer and gave him a firm kiss. She could taste the whiskey in his mouth and on his lips. Moaning against him, she slid her hand up his thigh. But just as he started to enjoy it, she pulled away. Sucking in a deep breath to steady her nerves, Kate sat back in her seat. "There you go, Honey, a little motivation."
Drake sucked in a deep breath too, and then let it out. "Holy Shit, ok that'll do. Thanks."
Downing the last of his whiskey he got up, tilting his empty glass to her, "This is for you Kate, so you better hold onto something." He winked at her and then walked over to the DJ booth.
Kate could hardly suppress her nervous giggles. This was either going to be a huge success or a fail. She wasn't sure how to react. She'd never heard Drake sing before.
Drake talked with the DJ for a moment, showing him a song from his playlist, the DJ nodded and gave him a thumbs up.
"I wonder what song he picked." Kate looked over at Beth and Daniel and they shrugged too. As Drake stepped up on stage he looked out at the crowd. Beth and Daniel started chanting and thumping on the table to cheer him on, "Drake! Drake! Drake! Drake!"
He waved back to them, picking up the microphone and then mumbled "Thanks."
Dropping the microphone away from his mouth again he shook out his shoulders and readied himself.
Clearing his throat he smirked and then spoke up, "I'd like to dedicate this song to all the single ladies in the crowd, but also to one special girl."
Whistles and cheers from various women in the club answered him back, and Kate hid her face in her hands as she felt her cheeks burn.
He nodded to the DJ, and his music started. Kate recognized the song as "Need you Tonight" from INXS.
Kate peeked through her fingers, oh my God he can't be serious.. She dropped her hands and clenched them together in her lap, trying to prepare herself for what's about to come out of Drake's mouth.
He tapped his foot to the music, setting the microphone back on the mike stand he cradled it in his hands, and leveled his gaze directly at Kate.
🎶...Come over here...he breathed into the microphone.
Kate felt a shiver go up her spine, and goosebumps rise on her arms. Holy shit..
Drake rocked his hips and tapped his foot to the music, really making it his own. Damn it was sexy.
🎶..All you've got is this moment.. Twenty-first century is yesterday..You can care all you want..
Everybody does, yeah that's okay.. 🎶
He pulled the microphone from the mike stand and stepped to the side. Dancing in a way that made Kate feel hot all over.
Whistles and cheers erupted from the ladies in the crowd as he sang.
🎶..So slide over here..And give me a moment..Your moves are so raw..I've got to let you know...I've got to let you know..You're one of my kind..
His voice hitched in a gasp...
...I need you tonight.. 'Cause I'm not sleeping.. There's something about you, girl...That makes me sweat..🎶
Drake pulled her panties out of his pocket, making a show of blotting his face and forehead with them before dropping them on the stage.
🎶..How do you feel?...I'm lonely!...What do you think? ... Can't think at all....Whatcha gonna do?...Gonna live my life..
..So slide over here and give me a moment.. your moves are so raw.. I've got to let you know..I've got to let you know.. You're one of my kind...🎶
Drake punctuated a shift in the music with a pelvic thrust and a gasp that every woman watching could feel.
He leveled his gaze on Kate once more before finishing the song.
🎶....I need you tonight..'Cause I'm not sleeping.. There's something about you, girl..that makes me sweat..
Beth leaned over and poked a mesmerized Kate on the arm to get her attention, she raised her voice to be heard, "Did you know he could perform like this?"
She shook her head, "Uh, no?"
Beth broke into a wide grin, poking her again, "It's amazing what enough whiskey can do. Plus with his accent this song is perfect."
🎶..How do you feel?..... I'm lonely!..
Kate nodded, focusing on Drake again.
..So slide over here and give me a moment.. your moves are so raw..I've got to let you know..I've got to let you know.. So slide over here and give a moment ..I've got to let you know..I've got to let you know....You're one of my kind..🎶
The DJ tried to make himself heard above all the hoots and hollers as Drake blew a kiss and then bent down to pick up the panties from the stage and shoved them back into his pocket. He hopped down from the stage, pulling his shirt up by the collar to mop the sweat from his face.
Kate gasped at the brief glimpse of the bare skin of his belly, and then looked away as Drake walked over to the bar.
Leaning his elbows on the bar, he asked the bartender, "Could I trouble you for a glass of water?"
He was mobbed by several women, but he just smiled and ignored them as he sipped his water and then turned away. He walked back to his seat and after setting down his glass, he flopped down into his chair. Everyone else at the table was speechless for a moment, and just stared at him.
"What?" he said, smirking behind his glass of water as he picked it up.
Kate and Beth both burst out laughing, fanning themselves dramatically.
"Holy crap on a cracker Drake..," Beth said once she caught her breath.
"Wow, just wow.." Kate finished.
Daniel chuckled at Drake. "Dude, fuck that was hot, you could almost smell all the panties in the room melting from here."
Drake choked on his water, coughing to clear his throat and then he composed himself. "You really think so?"
A trickle of sweat ran down his neck and Kate watched it disappear into the collar of his shirt. She reached up and smoothed back some dampened hair at his temple, and he turned toward her. He tilted his head and kissed her cheek, cupping the back of her head he whispered, "Did you like it? Are you one of my kind? Because you definitely make me sweat."
Kate shivered as his hot breath caressed her earlobe and neck, she closed her eyes and whispered back, "Yes."
Shifting back in his seat he picked up his water again sipping it more carefully this time.
Sucking in a deep breath Kate let it out with a sigh, trying to calm her racing heart. She picked up her whiskey glass, but was disappointed to find it empty. "Damn, I'm all out."
Drake asked, "Do you want another?"
Kate shook her head. "No, two drinks is plenty for me thanks. I still need to walk home. I could use a drink of water like yours though."
"Here, take mine" he said, setting his glass in front of her.
The DJ spoke up now that the room had quieted down to a dull throb of conversation. "Ok everyone, after a break we'll crank it back up again for our battle of the sexes, lipsync style. For now we'll light up the dancefloor and turn it over to you guys."
Coloured light from overhead flashed and slid across the expanse of wooden floor as a bass heavy dance beat started playing over the speakers.
Kate took a sip of water, and danced from the waist up in her seat. The throb of the music was so loud that Drake could feel it resonate in his ribcage. He could see why people were flocking to the dancefloor. Beth couldn't sit still either.
"Come on Kate, that song was made for dancing. I'm bored of watching everyone else have fun," Beth said.
"Yes, let's get up and dance. Drake, Daniel coming with us?"
"Uh, no thanks. Not in the mood to embarrass myself," said Daniel.
Kate and Beth got up, handing the guys their purses for safe keeping.
Drake sat Kate's purse on her seat instead. She placed her hands on his shoulders, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "You've been holding out on me. I saw the way you moved on stage. Come dance with us."
"I'm happy just to watch for now, thanks,.. I'm taking a break from making a spectacle of myself." he said.
"Are you afraid to be out on the dancefloor with all of your adoring female fans?" Kate teased.
"Definitely."
"Ok, your loss. But if inspiration strikes, come on over. I promise it'll be fun."
Beth grabbed Kate's hand and they danced their way out onto the floor, laughing and bouncing together to the beat.
All the beautiful women were writhing and grinding together under the pulsing lights. Seeing all the touching, body contact and bouncing made Drake's pulse race. He fought to pull his gaze away from all the other women and just keep an eye on Kate and Beth. He figured that Daniel was trying to do the same.
They watched Beth and Kate dance together, and it was clear how much fun they were having. They laughed, smiled and fed off the other's energy as only best friends could.
"Beth sure is a firecracker. I can see why Kate loves her so much." Drake said.
Daniel was about to protest, but then he realized that Drake was serving a compliment not a complaint. "Yeah, Kate would talk about her a lot while we were working. You'd swear they were sisters and not just friends."
Drake nodded, "I hope they stay in touch after Kate moves to Cordonia. I know she doesn't have any siblings and her parents live far away, so it pains me that I'm asking her to leave New York and her chosen family behind."
Daniel crossed his arms and sat back, "Well you could just go home without her, Drake."
"No, I can't. I love her too much to live without her. She's changed my life for the better, and I plan on spending the rest of my life showing her how grateful I am that she loves me back."
"Wow. Have you told her that?"
Drake shrugged, "Maybe not in those exact words, but I'm pretty sure she knows how I feel."
There was a subtle shift in the tempo of the music and Drake looked back out toward the dancefloor. Kate and Beth had stopped dancing and were talking up close and stealing glances his way. When he and Kate made eye contact she winked and beckoned to him.
Kate, with her hair wild and her eyes sparkling reminded him of a certain euphoric afterglow. He hadn't thought that watching her and Beth going out there to dance so provocatively could equate to foreplay, but he was looking right at it.
All the insecurity he had felt about letting loose on the dancefloor had left him with that sexy wink. He'd been summoned and needed to obey the fire he felt inside. What the Hell, at least he'd be out there with Kate. The other women were just background noise. He got up out of his seat and handed Kate's purse to Daniel. "Here, don't lose this."
Beth and Kate exchanged a look, smiling as they both saw Drake approaching. Beth gave Kate a high five and then blended into the crowd, mingling with the other women on the dancefloor. Kate met Drake halfway reaching out to take his hand, leading him forward. The crowd parted, allowing them space in the middle of the floor.
As the pulsing beat of one song faded and then blended into the next, Drake looked around to see what the other people were doing. If he wasn't mistaken most were coupling up.
🎶...We're speaking bodycodes...We're speaking bodycodes... We're speaking bodycodes.. came a soulful soft male voice and a sultry soft underlying beat from the speakers.
Placing her hands up behind Drake's neck, Kate pressed up close to him as he placed his hands on the bare skin of her lower back. When he didn't start dancing, she said. "Just relax, and let the music guide you. Dancing is just a conversation between our bodies..if you do it right it's like sex with all of our clothes on."
🎶...Don't deny...My touch it's all you crave for...And your heart... We're speaking bodycodes..
Drake leaned in for a soft kiss, and rolled his hips forward, while Kate shifted hers to meld her body to his. As his hands slid up her back, her hands slid down his and she grabbed his ass. When he stepped back, she stepped forward to move with him.
Rocking her hips side to side with the beat of the music she kept her chest pressed up against his. Drake stepped back, dropping his hands away from her, and then sidestepped around her and pulled her back up against his chest. Widening his stance he ghosted his fingers down her arm and then gently took her hand and brought it up behind his neck and placed his other hand gently on her belly. Resting her head back against his shoulder, she leaned back into him and let the gentle sway of his hips be her guide as she moved with him.
🎶...This is all we're heading for...Collapsing on the floor..I was hoping for more... Don't You know my touch it's all you crave for.....Cause you and I don't forget what we are..
As his touch on her belly became more firm, he leaned in to kiss her shoulder, and she slid her fingers up the back of his neck and into his hair. He whispered softly and buried his face into the side of her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair. Kate slid her hand over his, and meshed their fingers together, and her soft touch pulled a groan from his throat. He lifted his face from her neck and then reached up to tilt her chin up and to the side so that he could kiss her from behind.
Leaning back and with his hand still at her throat, Kate gasped as she felt Drake lift her up off the floor. He kissed her harder, the hand that was once on her belly had now slid across her waist so that he was holding her back against him with his forearm. She whimpered as his tight hold started to choke off her air. Scratching at the back of his neck, and tugging at his hair, she gasped. "Put me..down.."
Relaxing his hold he settled her back down on her feet again, and she turned around to face him and braced her hands against his chest to give herself some room. Kate's heart thudded against her ribs as she took deep breaths again. "What the..fuck? Were you trying to kiss me unconscious?"
He shook his head, seeing the shock and disbelief on her face, "No, of course not."
Kate stroked a hand down her throat and swallowed, remembering how firm and frightening his hand had felt up under her chin. "Well it felt like you were trying to."
Brushing her hair back from her face he cupped her cheek in his hand, and he felt her flinch against his palm, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Having you in my arms like that...I had the overwhelming urge to kiss you. The angle of your mouth was so soft, and different and I wanted to taste more of you."
The apology in his eyes, and the tenderness of his touch on her cheek were so different than his rough passionate embrace from mere moments ago. She wanted to be angry at him, but his carnal desire to taste more of her sent a delicious sizzle of intrigue down her spine. He was a passionate person, a passionate and very strong person. He wouldn't hurt her on purpose, right? With a sigh she tucked herself into his chest and he folded his arms around her.
Drake held her this way, ignoring the music and not bothering with any kind of dance move. Just being allowed to hold her in public was all that he wanted. He closed his eyes, blocking out the chaotic atmosphere around them, and rested his cheek against her head.
Beth stood off to one side, a group of dancers blocking her from view. She'd watched the sensuous way that Drake and Kate had danced together, and how passionately their dance had ended. She wondered what an intense relationship like that must feel like. To have that kind of chemistry with someone. Could she and Daniel ever have something like that?
Standing at the mirror by her closet, Kate pulled the elastic out of her hair and then ran a brush through it. Her focus was less on her hair and more on the shirtless Drake in grey sweatpants standing in the room behind her. While she was using a brush he was running his fingers through his own hair as he considered the clothing options that were spread out on the bed. As she unzipped her hoodie and tossed it into the laundry basket by the closet his attention was drawn to the waves of her dark silky hair as they spilled over her bare shoulders and down between her shoulder blades. She met his gaze in the mirror as she pulled the brush through her hair again, "What? I can be shirtless too."
Biting the edge of his lip he grinned and then looked away, "So what kind of establishment is this Twisted Rose?"
"Oh my goodness, Drake. Establishment? Could you be any more European?" She teased.
With an eye roll he crossed his arms, "Ha ha, go ahead and pick on the way I talk. You sound like your buddy Daniel. I'm only asking because I don't know what to wear."
Kate turned around and walked over to her dresser, "If you're looking for a dress code rating between Jake's Place and The Ritz it's barely a step or two above Jake's. So it's definitely casual."
"Jake's Place?" He frowned, confused.
"You know, the bar that Daniel and I worked together. The dive you dragged Nicholas and Maxwell to. What did you wear that night?"
He scratched his head, "I dunno, probably jeans and a t-shirt, or my denim shirt and a leather jacket."
As she fished through her jewelry box for two matching earrings, she gestured to him. "Well there you go. Some variation of that will work just fine."
Joining her at the dresser, he moved her hair out of the way and leaned in to kiss the back of her shoulder, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her back against him.
"So, whatcha lookin' for?" he mumbled against her skin as his kisses moved up the side of her neck and his nose grazed the shell of her ear. In the mirror behind the dresser he watched her close her eyes, tilting her head to the side. He felt her gasp and shiver in his embrace.
She opened her eyes, and met his in the mirror. "I was looking for a pair of earrings to go with the chain I want to wear."
He looked down at the velvet lined wooden box that she had opened. Various pieces of gold and silver jewelry were mixed together. An antique looking gold ring with a red stone caught his attention. "What about that? It's kind of pretty."
Moving her hair back behind her shoulder, and pulling away from him, she picked up one of the black stud earrings she had chosen and put it into the hole in her earlobe. "What's kind of pretty?"
"The gold ring. Is that a ruby?"
She shrugged and then popped in the other earring, "I don't know. It belonged to my grandmother."
"May I?" Drake asked as he poked his pinky into the ring and plucked it out of the box.
Pulling her hair off to the side she fastened a chain necklace around her neck. "I don't think it quite fits you, but sure."
Pinching the delicate band between his thumb and finger he looked at the ring more closely.
"I've seen a ring like this before."
Kate pulled out the top drawer of her dresser, and pushed the bras aside to find the black lacy corset top she was planning on wearing. There was a curious look on Drake's face. It reminded her of the way the hobbits gazed upon the Precious ring from the movies.
"Drake, it's just a ring. I agree it's pretty, and all. But I doubt it has magical powers or anything. I rarely wear it because it seemed too fancy to wear to work. I was afraid someone would steal it."
Handing the ring back to Kate, Drake went over and picked up his phone. "Unless I'm wrong, that ring means something. And I'm not just talking about the value of the gold and the stone."
Sliding it onto her finger, Kate wrapped the corset top around her ribs next and then fastened the hooks. "I don't get it, Drake. What's so special about it? Where would you have seen one before?"
"Nicholas's mother had one, and she wore it on her ring finger." He turned his phone around and showed Kate a picture of the queen. "It looks like a traditional Cordonian engagement ring. You may have family ties there after all."
She scoffed in disbelief, spreading out her fingers and giving the ring another look, "Oh come on, it's got to be just a coincidence. Ruby was probably just my grandmother's birthstone. There's a date engraved inside the band, and it's most likely her birthdate. Besides, what if it's a fake and just a piece of red glass cut to look like a ruby?"
Drake was still staring at her. His eyes shifted down to the ring she had put on her right hand, and then back up to her face. She couldn't tell what he was thinking and the weight of the gold band suddenly felt heavy on her hand. The word engagement still hung in the air between them too. Walking back over to the dresser she tugged the ring off her finger and then put it away in the box.
"Snap out of it, Drake. We don't have time to discuss the ring and question my hypothetical family history. We're going out tonight, and you're still standing there in sweat pants."
Sucking in a deep breath he pulled himself back to his original business. "Uhh, ok then. Where were we?"
Kate pulled down her own pants and tossed them into the laundry basket too. "Hurry up and get dressed, or I'm going out to the bar without you."
Casual, she said Casual. He thought. But there was nothing casual about the way his thoughts were zapping around in his brain. Why the fuck does she have a very Cordonian looking engagement ring? When his mind had drifted back to Nick's mother, it had also landed with a thud up against Constantine. Was there another reason for the former king to discourage his son from marrying Kate? A ruby of that size is way out of the price range of the average person. It could just be fake costume jewellery like she said, but what if it's not?
The sound of a knock on the door made them both look. "Time to go, guys. Many tequila shots and karaoke songs are waiting."
Kate went over to her closet in search of something. In just her black lacy corset top and matching panties, she looked more undressed than dressed. But he couldn't just stand there any longer wondering what that ruby ring meant, he had to get ready too.
Pushing the formal clothes on the bed aside, he opened up his suitcase and dug through what clean things he had left to wear. He pulled out a black t-shirt and a pair of black jeans, and then settled on some black underwear too. Oh well, I guess she and I will match.
"Well, did you pick something?" Kate asked as she walked over with a leather mini skirt and a pair of black boots in her arms.
Pulling the shirt over his head and tugging it down over his body, he said, "All black, I guess."
Compared to the way that the boxy grey t-shirt had fit him, this black one was a vast improvement. It hugged him in all the right places and gave the firm muscles of his chest and arms nowhere to hide.
Kate resisted the urge to lick her lips as she watched him swap out his grey boxer briefs for a pair of black jockey underwear.
"I overheard you telling Daniel that blue was your favorite color. But I must say that black suits you so well that it should be illegal."
"Oh, really?" He made adjustments to himself to better fit inside of the underwear. The black fabric looked like it was clinging to his hips and ass for dear life.
When he stepped into his jeans and pulled them up, the hem of his shirt just barely covered the waist band. Low rise jeans had never looked sexier on a man. Combing his fingers through his hair, the hem of his shirt lifted and bared a tantalizing glimpse of toned skin. He caught Kate staring at him and then he dropped his hands to his hips with a smirk.
"Are you getting dressed too, cuz right now I'm winning the race to get out of here."
Dropping her lashes she bit the edge of her lip and murmured. "Sorry, I was just enjoying the show. But since you're winning..."
Skimming her hands down over her hips she dropped the panties that she was wearing. Bending over she picked them up and handed them to Drake. "I promised you a pair, so take this as your prize."
"What am I supposed to do with these?" He asked as he watched her walk back over to the dresser.
Opening up the second drawer she pulled out a pair of red lacy hip huggers and then stepped into them. "Whatever you want. Call them a souvenir from today. I put them on after our bubble bath, then wore them to dinner, where you heroically defended my honor.
Later, in the car, while I had my hand in your....." A rush of heat flared in her cheeks at the memory. "Well anyway, isn't it a rock star thing for women to throw their panties on stage? I've given you a head start on your collection."
Drake held her panties up and looked at them, they were still warm. "They've had a busy day, but I'm no rock star. I doubt I'll get any more thrown at me."
He stuffed the panties into the back pocket of his jeans and then sat down to put on his shoes.
"I guess we'll see what reaction you get from the songs you pick. I honestly don't know what kind of music you like."
After putting on the leather skirt and her tall leather boots, Kate finished off her makeup look at the mirror by drawing on a cateye with liquid liner. Drake watched her pull a black leather motorcycle jacket out of the closet as well. He'd never seen her dress like that before. It was definitely not royal court approved. As her boyfriend he was definitely aroused by it, but he was also worried. Bodyguard Drake would need to be on high alert.
..
In the kitchen, Daniel checked the time on his phone for the fourth time. "Are they getting ready or doing something else? You know that Karaoke isn't my thing, and the longer we wait the less I want to go."
Beth handed him his jacket from the closet, "Don't worry I don't expect you to sing, just keep me company while we watch others make fools of themselves. Besides the more we drink the better everyone is going to sound."
The bedroom door opened and Kate stepped out into the hall; all leather, lace and attitude. Drake followed close behind, with less of an edge to his style, but still in dark denim and brown leather.
Daniel dropped his eyes and busied himself with putting his phone away and checking for the location of his wallet. He'd seen Kate most often in her work uniform, and this was a whole other sexy side he didn't know if he liked. She was a different person now that Drake was around. Hearing the way she had talked about him, there was no doubt she was in love with the guy, but Daniel couldn't shake the feeling that Drake was wrong for her.
Beth's eyes lit up as Kate danced over to her and then pulled her into a hug. "Girl, you look amazing! I should have worn my leather too so we could match."
"No!" Said Drake and Dan at the same time as they caught the other's eye. "Let's just get out of here already," Daniel finished with a nervous chuckle.
Kate gave Beth a squeeze, not wanting to let go. Buzzing excitement and a pang of remorse clashed in her chest, both threatening to make her dissolve. She was leaving America and her best friend behind all over again tomorrow. Tears stung her eyes as she stepped back.
Drake wrapped his arm around her and whispered into her ear as he pulled her close, "Are you okay?"
She sniffed and then nodded, "Not yet, but I will be."
He cupped her face in his hand, brushing his thumb across the tear on her cheek and then leaned in to give her a soft kiss. Seeing the tender look in his eyes, Kate sighed, leaning into him. "Thanks, I needed that."
Stepping away from him she took a deep breath to compose herself and turned back to Beth and Daniel.
"Ok guys let's go, I'm ready to raise a toast to New York. And dance like there's no tomorrow."
Beth smiled and nodded, her eyes wet too, "Yes, let's do this."
...
Out on the street Kate and Drake followed Beth and Daniel down the sidewalk. Drake slowed his pace, slipping his hand into Kate's, and giving them a little space of their own. He kept his voice low so that Beth and Daniel wouldn't overhear.
"I'm sorry for making such a big deal about the ring. It just caught me by surprise."
Kate gave his hand a squeeze before responding.
"I'd nearly forgotten about it, I'm more of a necklace and earring person. So his Mom really had a ring that looked like mine? And here I thought Cordonian rubies were just apples."
Drake nodded, "I'm not sure what happened to hers after she died. Probably in some royal vault. Your grandmother's ring did look nice on you though."
"I'll be taking it with me, since you seem to like it so much. But when I wear it, it'll be on my right hand. It's sort of a family heirloom, I guess. I'm named after her, we're both Katherines.
It may look like the Queen's ring, but I don't want to give anyone at court the impression that it's an engagement ring."
Drake shrugged looking down at his shoes as he walked, he let go of her hand and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Nobody would believe it was a gift from me, anyway. So wear it wherever you want to."
Tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow, Kate sighed. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant to say. I love you, Drake. I'm yours and you're mine and right now that's all that matters. What we have is so new and wonderful, and our commitment to each other needs room to grow and develop. When we're ready to take things further, we'll know."
He took her hand again, lifting it up to kiss the back of it. "Well said... I love you, too."
Damn she's good. He thought. I'd be a fool to let her go.
..
After rounding a corner they came upon a group of people standing outside of a building that looked like an old industrial warehouse. The windows of the upper floor are framed in pink neon, but otherwise the interior is dark. Under the windows a large sign in ornate gothic script says Twisted Rose Tattoo. A lineup of people snaked around the corner to the backside of the building.
Beth waved to a girl at the end of the line and she rushed over to give her a hug.
"Hey Mags, so nice to see you! Let me introduce you to my friends."
Maggy, a petite brunette with her hair in a short pixie style, was dressed in jeans and a black crop top covered in little silver stars. The bare skin between her shirt and jeans showed off tattoos that went up under her shirt and traveled down below her waistband.
Drake's eyes were drawn to the elaborate design, seeing skulls, roses and a thorny vine like rope that could have been barbed wire.
He quickly shifted his gaze back to her face when Beth started to do introductions.
"Maggy is a tattoo artist that works in the studio upstairs. We met a couple of weeks ago when I stopped in for a consult about a tattoo."
Kate looked at Beth, "I didn't know you were considering another tattoo."
Another? Drake thought, as he stole a glance at Beth too. There didn't seem to be anything visible on the bare skin she was showing. Daniel caught him looking at Beth and his eyes flashed a warning, making Drake look away.
A slight blush crept into Beth's cheeks as she answered her friend, "I..I know it was something we were going to do together, but you weren't here. Sorry, K."
Kate looked down briefly and then back up at Beth, "Oh... So did you decide on a design?"
Drake gave Kate's hand a squeeze. His chest felt tight knowing that she had missed out on spending the summer with her best friend. She'd made new friends in Cordonia, but Kate and Beth's friendship went back years. Traditions and promises had been broken between them.
Beth shook her head, "No, not yet. But anyway.. where was I? Oh right, introductions."
Beth turned toward Daniel, patting his chest as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "This is my best boyfriend ever, Dan."
Maggy smirked, "I remember you talking about him. It's nice to put a face to the guy at last. Hey, Dan."
He nodded back, "Hi."
"And who's that?" Maggy added, lifting her chin in Drake's direction.
"Oh ... that's Drake. He came all the way from Europe to sweep my girl Kate off her feet, and steal her back to his Kingdom."
Maggy gave Drake a quick sweep from head to toe, then back up again. "Wow, how romantic and shit. I didn't know people actually did that."
"Well...Beth makes it sound like a kidnapping, but..yeah..." Drake's face softened as he looked at Kate, "It's definitely romantic."
Beth moved on, "Oh and this is Kate, his fair maiden and my bestie. She used to tend bar and wait tables with Dan way back when."
Maggy's eyes narrowed and then she nodded. "I think we've met before, but maybe I'm thinking I've seen you somewhere. Yeah, that's it."
She looked back and forth between Drake and Kate. "Oh wait now I remember. I've seen you two in pictures online. Quite a little scandal. Damn that's hot, good for you."
Kate laughed uneasily. "Yep, just loving that celebrity status. I'm not that special, really."
Drake wrapped his arm around Kate's back, giving her a squeeze, reminding her that she's special to someone.
Beth, Daniel, Drake and Kate file in behind Maggy and her date at the end of the line. She turned and looked back at them, gesturing to the guy next to her in line.
"Oh hey, where are my manners? This handsome dude is my buddy Jeff."
Jeff raised his hand in a brief wave, his mop of curly hair flopped down on his forehead as he nodded then turned back to lean against the wall behind Maggy. When the line moved forward, a small group of people came back around the corner, having exited the club.
"I've never seen this place so busy, they must be keeping a body count for crowd control," Kate said.
Drake said nothing as he stood next to her with a firm hold of her hand. Compared to the happy faces of the people moving past him, he looked grim.
Kate wiggled her fingers to loosen the death grip he had on her hand, "This isn't really your kind of place is it?"
Drake sighed, slumping against the wall. "Not at all. Give me a bottle of whiskey, and you for company any night."
"We can go back to the apartment if you want to."
Drake wrapped his hands around Kate's waist and leaned his forehead against hers.
"I appreciate you offering to rescue me from all this, but I'm determined to tough it out for your sake."
"Besides, I've seen you dance and now I want to hear you sing."
Drake sighed, "I'm only doing this for you."
The line moved forward again and their group was the next to go in. A pair of tall heavily muscled doormen stand resolutely by the door. Drake made eye contact with the one on the left. The guy sized him up and then spoke. "I'm putting you in charge of keeping your little group under control, understood?"
Drake nodded, "Understood."
"Have you ever done security work before?"
Raising his chin Drake responded,
"It's literally in my blood, my Father was the Head of Security for the King of a small European country."
The doorman on the right scoffed. "Yeah right, and I'm the Queen of France."
Drake responded, "France doesn't have a monarchy. It has a president and a prime minister."
The doorman on the left glared at the other guy. "His accent alone is convincing enough for me, just drop it dude."
Righty spoke up again, "So which King did he babysit, and what are you doing way over here in New York?"
"His Royal Highness King Constantine of Cordonia. His son, and the current monarch sent me here on a diplomatic mission."
Lefty's eyebrows shot up. "Wow man that's cool. You got any ID on you?"
Drake walked over and showed the guy his Driver's License and his Palace security pass.
"Holy crap, the dude lives in a royal palace for Christ's sake."
Righty laughed, "You're shittin' me."
Drake impatiently watched Dweedle Dee pass Dweedle Dumb his IDs.
"Ok guys. I think I've proven that I'm well within the legal drinking age, can I have those back now?"
The doorman on the right seemed reluctant to hand them back for a moment, and he looked between Drake and the photos on his cards multiple times. "Ok, fine. But did you know that your Driver's License expired three years ago? You might want to renew that."
Drake held his hands out to the side, "Does it look like I'm driving? Is it a valid ID or not?"
With his eyes still narrowed, the doorman handed Drake back his ID cards. "Yeah, yeah. Take 'em back."
After tucking them back in his wallet, he went back to stand next to Kate. "I officially hate it here, can we go home now?" He mumbled.
The entrance / exit opened again and several patrons came out.
Doorman on the left addressed Drake and his group.
"Ok everyone before entering the club this evening we must perform a weapons check. So please empty your pockets."
As they watch Daniel and Beth show the contents of their pockets and their IDs, Drake whispered to Kate. "You want to see Dumbass #2 eat his words? I still have your panties in my pocket."
Kate felt her stomach drop, and her cheeks burn. "Drake oh my god! You're not serious. Hand them to me and I'll put them in my purse." She hissed.
"No wait, I want to see his reaction first."
After handing back Beth's things, one of the doormen gives her a quick pat down for concealed weapons.
Drake frowned, "I'm not letting that asshole touch you. Forget that."
Before Kate could respond Drake spoke up, "Is the pat down really necessary?"
Once Beth passed inspection, the doorman on the right answered, "In this neighborhood? You bet your ass it is."
Kate shrugged, poking him on the arm, "He has a point, Drake."
Righty beckoned Drake forward.
"Ok dude, I've already seen your ID so you can skip that. But I want to see what's in your pockets."
Drake emptied out his jacket pockets first, showing his cell phone, and his wallet. He turned out the front pockets of his jeans to show them being empty.
He reached into his left back pocket, and slowly pulled out Kate's lacy panties and then put them into the guy's cupped hands.
The guy laughed, "Diplomatic mission? My ass. What are these for?"
Folding his arms Drake replied, "No, her ass. And I collected them for evidence."
"Evidence of wh-...? Nevermind, here take them back." The guy's face screwed up in disgust and then he handed them back to Drake.
Beth burst out laughing as the guy wiped his hands on his pants, blushing.
Drake stuffed them back in his pocket, and then endured the brief pat down from the other guy.
"Ok you pass, her turn." He said, pointing to Kate next.
Kate took off her jacket, and showed that she wasn't hiding anything. She showed her ID, and then opened her purse to show the contents.
When the doorman looked Kate up and down, taking a step forward, Drake shook his head and barked out a warning, "Hey pal, touch her and I'll break your fingers."
He stepped back, catching Drake's icy glare. "Don't threaten me, I'm just doing my job."
Drake nodded, "And I'm just doing mine as her bodyguard. That wasn't a threat it was a promise. Now back off."
The doorman spoke to Kate, "So, Angel Eyes. Is this guy really your bodyguard or just your boyfriend?"
Kate glanced at Drake and then back to the doorman as she put her jacket back on, "Actually he's both. I'd listen to him. He's already made some guy eat carpet for getting too close to me today. And he didn't even touch me."
With a sigh he waved her away, "Fine, you pass too."
The four of them entered the club and Drake sighed with relief. "I see now why the line moved so slowly."
Once inside Drake took in his surroundings. In the far right corner of the building is a pair of pool tables, to the left is a long wooden bar. The space in between the door and the pool tables had scattered tables for four. To their immediate left is a large dancefloor, a small stage in the corner, and a DJ booth.
They chose a table for four between the bar and the dancefloor. Drake pulled his chair over closer to Kate, and then took off his jacket, and hung it on the back. Sitting down next to Kate he laid his arm across the back of her chair and Kate leaned into him, resting her hand on his thigh.
Beth waved over a passing waitress.
"Hey guys, welcome to the Twisted Rose, what can I get you to drink?"
"I'll have a Bud lite," said Daniel.
"A Manhattan," said Beth.
"A Rum and Coke," said Kate.
Drake ordered Whiskey on the rocks.
The server nodded, making a note on her paper, then left.
Drake surveyed the room again, this time looking at the people. The age range looked to be mid twenties to mid thirties, with a gender split of about seventy thirty. The female population were in the majority. Most of the men seemed to be clustered around the pool tables and bar area. The few guys he saw on the dancefloor were surrounded by women too.
Kate noticed Drake's calculated gaze as he looked around the room.
"Sizing up the competition?" she asked.
"More like a lack thereof. I see a lot more women in here than men."
Kate winked at him, "You do realize that women can be competition too, right?"
Drake opened his mouth to reply, but the server arrived before he could answer.
After distributing their drink orders she waited for payment. When the men's wallets came out, Drake pulled out his black card from Nicholas. "You guys were gracious enough to pay for pizza and take us in for the night, so let me handle this."
He asked the server if they could keep a running tab at the bar. She seemed hesitant at first, but then nodded and took his card. "Alright, sir."
Once the server left, Daniel spoke up.
"So Drake, do you always carry women's panties around in your pocket?"
Drake took a sip of his whiskey before answering, "Only on Monday nights."
Daniel's confused look made Beth and Kate burst out laughing. The pulsing dance music stopped and the people on the dancefloor started to disperse. Daniel took a sip of his beer, glaring at Beth over the rim of his glass. "Just for that, I'm making one of you get up there and do a lip sync with me."
Kate glanced at Drake, "I'm not much of a singer, but I can pretend like nobody's business."
Beth grinned, looking at Daniel, "Any time I've seen it done, it gets played out as a Battle of the Sexes. So you're on babe."
Drake sighed, frowning down into his whiskey as he took a sip. Knowing that they're all waiting for him to say something.
"What's this lip sync crap? I thought we were here for Karaoke."
Kate placed her hand on his arm, "Oh they do both on Monday nights. Karaoke first and then couples battle it out for applause from the crowd."
"Oh, great." He mumbled.
As the music started up again with a slow song she recognized, Kate took a big swallow of her rum and Coke. The acidic cola and burning alcohol blazed down her throat and splashed into her stomach like a hot potion of liquid courage. She grabbed Drake's hand, and stood up out of her seat, "C'mon Drake, dance with me."
He looked up at her bewildered, "You know I don't dance."
"Bullshit, I've seen you do it. It's just you and me, and it's not the Cordonian Waltz. I'll try not to step on your feet, if you promise not to stomp on mine." Kate tugged at his hand, her eyes pleading for him to get up.
Taylor Swift's, "Lover" was playing.
Drake glanced at the dancefloor where various couples were gathering.
"Fine, I guess so."
"Good, cuz I love this song."
Drake got up out of his seat and let Kate lead him out into the crowd, where they found some space of their own.
Kate put her hands up behind Drake's neck, and he held her gently by the waist. Smiling he leaned down to give her a kiss.
She whispered as he drew back, "I think this is the point when some dancing is supposed to happen."
"Uh huh." He said.
Drake started to sway side to side, and Kate rocked her hips. She kept her eyes locked on his, while she tried to keep her booted feet from stepping on his toes. With her tall boots on they were closer in height, and Drake appreciated not having to lean down so much to kiss her.
Kate mouthed the words to the song and Drake watched her lips, pulling her closer to him. The sweet message the song conveyed struck a chord within him and he stopped moving. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I think we've found our song."
Kate rested her cheek against his shoulder and she hugged him tightly as he gently swayed her side to side. "That's why I wanted to dance. This song is so us." She said.
She quietly sang along with Taylor Swift as they danced, and Drake felt himself melting inside. Nick and his love letter to Kate was nothing compared to this. 🎶"Can I go where you go? ...Can we always be this close Forever and ever..?"
🎶"Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? .... I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover... Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover..."
"Darling, you're my, my, my, my...Lover."🎶
As the music faded he cupped her face in his hands and planted a firm kiss on her lips.
The other couples began to leave the floor, but Kate and Drake stayed behind, still kissing.
After a few seconds the DJ cut in over the loud speakers,
"Ok everybody, let's get this Karaoke party started...If we could only clear the dancefloor that would be great."
Kate and Drake came up for air and headed back to their seats.
"Thanks you two... Now who's going to join me in the booth and pick out our first song?"
Kate sat down, picking up her glass and finishing her drink. Drake sat down too, the ice cubes have melted in his glass, but he picked it up anyway and finished his.
Beth looked between Drake and Kate, and the way he's resumed having his arm around her shoulders.
Beth shook her head, "Wow Drake, I never pegged you as a Swiftie"
He looked at Kate, and smirked. "Yeah, well I am now."
Kate stroked Drake's thigh, and he nudged her foot under the table. "Careful, Darling." He muttered.
She stilled her hand, but kept it on his leg. When she leaned toward him, he pulled her in for a quick kiss.
On the stage someone is drunkenly butchering a song so bad they don't recognize it. Both Beth and Daniel wince, "Wow that's bad," he said.
Kate covered her ears as their romantic moment was so crudely interrupted. Drake straightened up and then reached for his phone out of his coat pocket. He unlocked it and looked for inspiration in his playlist.
"Even I can do better than that," he grumbled.
Beth pointed to him. "Do it Drake!"
He shook his head, smirking down at his screen, "I need another whiskey in me first."
Daniel waved over a server. When she arrived he ordered four glasses of whiskey for the table.
"There. Some whiskey for everybody." he said.
As the stage went quiet again they all turned their heads in unison to see who was next. Maggy walked up on stage. Beth whistled and Maggy waved, back.
She calmly listened as the music for Twenty One Pilots Car Radio started, waiting for the right time to jump in.
🎶"....I ponder of something great, my lungs will fill and then deflate, they fill with fire exhale desire, I know it's dire my time today....I have these thoughts so often I ought to replace that slot with what I once bought, cuz somebody stole my car radio and now I just sit in silence..sometimes quiet is violent..."🎶
Kate and her group sat transfixed as Maggy hit each word right on.
🎶"...I'm forced to deal with what I feel, there is no distraction to mask what is real,...I can pull the stearing wheel...I have these thoughts so often I ought to replace that slot with what I once bought, cuz somebody stole my car radio and now I just sit in silence."🎶
When the song ended they all clapped enthusiastically, Beth and Drake both whistled. Maggy bowed and then left the stage.
The server arrived with their whiskeys, and Daniel told her that they were running a tab and then she left too.
The DJ chimed in.
"Thanks Mags, who needs a car radio when you can sing it out like that....Alright we have time for a few more Karaoke singers before we start tonight's lipsync battle. So come on up somebody, and let's keep this rolling."
Drake took a sip of his whiskey, enjoying that familiar warmth in his throat. Everyone else at the table sipped at their drinks too. The conversation had stalled. Nobody wanting to volunteer for Karaoke yet. Drake's Even I can do better than that seemed to hang over his head like a neon sign.
Kate broke their awkward silence.
"So Daniel, now that I'm officially moving out are you gonna move in with Beth?"
Daniel nearly spat out his mouthful of whiskey, he carefully swallowed before answering. "I've been thinking about it. Beth's apartment is much nicer than mine."
Beth squealed with happiness and hugged him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Aww, honey that makes me so happy. Hell yes you're moving in."
Drake looked from Beth to Daniel, chuckling to himself. Good Luck.
Another less than sober Karaoke singer made their way on stage. Everyone turned to see how they were going to manage.
This time it's a guy. He cleared his throat nervously and tried to compose himself as his music started. He's attempting Shinedown's version of Simple Man.
After a shaky start he soon belted out a passable rendition.
🎶.... Forget your lust for the Rich man's gold, all that you need now is in your soul, and you can do this oh baby if you try, all that I want from you my son, is to be satisfied..
And be a simple kind of man, and be something you love and understand, baby be a simple kind of man, won't you do this for my son, if you can...if you can 🎶
Kate felt goosebumps break out on her arms, and she reached for Drake's hand. He squeezed back.
🎶...Oh don't you worry, you'll find yourself, follow your heart and nothing else, and you can do this oh baby if you try, all that I want from you my son, is to be satisfied..
And be a simple kind of man, oh won't you do this for me son if you can, so baby be a simple, be a simple man, oh won't you do this for my son, if you can...🎶
The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and whistles. Drake gulped down a mouthful of whiskey.
"Holy crap, how do I follow that?"
Kate turned to Drake, tugging him closer and gave him a firm kiss. She could taste the whiskey in his mouth and on his lips. Moaning against him, she slid her hand up his thigh. But just as he started to enjoy it, she pulled away. Sucking in a deep breath to steady her nerves, Kate sat back in her seat. "There you go, Honey, a little motivation."
Drake sucked in a deep breath too, and then let it out. "Holy Shit, ok that'll do. Thanks."
Downing the last of his whiskey he got up, tilting his empty glass to her, "This is for you Kate, so you better hold onto something." He winked at her and then walked over to the DJ booth.
Kate could hardly suppress her nervous giggles. This was either going to be a huge success or a fail. She wasn't sure how to react. She'd never heard Drake sing before.
Drake talked with the DJ for a moment, showing him a song from his playlist, the DJ nodded and gave him a thumbs up.
"I wonder what song he picked." Kate looked over at Beth and Daniel and they shrugged too. As Drake stepped up on stage he looked out at the crowd. Beth and Daniel started chanting and thumping on the table to cheer him on, "Drake! Drake! Drake! Drake!"
He waved back to them, picking up the microphone and then mumbled "Thanks."
Dropping the microphone away from his mouth again he shook out his shoulders and readied himself.
Clearing his throat he smirked and then spoke up, "I'd like to dedicate this song to all the single ladies in the crowd, but also to one special girl."
Whistles and cheers from various women in the club answered him back, and Kate hid her face in her hands as she felt her cheeks burn.
He nodded to the DJ, and his music started. Kate recognized the song as "Need you Tonight" from INXS.
Kate peeked through her fingers, oh my God he can't be serious.. She dropped her hands and clenched them together in her lap, trying to prepare herself for what's about to come out of Drake's mouth.
He tapped his foot to the music, setting the microphone back on the mike stand he cradled it in his hands, and leveled his gaze directly at Kate.
🎶...Come over here...he breathed into the microphone.
Kate felt a shiver go up her spine, and goosebumps rise on her arms. Holy shit..
Drake rocked his hips and tapped his foot to the music, really making it his own. Damn it was sexy.
🎶..All you've got is this moment.. Twenty-first century is yesterday..You can care all you want..
Everybody does, yeah that's okay.. 🎶
He pulled the microphone from the mike stand and stepped to the side. Dancing in a way that made Kate feel hot all over.
Whistles and cheers erupted from the ladies in the crowd as he sang.
🎶..So slide over here..And give me a moment..Your moves are so raw..I've got to let you know...I've got to let you know..You're one of my kind..
His voice hitched in a gasp...
...I need you tonight.. 'Cause I'm not sleeping.. There's something about you, girl...That makes me sweat..🎶
Drake pulled her panties out of his pocket, making a show of blotting his face and forehead with them before dropping them on the stage.
🎶..How do you feel?...I'm lonely!...What do you think? ... Can't think at all....Whatcha gonna do?...Gonna live my life..
..So slide over here and give me a moment.. your moves are so raw.. I've got to let you know..I've got to let you know.. You're one of my kind...🎶
Drake punctuated a shift in the music with a pelvic thrust and a gasp that every woman watching could feel.
He leveled his gaze on Kate once more before finishing the song.
🎶....I need you tonight..'Cause I'm not sleeping.. There's something about you, girl..that makes me sweat..
Beth leaned over and poked a mesmerized Kate on the arm to get her attention, she raised her voice to be heard, "Did you know he could perform like this?"
She shook her head, "Uh, no?"
Beth broke into a wide grin, poking her again, "It's amazing what enough whiskey can do. Plus with his accent this song is perfect."
🎶..How do you feel?..... I'm lonely!..
Kate nodded, focusing on Drake again.
..So slide over here and give me a moment.. your moves are so raw..I've got to let you know..I've got to let you know.. So slide over here and give a moment ..I've got to let you know..I've got to let you know....You're one of my kind..🎶
The DJ tried to make himself heard above all the hoots and hollers as Drake blew a kiss and then bent down to pick up the panties from the stage and shoved them back into his pocket. He hopped down from the stage, pulling his shirt up by the collar to mop the sweat from his face.
Kate gasped at the brief glimpse of the bare skin of his belly, and then looked away as Drake walked over to the bar.
Leaning his elbows on the bar, he asked the bartender, "Could I trouble you for a glass of water?"
He was mobbed by several women, but he just smiled and ignored them as he sipped his water and then turned away. He walked back to his seat and after setting down his glass, he flopped down into his chair. Everyone else at the table was speechless for a moment, and just stared at him.
"What?" he said, smirking behind his glass of water as he picked it up.
Kate and Beth both burst out laughing, fanning themselves dramatically.
"Holy crap on a cracker Drake..," Beth said once she caught her breath.
"Wow, just wow.." Kate finished.
Daniel chuckled at Drake. "Dude, fuck that was hot, you could almost smell all the panties in the room melting from here."
Drake choked on his water, coughing to clear his throat and then he composed himself. "You really think so?"
A trickle of sweat ran down his neck and Kate watched it disappear into the collar of his shirt. She reached up and smoothed back some dampened hair at his temple, and he turned toward her. He tilted his head and kissed her cheek, cupping the back of her head he whispered, "Did you like it? Are you one of my kind? Because you definitely make me sweat."
Kate shivered as his hot breath caressed her earlobe and neck, she closed her eyes and whispered back, "Yes."
Shifting back in his seat he picked up his water again sipping it more carefully this time.
Sucking in a deep breath Kate let it out with a sigh, trying to calm her racing heart. She picked up her whiskey glass, but was disappointed to find it empty. "Damn, I'm all out."
Drake asked, "Do you want another?"
Kate shook her head. "No, two drinks is plenty for me thanks. I still need to walk home. I could use a drink of water like yours though."
"Here, take mine" he said, setting his glass in front of her.
The DJ spoke up now that the room had quieted down to a dull throb of conversation. "Ok everyone, after a break we'll crank it back up again for our battle of the sexes, lipsync style. For now we'll light up the dancefloor and turn it over to you guys."
Coloured light from overhead flashed and slid across the expanse of wooden floor as a bass heavy dance beat started playing over the speakers.
Kate took a sip of water, and danced from the waist up in her seat. The throb of the music was so loud that Drake could feel it resonate in his ribcage. He could see why people were flocking to the dancefloor. Beth couldn't sit still either.
"Come on Kate, that song was made for dancing. I'm bored of watching everyone else have fun," Beth said.
"Yes, let's get up and dance. Drake, Daniel coming with us?"
"Uh, no thanks. Not in the mood to embarrass myself," said Daniel.
Kate and Beth got up, handing the guys their purses for safe keeping.
Drake sat Kate's purse on her seat instead. She placed her hands on his shoulders, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "You've been holding out on me. I saw the way you moved on stage. Come dance with us."
"I'm happy just to watch for now, thanks,.. I'm taking a break from making a spectacle of myself." he said.
"Are you afraid to be out on the dancefloor with all of your adoring female fans?" Kate teased.
"Definitely."
"Ok, your loss. But if inspiration strikes, come on over. I promise it'll be fun."
Beth grabbed Kate's hand and they danced their way out onto the floor, laughing and bouncing together to the beat.
All the beautiful women were writhing and grinding together under the pulsing lights. Seeing all the touching, body contact and bouncing made Drake's pulse race. He fought to pull his gaze away from all the other women and just keep an eye on Kate and Beth. He figured that Daniel was trying to do the same.
They watched Beth and Kate dance together, and it was clear how much fun they were having. They laughed, smiled and fed off the other's energy as only best friends could.
"Beth sure is a firecracker. I can see why Kate loves her so much." Drake said.
Daniel was about to protest, but then he realized that Drake was serving a compliment not a complaint. "Yeah, Kate would talk about her a lot while we were working. You'd swear they were sisters and not just friends."
Drake nodded, "I hope they stay in touch after Kate moves to Cordonia. I know she doesn't have any siblings and her parents live far away, so it pains me that I'm asking her to leave New York and her chosen family behind."
Daniel crossed his arms and sat back, "Well you could just go home without her, Drake."
"No, I can't. I love her too much to live without her. She's changed my life for the better, and I plan on spending the rest of my life showing her how grateful I am that she loves me back."
"Wow. Have you told her that?"
Drake shrugged, "Maybe not in those exact words, but I'm pretty sure she knows how I feel."
There was a subtle shift in the tempo of the music and Drake looked back out toward the dancefloor. Kate and Beth had stopped dancing and were talking up close and stealing glances his way. When he and Kate made eye contact she winked and beckoned to him.
Kate, with her hair wild and her eyes sparkling reminded him of a certain euphoric afterglow. He hadn't thought that watching her and Beth going out there to dance so provocatively could equate to foreplay, but he was looking right at it.
All the insecurity he had felt about letting loose on the dancefloor had left him with that sexy wink. He'd been summoned and needed to obey the fire he felt inside. What the Hell, at least he'd be out there with Kate. The other women were just background noise. He got up out of his seat and handed Kate's purse to Daniel. "Here, don't lose this."
Beth and Kate exchanged a look, smiling as they both saw Drake approaching. Beth gave Kate a high five and then blended into the crowd, mingling with the other women on the dancefloor. Kate met Drake halfway reaching out to take his hand, leading him forward. The crowd parted, allowing them space in the middle of the floor.
As the pulsing beat of one song faded and then blended into the next, Drake looked around to see what the other people were doing. If he wasn't mistaken most were coupling up.
🎶...We're speaking bodycodes...We're speaking bodycodes... We're speaking bodycodes.. came a soulful soft male voice and a sultry soft underlying beat from the speakers.
Placing her hands up behind Drake's neck, Kate pressed up close to him as he placed his hands on the bare skin of her lower back. When he didn't start dancing, she said. "Just relax, and let the music guide you. Dancing is just a conversation between our bodies..if you do it right it's like sex with all of our clothes on."
🎶...Don't deny...My touch it's all you crave for...And your heart... We're speaking bodycodes..
Drake leaned in for a soft kiss, and rolled his hips forward, while Kate shifted hers to meld her body to his. As his hands slid up her back, her hands slid down his and she grabbed his ass. When he stepped back, she stepped forward to move with him.
Rocking her hips side to side with the beat of the music she kept her chest pressed up against his. Drake stepped back, dropping his hands away from her, and then sidestepped around her and pulled her back up against his chest. Widening his stance he ghosted his fingers down her arm and then gently took her hand and brought it up behind his neck and placed his other hand gently on her belly. Resting her head back against his shoulder, she leaned back into him and let the gentle sway of his hips be her guide as she moved with him.
🎶...This is all we're heading for...Collapsing on the floor..I was hoping for more... Don't You know my touch it's all you crave for.....Cause you and I don't forget what we are..
As his touch on her belly became more firm, he leaned in to kiss her shoulder, and she slid her fingers up the back of his neck and into his hair. He whispered softly and buried his face into the side of her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair. Kate slid her hand over his, and meshed their fingers together, and her soft touch pulled a groan from his throat. He lifted his face from her neck and then reached up to tilt her chin up and to the side so that he could kiss her from behind.
Leaning back and with his hand still at her throat, Kate gasped as she felt Drake lift her up off the floor. He kissed her harder, the hand that was once on her belly had now slid across her waist so that he was holding her back against him with his forearm. She whimpered as his tight hold started to choke off her air. Scratching at the back of his neck, and tugging at his hair, she gasped. "Put me..down.."
Relaxing his hold he settled her back down on her feet again, and she turned around to face him and braced her hands against his chest to give herself some room. Kate's heart thudded against her ribs as she took deep breaths again. "What the..fuck? Were you trying to kiss me unconscious?"
He shook his head, seeing the shock and disbelief on her face, "No, of course not."
Kate stroked a hand down her throat and swallowed, remembering how firm and frightening his hand had felt up under her chin. "Well it felt like you were trying to."
Brushing her hair back from her face he cupped her cheek in his hand, and he felt her flinch against his palm, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Having you in my arms like that...I had the overwhelming urge to kiss you. The angle of your mouth was so soft, and different and I wanted to taste more of you."
The apology in his eyes, and the tenderness of his touch on her cheek were so different than his rough passionate embrace from mere moments ago. She wanted to be angry at him, but his carnal desire to taste more of her sent a delicious sizzle of intrigue down her spine. He was a passionate person, a passionate and very strong person. He wouldn't hurt her on purpose, right? With a sigh she tucked herself into his chest and he folded his arms around her.
Drake held her this way, ignoring the music and not bothering with any kind of dance move. Just being allowed to hold her in public was all that he wanted. He closed his eyes, blocking out the chaotic atmosphere around them, and rested his cheek against her head.
Beth stood off to one side, a group of dancers blocking her from view. She'd watched the sensuous way that Drake and Kate had danced together, and how passionately their dance had ended. She wondered what an intense relationship like that must feel like. To have that kind of chemistry with someone. Could she and Daniel ever have something like that?
..he moved her hair out of the way and leaned in to kiss the back of her shoulder, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her back against him. "So, whatcha lookin' for?" he mumbled against her skin as his kisses moved up the side of her neck and his nose grazed the shell of her ear. In the mirror he watched her close her eyes, tilting her head to the side. He felt her gasp and shiver in his embrace...
Kate gazed out of the car window as they drove. The brick buildings, trees, sidewalk, and small businesses were all familiar fixtures in the Woodside area of Queens. Just like any urban neighbourhood in America it was home. It wasn't Drake's fantasy kingdom of Cordonia. Even though she had spent a few months living the princess life there, it hadn't felt real. Here in America she had a past, an existence, a life she had scratched out on her own. She paid taxes, had an apartment and a job. The job hadn't paid much but it kept her going.
A chance encounter in the bar with Drake and his friends, and an impulsive leap to chase adventure had ended her job and cast her into the unknown. Drake had warned her that adapting to his world wouldn't be easy, but she had survived it with his help. But then circumstances beyond her control had sent her back to America, and although her current situation wasn't ideal there were still pieces of herself left to rebuild a life if she wanted.
Drake sat barely a foot away, and represented a new piece to her love life that had been missing. Mark's manipulation and betrayal had left her afraid to trust anyone past a first date. She'd sworn off sex to avoid the potential physical pain and accepted seeing the inevitable disappointment on the face of her date when she cut the night short and went home alone.
Work, sleep, and the friendship of Beth became all that she wanted to know. This routine had given her safety, and stability. Picking up extra shifts at work, while enduring her horrible boss, had paid her bills and her student loans. Because she rarely went out, and shared rent with Beth, Kate had been able to put some savings aside. During her time in Cordonia she had been spared paying for rent or food, but her mobile phone bill still had to be paid. She'd avoided making phone calls as much as possible to reduce roaming charges, but other unexpected expenses had eaten into her savings. Fitting into life amongst the Lords and Ladies meant dressing the part. The Beaumonts may have sponsored her in name and opportunity but they couldn't afford to dress her. As convenient as the Palace boutique was, the clothing wasn't free. The saddest part was that when she got sent back to New York she hadn't been allowed to take any of the new clothes with her. And she'd seen none of the money refunded back to her bank account. When the security guards had dumped her at the airport she had even been forced to pay for her ticket home.
Since returning to New York she'd been shopping with Beth, bought books, and paid for takeout. She was scared to look at what was left of her bank account. Could she even afford to go back to Cordonia with Drake? Weren't there immigration laws and residence visas, or proof of citizenship regulations? Could the scandal that sent her away be considered treason against the crown? If Nicholas doesn't step in, could she be arrested? I can't do this. I can't go back.
As fun as this weekend with Drake had been, now she felt trapped into accepting a future that wasn't hers. The inside of the car suddenly felt hot and airless, sweat broke out on her skin. She couldn't breathe.
Drake heard rapid, raspy breathing coming from his left and he looked up from his phone. Kate was staring at him, her eyes wide and full of panic. She looked like she was about to be sick.
"Kate? Are you ok?"
She shook her head, and turned toward the door. Her hands clawed and wrenched at the door handle and fumbled for the window button.
"Murray, pull over!" Drake shouted.
Murray looked up at the rearview mirror, and then quickly over his shoulder. "What? I can't. What's going on?"
"Kate's freaking out, and we need to stop. I don't think you want any accidental bodily fluids happening back here."
"We're almost there," Murray jabbed at the window lock to release it, "Here, open a window to get her some fresh air."
Kate's window buzzed all the way down and a rush of cool air flooded the car. She gulped in deep breaths and unbuckled her seatbelt.
To Drake it looked like she was about to climb out so he reached over and grabbed her arm. "Hey, hey..Kate, you're going to be ok. What the fuck?"
Murray pulled over to the curb in front of her apartment building. "We're here. Now please calm down. Was my driving really that bad?"
When Kate opened her door and bolted out into the street, Drake pulled his door open and chased after her. With his arms spread open he attempted to stop her from running past him. Despite her heels she managed to avoid him, brushing past his reaching fingers.
"Kate, stop!"
At the door of her building she whimpered and searched her purse for her key. Before she could get it out, Drake's arms enveloped her from behind and he held her against his chest. "Stop running away, damnit. Talk to me, and tell me what's wrong."
His hold was firm, and Kate realized that struggling would make the situation look worse. Drake wasn't trying to hurt her, and his voice held concern instead of anger. As the tension in her body released, his hold softened and she allowed him to take her by the hand instead.
Murray was pulling their bags out of the back of the car as he watched Drake lead her back.
"Look, you two. If this is some kind of abduction situation I want no part of it. I've already seen you carry her to the car once. Is she really your girl, or are you forcing her to be with you against her will?"
Drake opened his mouth to speak, but Murray cut him off. "No, not you. I want to hear it from her. Are you okay, Miss? Is this guy trying to take you somewhere?"
Kate almost laughed at the irony of his question, because Drake was trying to take her out of the country. Drake now had his arm wrapped around her back, holding her against him. But there wasn't anything forceful about it. Placing her hand over his, she felt Drake relax a little. She lifted her eyes up from the ground and answered Murray with as much calm as she could manage.
"I'm okay, Murray. He's my bodyguard, and it's his job to babysit me and keep me safe. He and I just need to talk about something in private. I'm sorry for how chaotic this job has been for you."
Murray didn't look convinced, but he accepted Drake's hand when it was offered to shake.
"Thanks Murray, I appreciate your patience. And your smooth driving."
The driver nodded and then with another glance back at them he got into the car and left.
"Now hopefully Murray doesn't call the cops on us," Drake mumbled as he bent down to pick up his bags from the sidewalk.
Kate picked up her own suitcase, "I'm sorry for flipping out back there. I just panicked all of a sudden."
He followed her back to the front door, "Panicked about what?"
She sat down her bag and looked for her key in her purse, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that I'm upending my life all over again to move to another country with a guy I barely know."
Drake shrugged and then reached up to hold the door for her after she unlocked and opened it. "Well, you've known me for several months and you were brave enough to spend a weekend with me in a hotel. So saying you barely know me is kind of a stretch. Plus you seemed to enjoy Cordonia while you were there."
Kate sighed as she put down her suitcase and turned around to face him. "It was a wonderful sort of vacation, but living there full time scares me a little."
Drake sat down his bags and then stepped over to place his hands gently on her shoulders, "It's not like you're going to be there all by yourself. I'll be there to look after you and help you adapt. Plus Hana, Max and Nicholas love you almost as much as I do."
Smoothing her hands down the front of his jacket, she undid the button and then reached in to hug him around his waist. Drake hugged her around the shoulders as she pressed her cheek against his chest.
"That takes care of my emotional state, and I appreciate not being alone. But I can't expect you to support me financially. As a non-citizen am I even allowed to live and work in Cordonia or Europe for that matter? I don't even have a passport."
"Don't forget that you have friends in high places. Especially the King. You can't get any higher than that in Cordonia. Plus you're going to be travelling on his personal jet, which as a private flight is not subject to customs and immigration rules. As a personal guest of the King, you'll always have somewhere to stay. You said that you want to be a writer, and you can do that anywhere. Who knows what employment opportunities that may open up for you? The logistics and legalities of paperwork can be worked out later."
He paused for a moment to appreciate how comfortable and warm their embrace was. Kate's doubts and fears were justified, and the fact that she didn't want to become a burden upon him financially made him love her even more. She was clearly torn between letting him go, returning to a New York life without him, and trusting herself to let go of her fear of the future and embracing a new life in Cordonia. He knew how he felt, and his heart ached at the idea that she might decide not to go back with him. But he also knew that he couldn't force her.
"Kate, " He said, his voice low. "I know that Nicholas sent me here to bring you back to him. And for my own selfish reasons I jumped at the chance to see you again. The promise of something more, along with the undeniable chemistry we seem to have, makes me believe we really could be good for each other. But as much as I love you, I can't drag you back if it's not what you want."
"Oh, Drake," she sighed, closing her eyes. "I love you, too. And I accept that we both had emotional baggage that we needed to sort through and deal with. You've already shown me that you're a better man than Mark could ever be, and that's helped me move beyond what he did. I'm sorry that my insecurity forced you to dredge up Olivia."
Kissing her on the top of the head he gently rubbed her back, "Don't be sorry, I'm over her bullshit and she can't hurt me anymore. I'm sorry for dragging up Mark all over again. I was looking for validation for my jealous hate for the guy."
"How could you be jealous of Mark?"
"Well when you talked about him at the ice cream shoppe, I got the impression that you two had something hot going on. Oh and for the record I was jealous of Nicholas too. Women from all over wanted to be with him. But then he said something about the social season that changed my mind about the whole thing."
Kate looked up, "What did he say?"
"That it was just some sick way to spend time with as many women as possible, and make them compete for his attention. Even though he was always going to choose Madeleine, because it was all planned out for him in advance. She only wanted the crown, and he was looking for a girlfriend on the side to share his bed. Apparently this Cordonian Arrangement is a family tradition in case the Queen couldn't give the King an heir then he would have a backup plan. "
"I remember seeing this in his letter, but I assumed this was something put together on Coronation Night. So he was planning on sleeping with all the suitors at some point, to see which one of us was the most compatible as a future side piece."
Drake nodded, "I think that's the way it was supposed to happen, but Nick didn't want to go through with it. He didn't feel comfortable just using all you women for sex, and he wanted a true romantic marriage instead of a political one. When it was clear that you were his favourite, and he stopped seeing the other suitors, Constantine stepped in to eliminate you in order to keep the family tradition alive. Clearly if your reputation was tarnished, you'd be ineligible as his mistress too."
"Before the tabloid pictures went viral, I received an anonymous letter warning me to leave. Olivia got one too, and she accused me of being behind it. Constantine surely wouldn't have bothered with the letter if he had already planned on hiring the reporter to take my picture with Tariq."
Drake shrugged, "Maybe Regina did it on Madeleine's behalf to narrow down Nick's choices. That would have left Kiara, Penelope and Hana as options. Were they threatened too?"
"Hana received a letter from her parents saying that they wanted her to come home right after the Coronation. She seemed pretty upset about it. Given how critical her parents have been, it seemed legitimate."
Drake smirked down at her as he cupped her cheek in his hand, "Still want to come live under the same roof as Constantine the Terrible? Imagine having that conniving bastard as your father-in-law. Maybe having you sent away to New York was a good idea after all. He's never had many kind words for me, either. But the joke's on him because I'm bringing you back."
"Not funny, Drake. Do we have to live at the Palace? My face is still all over social media linked to the scandal with Tariq. If the reporters know I'm back in the Capital again they're going to hound me like crazy."
Kate looked so scared, and he realized he'd gone too far. "I'm sorry. Joking about you was a dick thing for me to do. Yeah, we'll have to stay at the Palace for a little while. But when the train station investigation is over, we can get away and move north. I've been wanting to spend some time out by the lake. There's a cabin there that belonged to my Mom and Dad, and I suppose it's all mine now."
"Ooh, I like that idea. We can have a little place of our own."
"It would be nice to finally get out from under the royal thumb. There's a small town nearby where we can get the things we need. The cabin needs some fixing up, though. It was never meant for year-round living. When we'd stay there when I was a kid it was only for a weekend. So, Kate. Does this mean you're coming home with me?"
Hugging him tighter she nodded, "Yes. I'll do it."
Leaning in he gave her a firm kiss and then with a wide smile he pulled back, "Oh thank goodness. You had me worried there for a minute. And if you're still interested in becoming a citizen of Cordonia, there are ways to make it happen easier."
Kate looked up at him, "Easier, how?"
Studying her face, he wasn't sure how to say it. It was too soon to officially ask her that question, despite how he felt. But since he'd stupidly suggested an easy route to citizenship, he had to answer her with something. "Family ties, perhaps? Since the Beaumonts sponsored you, and gave you honorary status they could manipulate the paperwork to make it look like you're actually related somehow. Like a distant cousin. You do look like a Beaumont. Maxwell could easily pass as your brother."
She blinked, her brows knitting into a frown. "I suppose. But I was waiting for you to suggest something more official and legal, like marriage."
Drake looked away and then back again, "I was afraid to say it. As if you'd think I was throwing a half-assed proposal at you."
Kate looked down at her shoes, feeling her cheeks flush, "When I said 'marriage' ..I..I was just acknowledging that it's a way to become family. I wasn't proposing to you either."
Kissing her on the forehead he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and then stepped back, going over to pick up his bags again. "I guess that's that then... shall we go upstairs?"
With a nod she picked up her suitcase too. "Um, yeah."
Bowing slightly he smirked and gestured toward the stairs, "After you, M'lady."
With a nervous smile of her own she led the way, "I know it's not the Ritz or a Royal Palace. But it's humble, honest and clean. Please excuse the second hand furnishings, and basic layout."
"It's not like I haven't been here before, Kate. I still appreciate this being your home. I came from humble beginnings myself, remember? So there's no reason to apologize for anything."
She sighed as they reached the second floor, "Yes, I know. But you've never slept over before."
Kate stopped outside her door and knocked. Beth answered with a smile.
"Oh hey, you two. I've ordered pizza, come on in." She held the door open for them.
Drake nodded to Beth as he came in the door, and then took his bags down to Kate's bedroom. "I'm going to change into something more comfortable and be right back."
Beth pulled Kate aside into the kitchen, whispering, "Hello, Mr. Sexy in a Suit. Oh my God."
Kate smiled at her reaction, "Yes, I know. He doesn't like dressing formal, but he should look in a mirror every once and a while. The guy is literally sex in a suit."
Beth looked Kate up and down, taking in her smudged makeup and less than tidy hair. "Speaking of sex. Did something happen between the hotel and here?"
Kate bent over to take off her shoes, and then picked up her suitcase. As she straightened back up she smirked. "Well, when you spend a long car ride next to Sex in a Suit something is bound to happen."
Beth giggled as Kate winked at her and then took her suitcase down the hall to the bathroom.
..
Down in the bedroom, Drake sat his suitcase down on the floor, and flopped his garment bag down on the bed. With a sigh he sat down and then bent over to take off his shoes. The toe and leather of one shoe was badly scuffed and the other shoe had lost a lot of its shine. Turning them over, the soles were in rough shape too. They had been an old pair of his father's shoes, and since he'd never felt the need to buy dress shoes of his own, Drake had kept them. He'd also inherited one of his Dad's grey suits. It wasn't a perfect fit, and neither were the shoes, but he liked having something of Jackson's in his closet. Up until a few days ago, they had been the best formal clothes that he'd had.
The suits he had borrowed for his trip to New York would need to be returned to the boutique so they could be dry cleaned and put away for someone else. He was considering keeping the shirts though, since Hana had suggested they complimented the colour of his eyes. He smirked as he remembered how Kate had looked at him when he was all dressed up. The next formal event held at the Palace meant she would probably insist that he danced with her. Oh God, I'll have to learn that stupid Cordonian Waltz they always do.
He'd always found formal dances with their precise form and steps intimidating. They required a partner and he was terrified of stomping all over her feet. Even worse, if they tried to keep up with the other couples and failed, they'd be laughed at. Dancing freestyle suited him best, because there were no rules. And in the dark anonymity of a club he could dance with Kate the way he wanted.
But for now he was supposed to be changing into something more casual. Which meant that the suit he was wearing had to go. Standing up, he took his phone and wallet out of the inside pocket of the jacket and then took it off and laid it on the bed. Setting his items aside he took off his pants next, pulling the belt out through the loops. He wasn't sure yet what he was going to wear when he went out with Kate and her friends. Going out clubbing wasn't something he did often and usually he went alone. Would Kate have an opinion about what he should wear?
Out of the corner of his eye he caught his reflection in the mirror on the wall. Standing in his socks and underwear he looked out of place in the environment of Kate's bedroom. She could walk in at any second. Grabbing his suitcase he opened it up on the bed and found the sweat pants and t-shirt that he'd bought earlier that day. These would do for now. As he stepped into his pants he heard the doorknob turn.
"Oh hey there sexy, if you want to eat pizza shirtless I don't mind at all."
Pulling up his pants he turned around. "Well it would stop me from getting sauce or cheese stains on my clothes."
Kate was dressed in similar fashion, with her black lacy dress draped over her arm, and her hair swept up in a high ponytail. In her other hand she held her suitcase. As he pulled his shirt down over his head, she pouted. "Aww, I was looking forward to seeing you pick pepperoni out of your chest hair."
Shaking his head he reached for her suitcase and set it next to his. "Ok, now you're just being gross. I'm not that sloppy as an eater."
"I still remember our pizza last night and it got pretty messy."
He pulled Kate into his arms and grinned down at her, "Yes, it also included a lap dance and you throwing up. So I agree it was definitely something."
"No truth or dare drinking games this time, promise." She giggled, "But another lap dance would be great. That was pretty hot."
"I don't know about a lap dance, but if you're good maybe I'll agree to dance with you at the club."
Delicious memories of his sexy strip tease made her senses tingle. "Mmm, and you better not chicken out either. You have moves Mr. Walker, and I want to see them."
Leaning in for a kiss, he whispered, "I prefer to save my best moves for when we're alone."
Reaching up behind his neck, she pressed up against him as his hold on her tightened. As she softened her mouth and welcomed his tongue, his hands slid up under the hem of her sweater. A moan spilled from her throat as the heat of his touch spread up her spine. When he didn't encounter a bra, he growled in approval and slid his hand around her ribs and cupped her breast in his palm. With a gasp she broke off the kiss, and grabbed for his wrist.
"Stop, a kiss is enough for now. Your hands can explore later."
With a disappointed huff he stepped back, "Ok, fine. But give me a moment. I can't go out there in my current state."
With a glance down she grinned, "Oh right."
A knock on the bedroom door made them both jump.
"Come on out, you guys. The pizza's here," Beth said with a laugh. "Put your clothes back on."
Kate covered her flaming cheeks with her hands and peeked through her fingers at Drake. "Busted, again."
"Thanks, Beth," Drake answered, "We'll be right out."
..
Setting the two pizza boxes on the counter, Beth made room so that they could be opened side by side.
"Mmm, these smell delicious. I wonder what Drake likes on his pizza. Hopefully these are ok."
Daniel opened up the cupboard and got down a stack of four plates. "Have you seen the way the guy is built? What if he doesn't even eat pizza. I don't even know where he's from. That accent of his is definitely European, but it's not easy to nail down. Thank goodness he speaks excellent English."
Shooting him a disapproving look, Beth dropped to a whisper, "Hush, there's nothing wrong with the way he talks. And he's from Cordonia. Google it. From what I saw on Google maps it's an island in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy. So he's definitely had pizza."
"Whatever, I don't have to like him. I remember what you told me about that Mark guy that Kate dated before. I hope Drake isn't another sleazy douchebag like that."
"The way Kate talked about him before he got here, she really likes him. So please try to be nice." Beth pleaded, "I'm already feeling sad because she's leaving tomorrow. Don't make me worry about her in advance. It'll spoil the rest of my last night with her."
Pulling Beth into a hug, Daniel kissed her on the cheek and dropped his voice to a whisper, "I'm sorry. I'm going to miss her too, you know. I promise to behave."
Kissing him back she replied, "Good, now why don't you grab a beer for you and your new buddy Drake. Maybe he's thirsty."
With a sigh he rolled his eyes and then let her go, "He's not my buddy, not yet."
..
Drake slipped his hand into Kate's, giving it a gentle squeeze, "C'mon, let's go make an appearance. I smell pizza and it's making me hungry."
Cracking a smile she bumped her shoulder against his arm as they went down the hallway, "Aww, I love it when you hold my hand. It's so sweet."
Drake grunted in agreement, giving her hand another squeeze, "Promise you won't run away this time?"
She laughed, "No promises."
"Great."
Daniel looked up as he closed the fridge, the necks of two bottles of beer in his hand, "Jesus, they're already dressing alike. Beth, look at 'em."
Beth licked her finger as she placed a slice of pizza on her plate, "I think it's cute. Shut up, Dan."
Drake smirked and let go of Kate's hand and then accepted the bottle of beer that Daniel offerered him, "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, a lot."
Opening up the fridge, Kate pulled a can of Diet Coke from the shelf. After closing the door she leaned against the counter and watched Drake and Dan discuss pizza while they pulled slices out of the boxes and filled their plates.
"I suppose New York pizza is a lot different than what you would usually see at home, " Dan mused, a hint of challenge in his tone.
Drake shrugged, "Mediterranean style pizza is topped differently and the crust tastes fresher. On New York pizza it's like they're trying to cover their huge pies with as much stuff as possible to hide their crappy crust. I'm not saying that gooey melted cheese and spicy pepperoni aren't delicious, because they are, but it all just slides off when you pick up a slice."
Beth and Kate exchanged a glance, Uh oh..
Daniel shook his head and then took his plate and beer to the living room, muttering, "nope...nope, nope.. he's no buddy of mine if he's gonna dis New York pizza."
Drake leaned against the counter, twisting the cap off his beer and throwing it into the sink. "What? It's the truth."
Sitting down at the table with her plate of pizza, Kate answered, "Be careful with that first bite, Hon. Remember what happened last night."
He smirked as he picked up his plate, and then walked past her to follow Daniel into the living room, "Yeah, yeah...thanks Mom. I remember."
Grabbing a Diet Coke from the fridge, Beth joined Kate at the table. "What was that all about?"
Kate leaned in and told Beth about her and Drake's pizza and truth or dare. Including how it ended.
Beth covered her mouth, trying not to spit out her mouthful of soda. She swallowed, "No, way. You've gotta show me that video."
With a giggle, Kate picked up her pizza slice, "It was epic, you're gonna love it."
...
Daniel glanced up as Drake walked into the room. As Daniel flicked through the tv channels, Drake sat down in the arm chair and placed his plate on the coffee table. When he sat back, taking his beer with him, he turned toward the television, "So what are we watching?"
"Uh, Beth and I were watching a movie, but it's over now. How's the beer? I'm sure you have an opinion on that too."
Drake frowned and then took a sip of his beer and swallowed, "It's fine, nice and cold. Just the way I like it." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, tilting the neck of the bottle toward Daniel as he spoke. "Do you have a problem with me, Dan? Am I not American enough for you? Because if you're so hung up on my strange European accent...I can switch it off, if you like."
Daniel halted his channel surfing when Drake slipped into a smooth Texas drawl, "What the fuck, man. How did you do that?"
Sitting back in his chair, Drake took another sip of his beer, "My Mom's from Texas, and she dragged me there for college. Although I didn't have much problem dressin' and lookin' the part of a Texas boy, I had to make an effort to sound like one. We have a small cattle ranch outside of Navasota."
Daniel didn't know where that was, for all he knew it could be a place as fake as Drake's accent, "So where'd you go to school?"
"Texas A&M, like my Mom. I studied Kinesiology with an aim for a Bachelor in Sport Science."
With the way that Drake filled out his clothes, Dan had no doubt the guy was good at some kind of sport. "So you and Kate went to the Yankees game yesterday. I'm not going to ask which side you were on."
Drake sat down his beer and picked up his plate of pizza, "The winning side. Although we did have seats behind the Yankee dugout."
"Well at least there's that..., " Dan mumbled as he tuned into ESPN. A pregame show for an upcoming Phillies vs Mets game was on. "So you're okay watching a Mets game then?"
Drake took a bite of his pizza, appreciating that it wasn't molten lava like the night before. He chewed and swallowed before answering, "That's fine with me. I like baseball."
"Okay then Texas Boy, are you a Rangers or an Astros fan?"
"Rangers, but my Mom hates me for it. Navasota is closer to Houston." Drake replied, his Texas accent slipping away. "But in my defense I grew up in Cordonia, not Texas. And my favourite colour is blue."
Daniel shrugged, "I guess I can't blame you for that. So if your Mom is from Texas, what about your Dad? Were you an army brat that happened to be born in Europe?"
Drake shook his head, "Dad was from the northern part of Cordonia."
Finishing his beer, Daniel sat the empty bottle on the coffee table. "Was? As in... oh, sorry to hear that, Drake.."
The muscle in Drake's jaw twitched as he nodded and then turned his attention back to the television. "Thanks, it happened a long time ago. So.."
The two men were quiet as their unspoken words filled the space between them. They ate their pizza instead while the television filled the air with talk of baseball players and statistics. The sound of Beth and Kate's conversation in the kitchen filtered in from behind Drake and he felt the back of his neck burn. They were talking about him.
Beth picked toppings out of the melted cheese on her pizza slice and ate them. "So this thing between you and Drake took off in a hurry."
Kate sipped at her Diet Coke, "And to think I didn't even know his last name until a few days ago."
"Girl, what?" Beth glanced past Kate toward the living room. "Maybe moving back across the ocean with the guy is a little hasty then."
"We've been around each other for months, and there was always some kind of attraction simmering beneath the surface. I'd flirt, and he'd hide behind his duty to Nicholas. We'd steal moments alone and talk, and soon a flimsy thread of friendship began. The more time we spent together, meant that long looks and touching were next. Damn, Beth. It was like fireworks going off with our first kiss."
"But Nicholas, though. I Googled the guy yesterday. He's all kinds of Prince Charming, and now he's the King. What's not to love about being with the golden boy?" Beth replied.
Kate felt warm all over, knowing that Drake was probably listening to every word. "All those months ago, Nicholas showed up at the bar with his friends. And being the sucker for adventure that I am, his charm made me take a chance and follow him home. But when I boarded the jet with Maxwell, the Prince wasn't there, but Drake was."
"And who's Maxwell?"
"Drake's other best friend." Kate said.
From the next room Drake interrupted, "No, he's not!"
Kate smirked and rolled her eyes, "He's in denial. Maxwell is such a sweetheart. You'll get to meet him tomorrow."
"But anyway, I'm pretty sure Drake was hungover. Because nobody could be that grumpy and be traveling on a private jet."
"A private jet with you and Maxwell. How could I not be grumpy? And for the record, I was only slightly hungover." Drake said, as he walked into the kitchen with his plate and empty bottle.
Kate watched him place his plate on the counter, and then turn around and lean against it with his arms folded. "Uh huh, and who was serving the whiskey that night?"
He smirked and looked away, "I'm glad Nick was paying. 'Cuz, yeah. We got pretty loaded."
"But leave it to me to pass up on the golden boy, and fall in love with this brooding and handsome best friend instead. And now he's back all by himself, making all these sweet romantic gestures and stuff. He gave me flowers, Beth....Did the whole 'You look cold, here take my jacket thing' .. swept me off my feet..literally. "
Beth rolled her eyes, "Oh, stop. It sounds like some sappy movie, and I kinda hate it. But I can't help but feel happy for you too. You've been in some kind of limbo since we finished college. Working at that stupid bar was holding you back. You could've been at the book store with me."
"I tried, remember? They weren't hiring at the time. Besides if I was working at the bookstore a few months ago, I'd still be in that limbo. And lonely as hell."
Beth shrugged, "You don't know that. Maybe you would've written the next bestseller by now."
"Uh huh, and as Drake mentioned to me earlier, I can write anywhere. And why be a sad lonely girl in New York, when I can be a happy woman living in a royal palace in Europe with him?"
Daniel came into the kitchen, "Speaking of New York, some of us still have to live here. And work at stupid bars. Tonight aren't we supposed to be going out to a bar where we can be served booze instead?"
Getting up from the table, Kate walked over to Drake. "And don't forget it's Karaoke night."
He groaned and pulled her into his arms for a kiss, "Stop reminding me."
She shook her head, "And you owe me two songs, mister."
"Only because you tricked me into it." He protested.
Beth loaded their dirty plates into the dishwasher, while Daniel gathered up the leftover pizza and put it all together in one box and put it away in the fridge.
"And I really don't wanna know how she did it." Daniel said, washing up his hands and then leaving the room with Beth following close behind.
Panic is the thief of progress. It strangles, isolates, muddles and terrifies the inflicted. Fight or Flight? Try frozen yet frenzied. Drake's mind screamed DO SOMETHING! But his feet wouldn't move. Closing his eyes he still saw Kate walk away and disappear into the crowd.
Ding, Ding! Went the bell on the reception desk in the lobby snapping him back to reality. The iron bands that constricted his ribs loosened as he sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes. Pay the bill, and go find her damnit.
Jack was still nowhere in sight. In his head he tried to calculate the cost of dinner, but drew a blank. With shaking hands he took out his wallet, his pulse throbbing in his ears. He plucked out a few bills and looked at them, then biting his lip pulled them all out. Shoving his wallet back in his pocket, he tucked the stack of cash under the edge of the plate. Now go, Stupid.
Scrubbing his hand down his face, Drake steadied himself with another deep breath in and out before running out to the lobby. Dodging his way around another rolling luggage cart, his slippery dress shoes lost their grip and he slid awkwardly before colliding with the concierge desk.
The contents of the desk jumped and Veronica gasped as she scrambled to prevent everything from crashing to the floor, "Woah, watch where you're going."
"S..sorry. Um, the La - ..I mean the Men's Room, where would I find it?" He huffed, his eyes searching the lobby for any sign of Kate.
Veronica stood up and directed him, "Down that way, Mr. Walker. Near the elevat-..."
"Thanks," he nodded and then ran off before she could finish.
"But wait...," Veronica insisted, going unheard by Drake as he turned the corner.
Down the darkly panelled corridor he frantically scanned the various doors he saw until he found the two marked as bathrooms. Could Kate still be in there?
Shifting a nervous glance over his shoulder he hesitated and then pushed the Ladies door open a crack and called out, "Kate?"
No answer.
He stuck his head in the door to take a peek. He paused, listening. But the place seemed empty.
Fuck.
Reaching into his jacket pocket he found his phone. He picked Kate out of his contacts and stabbed the dial icon with his thumb. Holding his phone up to his ear he listened to it ring twice and then it went to voicemail.
"Hey, it's Kate...You know what to do....leave a message and stuff... *beep*.."
Hearing her happy recorded voice caught Drake off guard and he didn't know what to say...the hiss of the phone line dragged out and then he blurted, "Uhh, shit....Kate? I'm sorry. Where'd you go? Call me, it's Drake."
He hung up and then tucked his phone away. Did she really leave the hotel and take the subway home? Should he just take the car to Queens? The car was waiting outside, but he didn't know the address. Fuck, now what?
Heading back to the concierge desk, he saw the takeout container. A guy was standing next to the luggage cart as well, waiting to take their bags out to the car.
Drake asked Veronica, "My girlfriend, have you seen her? Please tell me she hasn't left the hotel without me."
Veronica sighed, "That's what I was trying to tell you. She said that she needed some fresh air, and to tell you she'd be waiting for you outside."
Drake opened the takeout box to confirm it held cake. Which it did.
"Thanks, Veronica. You're a lifesaver. Here."
He reached over the edge of the desk and handed the box of cake to the desk agent. "For putting up with me. Take it, please. You've earned it."
She accepted the cake, "Thanks. Now you better go, she seemed pretty upset."
...
Standing at the corner of W 58th and 6th Avenue, Kate shivered. The breeze coming down 58th swept her hair into her face, and it stuck to where her skin was damp.
Swiping it away she tried tucking it behind her ear, but the wind plucked it free again.
The crossing sign at the intersection had already indicated it was safe to cross twice, but she couldn't bring herself to step into the street. In the luggage store to her left the shop keeper was pulling his doors shut for the evening. He had been throwing her curious glances for the past few minutes.
She wasn't really dressed to go shopping, and hadn't shown any interest in the suitcases he had on display in his window.
Litter blew across the street from the trash can on the opposite corner, and Kate shook it off her ankle as it caught up to her.
"Ew, no. Get off, get off," she protested in disgust.
As mad as she was, she needed to go back. Turning around to head back to the hotel, she gave herself a mental shake.
Stupid, stupid, stupid...
I don't even have my Metro Pass with me. There's a perfectly warm car waiting to take me home. I should be able to suffer sitting next to Drake that long. Why does he enjoy conflict so much? It's like he finds an itch and won't stop scratching until it bleeds.
Hugging her clutch to herself and rubbing her other arm she tried to keep herself warm as she walked. Feet aching in her high heels, she cursed the uneven concrete because it slowed her down
....
With the porter following closely behind, Drake exited the hotel and stepped out onto the sidewalk. A black Mercedes wagon was parked out front. A man in a black polo shirt and pants was leaning against the back fender and looking down at his phone. He looked up when he saw Drake approaching and reached into his pocket. The trunk latch thumped open and then lifted. He stepped up onto the curb.
"Are you Mr. Walker?"
Drake was looking up and down the sidewalk, wondering why he couldn't see Kate.
"Uh ..yeah. You didn't happen to see a woman in a black dress exit the hotel did you?"
With his phone in his hand the guy indicated toward the corner of 6th Avenue. "Yeah, she went that way."
Already a few steps into his run, Drake's shout of 'Thanks' was carried back over his shoulder by the wind.
Please, please, please... don't let me be too late. I can't lose her again.
...
Blinking back fresh tears and sniffing the snot back into her nose, each painful step made her regret leaving. Stubborn determination drew her forward, while aching ankles and brittle toes were screaming at her to stop.
Drake skidded as he turned the corner, almost falling into the street. The honk of a driver in the intersection made him and Kate both look up as they collided on the sidewalk. With a gasp of surprise, Kate was caught by Drake's arms.
Chest heaving, he braced himself to steady them both. She looked up, relief spreading across her face. "Oh thank goodness, my feet are killing me."
Reaching up to wipe the tears and damp hair from her cheek, he leaned in to kiss her on the forehead.
"Don't worry, I've got you," he whispered.
Turning to place his arm around her back, he led her toward the car. She hunched her shoulders, and leaned heavily against him. Their progress was slow and he heard Kate hiss and flinch as she stumbled and stepped out of her shoe.
"Ow, sorry..stupid shoe." She whimpered.
Catching her with his arm he held her up. "Oh, shit. Let me help."
Crouching down he straightened the shoe and then looked up at her as she stepped back into it.
"How do you walk in these?"
She shrugged, "Usually just fine, but it's cold out here and my feet are freezing."
"The rest of you must be freezing too," he said.
Standing back up he pulled off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. Kate held it closed around herself, enveloping herself in his body heat.
Shaking her head, she stepped back out of her shoes and then bent down to pick them up. "Fuck the shoes, my feet hurt too much."
"Well in that case," Drake muttered as he bent down and scooped her up in his arms. "You're not taking another step until I get you home."
As he carried her back toward the car, "Are you going to run away from me every time you're upset? This damsel in distress thing is getting to be a little much."
Kate smacked him with her shoes, "Well stop giving me a reason to."
When they reached the car, Drake spoke to the driver who was putting their bags in the trunk. "Sorry I couldn't help. I have my hands full. I didn't catch your name."
He closed the trunk, "Murray, my name's Murray."
"If you could get the door for me Murray, I think it's time we got underway."
"Certainly, sir."
Murray stepped around them and then opened the back door. Drake sat Kate down on the ground and then she climbed into the backseat.
After shuffling across the seat she tossed her shoes onto the floor.
Drake followed and then closed the door behind him. They watched Murray circle the hood and then get into the driver's seat.
Kate glanced around the car, taking in the leather trimmed features and the panoramic sun roof. "This is nice," she whispered with a smile.
Drake nodded, reaching up to pull his seatbelt across, "Don't forget to buckle up."
Tucking her arms into the sleeves of his jacket, Kate buckled up too. Drake couldn't help but chuckle at how cute she looked, "The jacket suits you. How does it fit?"
Pulling her hands back into the sleeves she hugged herself, "It's cozy, warm and smells like you. So it's perfect."
Murray cleared his throat to get their attention, "So where can I take you folks?"
"4575 57th Street, Queens." Kate answered.
Murray punched the information into his GPS, and then started the car.
Drake leaned forward and tapped the seat in front of him to get Murray's attention, "How long of a drive is it?"
Looking at the screen Murray answered, "With the current traffic, about 25 minutes."
"Is there any way you could make the drive longer?"
Kate poked Drake on the arm, "You're not getting anything from me until we get back to the apartment, and only if you behave. Just follow the best route, Murray."
Murray grinned as he saw Drake's look of disappointment in his rearview mirror. "Yes, Ma'am."
Drake leaned over to Kate, keeping his voice low, "25 minutes is plenty of time to start something."
Kate shot him a look, and murmured, "Yes, but hardly enough time to start anything good."
"Challenge accepted," he replied.
Glancing at the back of the seat in front of her and then over at Drake, she shook her head.
"But what about Murray?"
As they pulled up to a stop light, Drake unbuckled his seatbelt and then moved over closer to Kate. "What are you doing?" She hissed.
Reaching across her body he tucked his hand into the front of the jacket, Kate gasped as his hand slid across her breast and then he pulled his phone out of the inside pocket.
As he moved back to the other side of the seat and buckled his belt again she shook her head. "You could have asked."
Unlocking his phone he smirked down at the screen, "But where's the fun in that?"
Kate's phone made a chirping sound in her purse. "Seriously?"
"Are you going to answer that? Could be important." Drake gave her side-eye as he tapped on his screen.
Turning the sound down on his phone, Drake anticipated her response.
Pulling her phone out of her purse, she unlocked it and saw that she had a voicemail notification and a text message waiting. "Somebody called me."
Drake shook his head, "That was just me, nevermind."
With a sigh she opened up her text message instead.
.:Drake: Don't worry about Murray. We can keep everything private and he'll never know.
Pulling her arms out of the sleeves of the jacket she let it surround her like a cocoon instead. This made it easier to text him back.
.:Kate: Quit being so weird. Can't whatever you have in mind just wait until we're alone?
Setting his phone down on the seat he turned his head slowly and let his gaze wander up her bare legs, past the jacket she had strangled by the seatbelt, and then across her bare shoulders and chest to rest on her face. He snaked his hand across the seat between them and pushed the button on her seatbelt.
She caught the belt before it could fully retract, hooking her arm through it. She shook her head again at his brazen behaviour. Tapping on her phone screen she sent him a message, and then pointed at his phone to indicate he should answer it.
With a smirk he picked it up.
.:Kate: What are you trying to do, get us kicked out? Please tell me this isn't your attempt to start something naughty in full view of the driver.
Drake grinned and then tapped back.
.:Drake: I have a plan. Slide over to the center of the seat, and pretend you're sleepy. Use my jacket as a blanket and rest your head on my shoulder and make like you need to take a nap.
Kate looked him up and down like he was crazy.
.:Kate: Are you insane?
.:Drake: I bet I could get you off before we pull up to your apartment. Without Murray noticing. If I fail, I'll pay you back by doing two Karaoke songs instead of one.
Her mouth dropped open as she looked across at him. He quirked an eyebrow. Well?
Kate looked out the window to see where they were. With the way that traffic was moving she figured that they were only about ten minutes away. Pretending to yawn she slipped out of the jacket.
Drake stretched his arm along the back of the seat, beckoning to her with his fingers. At the next turn in the road Kate moved over next to Drake covering her mouth to hide a yawn. His arm wrapped around her shoulders as she snuggled into him and closed her eyes. Using his other hand he used the jacket to cover them both. Turning his head he kissed her on the forehead and whispered into her hair. "That's it, just rest now. We'll be home soon."
Drake's eyes met Murray's in the rearview mirror, "The wine has caught up to her I'm afraid. Can you alter our route a little, please? So that she can sleep it off. I would hate to see her get car sick."
Murray's eyes went wide and he looked over his shoulder. "She better not get sick in my car. Why don't I pull over on a side street for a half hour or so. I could use a smoke break anyway. I'll go for a walk or something, and then come back. Just stay with the car, ok?"
Giving Kate a reassuring squeeze, Drake smiled back at Murray. "That would be great. Why don't I text you when she wakes? And this way if she does get sick I can take her outside."
"Deal," Murray agreed.
Kate cracked an eye open and whispered to Drake, "How did you know that would work?"
Leaning in close he said, "I didn't."
Underneath the cover of the jacket Kate tucked her hand down into the inside of Drake's thigh, her fingers following his body heat upward until she reached his groin. He leaned his cheek against the top of her head and mumbled, "Easy there, Kate. That wasn't part of the plan."
Ignoring him, Kate pretended to be asleep while her hand moved up and then squeezed down in between his belly and his belt. Drake tried to focus on the scenery outside his window, but it was becoming difficult for him to sit still. Tucking his hand under the jacket he undid his belt and the button on his pants. Clenching his jaw to stay quiet, he traced the fingers of his other hand across Kate's shoulder and caressed the back of her neck. He wanted to turn his head away from the window and give her a kiss, but Murray would catch on to what they were doing.
The Mercedes turned left onto 49th and Murray spoke up, "We're on 49th, now. I'll take Skillman and then turn onto 50th."
"Mmhm," Drake responded, having no clue where they were. Kate now had her hand inside his underwear. He slid his hand up under her hair and grabbed a handful. She whispered, "You like that, hmm? When I touch you."
Murray pulled the car into a bank parking lot and found a spot at the far end of the building.
"Here we are. It looks like the bank is closed for the day. I'll go catch that smoke. Just text me when you're finished, and don't leave a mess on the seat."
Kate and Drake looked at each other as Murray got out of the car.
"Busted," she giggled.
Pulling her in, he mumbled against her mouth between kisses, "Mmhm, does this mean... that... Nnng... You're not.. mad ..at me...oh god, just like that..... Anymore?"
Pushing her hair aside he moved down from her mouth to kissing her neck.
"Well," she breathed and gasped as his stubble scratched at her skin. "My hand is in your pants, which puts you in a very vulnerable...state. I think you'd be the first to know if I was still mad at you."
He groaned as her stroking became more intense, "I guess..I w...would."
Turning his head he looked left and right through the car windows. "I'm not sure where Murray went. But I'm suddenly worried about how public this place is."
Kneeling on the seat, Kate leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Do you want me to stop?"
Tipping his head back against the seat he pulled her in for another kiss. "As good as this feels, I don't want to get caught. So yes, you better stop."
Pulling her hand back out, Kate watched him make adjustments and then tuck in his shirt. He left his pants and belt undone and folded the jacket across his lap.
With a flush still warming her cheeks, Kate moved back to her side of the backseat. "I'm sorry for messing up your plan. But would you believe that was just as arousing for me?"
Looking up from his phone, Drake's eyebrows lifted as he smiled, "Oh, really? I didn't even touch you."
Kate leaned forward to put her shoes back on, and then sat back in her seat. Using her clean hand she combed her fingers through her hair to fix it. Drake was still staring at her.
"What? Is it so hard to believe that I could have enjoyed what I was doing as much as you did?"
Drake leaned over to caress the outside of her thigh with the tips of his fingers. "Based on your efforts alone? Oh, I believe it. But I need more proof."
"Proof. As in..."
Biting his lip with a mischievous smirk, he slid the hem of her dress up her lap. "Just how damp are those lacy panties of yours?"
She pushed the skirt of her dress back down and brushed his hand away, "If you really want to know. I'll give them to you. But not here."
"Alright then. But you don't need to hand them over. I was only kidding. I just wanted to feel for myself."
Kate crossed her legs, holding her purse against her lap. "Uh huh, and I see Murray on his way over. So there will be no feeling up of anything right now."
Drake buckled up his seatbelt, "Later then."
Murray opened up the driver's door and peeked into the car at his passengers, "You two look rather composed compared to how I left you. So I guess we're ready to continue on to our destination?"
"Yes, Murray," Kate answered. "And there's nothing to clean up. So let's go, please."
Author's note: Chapter 27 ended up being over 10,000 words so I broke it up into two parts. You can go to my Masterlist to find the first part, or find it here.
A few minutes later, Drake saw a waiter making his way through the lounge. He nudged Kate's foot under the table and tilted his head to indicate that someone was coming. She turned in her seat and saw that it was the same person that had been bowled over by Armando earlier.
He'd changed his white shirt, but the cuffs of his black pants and shoes still bore the residue of the tossed meal.
Drake spoke up as the guy approached, "Finally some service, it's about ti-...ow!" Kate interrupted his rudeness by stomping his toe under the table.
"It's the same waiter that Armando collided with," she mumbled, "Now, be nice."
Kate looked up at the guy and smiled as he stopped by their table.
"Good evening folks, and welcome to the Auden Bistro and Lounge. My name is Jack and I'll be your server today. Can I interest you in a drink or an appetizer before your meal?"
Drake glanced at the shiny black business card that was left behind by the designer, "We're short on time today so we'll only be getting an appetizer to share, I'm afraid. I'm in the mood for something smokey. Have you had the Pulpo a la Gallega, Jack?"
Kate looked over at Drake with surprise as he casually dropped Spanish into his sentence. She picked up the menu hoping to find what he was talking about. "Uh, Honey. We're sharing what now?"
Jack smiled, "Oh, the octopus? Yes, it's delicious. One of Chef's specialties. He even brings in Spanish wines to pair with it."
Kate felt her stomach churn at the thought of eating octopus, so she quickly searched the menu for something basic to eat instead. With the caviar, yellowfin tuna, shrimp, lemon sole, salmon, and lobster that were also on the menu; she was beginning to wonder if the chef had an obsession with seafood. Down at the bottom she found something at last that she felt she could handle. "You can have all the octopus you want, Drake. I think I'm just going to have a side order of the Parmesan Herb Fries. If that's ok?"
Jack nodded and made a note on his notepad, "Of course. So an order of the Spanish Octopus with a side of the fries? Are you interested in hearing the wine pairings for the octopus as well, sir?"
"Is one of them red?" Drake asked, as he saw Kate's nod of approval.
"Yes, the mencía." Jack replied.
"Then I guess we'll have that then. Oh and do you have a dessert menu?"
Jack pointed to the small menu card on their table, "Yes we do."
Drake picked it up, and quickly scanned the options. "The Ritz-Carlton cake, that's chocolate?"
Jack nodded and smiled, "Yes."
"Good, we'll have that too. With coffee."
After taking more notes on his pad, Jack collected their menus and then left.
Drake breathed a sigh of relief when the waiter left them alone again. He could tell by the way that Kate was fidgeting in her seat that she had something to say. "Ok, let me have it."
"So, now you're ordering for me too? And why the octopus? Let me guess, because I teased you with it at lunch."
He nodded, "Yes, but now the joke's on you because I happen to like grilled octopus. I just wasn't in the mood to have it for lunch. The other reason I picked it was because it's traditionally a meal that's shared. I learned that during my last trip to Spain. I'm curious about how the chef here prepares it. I'm guessing that octopus isn't something that you would have gotten for yourself."
Kate shook her head, "No, I'm not much of a seafood person. For you I'll try it, but don't be surprised if you eat most of it yourself. I've never had mencía wine either, but if it's red then I'm ok with it. I guess it's too late to skip over the whole appetizer thing and just have wine and chocolate cake."
Drake chuckled, "Now that would be an interesting dinner. Wine and cake. I've never had mencía wine either, but I figured since you like red wine that I'd brave that for you. Grilled octopus is smokey and a little spicy, so I knew that having it with a glass of whiskey would be overkill. According to the menu it's served with potatoes and merguez sausage. It won't bother me if you want to pick around the tentacles and have the other stuff."
"Deal, and I'll share my fries with you. You told Jack we were short on time and wouldn't be ordering dinner. We don't have to be at the apartment until 8."
"I've arranged for a car to take us from here to Queens, and I'm not sure when it's arriving. Although the car service rents out cars by the hour, there's a minimum three hour charge and I want to get my money's worth with my ass in the backseat and not have him wait outside while we finish dinner."
Kate smiled, "Ooh, what kind of car?"
"A Mercedes. I know we could have just flagged down a taxi, but I wanted us to travel in style. Plus with the added expense of paying a luxury price, I'm hoping it means we'll have a little extra privacy." He said.
The look that Kate gave him when he said privacy wasn't the desired effect he was hoping for. If he wasn't mistaken she seemed annoyed.
"Is somebody hoping to get lucky in the backseat on the way to Queens?" She asked. "It's not that long of a drive."
Drake shrugged. "You never know. I could ask the guy to take a longer route to give us more time alone."
Kate shook her head and smirked at him, "It's been a long day, and I'm honestly a little tired and sore from all the intimate time we've had already.. I don't know where you get your sexual appetite or stamina from but damn...I need to save some energy for our double date later. "
"I can't help it if I find you irresistible. All that flirty touching you do isn't helping either. You have a way of eroding a guy's self control."
Kate had to admit to herself that he had a point. She had initiated just as much intimacy as he had today. She couldn't exactly fault him for always wanting to reach a mutual conclusion. "Ok, fine. I'll take the blame for teasing you to distraction. You're just so deliciously handsome though. And it's such a thrill to know that you want me as much as I want you."
Damn she has a way with words, he thought. Even her admission of liking to tease was flirty. She'd spent more time today boosting him up instead of tearing him down. Kate was about as far away from being Olivia as she could get. Now he really wanted to protect her from all the Tariqs and Armandos of this world, and keep her away from those who'd take advantage of her kindness for their own selfish needs.
He realized then that he'd been staring at her speechless, and that he felt incredibly warm inside his suit. "Flirty or not. That doesn't give me permission to assume that all touches between us need to end in sex. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to making a successful relationship work. Olivia and I hardly treated each other with respect."
"That mutual respect and trust goes both ways, Drake. I need to let go of being so jealous. Just because you smile or speak kindly to someone else doesn't mean you love or want me any less."
The serious turn of their conversation sparked a question suddenly in Drake, "Who hurt you? Where does this jealousy come from? I'm only the third guy you've been with, right?"
Before she could answer his question, Jack and a female server arrived with their appetizer and wine.
Jack placed a basket of Parmesan fries in front of Kate, and the other set out two wine glasses and poured them each about half a glass of wine. When she stepped back, Drake spoke up. "Can you leave us the bottle?"
"I'm sorry, sir." She shook her head. "We're not supposed to."
"Just charge me for four glasses of wine and leave the bottle behind," Drake insisted.
She opened her mouth to protest but Jack interrupted, "It's ok, Grace. I'll just add it to their bill."
Grace handed the bottle to Jack and then left. Jack poured a little more wine into each of their glasses and then set the bottle down on the table.
Kate picked up her wine glass and gave the mencía a sniff before taking a sip. "This is lovely, Jack. Thank-you."
"The grilled octopus will be out in a moment, please enjoy the wine and fries while you wait."
Drake reached for one of the parmesan fries, "How is it?"
He nodded and then left them alone.
Kate took another sip of the wine and savoured it in her mouth before swallowing. "Mmm, it's crisp and fruity. Sort of like a Pinot Noir. I like it."
Drake popped the fry into his mouth and chewed. He was mesmerized by how delicately Kate held her wine glass and the way she closed her eyes as she placed her lips on the rim.
"I can tell you like it. These fries are good too. While you're distracted by tannins and fruity notes don't be surprised if they all disappear."
After licking her lips and putting the glass down, Kate pulled the basket of fries closer. "Hey, now. You just drink your wine and wait for your octopus."
"I'd rather watch you drink it," Drake smirked, picking up his glass and giving it a sniff. "Wow, it smells like wine.. imagine that."
Kate rolled her eyes with amusement, "You're not a wine drinker at all, are you?"
After taking a sip he grimaced slightly, "I prefer champagne over red wine. I'm waiting to see how this Spanish stuff goes with the octopus."
She plucked a fry out of her basket and bit it in half, chasing it down with a sip of wine. "It pairs nicely with the salty parmesan of the fries . Try it."
He took a couple more fries from the basket, pointing them at her as he spoke, "You didn't answer my question. There must be someone in your past that gave you trust issues to make you so easily jealous."
She ate another fry, chewing it thoroughly and made Drake wait.
"Now you're deflecting. Was it Nicholas?"
Kate gave him an annoyed sigh, "The whole social season with its competition between the women, and media coverage didn't help. We were asked to openly judge our peers and discuss our chances of becoming Queen. The court of public opinion was just as bad as the Royal court for cultivating jealous feelings between us. I swear the press wanted a full on cat fight to break out live on camera."
"Ouch, I didn't really pay attention to the interviews. So were you jealous of the other suitors getting time with Nicholas?"
Kate squirmed in her seat, a frown creasing her brow, "Only of Olivia. She kept insisting that he belonged to her because of their history. I honestly felt sorry for him having to endure her company. "
"What about Hana?"
"I didn't mind Hana spending time with Nicholas, because it usually meant we were all together. I don't know if they ever spent time together alone. I didn't ask her. Can we change the subject? It just makes me think of Madeleine."
Drake chanced another sip of his wine, trying his best to like it. He let it linger like she had, tasting it with his whole mouth before swallowing. It was just sour wine to him, but he appreciated the warming effect of the alcohol.
"Not ready to change the subject yet. Tell me about Mark." He said, setting down his glass and sitting back in his chair.
Kate nearly choked on her mouthful of potato. She coughed and then spat it into her napkin. "What about him? I already told you about Mark."
"If I'm only your third lover, you had to have learned all your talents in the bedroom somewhere. Was Mark older and more experienced than you? Did...did he teach you things?"
Drake felt warm around the collar and no doubt it showed a little in his face. He was curious about what happened between Mark and Kate during his two visits to New York. A simmering dislike for the guy was starting to grow within him too. It wasn't jealousy, but a genuine concern that the asshole had done Kate wrong.
Kate took a large drink of wine, and washed down the lingering crumbles of potato in her mouth. His intense gaze rooted her in place and while the alcohol warmed her up inside, it was the weight of his question that flared and prickled her skin with an uncomfortable sense of shame. She wasn't ready to talk about Mark, so she brought up James instead.
"Well...," she started, setting down her glass and shifting her eyes down to her lap. "James and I used to watch porn after school instead of studying. And we would try out different things. So that's definitely where my curiosity came from."
Drake smirked, chuckling. "Porn is so fake, but it's certainly... stimulating. I'm not going to ask what kinds of things you tried together, because that's not a mental image I ever want to have. But I'm assuming you two had plenty of fun. "
Kate finally looked up, still blushing profusely. "We did. And we learned what we liked and didn't like."
Drake saw Jack approaching with his plate of food. "On that note, we're about to see if you like grilled octopus."
They shifted their wine glasses to the side so that Jack could place the oval shaped plate between them. He stepped back and then with a smile and a nod he left them alone again.
Kate was impressed by the whimsical way the chef had arranged the octopus on the slices of potato, with each tentacle coiled around crumbs of sausage and everything sprinkled with spice. Swoops of a creamy sauce also adorned the plate.
"Ok, I retract my earlier reservations. This looks and smells delicious," Kate admitted.
Drake topped up their glasses of wine. "Before we sample this smokey offering from the sea, may I propose a toast?"
The sudden seriousness of his tone drew her attention away from the plate. She picked up her glass.
"Of course," she offered him an encouraging smile.
He flashed back a shy smirk as he picked up his glass and met her eyes, "I've never done this before.."
A burst of warmth rushed through her at seeing his adorably earnest expression, and she couldn't help but reply. "A Proposal or a toast?"
His gaze shifted away from hers and then back again, chuckling softly, "Uh, either I guess."
With a nod and another smile of encouragement she asked, "And what are we..."
He gently tapped his glass against hers and said, "A toast to us?"
Instead of drinking, Kate replied, "I'm willing to toast to 'Us', on one condition. Are you finished asking me questions about Mark for now, so we can move on? Because I would really like to leave him out of the rest of our evening...and the rest of my life for that matter."
He took a drink of his wine instead of answering. She set down her glass with a sigh. "I don't understand why you're so hung up on him. You seriously can't be jealous of what I consider ancient history."
With a shake of his head and a crease to his brow he speared a bit of octopus with his fork. "Jealous, no. But I'm getting the impression that you two didn't get along as well as you said."
Busying herself by sorting out the remaining fries in her basket, she avoided looking at him. "For the love of God, Drake. It's not like you can go back in time and punch him out for me like you did to Tariq."
With a grunt of disgust he finished chewing his mouthful of food and, washed it down with a sip of wine. "Please tell me Mark didn't give you the Tariq treatment."
"Actually, Mark was worse. He was using me to cheat on his wife.. And while we were on a double date with Beth and her boyfriend, Mark spent most of the night chatting up and flirting with Beth and totally ignored me."
Drake shook his head, "What an asshole. I hope you dumped him after that."
"I did."
With his fork, Drake broke up a bit of potato and swiped it through the sauce on the plate. "So all this talk about you and him getting along 'like a house on fire' wasn't true."
With a shrug, Kate picked up a tentacle from the plate and gave it a sniff, "That's the funny thing. During the day when we were out exploring the city together it was like he was a different person. So sweet and kind. But at night in his hotel room he... "
Taking a tentative bite of the octopus, she chewed it quickly and chased it down with a sip of wine. It wasn't what she'd expected. It didn't taste fishy at all, but meaty and salty. The sweetness of the wine was a perfect combination. Feeling a little more brave she took another bite.
Drake was watching her expectantly from the other side of the table, "..at night in his hotel room...he what? Jeez, Kate. I already hate the guy for using you to cheat. Please don't tell me he...."
With a shaky sigh Kate met his worried eyes, "He wasn't exactly gentle with me, if that's where your thoughts were going. It was those times with him and the condoms he insisted we use that were so painful. He didn't seem to care that I found the sex uncomfortable."
Drake sat in stony silence on the other side of the table as Kate continued talking. The tight clench of his jaw and the flare of his nostrils as he breathed with his eyes closed wasn't helping him stay calm. Neither was his death grip on the table.
"See, I told you not to ask about Mark. You can stoke that inner rage all you want but it's not going to change a damn thing now. I'll never forgive him, but I've been trying my best to not think about him these past five years. But.. now that's all fucked. So thanks. Thanks a-..."
As a strangled sob choked away her final whispered words, Drake's eyes snapped open and his anger fizzled away. Shit, there I go again. Making her fucking cry. Good one, Walker. That's like twice in an hour.
Getting up from the table he moved quickly to her side, and she turned toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her tears dampened his shirt as she pressed her cheek against his belly.
Stroking her hair, he muttered, "I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to push the issue. There's a deep dark place that I reserve for those I want to rip apart with my bare hands. Mark's damn lucky he lives far away."
Anchored by her tight embrace, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and waited for her tears to subside. The mirror on the wall reflected the whole emotional scene, as well as the whispered looks from other diners in the lounge. Their romantic dinner was over, and they hadn't even made it to dessert.
Lightly tapping her on the shoulder he whispered, "Kate? Are we going to be okay?"
Shifting back in her seat she rubbed at her cheeks roughly, and sniffed. Her red, mascara smudged eyes looked up at him with contempt. "Oh, we're definitely not okay."
Jack quietly appeared at their table, his hands clasped in front of him. "Is everything all right, folks?"
Buttoning up his jacket to hide his wet shirt, Drake leaned on the corner of Kate's chair to shield her from Jack. The dark curtain of her hair hid her face, her arms and shoulders forming a cage as she hunched forward in her seat and hugged herself.
"Can we settle our bill please, Jack? Oh, and box up our dessert to take away with us."
Jack glanced at Kate briefly, and then answered. "Certainly, sir. I'll be right back with your dinner check."
"Take me home, Drake. Please." A whisper came from his left.
Sitting back down in his seat, Drake finished his glass of wine, and contemplated the remains of the cold sad looking seafood on his plate. They hadn't eaten much of it.
Lifting her head to look at him, Kate's blank expression was equally cold. "Is the car here yet? Because I'm itching to take the subway to get the hell out of here if it's not. "
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Drake checked and found a message from the driver. "He's a few minutes away."
"Good." Kate got up out of her seat, adjusted her dress, and then reached over to grab her purse.
With a lunge Drake grabbed her arm as she attempted to step past him and go out to the lobby. "Hey! Where are you going?"
Tugging her arm free of his grasp, she snapped, "To the Ladies Room to fix my damn face, or am I not allowed to go anywhere unescorted?"
Tearing his eyes away from her retreating back his eyes searched the lounge in desperation. Where the fuck was he?
A knot formed in his gut as he watched her walk away. He wanted to chase after her, but he also needed to wait for the server to return with their check.
Getting up from his seat, he whirled around to look out toward the lobby. He couldn't see Kate anymore, and that knot twisted harder.
Dull aching heartbeats made seconds seem like minutes, and cool greasy sweat joined the nausea in his gut. Frantic glances back and forth between the lobby and the lounge were making him dizzy. The cool conditioned air of the lounge scratched at his throat as he gulped it into his lungs trying to quell the panic threatening to make him puke. Leaning heavily on his chair, the room swam and he closed his eyes.
He recognized the sound of a luggage cart being wheeled through the lobby, and he opened his eyes to see their bags being wheeled in behind the concierge desk. Time to go.
