Page 37 of Jonathon, After All

And it was the perfect opportunity to finally have an honest chat with Sabine. Jonathon thought he was prepared and could hold his own, but he was immediately overwhelmed and outclassed from the moment he knocked and peeked around the door.

“Hi, Sabine. I was wondering if I could bother you,” he had whispered.

She was seated on the loveseat by the window with a stack of folders and her trusty notepad on her lap. Once again, Jonathon couldn’t help admiring how elegant she looked in her simple white blouse and black pencil skirt. She had slipped off her red-soled black heels and had used a pen to keep her hair twisted up in a bun.

“Bother me? Nonsense!” She smiled, her eyes sparkling as she patted the spot next to her. “I was hoping to have a little chat with you,” she added in a conspiratorial whisper while Jonathon rushed around the sofa and the coffee table and took a seat.

“You were?” He wrinkled his nose sheepishly. “I’m sorry about the roses. I know Leo put you up to that.”

“Psshh!” She gave his hand a gentle slap and shook her head. “I don’t mind a bit.”

“You don’t?” Jonathon felt slightly wary, but she shushed and patted his hand.

“I will admit that I had concerns at first, for all the obvious reasons, but mostly for you,” she said, her head tilting sympathetically.

“Me?” Jonathon laughed it off. “I know I’m young but I’ve seen more than men twice my age, thanks to Muriel.”

“Of course, Schatz!” She shushed him more, squeezing his hand. “You wouldn’t have caught Leo’s attention if you didn’t have substance. He’s very picky and gets bored easily. Which is why I wanted to warn you: it’s rare for Leo to go on more than a date or two before he loses interest. He’s so…fickle.”

“I don’t understand. We’re not dating but he doesn’t seem like the sort of guy who sleeps around,” Jonathon said and she gasped, shaking her head.

“Not at all! Leo rarely goes out with anyone but when he does, it doesn’t last long. He’ll simply never care about sex more than work. And I suppose he knows he can get it just about anywhere when he does want it.” She raised her brows at him suggestively.

Jonathon sucked in a breath, mortified. “It wasn’t like that! I didn’t go after him because he’s?—”

“Shhh! I know you didn’t, Schatz!” She gave his hand another encouraging squeeze and leaned toward him. “But between you and me, I should have thought about hiring someone to keep him distracted and happy while we were here. He probably would have fired me for even suggesting it, but we can’t argue with the results, can we?”

“I don’t know…” Jonathon’s gaze flicked to the ceiling as he wondered if he’d just been compared to a sex worker and if the comparison had been complimentary.

“Which reminds me,” she said and held up a finger. “I know you’ll inherit once your aunt passes but if you should find yourself with any expenses or in need of additional…support while you’re here, do let me know.”

“Oh, God!” Jonathon’s face twisted in horror. “You are comparing me to a sex worker. I promise you, I do not want any of Leo’s money and I will have you know that my aunt is in very good health and has many, many years ahead of her, thank you.” He didn’t know if she was testing him to see if he would take Leo’s money and if that had been Jonathon’s intent, but he felt gross and nothing upset him more than imagining his life without Muriel.

“No, no, no!” Sabine pulled his hand to her chest and hugged it. “You’ve surprised me, Mr. Hawthorne, and you’ve been good for Leo. He’s having far fewer headaches and he’s eating better because his stomach isn’t sour and burning all the time. We both know he isn’t getting very much sleep, but what he is getting seems to be doing him a lot of good because his mood is greatly improved,” she continued, chuckling to herself. “Greatly improved. He only snaps at me two or three times a day and he’s practically stopped riding Andreas’s ass. Keep doing whatever it is you’re doing,” she instructed him, causing Jonathon to rear back as his blush intensified.

“I’m…glad you approve. I was afraid you’d be mad and tell me to stay away from him.”

She pressed her knuckle against her lips, tittering. “And risk Leo’s wrath? Oh, no.” She waved it off. “I stay out of his personal affairs and let nature take its course because it always will. That’s why I wanted to warn you, Schatz,” she said with a soft groan. “Right now, he is your captive and he’s under your spell, but it won’t last once he returns to the real world. His time will be finite and precious once he’s Margrave. I hate to see you get your heart broken, you deserve so much more than a few weeks, but I’m afraid that’s all he can offer you. It’s such a terrible shame you aren’t…five years older and the timing wasn’t better for Leo,” she explained gently.

“I see.” That was a whopper of a lie because Jonathon couldn’t see or hear or comprehend anything. His psyche had popped like a balloon, his happiness instantly deflated by a quick, needle-sharp prick.

“Do you?” Sabine asked, her voice a soft, sorry sigh.

He nodded despite the void spreading and filling the place where his soul had been, not two minutes prior. Jonathon didn’t know what he’d do once Leo was gone. “Yes,” he said woodenly. “Leo said no relationship and I knew he would be busy,” he mumbled and nodded.

“Good. As long as you aren’t being misled. I know Leo would never take advantage of his position and the years between you. Not on purpose,” she qualified. “I was afraid you might have fooled yourself into believing you were ready for a man like Leo and a short-term relationship like this—and convinced him as well—but you seem to be handling everything just fine.”

“Thank you.”

“And you know you can always come to me if you need anything or just want to talk,” she said, thanking him again for his service and all the ways he was helping to make Leo’s stay at Schönbühel more pleasant.

He had nodded and stumbled through a few more pleasantries before making a stoic escape. Jonathon had kept his head high and his expression neutral until he reached his room and fell back against the door.

“What am I going to do?”

He sank to the floor, crying as he imagined how cold and empty and lost he would be once it was over. Jonathon had foolishly forgotten how minor he was in the grand scheme of things and that Leo had a legacy and a destiny waiting for him when he left Schönbühel.

Jonathon might have the talent to make his dreams of becoming a successful artist come true, but what was that compared to being a prince and saving the world? Unlike Jonathon, the odds of Leo achieving his goals were greatly stacked in his favor and the only thing standing in his way was a scandalous fling with a young American artist.

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