Page 28 of Make Me Bee-lieve

“Then please,” he says as he stands up and extends a hand to me, “let me treat you like a princess.”

CALVIN

Taking Polina for a spin across the floor is both unnatural and the most natural thing I’ve ever done. The paradox of the moment is confusing, yes, but when I twirl her around and see the smile on her face, all my misgivings melt away. She’s finally having fun. Although, when I pull her back into my chest, I catch the glares from Majordomo Elza and Florian out of the corner of my eye.

Polina seems to notice them, too, because the smile has faded from her lovely face.

“I don’t trust them,” I mutter as I lead her away from the banquet table. We disappear amongst the other dancers, and they part for us as we make our way to the other side of the ballroom. “They give me a bad feeling.”

“You get used to it,” she says. There’s no lightness in her voice. “I have.”

I sigh, shaking my head, and glide closer to the table holding the cornucopia. It’s chock full of acorns and other nuts the size of pumpkins. “You shouldn’t have to. No one should have to work with people who make them that uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable,” she says flatly. But I can tell she’s lying. For whatever reason, she still feels like she can’t speak freely with me, and I’m not about to push her. “Florian will be dead in two weeks, and I will be queen. I don’t plan on keeping Majordomo Elza on after that.”

I raise an eyebrow. “So you’ve said, yeah, but does she know that?”

“Yes. She’s well aware, and fine with it, too. She plans on retiring. We talked about it maybe a month ago?”

But my stomach clenches. Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.

“Are you sure that’s the case? Because the way she’s been treating you hasn’t been … hasn’t been normal, Po. At least, it shouldn’t be. She’s downright mean to you.”

“Do we have to discuss this?” Polina asks as I spin her around and glide toward an empty corner. “Here, of all places? And now?”

“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. My ears burn from the embarrassment of overstepping. But—damn, is it hot in here? I didn’t think a bunch of bees would generate quite this much heat. Shows what I know, I guess.

“Po, what happened to your mother?” I ask.

She scowls up at me. “My, just going from one fun topic to the next, aren’t you?”

My chest tightens. “Po, this is important. Please … I know you don’t want to talk about it. But what happened to her?”

“She was eaten by a bird,” Polina says, and her shoulders sag, along with her expression. “The memory is painful.”

I nod. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t. How could you?” she snaps, and she starts to pull away from my grasp. But I hold on to her. Not tightly, because I don’t want to hold her against her will, but I need her to listen to me. Really hear me.

I lower my face to hers and murmur, “Yes, I do. I lost my father years ago, and it was hard then, and it’s still hard even now.”

Polina’s face blanches like someone just tossed a bucket of cold water on her. “O-Oh. I’m so sorry, Calvin. I didn’t … that was so insensitive of me to assume.”

“I’m not telling you this to make you feel bad,” I say as I pull her closer to my chest. “I’m telling you so you don’t have to feel so alone.”

All the tension in her body dissolves until she’s practically a rag doll in my arms. Leading her across the floor is so effortless, feels so … right. When she looks up at me through her mask, my heart leaps into my throat, and suddenly there’s nothing I’d love to do more than kiss her.

But I can’t. Not with everyone watching us.

When the song finally ends and the other couples meander to the banquet tables, Polina and I remain in the center of the floor, staring at one another. Then she clears her throat and drags her gaze away, back to the alcove we were in just a little while ago.

“Ahem. Would you come with me so we could speak more in private?” she murmurs.

I nod, then follow her back into the alcove. No one seems to have noticed we left, surprisingly. Majordomo Elza remains at the table with Florian. They sit close together, whispering conspiratorially.

Polina takes my hands and brings them to her breasts, and I instinctively yank them away. “P-Po?—”

Lust hangs heavy in her eyes, and she waggles her eyebrows. “I thought perhaps we could have a repeat performance of our library tête-à-tête. Although I don’t plan on doing much talking. I have other plans for my mouth.”

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