Page 9 of Forgettable in Every Way

I was going to have to look this book up. No one had ever mistaken me for a princess before. For the sake of Jack, I played along. He was adorable. “Well, good day to you, Sir Jack.”

He giggled, and my heart melted. But I hoped he would take his daddy and leave. Simon’s woodsy scent, mixed with that of fresh bread, was making me feel fluttery, as was his toothy grin.

“Can you eat lunch with me and my daddy? Please?” Jack begged.

Begging never sounded so cute. If he were my child, he would get away with everything. That accent was adorably lethal. Except, I couldn’t grant Jack’s wish and eat with Simon. I was trying to hop on the road to recovery from him, and there were no detours or turning back this time.

I grabbed Calista and pulled her to my side. “I’m actually here with my friend. This is Calista Monroe,” I rushed to say. “She’s one of the ER doctors in town,” I rambled.

Simon put out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Monroe. I’m an old friend of Jules.”

“Princess Jewel,” Jack corrected him.

“I apologize. Princess Jewel,” Simon revised.

I would hardly consider him a friend since we hadn’t spoken in years. And the last time we saw each other in New York, he didn’t seem to care that I was moving away. And let’s not forget he obliterated my heart.

Calista shook his hand. But like the good friend she is, she sneered at him.

Simon’s eyes widened, taken aback. He dropped her hand. “Well, we don’t want to interrupt your plans.”

That’s right, move along. I wished the cute kid could stay, but since that wasn’t appropriate, the boy who thought I was a princess unfortunately had to go. It was the first time I was ever happy to be called by the wrong name. Though Jules and Jewel were close. At least it wasn’t like my last date where the guy had taken me to Starbucks because he had forgotten my name. I told the barista it was Ingrid, and he called me Ingrid the rest of the night. Sadly, it wasn’t my worst date.

Jack unexpectedly wrapped his arms around my legs. “Please don’t go.”

His touch made my heart come alive in a way it never had before. It was as if someone had charged it after the battery had died or something. I rubbed my chest from the shock of it all. I hadn’t even realized how dead my heart had become. Now it was sparking and sending weird zings up and down my extremities.

“Please, you have to save the Daft Prince,” he pleaded. “He made a bad choice.”

“Um ... who is the Daft Prince?”

“You’re so silly. You know who he is. He’s—”

Simon unexpectedly scooped Jack up, tearing him away from my legs. “We don’t want to spoil the book for the princess,” Simon rushed to say, turning bright red.

I tilted my head, more and more confused, and even curious.

“But Daddy,” Jack complained, “she has to remember that it’s—”

Simon playfully placed a hand over Jack’s mouth while studying me and grinning. Then he whispered something in Jack’s ear before saying out loud, “I think the princess is under a spell that made her forget the Daft Prince. I don’t think we can tell her who he is. If we do, it might curse the prince or her.” He let his hand drop when he was sure Jack wouldn’t blurt out who the mysterious prince was or whatever it was his father had whispered in his ear.

“Oh.” Jack nodded, as if that made sense.

I was glad it made sense to someone.

“What do we do, Daddy?” Jack asked, gravely concerned.

Simon thought for a moment, perusing me as he went. “I think we should probably keep an eye on the princess to make sure no one else casts a spell on her.”

I opened my mouth to say that wasn’t a good idea and it would only curse me more, but then Jack smiled so sweetly at me. “Don’t worry, we’ll protect you and help you remember.”

“We probably better eat lunch with you,” Simon said, like it was his sworn duty, shifting gears from his previous stance of letting me be.

I glanced at Calista, hoping she would save me from this awkward situation. All she did was look between Simon and me repeatedly, biting her lip. Her expression bordered on amused and intrigued.

“Please, Princess,” Jack begged in that cute voice of his.

I was right, it was lethal. “Okay,” I said, resigned, knowing I had just come to a crashing halt on the road to recovery and feeling like I got hit by an emotional airbag.

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