Page 43 of Truth or Spare

“Of course, I can,” Theo said. “I might not know that much about how to run a bowling alley—although, I have been learning—but I do know the state of my finances and I can definitely afford to hire Mr. Callahan.”

“What are you talking about?” Dewey rubbed his temple, confused and already exhausted and they had just opened.

“I can call my accountant. She can confirm that she’s already made the arrangements and that it won’t be any trouble at all,” Theo insisted.

“Your accountant?” This was why Dewey had a bad feeling. “Why would a man who makes $20 an hour need an accountant?”

Theo hissed and grimaced awkwardly at Dewey. “Right… I did plan to tell you. But my name is actually TheovonHessen and I’ve been giving the money you pay me to Lidia Wells.” He whispered, “I’m so, so sorry Dewey! I wanted to tell you and I wasabout to,” Theo widened his eyes and cleared his throat.“But I wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes if I had told you who I really was when I first arrived.”

“Lidia? From the animal shelter?” Dewey mumbled like an idiot while Bryce whipped out his phone. There was only one Lidia in Oslo.

“Holy shit!” Bryce whispered, his eyes were huge as they jumped to Theo. “He’s got a bio on Wikipedia. There’s even a picture of him!” He held up his phone and pointed at it. “There he is!” He bit down on his lips, muffling a shriek.

Dewey barely understood what Wikipedia was. But his heart slammed, lurching from beat to beat and throbbing in his head and his ears. “Why?” he mouthed, unable to make his voice work.

“It’s not that serious and I wish you would put that away,” Theo insisted, but Bryce cleared his throat loudly.

“This says, ‘Leopold, the MargraveofHessen, and his brothers:Theobald, Matteo, and Elio, the Princes of Hessen and sole heirs of the von Hessen dynasty of Austria.”

“See?” Theo held up his hands. “Not a big deal. It’s a ceremonial title, really, and more of a tourism gimmick,” he attempted, but Bryce let out a breathless “Whoa!”

“Jesus fucking what else?” Dewey whimpered and considered sticking his head in one of the ball returns.

“This says Theobald’s worthmillionsof Euros.” Bryce threw Theo an appalled look. “He owns a castle and a chalet in Austria, an estate in England, and townhouses in London, Paris, and Rome.”

Theo blushed and waved it off. “I also have a villa in Follonica. It’s closer to my mother’s family in Umbria and it’s where I usually stay when I visit. I like to be close, but not too close. Too many elderly aunts and uncles and I don’t want to disappoint them,” he explained casually and whispered for Bryce to put the phone away.

“I see…” Dewey stared at Theo, still stuck on the word “prince.” How many times had he sent Theo to clean the bathrooms and check all the trash cans? He was mortified until he recalled all the things they had done in the Winnie. All the thingshehad done with an actual prince, apparently. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Oh God! Is there a bag handy?” Chase asked as he looked around while Theo reached for Dewey.

“Everything’s fine! It’s not a big deal,” he repeated soothingly. “Why don’t we take a walk and I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” he suggested, earning a belligerent glare from Dewey.

“Do you promise?”

Theo nodded in understanding. “Bitte. I know you’re pissed off and you have every right to be. But I think it would be easier forusto process this privately,” he said as he waved between him and Dewey. “So we can both speak freely and say what’s truly on our minds right now.”

“Fine,” Dewey conceded. His tongue was tied because none of his questions were about the bowling alley, Chase, or Oslo.

Most of them were abouthimand why Theo was wasting his time with an Upstate New York nobody. Dewey was so embarrassed and mad at himself for thinking they could make sense, that something real was happening between them. And he was scared as he followed Theo out the side exit and closed the door, cutting the bowling alley, Bryce, Chase, and Oslo out of the equation so it was just them.

“What are you doing here?” he asked Theo.

“I told you, I came to help—” Theo began but Dewey cut him off with a hard look.

“I’ve already heardthatfairy tale. You set out on a magical Greyhound to see the true wonders of America,” he said with a dramatic sweep of his hand, then sneered wryly. “Tell me another one. What was it aboutthislittle slice of bliss that made you stay? How long until you hop on another bus or hitch a ride to a new middle class fantasy so you can cosplay as a commoner?”

“First of all!” Theo raised a finger, looking unusually serious. “I wasn’t raised as a royal.My familywas very middle class and we’re proud of that. Wikipedia doesn’t describe how difficult the years after our parents’ death were for me and Leo, how hard we worked to carry on and care for each other.”

That stopped Dewey in his tracks and he was momentarily breathless. “I’m sorry,” he rumbled softly. “I know how much you love your brothers and what it’s like to lose your parents. You never stop missing them.”

“No, you never stop missing them,” Theo agreed before taking a deep breath and brightening. “My brothers and I are extremely fortunate to have Maximillian von Hessen for a cousin and he changed our lives when he abdicated his title and made Leo the Margrave of Hessen. I was already sixteen by then and was caring for our younger brothers while Leo was at university. I went to university and served in the military as well, in case I had to be Margrave one day, but never wanted it. I was happiest when I was home, caring for my brothers.”

“You didn’t want to be Margrave?” Dewey asked skeptically and Theo gasped and shook his head.

“Nee!Never. We saw how it had nearly ruined Max’s life and his family. But I would have done it to spare Leo.”

“Huh,” Dewey grunted. “I thought it was a good gig, being the spare, and that you’d want to get rid of the heir.”

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