Page 37 of Awaiting

“Just no Kleinland pizza, please,” Bexley told her.

“No, not at all. I’ll set everything up. We’ll have to eat at the palace, but I’ll make the arrangements.”

“Okay,” Bexley replied, wondering what kind of arrangements would need to be made, but then the elevator opened. “American food,” she said on a sigh.

Alex laughed again.

???

When Bexley got back to the palace, she quickly changed out of her work clothes and into something more casual. Donning a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, she added a sweater over it, knowing that the dining room was often cold despite the raging fire. Then, she opened her computer to check her work email and remembered that she still hadn’t responded to Holly’s email from a few days ago.

“Well, I’m an asshole,” she said to herself.

She decided that she’d put it off long enough, and instead of typing out an email first, she checked her watch and calculated the time difference. She didn’t want to do this over email or text, but she knew right now she’d only be leaving a voicemail anyway, so she typed a quick response to Holly saying that she’d like to talk whenever Holly could. Then, she closed her computer and headed downstairs. When she opened her bedroom door to leave, though, she was surprised to find Alex standing there.

“Oh, hey,” she spoke.

Alex looked good. She’d changed out of what she had worn that day into a suit. Alex was wearing a sexy suit now. No, it wasn’t sexy. Bexley shook her head as if to shake that word out of her vocabulary when referring to a Princess. Alex had on a pair of very nice, shiny black shoes, matching pants that hugged her perfectly, and a tailored suit jacket. Her crisp white shirt under it was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a whole lot more skin than Bexley had ever seen Alex expose before. In fact, there was something between Alex’s breasts she hadn’t known was there.

“You’re…” Bexley muttered. “You…”

Alex looked her up and down before saying, “You look great.”

“I don’t. I look awful. You’re all dressed up,” Bexley replied. “I thought we were eating here,” she added.

“We are,” Alex confirmed. “I thought the occasion called for a bit of dress-up, but you donotlook awful. I like you in sweaters and jeans.”

Had Bexley heard that right? Alexlikedher in something?

“You have a…” Bexley pointed between Alex’s breasts like an idiot.

Alex looked down and said, “Oh, right. No one knows. Well, somewomenknow.”

“Some?”

“Well, I’m no virginal Princess, Bexley.”

“What is it?” Bexley asked of the black ink on Alex’s chest.

“It’s the symbol for freedom,” Alex explained. “I got it when I was twenty years old. My friend had a friend who owned a tattoo shop.”

“Freedom, huh?”

“I felt like I needed it back then.”

“Not anymore?” Bexley asked.

“Always, probably,” Alex replied. “Shall we go? I made sure there would be no Kleinland pizza.”

“Why no pizza?” Alice asked as she and Nora approached from down the hall with the babies in their double stroller.

“Oh, hi,” Alex said.

“How did it go today?” Alice asked Bexley.

“It went really well. I was going to stop by later and tell you all about it.”

“Nora and I are having a night in with Grandma and the kids later. Can we do it now?” Alice turned to Alex. “Hey, you look nice.”

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