Page 52 of Awaiting

“I don’t even have tea. I drink coffee.”

Alice laughed and dropped her hand from Bexley’s shoulder.

“Maybe ask her what kind of tea she likes and order it for her. That would be a nice gesture.”

“I don’t even have matching cups. I have coffee cups that say things like, ‘I survived another meeting that should have been an email,’ and the one I got in that white elephant gift exchange a few years ago that says, ‘I do not spew profanities. I enunciate them like a fucking lady.’” Bexley sighed. “It has a chip in it, and I haven’t even thrown it out.”

“Alex would love that,” Alice said, laughing some more. “If you really don’t want her to go, though, just tell her. She’ll understand.”

“No, it’s not that,” Bexley said, taking a deep breath. “Despite my coffee cups and lack of places for security to sleep, I actuallydowant her to go.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. Is that weird?”

“Why would that be weird?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can I ask why, given the givens, you want her to go?”

“Because I haven’t been thinking about Holly at all since I got here,” Bexley admitted. “I forgot to call her or text her or keep her posted on what I was feeling until she emailed me. Then, I even forgot to email her back.”

“I see,” Alice said, nodding. “Alex has helped take your mind off of Holly.”

“Yes.”

“What do you think that means?”

“That I have a crush on a Princess,” Bexley said.

“Just a crush?”

“Well, it can’t be anything else, Al.” She glared at her friend.

“Why can’t it?”

“Hi, she’s the future Queen of–”

“I’m a Queen. Nora wasn’t. And we’re together.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“Because you were born a Queen and didn’t know it. You were raised as a farm girl in America. Alex was raised to be Queen. Hell, even Nora makes sense as a Queen – she’s a fucking hero. Her father was a hero. Her–”

“Okay.” Alice patted her thigh. “Do you really like Alex, Bex?”

“She invited me to Balmoral.”

“She did, did she?”

“After I accidentally invited her to Kansas. I’m sure she was just being polite.”

“Did it sound that way?”

“I don’t know. She said she wanted to show me part of her world.”

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