XVIII

XVIII

Miss Woodman,

I need to go to the capital to arrange our flight tomorrow. Please see the box beside your bed. See you tonight.

A.J.P.L.

This was the letter I saw on the table where the breakfast was set. It has a nice calligraphy, that I almost did not mind the content of the note. I observed each curve and line of the letters. I had no idea before that he was good in writing.

Obviously, the letter was from Prince Alexander because of the initials below. It stood for Alexander Jared Paul Leonard.

I ate my not-so-majestic-unlike-yesterday-breakfast alone. I had an idea that he cooked these foods before he went to the capital.

The words I heard during my sleep last night were still bothering me. I knew it was not a dream, and his words felt so real, but why there was an uneasiness inside me. Was it because I did not feel the same?

I did not know if I had a feeling for him. Yes, I was attracted to him because he was handsome and hot. Who would not notice that Prince? However, the things he told me last night was not about his attraction to me. It was a deeper feeling and I knew, I never felt the same.

I wanted him to leave those prostitutes he was sleeping with. I wanted to help him to face this world in different direction, but I was not ready to commit my life to him. Probably, I liked him, but not in the romantic way. I liked him in a friendlier manner.

After my breakfast, I went to the room to see the box His Highness was saying. The box located beside my bed was approximately a meter long. There was another note pasted on top of it, saying:

Wear it tonight. See you!

A.J.P.L.

I immediately opened the box, and saw a simple yet stunning white dress. I stood in front of a life-size mirror and viewed myself while I put the dress in front of my body. The dress had thin straps, and gold ribbon as a belt. Its hem ended above the knees.

There were also a pair of Flip top inside the box, which well matched with the dress.

I did not know where it started, but I was excited for tonight.

-----

Before dark covered the sky, I still could not decide what kind of hairstyle I would do to my hair. In addition, I was not good at putting makeup on my face. When I was in Chicago, Lola was the one who fixed everything for me. Now that I was alone, maybe, I would do an experiment.

I braided my long dark-brown hair, a little messy, yet it was still good for beginners. I put cream on my face, and since, I had no idea about how to put contour or eye shadows, I decided to have a pink lipstick on my lips.

There were set of makeup in one of the drawers inside the room. I suddenly wondered if there were other girls went here with the Prince. Besides considering he was using the makeup, which was hard to believe, maybe this island had been his favorite sanctuary for his affairs.

I felt knots in my chest when I thought about that. Probably for the reason he aligned me to his mistresses when he brought me here.

I moved aside the things forming in my mind, and decided to go outside to breathe some air.

I was not yet completely stepping outside when I saw him standing nearby while his both hands were on his hips. He looked annoyed and gave me a dirty looked when I started to walk with him.

He wore a white shirt and black slacks. His sleeves folded up to his elbows, and the first two buttons of his shirt were undone. His hair tousled in its usual way, which made him more attractive.

"What took you so long?" he asked, infuriated was obvious in his voice, when I was standing in front of him. He looked at me from head to toe and back again.

"Umm. Sorry, I can't decide on what to do with my face," I shyly answered.

A small smile played on his lips. He held my hand and said, "I don't care what you have done to your face, you're still beautiful."

"I don't have a penny to give you, Your Highness," for sure, my face was either an apple or a tomato right now. It was not the first time a man told me I was beautiful, but I did not know. When Prince Alexander told me I was beautiful, all I could think was that I was the most beautiful woman in the world.

He laughed. "Come, our dinner is ready."

We walked on the sand until we reached 'our dinner' near the seashore. There was a blanket covered the sand, and lights surrounded it. Prince Alexander helped me to sit in the space on the blanket. He sat across me. Between us were the foods for our so-called dinner.

Seafood was one of my favorite foods in this world, and I was so happy that His Highness chose these varieties for our last dinner in this wonderful island.

The sea wave became our music, while the stars in the clear sky, together with the moon, watched us. They were our witnesses for tonight's unforgettable event. Prince Alexander could not take his eyes away from me, so I felt cautious.

His words last night played again in my head. Would I say it to him now? On the other hand, it was better not to spoil our night. I mean, if I was going to reveal that I heard all what he had said, he would feel uneasy and awkwardness would change our air. In addition, what would be my reaction? The person, who prepared this dinner for me, did not deserve a rejection, right.

If ever I would answer him, I did not want to lie and tell him that I felt the same. Maybe, crush was my highest feeling for him, and nothing more. It was better if I would tell it to him some other time.

Right now, I would enjoy this night with him.

I was licking my fingers when I used it to eat the crab, when Prince Alexander said, "How's your vacation?"

I was like an idiot thinking what he was saying, when I realized he was talking about our stay in this island. "It's good. I mean, I enjoyed it... with you," I smiled and saw his shocked face for a half second before covering it with his infamous blank face. "I know you are always here with some women, but do you enjoy your stay here with me?"

"Women?" he questioned, "I never brought a woman here, besides you," that answer gave me somewhat the relief I needed when that thought crossed my mind.

"Really? Why?" I did not know what answer I wanted to hear.

"Because this island is very special," I stop inhaling for an hour, "It was a gift."

"A gift? From whom?"

"From my late grandmother, Queen Eva," he took a deep breath before saying, "She gave it to me on my fifteenth birthday, and three days after, she died."

If my memory served me right, Queen Eva's death gave a shock to the whole world. I was only five years old back then, but I could still remember how everyone, even those people who were not living in England, mourned for the Royal family's lost. The news was all over the world. She was a great Queen and adored by everybody.

There was speculation that the sudden death of the Queen was due to the poison given to her. However, the autopsy report given to the public was the Queen suicide because of anxiety attack. Who knew what really happened behind those walls of the palace?

"Why did you bring me here?" I shifted the topic because Prince Alexander seemed flew to another dimension.

"You don't get it?" he answered me with another question.

"How do I get it if you didn't properly answer my question?" I snapped, but not in a bad way.

He shook his head. "This island is special, I brought you here, and therefore, you are special."

I blushed, not only my face, but also my whole body. If you see me now, I looked like a walking blood. "I didn't expect you know how to say sweet words," I joked to make the atmosphere light.

"Me either. This is my first time to hear myself speak like this," he bowed his head for me not to see his cheeks turned to red. If he only knew, I still had a perfect view.

"That's why I don't believe you!" I giggled.

"What?!" he looked at me again with disappointment.

I stood on the sand and said, "Do you think, you can easily round my head?" I was mockingly serious, but inside me, I was laughing at his expression. He could not believe that I did not trust his words.

He also stood up. "I thought your innocence is a turn on. But, sometimes, it is irritating."

I stuck my tongue out, "You know what I'm good at running, and I was a track and field athlete when I was in grade school."

"So what?"

"Shut up first, and listen to me," he grinned at my response. I rolled my eyes, "When you catch me, I will believe in you, otherwise, I will never ever believe on you."

I did not know what the origin of my own game was, I knew he was telling the truth, but I just wanted to make some fun with him. I started to run and yelled when I saw him running to me. It was a little difficult to run on the sand than on the flat, because my ankles dipped in every step I made.

To get away, I ran on the seashore until I noticed the water was already on my knees. Prince Alexander was behind me, and I splashed the water on him so he would not get near me. We were like children splashing the salty water in each other's face. I gave up, and he caught me by his arms.

We were still laughing when he said, "Now, do you believe in me?"

I faced him while his arms wrapped on my waist. "I know how to accept my loss."

"Very good," he patted my head like a pet.

I put my hand on his chest, which was already visible because of his wet shirt. I tiptoed and kissed him on his cheek. "Thank you," I said and hugged him.

He seemed surprised for a moment before pulling me closer, his arms still around my waist. "Thank you for what?"

"Thank you for taking me here. I love the place, and I also learned a lot about you," I breathe on his chest where I could feel his heart beat a little faster than normal.

(A/N: Before you leave, look at the picture on the right side [or if you are using phone, go back to the first page of this chapter and click the photo above] Okay, now, she is my ideal Shirley Woodman. I know all of you know who she is. What can you say about Shirley? Do you love her character? Thank you for reading this story. Til next update! Love lots. GOD bless)