Twelve Romances: Kings Choice

Finally In France!

It was a beautiful day! Granted after spending thirteen long hours on a plane the sudden bright light of the sun was a bit of a harassment. It almost felt like having a hangover. I felt someone bump into me jostling me forward out of the way. I look back to glare but there is just a stream of tourists filtering out not paying me any mind.

I roll my shoulders and put my heavy purse strap back on my shoulder. Time to go get my luggage. I followed the stream of individuals headed to the same place as me. For a moment I get stuck on the similarities between people in an airport and a school of fish in the sea, just streaming mindlessly. However the stream is efficient. I quickly find myself in the right place. I stand at the conveyor belt watching all the luggage roll by and wait for my pastel blue bags to float along. After only a brief wait my bags roll past me and I snatch them up. Smiling nervously at the lady in a tight formal looking business suit that stood close to me. It was a nervous tick, she looked at me, and in America when someone makes eye contact you smile and nod in return. 

I should know better though, I've finished three years of college majoring in communications in French and Japanese. America is one of the few places that do the smiling thing. My smile makes her look clearly uncomfortable. She mutters "Yankee" and continues looking for her luggage. That… that was gut wrenchingly painful. My anxiety is at a whole new high and I quickly walk away luggage in hand. I get out to the street and wave at a taxi waiting in the side-wing for someone just like me, unprepared. He rolls up next to me and I get into the car. 

"Hi," I start in my well practiced french. "I would like you to take me to the 'Lakeside Manor Hotel.' Here's the address." I say and hand him the 'direction instructions' paper I printed out at home early yesterday morning. 

He nods his head, enters something into the little machine, and off we go. Zooming out of the unfamiliar airport. As we drive I lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes. My heart is racing and I need to calm myself down. This is my last school vacation. Unless I decide to go for a masters or a PHD, this is it! I saved all that I could over the past three years so I could afford a one single hurrah before heading out into the working class world with no breaks present. I was twenty. By twenty-one I would probably be employed for minimum wage and sniveling for some overrated boss. I just needed to calm down. Here I was just a 'Yankee', it didn't matter if I messed up, I was just some tourist people would roll their eyes at.

"Just gotta keep it together." I mumbled to myself.

"Eh, what waz dat?" The taxi driver said in a thickly accented English. One that I couldn't even put my finger on.

"Oh! Nothing sorry!" I laughed nervously. Waving my hand to dismiss any misconceptions. He looked at me for a long moment. Honestly making me want to yell. 'The road please!' Before looking away and driving in silence. 

Umm, okay, minus one nosey taxi driver. I can get back to my musings now. Summer break! I paid for two weeks at this hotel near 'Lac De Minimes'. It's not too far away from beautiful chateaus and The Beinheim royal palace! A great place, that knew it, and charges an arm and a leg. Which is why instead of staying for three months which my passport would just barely allow, I am only staying for two short weeks. I am going to attempt a glorious summer romance and so just enjoy myself! Anxiety be damned. I was going to have a good time. 

The car rolled up to the sprawled out hotel on the lake and was absolutely more beautiful in person then on camera. It had a Hawaiian/French vibe that was uniquely its own. Scanning my visa I paid my… seriously?! Outrageously overpriced fair. Grabbed my set of four bags and lugged myself to the doors. They were heavy glass and metal frames that really gave the hotel a sense of being fantastical. Inside was calm. No rushing patrons or anything. Why? Because I bet only the rich used this hotel. It was seriously expensive. Like, three years of savings used up in just two weeks, expensive. Not to say I don't have cash now. I do. Just most of the funds went into this hotel. Seemed pretty worth it though. Most women dream of spending all their savings on a blow out wedding. Not me! It was on a glorious vacation and to see the infamous French royal family.

Well, what there was to see of the family. Just last year, the now thirty year old king, had a large family. The king had a beautiful wife and twin daughters. They all died last winter though. It was really tragic. The woman was said to have caught a sickness that claimed the children as well. Even though the castle is staffed with world famous and prestigious doctors and scientists. It's said they couldn't cure it. So now only the lonely king remained and he was apparently, and understandably, upset about it. He was present in the castle but wasn't seen much, he signed papers, kept the country going, but that was it. So seeing the royal family was still a to-do but wasn't as important now that there wasn't any cute little princesses running the halls. 

I dropped my heavy bags down on the lobby floor and looked around the grand entrance way. There was a roaring fireplace in the far back. A beautiful tree center stage with skylights above it. An area that appeared to be a living room or lounge. Then several halls. Where I stood though was in front of a glass countertop. It was long and had a fancy computer just on the otherside. The wall behind it was loaded with mail holes and what appeared to be old fashioned keys for the old rooms. Now a decoration most likely. 

"Hello?" I called into the cozy place. It was a tiny bit odd that no one was here ready to check me in wasn't it?

A tiny face popped out from around the corner and drew my eye. It was a tiny little redheaded princess. Not really but anything as cute as her deserved the title. She had wavy long red hair in a sloppy ponytail. Large blue eyes and freckles along her nose.

"Hi there!" I greeted her. Waving my fingers in her direction.

The girl slipped past the edge of the counter and took a step toward me before leaning on the counter she once hid behind. The action revealing she was in a tiny one piece style dress swimsuit. She couldn't be older than six or seven. 

"Are you a guest?" I asked laughing. "Or are you a tiny owner? Can you check me in?" I asked playfully, stepping closer to the obviously escaped child. 

She giggled and hugged her arms around her chest.

"You're really pretty." She said grinning up at me. 

"Alexis! Get back here!" 

The voice broke us both from our meeting. We both looked towards the voice but then quickly I felt, tiny, cold hand touching my thighs. I glanced down at the girl she was still damp. I looked up in time to see a strong, and annoyed looking, samoan man step around the corner. The same direction she had come from. I found myself momentarily lost as I looked him over from head to toe. He was covered in what had to be tribal tattoos. They went up his arms to his shoulders and down his bare chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt but was wearing a pair of loose black jeans. He had very long, thick, and coarse looking black hair. It looked as if it had recently been in a braid, that had since fallen out. If this wasn't a summer romance opportunity I might be damned. He looked like a god straight out of a disney movie. He was just standing there… looking at me… his lips moving...

Oh s**t. He was saying something. I snapped out of my stupor and blinked saying the first words that came to my mind.

"Hmm… uh! Um… what?"

He arched an eyebrow at my lackluster remarks.

"Heh, yeah all tha ladies are charmed by me. You got mah Alexis there. And what chu’ doing here, love? We’re booked fer tha night." He said looking me over and making heat flush to my cheeks. "You have to book ahead fer this place in the summer. If yer out of yer luck and need a place to crash, I got a place upstairs that could use some lovin’." 

The heat evaporated and I felt anger rise instead. I glared him down.

"So you work here? I actually have a reservation, for here, for tonight, and out two weeks. So if you could just check me in and give me my keys please. I booked the hotel last spring. So don't tell me it's not available."

The man laughed. Held up his hands and walked behind the counter.

"Okay. Down tiger. Lets see ... So you’re 'Beaulieu'? How the hell did someone wearing old navy short shorts and last year’s graphics afford staying in our place eh? You got a sugar daddy?" He asked, looking me in the eye.

This dude was a *jerk*! Forget the summer romance. I'd rather date a beached whale then anyone as arrogant as him.

"Yes, I am Beaulieu. No, I do not have a sugar daddy. I used savings. It's a thing smart people do? You wouldn't get it." I bit angrily. 

He gave me a cocky grin. "Eh, yeah? Imma need to see an Identification for this room. I just don't believe your story."

I shoot him another glare and reach into my wallet pulling out my Washington state Identification card. 

"See? Happy now?"

He grabbed hold of my hand with the card and pulled me forward. I stumble as a child is on my legs and fall into the desk. He grabs my face with one hand and holds my other hand holding the ID out next to it. He then stares into my face. His dark eyes peering into mine. He smells like the ocean and is unnaturally warm. The mixture makes my panties practically drop to china without my consent. 

"H-hey!" I say lamely. He then looks at the id and lets go. I snap back bumping into the kid. I put my hand on her head to steady myself.

"The hell!" I shout.

"Sorry babe, had to get a closer look to see if you really are Ms. Beaulieu. Your good. Here's your keys. You're in room 34." He said and scanned two keycards on a device and handed them over to me. 

I take them but still feel violated. I can still feel where the warmth of his hand had been on my cheek. The scent of the ocean still in my nose.

"Y-yeah well… hands off." I say trying to sound confident. He walked to the back and brings out a brass colored bellman luggage cart and slid it over to me.

I look at him suspiciously. The man out his hands on me once and I had honestly liked it too much. It wasn't happening again.

He then stooped down instead and grabbed the girl at my side lifting her into his arms. She giggled and hugged him close.

"Eh, well, have a good night. Call the front desk if you need me. I answer some of the time."

"Bye pretty lady!"

The two walked away and I was left with my head reeling. How is it someone can be so attractive and also so horrible! He was great with kids too… Which only added to my dilemma. I loaded my luggage and walked to the elevator. The thirties were on the fourth floor. I knew so by the tiny map on the back of the keycard. So unique.

I walk down the fall and see my door '34'. I scan the card and the door beeps to allow me access. I push open the door and see the light blue themed room I had chosen. It had a large living room as you entered. A dining room in the back. A small kitchen to the side and a door that lead to my private bathroom bedroom and balcony overlooking the forest and right at the castle. I pushed the cart into the bedroom, then rushed to the balcony. I slid open the glass doors and looked out to see the beautiful castle.

It was alive with light. The castle was majoritively white colored but the lights inside seemed to make it glow gold in the setting sun. 13 days of pure fun starting tomorrow. 

First stop Beinheim castle!