The Modern Princess

CHAPTER EIGHT

I nod. My heart races and I do not know if he heard everything. Calm down Kathy, he didn’t hear anything. s**t! I can’t fool myself! I know he heard it!

“You there for a long time?”

“Well actually yes” s**t. He heard it. He really did. Shall I ask him? Or should I not open that topic? s**t.

“So you heard what are we talking about?”

“Partially”

“Oh, you want to eat?” I asked, trying to sound calm. Where did that came? Say something Katherine! But I can’t think well when I’m uneasy.

“No, I’m full.” He said; he sat on the side of my bed. He looked at me his hands both resting on sides

“Can we talk?” he added.

“Sure. So what are we up to?” I try to sound calm but deep inside I am nervous, so much nervous. What does he want to talk about? What am I gonna do? Drown on your bed Katherine. Now.

“Well, this is about what I heard in your conversation with your best friend”

“Sorry, I did not mean to listen”

“I can’t do anything since you’ve already heard” I smirked and he did to. I move going to the left side of the bed offering him to rest beside me and after I moved he lay down beside me, he put his phone and wallet on the table, lots of shitty things inside a guy’s pocket, he removed his shoes and crossed his legs.

“So, are you really getting bored here? You can go wherever you want, if you want to go out of the country, you know, to relax. I don’t want you to imprison yourself here Kathy” he looked at me his hands holding one another and resting on his stomach.

“All expenses paid?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Money is not an issue. It was never an issue”

“Please Jeanne, I actually do not want you spending on me, whole my life I am really working hard to get what I want, things that I get so easily do not make sense.”

“It is a husband’s duty to provide all the needs of his family.”

“It’s fine if you give me gifts rarely but please let me spend what I have for myself.” Besides a family means a mother, father and a child but we do not have a child so we are not a family.

“Okay. I’m sorry.” He said

“No, I am sorry” I said and he looked curious, not sure about what am I talking about.

“For?” he sounds like he has no idea at all, then raised an eyebrow.

“For being selfish, I believe you entered in this agreement because you’ve met a woman you;ve closed a deal with and when you asked her about it…she’s…just… too ready to get married…without even thinking if this man agrees to marry her.”

“Kathy, It’s my choice when I showed up there to show you the agreement and when I show up in the aisle to marry you”

“Still, I’m sorry. I believe you deserve a better woman and I actually destroyed it just because I was too selfish.”

“Never ever say that again. Whenever I make decisions I make sure that my decision weighs more than those one thousand options which I did not choose. “

I did not respond. I want to respond but no right words are forming in my mind right now. I feel guiltier since he never showed a bad attitude nor even blame me for being stuck at this marriage.

“We’ve been together for a little while but we haven’t talked much about ourselves. So do you mind if I ask?”

“No” I shake my head “ask anything.”

“Well. I actually have nothing to ask” he laughs “I just want to know you more”

“Let me start introducing myself. I am Jeanne 29 years old a graduate of BS Entrepreneurship in Stanford University, a football player, I love football a lot, I’ve dated some girls and had 4 serious relationships. Last one was with Camille, the famous celebrity it just ended because…”

“You were a playboy, a man who has been seen with different women that was published in different tabloids?” I finished. A notorious rake’s story!

“Well, that’s not the case; it’s just that I haven’t seen the right woman for me. For me, a playboy is when you are in a relationship with different women at the same time.”

I smirk. “If that’s how you define it.”

“That’s real”

“Okay, okay take it easy.” I chuckled and he did too.

“Now you tell me something about yourself”

“I prefer to be called Kathy. In two years time I became the vice president in marketing department in the last company I worked with, I was about to be promoted as head of the sales department when we expand it’s just that I choose to marry this guy who happens to be a prince.”

“Where were you from before you work with your last company?”

“It was also in our country before I leave but I also had a job in US, not that big deal though, I work there for couple of months.”

“Why did you left that company?”

“Uhm…” how do I say this? “The heir of this company happens to be my ex-boyfriend, at such time he was the vice president of the company.”

“Resigned because of the position?”

“No, that was never the problem” We know how to really separate work from our relationship.

“So he’s the prince in your story?” Oh he remembers.

“Yeah, the story that I told Laureen was based on my own experience.” Never thought he’ll remember that.

“He’s Zac?”

“Yeah” I awkwardly responded.

“I believe our conversation is getting serious.” He chuckled, lightening the mood.

“I agree.” I laugh with him.

He stared at me for a while. “You look so pretty when you smile” I smiled and looked away.

“So. What else?” I asked.

“You mind if I ask what happened?”

“Like you, everybody thought that we will get married but I guess I’m not yet ready by that time, marriage was not my thing back then, so I decided to break up with him but he said he can wait. I applied for a job in US and got accepted, the offer was great so I decided to work there. I was there for 6 months then I returned in my home country but I think I was a little late”

He frowned “What do you mean?”

“He married another woman”

“Sorry to hear that”

I smiled. “You shouldn’t, not your fault”

“That was when I thought that every man will hurt you; it’s just that it happens in different ways.”

“That’s not true.”

“It only takes one man to prove that all these men are not all the same, I believed it will be him but currently I think that man happens to be nowhere but I know that was my fault so I guess I have no right to tell that” I smiled.

“Don’t worry. I will prove such thing”

I laugh. “That’s a great joke”

I thought he would too but his face becomes serious. “I’m hundred percent serious with that”

“Hey Jeanne look, you don’t have to force yourself to like me.”

“I don’t. It’s just that as you say it love can be learned. I know I can learn that” I looked away from him. Jeanne is a great man, he doesn’t deserve to teach himself how to fall in love. Many girls will go gaga not only because of his name but because he’s a good man too.

I sighed and gathered all strengths I have to say what I want. I try to speak softly, “Jeanne, if at some point in time this relationship does not work really work for us and you’ve find someone who you can see your future with…go ahead and choose her…”

He was surprised. “What are you saying Katherine? We’ve just been married for a month”

“Jeanne, let me finish please… Don’t ever think of not pursuing her because of this marriage…but before such thing let me ask you a favor…please give me a child.” I sighed.

“I believe that sounds ridiculous and desperate but you know, surrogacy, test tube baby whatever scientific or non-scientific way you want it to be… Like other women I also want to have my own kid. I don’t ask you to support him, to make him a prince, to acknowledge him…”

He held my chin and forced me to look at him “Kathy, stop.”

He was not angry or furious with me “We will make this relationship work out Kathy, we have a lifetime to work it out.” I closed my eyes and nodded in reply.

“And don’t apologize. Not again”

I nodded again. “Thank you Jeanne”

“We got in this Kathy, we’ll work this out” and he hugged me tight. God! What have I done? I don’t deserve this man.

He kissed my temple while I lay on his chest, hearing the sound of his heartbeat. “From now on, promise me that you will show me the real Kathy. No pretentions”

“No pretentions” I repeated.