The Elusive Prince

present day

15 yrs later

It was dawn and blush was starting to spread at the edges of the sky, birds were chirping. It was chilly, fall was coming in fits and bits. It was chilly but not so chilly that you needed heavy layers. It was a pleasant chill that sent a shiver once in a while. Last night's rain drenched pavements and streets looked like they were sparkling. Puffing wisps of cold breath Adrian pushed into his apartment's lobby. It was empty. He trudged towards his mail slot. His cold fingers kept fumbling the keys, finally he managed to open his slot and gather his mail. Bundling them under his jacket he bound towards his apartment. It was on the 6th floor, but Adrian took the stairs. He rarely took the elevator. He opened the door and immediately shed his windbreaker and scarf. He was home after a long run. He was sweating, heart pumping. Running always left him with a sense of euphoria. Unfortunately, he lived in a bustling city, so wild runs were scarce. Dropping his keys into the bowl on the shoe stand, he locked the door and dropped on the couch. Slouching as low as he can, spreading his legs and getting comfortable he began sorting through his mail, mostly bills and other corporate paper.

He glanced at the clock, it was 7am. He didn't have to start working till 10 so he had time. His housekeeper would arrive at 9. He went through his tasks for the day. His assistant would call him any moment to fire a barrage of information

His phone rang so he lifted his body off the couch enough to fish his phone out of his back pocket which had been crushed by his bottom. His lazy mood vanished the moment he saw the number. This meant this was serious as this number called only in emergencies. 

Hello? Adrian asked hesitantly. 

“You need to come back”

“But..”

“No buts, she is dying and would like to see you before that. Come home now. ” Saying this the line went dead.

Adrian looked at his phone dumbfounded for a minute. She was dying and he had to go back, go back home. To love he left behind. For a family that needed him. He packed his bags and made arrangements. His intuition told him that he wouldn't be coming back for a while, if ever. He knew how life changes with a drop of a pin. His life had changed too many times. He took a moment to look over his apartment. It wasn't much, but that was by choice. A small kitchen, a living room which he had started redecorating and then abandoned it. Minimal in some spaces, retro gaudy in some. He lived a solitary life so the clashing vibes didn't bother him much. He could have had a much larger space, but then again. He lived alone, so he didn't.

His phone rang again. His assistant was calling with the daily itinerary. He took a deep breath to calm his chaotic mind,

“Hey sandy”

“Good morning Adrian, I have your schedule for today” Sandy's calm voice came through. He knew before Sandy launched into the minutiae, he needed to wrap things up

“Sandy, listen, I have a family emergency and need to go back home. Will you take care of it? Have Bri handle my meetings and contact me with only stuff that is absolutely necessary and can't go ahead without my ok. Got it?

“Yes, Adrian is..”

Adrian interrupted him mid sentence. ”That's all”. Saying he disconnected the call. 

Family? What family? Home where? What emergency? Sandy was confused by all of it. Then again his boss was always an enigma he had never been able to solve. He didn't know much about him since the day he had joined the company 7yrs ago. His predecessor had warned him that if he wanted to keep his job, never question the boss’s life. No one knew where he was from, about his life. Nothing. When he had joined, he had a little crush on Adrian. I mean who wouldn't! All tall, buff, mysterious and austere. At first Sandy didn't expect much to come about, assuming he would be a straight man. 1 month later he was confused as Adrian never seemed to go out with women either. Bri and he shared a brother-sister relation. Sandy scrolled through his phone to call up Bri to relay the shocking turn of events. Maybe she knew something and he could pump her for some information.