Page 82 of Tabloid Princess

“Me too.” I nodded. It wasn’t a lie. Not having Freya and her team of attractive yes-men was a blessed relief. In the days since the ball we’d managed to get ourselves into a controlled rhythm.

The office, on the surface, looked like it would have any other Tuesday, except the phone was ringing off the hook and every so often Janine lurched out of her office and shouted something almost illegible. “BBC.” Was the first one this morning followed by a jumble of words. An hour ago, it had been, “Channel 4 Horizons want to do a documentary on us.” We’d all stopped at that one.

A documentary?

Everything happening had the possibility to change lives. Not just Bright Futures, but others out there who needed help.

I tidied my desk, trying to ignore the thumping in my chest when I pushed my morning post into my bag. “I’ve got to go, it’s Rainbows tonight.” I called out to the room. Janine waved from her office and I smiled back.

“Is Rainbows still as awful as it was when my eldest was there?” asked Paula. “They were always doing tree rubbings and walking on cow shit.”

I laughed loudly, hiking my bag up over my shoulder. “The Girl Guides are a valuable institution,” I told her before flashing a smile. “But yes. I shall look forward to this evening’s leaf print.”

Paula chuckled and made her whole body shake. On an impulse I went up and gave her a hug. “Have a good evening.” I squeezed her hard.

“Hey, where’s my hug?” Molly mock scowled. I ended up hugging everyone. Not the usual way I left the office.

I’d definitely lost my mind.

“Patrick wants to know if we are on for Friday.” Molly winked and wiggled her eyebrows.

“Oh God, Molly. Wasn’t the disaster of last week enough?”

“I think he quite enjoyed the prospect of being the recipient of Prince Oliver’s sloppy seconds.”

It was supposed to be a joke. Molly had no idea how I’d spent my evening just yesterday. How I’d wanted those fingers and those lips to travel deeper.

And she couldn’t know.

Maybe a date with normal would do me some good.

Patrick would help me; he’d made that much clear over the years.

“I might think about it. But I won’t come if you are going to make it awkward.”

“Meeee?” She feigned innocence. “Make things awkward?”

I gave her a wave which I combined with a warning glare, then I slipped out. I wanted to get home. I needed an evening of normality to get my head back on an even level. Maybe I’d be able to stop myself thinking about princes with charming smiles. Kisses on skin. Fingers on ivory.

It took a moment for me to notice the street was strangely quiet. While Bright Futures sat on a side road off the main thoroughfare, we weren’t the only office. Then I noticed the cordon at the end of the road and groaned.

Bloody great, there must have been an accident. I turned for the other direction. The route was longer and took me out of the way of the Tube station, but it wasn’t undoable. A cordon shut off that entrance too.

Then I glanced up, looking into the shadows of the building opposite.

Oliver leant against the wall, a large bouquet of roses in his hand.

“What the shit?!” My pulse raced and my legs shook so hard they were almost numb. My reaction to him darted instantly and painfully. “You can’t stand here like that.”

“And hello to you too.” He cocked an eyebrow, his gorgeous lips twitching at the edges.

I clutched a hand to my chest, my breath coming in short little gasps. “What are you doing here?”

He licked his lips, his face thoughtful for a moment. “Trying something new.”

“Is that giving women heart attacks in the street?”

“Oh, I do that all the time.” His smirk flashed; all levels of devilish temptation.