Chapter 3
Jess’s eyes wandered over a parade of couples who were entering the reception hall. She, Jo, Trevor and Candice had spread out along the walkway leading up to the hall. The competition was everywhere—apparently every journalist who had attended the ceremony had booked it over the reception site immediately following, just as the LA Fashionista team had done.
There! she thought, spotting an elderly woman in a peaked pastel pink hat. The hat tilted over the woman’s pale face, almost hiding it from Jess’s view. That’s Prince Mark’s aunt… she’s on my list of targets!
I have to change positions, thought Jess. She lifted a leg and stepped carefully over a thick row of hedging that separated her from the walkway.
The step turned into a leap when she realized just how thick the hedges were. She landed farther out in the walkway than she’d expected.
Taking a few steps to try to gain her balance again, Jess found herself propelled into the oncoming parade of wedding guests.
“Excuse me!” she said, darting forward to try to cross the walkway. If I can just get to the other side, she thought, I’ll take a shot of the woman from there.
She took several more steps and then, once across the walk, hurried towards the reception hall to catch up to the woman. The elderly lady was walking slowly and hadn’t gotten very far by the time Jess caught up to her. Jess took a few more extra steps to get in front of the woman, and then lifted her camera to her face.
To her satisfaction, the elderly woman glanced over just as she took her first shot. The image was clear, and captured the elderly woman’s whole face, including some details on the hat.
Jess clicked away, taking more than she needed just to be sure, though she felt that the first image would be the best.
There, she thought, letting her eyes roam over other faces. Now if I can just find my next target.
Or Victor.
The entire time that she’d been searching for the people on her list, she’d also been keeping a hungry eye out for Victor.
As her eyes wandered back over the crowd that was advancing, her breath caught in her throat. She recognized Victor’s athletic frame and roguish, messy blonde hair. His head was turned and he was talking to a man at his side. He was smiling, and Jess felt spellbound as she enjoyed watching him converse and laugh as he approached. Though he wasn’t on her list, she lifted her camera and took a few shots of him.
He’d changed since their moment at the altar. He now wore an azure blue tie over his white button-up shirt, and he had a suit coat draped casually over one shoulder.
As she lowered her camera, he looked over and spotted her.
Jessica lifted her hand slowly, and held it up in acknowledgement. As her eyes locked on his, she forgot entirely that he was a Prince. He was simply a man that was intensely attractive.
But as the flow of guests passed by her, cutting off her view of him now and then, she was reminded that he was walking into a royal wedding, and she was standing on the sidelines.
It was hard to keep Victor in her line of site. As he was swept past her, in the steady stream of guests, she caught sight of him looking back twice, locating her on the sidelines.
Then, he was gone.
Jessica sighed and grabbed her phone from her pocket. Consulting her list, she reminded herself of her remaining targets.
The Duke of Edinburgh, Mr. and Mrs. Rothschild, and the Prime Minister’s daughter.
Okay, she thought, searching the crowd once again.
Several minutes later, she spotted the Prime Minister’s daughter.
She lifted her camera and was about to shoot when she heard, “Jessica?”
The call wasn't loud. Since she was one of the only photographers that had crossed the walkway, she was the only one who heard it. She looked over her shoulder, but saw nothing.
Then, she heard it again.
“Jessica, over here.” This time the voice was slightly louder.
The voice was deep, and had the rich, fascinating accent that she’d heard earlier that morning.
Victor, Jess thought.
She turned and saw him, standing just beyond a tall shrub near the corner of the stone reception hall. The building was gothic and the worn stone wall stretched high into the sky. The stonework was edged in high shrubs, and surrounding that was a carpet of deep, green grass. Victor stood slightly beyond the high shrubs, clearly wanting to be out of the public eye.
Jessica stepped away from the walkway, back towards Victor.
He eyed her, a smile on his lips.
Jessica smiled back.
He waved her in, encouraging her to come closer. Jessica felt her heeled boots sink into the thick grass as she stepped across the lawn. She glanced out at the mass of people, and photographers, but no one seemed to even notice that she was slinking away.
The farther she got from the walkway, the quieter it got. As she looked towards the high shrub, she saw that Victor was gone.
She walked across the grass, and around the shrub, until she was completely around the corner of the building. She could no longer see the wedding guests or the press.
It was quiet, except for the sound of birds chirping.
Victor looked happy that she’d heard him. He stood staring at her.
He still held his coat with one hand, over his shoulder. The other hand was resting inside of his pocket, casually. “Hi,” he said.
She couldn’t help but smile. A shot of adrenaline passed through her as she recalled just who it was she was talking to.
Victor wasn’t just any man. He’s royalty, she thought.
Stepping forward, she let the hand holding her camera fall to her side.
“Victor?” she asked. “You… you just passed by me. Aren’t you going in to the reception?”
“I doubled back. I had to say hello,” Victor said. “In private.”
“There’s a lot of media presence out there,” Jess said.
Victor stepped in closer.
“There is,” he said. “And sometimes, two people might just want to talk, without having eyes on them.”
“Yes,” Jessica said breathily. She was intensely aware that the gap between them was closing in as he stepped closer. She felt excited, nervous, and honored to be speaking to a prince. Her palms began to sweat.
“It must be hard….” she said breathily as she tried to focus on their conversation rather than the presence of his body near hers. “It must be hard to be in the public eye.”
Victor nodded. “Do you… know who I am?” he asked.
Jessica nodded. “You’re Victor Hansen, the Prince of Denmark.
Victor nodded. “I am,” he said watching her carefully. “Is that okay with you?”
Jessica laughed. “It’s okay with me—as long as it’s okay with you that I’m just a photographer.”
Victor’s eyes crinkled up at the corners, showing his amusement. “That’s okay with me,” he said. “Am I keeping you from your work?” he asked.
Jessica shook her head. There’s nowhere I’d rather be, she thought. “No,” she answered, though in truth, he was. I might pay the price, she thought. But no price is too high for this moment.
“Well, sort of,” she admitted after a beat. “But I don’t mind.”
He smiled. “I had to talk to you again, Jessica.”
“I’m glad,” Jessica responded. Her whole sense of the world became dreamy and almost slow motion, as if she was underwater. Stepping around the corner of the building had put her into an entirely different world, just as standing at the altar had done for her earlier.
“This is crazy, isn’t it?” Victor asked.
Jess couldn't believe he was voicing her own sentiment, as if he’d been reading her mind. He must be talking about something else, she thought.
Victor stepped closer still, and Jess could feel his body heat. “This feeling,” he said. “It was there, at the altar, too. Wasn’t it?”
Jess found herself nodding. She couldn't meet Victor’s eye. The feeling of attraction was too intense.
He wasn’t touching her, but Jess could feel his closeness as intensely as if he was. She could smell his cologne again, and the scent was intoxicating.
“I don’t know what it is about you,” Victor said. “But when I stood at that altar with you, I felt like we were meant to be there.”
Jessica felt her chest expand with happiness. Her heart leapt in her chest as Victor voiced the words that she had thought.
“I know,” she said, hardly believing that she was admitting this to a stranger. “It was unbelievable.”
“You’re unbelievable,” Victor said. She felt his fingers on her face, tracing her jaw line tentatively, His hand was barely touching hers. His feathery touch reached her chin, and he tilted it upwards.
His touch was soft, his fingers warm against her skin.
She submitted entirely to his presence and his touch. He was no longer a stranger. She felt more connected to him in that moment than she’d ever felt to any of the men from her past. As Victor lifted her chin up and she met his gaze she felt her heart swell with awe.
This man is sweeping me off of my feet, she thought. He’s Prince Charming.
Victor searched her eyes with his.
Jess saw that the deep pools of blue had intense depth to them, and held some pain. His brow had a faint crease of concern in it as he leaned down and kissed her.
She felt his lips land on her own with a sense of relief. It was as though, since he’d called her to the secluded area, she’d been building up a thirst for him. Now that he was kissing her, her thirst was quenched.
He sipped her lips gently at first, and she surrendered to his touch.His fingers remained on her chin, and then traveled back along her jawline, until his hand was resting along her neck, just below her ear.
She felt him inhale deeply as he pulled away, as if he was breathing her in. He seemed to enjoy breathing her in as much as she enjoyed the smell and taste of him.
She felt drunk as the kiss ended, as though she might fall over.
Silence hung in the air between them. Jessica felt that all of the talking in the world couldn't describe the connection that they had just shared.
“Wow,” she said.
Victor laughed. He stepped back slightly, and seemed just as dizzy and intoxicated as she felt.
“Yeah,” he said. “Wow. I hope that wasn’t too forward.”
Jessica was in too much shock to answer.
“I don’t even know if you have a boyfriend,” Victor said. “You’re not wearing a ring though, so I assume there’s no Mr. Lewis?”
Jessica shook her head. She couldn’t think of the guy, Tyson, that she’d been hooking up with back at home. He was constantly giving her the runaround, and constantly reminding her that they were just hooking up. He wanted to keep things casual, and that had been just fine with Jess.
In comparison, what she felt towards Victor was anything but casual.
On the spectrum of casually cool to intensely passionate, Victor was coming in on the intense side of things. Rather than scaring her, as it usually might, she felt happy about it.
She looked at Victor. Just the sight of him made her heart leap with joy and happiness. He was watching her, waiting for an answer.
“There’s no Mr. Lewis,” she assured him. “And I’m not really seeing anyone right now.”
He seemed relieved, and was quiet for a moment.
She took the opportunity to ask him a question of her own.
“What about you?” she asked. “Is there a wedding date in there, waiting for your return?” She motioned to the stone gothic building behind them.
He shook his head. “No date,” he said. “And I’m glad of it.” He was staring at her intensely. “Where are you from Jessica Lewis?” he asked. The way he said her name made a shiver run up her spine. “Your accent sounds American.”
Jess nodded. “California,” she said. “Los Angeles.”
Victor smiled, as if the answer pleased him. “How long are you in London for?” he asked. His voice was hungry with desire. He reached out for her hand and held it as he spoke, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he didn't.
“We leave the day after tomorrow—myself and my coworkers.”
The thought of her coworkers out on the walkway taking photographs made a faint whisper of anxiety pass through her, but it faded quickly. Even the thought that Jo might be looking for her had no power to override the happiness that she was feeling in Victor’s presence.
He was like a drug.
Just standing near him made her feel high.
He held her hand in his, and she could feel his thumb stroke the back of her hand. She was reminded of the moments they’d spent at the altar, and again she couldn't help but think that the entire trip to London may have happened so that she could meet Victor. This is what people mean when they speak about destiny, she thought. This is fate.
His eyes sparked. “What do you say we get out of here?” Victor asked, still holding onto her hand. Jessica didn’t want him to ever let it go. He motioned to the building with his free hand. “This whole thing is too stuffy for me, anyhow. And the dinner’s sure to be a bore. I’d rather get to know you.”
“You couldn’t miss the reception,” Jess found herself protesting, though she was more than flattered that he wanted to skip it. Even as she protested, she felt her body move in closer to his. She eyed his lips, wanting to kiss him again. “You must have traveled form Denmark just for this. Won’t your friends miss you?”
He received her body as she leaned into him.
“I don’t care,” he whispered. “I don’t care—even the littlest bit. All I care about right now is being with you.”
Jessica felt excitement flood her. She felt exactly the same way. Nothing seemed to matter except the fact that Victor was before her. She continued to move towards him, and he wrapped his hand, which was still intertwined with hers, around her back.
He pulled her in closer and their lips met for a second time. The kiss was even deeper than the first. Jessica felt as though the whole world existed right then and there, in the few square inches where their lips were in contact.
Their kiss seemed to contain an entire conversation, and when they pulled apart Jessica was once again overwhelmed with the inadequacy of words.
Compared to this, Jessica thought words are so ineffectual. So dull. So unable to hold how I feel.
She met Victor's gaze, and his eyes searched hers. “We’re going to have to leave 'round the back,” he said, grinning mischievously. “Are you ready?
“Yes,” Jessica said. She could feel in her heart that she was more than ready to leave with the Prince in front of her. As Victor released her hand, Jessica’s fingertips came into contact with her camera bag. The contact brought a sweeping realization that if she left now, she might lose her job.
The magazine bought my ticket to London so that I could take photographs, she realized. If I just disappear, Jo will be worried. Worried and then, later on, really pissed. I don’t even know what she would do.
I need to go tell her… something… but what?
Jess stole a glance at Victor. He was watching her.
“What is it?” he asked, reading her concerned expression. “What’s wrong?”
Jessica frowned. “It’s my boss,” she said. “ I can’t just leave without giving her a reason.”
She took in Victor’s presence.
He seemed to light up the world before her. He was unbelievably handsome, charming, and confident. His sexy presence made her want to kiss him again and again. She wanted to do much more than simply kiss him.
He’s a gift from the Universe, Jessica thought. I can’t walk away from the opportunity to spend the evening with him. He’s invited me to join him. Can a girl say no to royalty? Can a girl say no to this?
She eyed Victor up and down, trying to be subtle while she took in his sexy frame. He was undeniably the most handsome guy she’d ever been in the presence of. On top of that, she thought, he’s a damn Prince. I’ve got to come up with something to tell Jo.
“Tell her you’ve got a lead or something,” Victor suggested. “It wouldn’t be a lie, entirely. I’m a lead, aren’t I?”
“A lead to what?” Jessica asked.
“Breaking news,” Victor joked, reaching for Jessica’s hips. He laughed as he held her and drew her in. “The story of a lifetime.”
Jessica smiled as Victor caught her for a kiss. He kissed her quickly and released her. “What do you say?” he asked.
“Yes,” Jessica said. “I suppose I could tell her that”. And it might not be that far from the truth.
The encounter with Victor, so far, had been one of the most exciting things that had happened to her in her entire life.
The story of a
lifetime, she thought. You might be just that.
She held her
finger up to Victor. “Can you wait here for me for one minute?”
she asked. “I’ll just go talk to Jo—my boss—really
quickly. I’ll be right back.”
“I’d wait all night for you, Jessica Lewis,” Victor promised suavely.
He looked so good backed by the stone wall. The afternoon sunlight hit his face perfectly, bringing out all of the lines that made him so handsome. His straight nose and high cheekbones were accented with deep lavender and blue shadows, cast by the sinking sun. the green grass around him appeared illuminated with a life-filled glow unlike anything Jess had ever been aware of.
Everything looks brighter in this moment, Jess thought. It really is like I’m on a drug. Shining vines of wine-red ivy crept up the ancient stone wall behind Victor. His deep blue eyes seemed just as wise and calm as the stones beyond him.
She lifted her camera and snapped a picture. Then, she turned.
Though it was hard to walk away from the man of her dreams, who seemed to have entered into her life in a magical way, Jessica managed to cross the grass and walk towards the corner of the building. Before rounding the corner and becoming exposed to the crowds beyond, she stole one more look at Victor.
He was watching her as she walked. Jessica resumed her stride and rounded the corner.
She saw that the guests were still arriving, but that there was much more space between arrivals. The stream of incoming people had slowed considerably. It was easy to cross the walkway.
The row of photographers on the other side of the walk was just as thick and congested as when she’d left in the first place. They’re not giving up, she thought. Everyone wants to take the pictures that are worth the big bucks.
There's so much competition.
None of the photographers would budge from their front row position against the cement walk, and quite a few gave her attitude as she attempted to weave through them, looking for Jo, Candice, or Trevor.
She finally spotted Jo and walked towards her.
“Jo!” she called out, as she approached. I want to get this over as quickly as possible, thought Jessica as her boss turned in her direction. The fewer questions that Jo has time to ask, the better.
“Jo!” she said, quickening her step so that she would appear to be in a rush. She added in some panting for dramatic effect as she reached her boss, so that it would appear she’d been rushing to get into contact with her.
“Jo! I’m glad I found you.” Jessica placed her hands on her knees, and panted as if catching her breath for good measure. “I’ve got a great lead, up the road a bit! I spotted the Prince of Denmark leaving the building, off to the side. I think I can get some shots that no one else here will be able to get.” She lowered her voice. “No one else saw him! If I hurry, I can follow him.”
Jo seemed hesitant. “I don’t know if we need shots of the Prince of Denmark,” she said. She seemed to think. “Is it the older one or the younger one?” she asked.
Jessica wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to appear uneducated about the royal family. “The younger one,” she said, shooting in the dark.
Jo nodded. “He’s much more intriguing,” she said. “The public love him—especially when he’s with that rich, snobby girlfriend of his. What’s her name... Chelsea? Will the photos be relevant to our audience?” she asked.
“He’s wearing a designer suit,” Jess said. “I could get pictures of him in an urban environment. You know, a different background will look nice with the spread, so give some context.” She felt like Candice as she bullshitted her way through the conversation, trying to sweet-talk her boss. Candice was always willing to talk about symbolism, imagery, and context.
“The symbolism would be stellar,” Jessica added, trying desperately to tip Jo towards giving a positive response. “You know, we want the shoot to look edgy. We need to bring in some city-scape to show the Princess's roots.”
Jo scrunched her lips together. “Don’t push it Lewis,” she said, notifying Jess that she was trying a bit too hard.
Jess backed off and stayed quiet for a moment while Jo thought it over.
Then, Jess couldn't wait any longer. She was beyond eager to be at Victor’s side again. “I don’t want to lose him,” she said honestly.
This did the trick.
“Okay,” Jo said. “Go. You have the info on the hotel. You can get back on your own. And be sure to be in the lobby early tomorrow morning. Seven am, and don’t—I mean it Jessica—don’t be late.”
“Okay, okay,” Jessica said. Then she noticed the attitude in her tone and tried to fix it quickly. “Yes, Jo,’ she said, trying to sound excited and bright.
As she walked away, she stared at the corner of the building, willing her feet to carry her there faster. Please still be there, she thought as she rounded the corner.