Chapter 4
“Slow down!” Jessica said with a laugh, as Victor took off across the grass. He made his way farther towards the back of the gothic stone building, almost running across the thick green grass. Jessica’s heels sunk into the sod, and she had trouble moving as quickly as he was.
This would be faster without my shoes, she thought leaning down and slipping off the heeled ankle boots one by one. She held them in her hands and stepped down onto the grass. It felt cool and slightly damp beneath her feet, as though it had just been watered. The sensation was as refreshing as if she was drinking from a tall glass of ice water.
She ran to catch up with Victor, who was rounding the back of the building.
Jessica saw that behind the hall there was a street, running parallel to the street that all of the photographers had been staged on. It was much less busy, and there were only a scattering of pedestrians walking along it.
No one seemed to pay any attention as Victor reached the sidewalk, with Jessica close behind him. She slipped her shoes back on.
A teenager on a motorized bike rode by. Victor held his hand up, to ask the teen to stop. The teenager paused, idling in the street in front of Victor.
What now? Wondered Jess. Victor went up to the teen and started talking, with a friendly smile on his face. The teenager nodded as Victor spoke.
Then, Victor pulled out his wallet and removed several bills. To Jess’s amazement, she watched the teen hop off of the bike and hand it over to Victor. The teen took off his shiny red helmet, and handed that over to Victor as well.
Then, the teenager waved at Jessica and started walking down the road, in the direction he’d been heading on the bike. He had his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.
Victor swung his leg over the bike, and placed his ass on the leather seat. He started testing out the throttle. Jessica walked towards him, laughing to herself.
He’s full of surprises, she thought to herself. Victor acted like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. That was just as normal to him as hailing a cab, Jessica realized.
She liked the world that Victor lived in.
Victor held out the helmet. “Ever been on a moped before?” he asked. Jessica took the helmet and put it on. She fastened the helmet straps underneath her chin.
“No,” she said. “But I can’t wait to try it.”
“Just hold on to me tightly,” Victor instructed as Jessica swung her leg over the bike, just like she had seen Victor do.
Victor’s body felt amazingly solid and strong. She looped her arms around his waist, and felt his abs contract as he turned the throttle and pushed them away from the curb.
Just like that, they were sailing down the narrow side street on a moped. The breeze carried her wavy black hair over her shoulder, and Jess was glad that she was wearing the helmet so that her hair didn’t get too crazy. She leaned into Victor to shield herself from the wind.
As she settled in behind him she enjoyed the smell of him. Now that she was close, she noticed more than just his cologne. She could also smell the freshly laundered scent of his button up shirt, and the musky undertones of his natural scent.
He smelled delicious, and he felt even better. She could sense how strong he was by the way he handled the bike. When they rounded corners, all she had to do was press her body against his, and she was able to stay perfectly balanced. It was as if he was doing the work for both of them, all on his own.
He makes riding a motorized bike easy, she thought.
What else would be easier to do with him at my side?
Just about everything, probably, she thought wistfully.
Where is he taking me? Is it strange that I don’t feel worried, at all? He is a stranger, after all. She tried to use logic and sense whether or not she was in a dangerous situation, but it was impossible to feel apprehensive while her arms were wrapped around Victor’s waist. His presence made her feel completely safe.
She barely had time to wonder where they were going before Victor pulled the moped to the side of the road and put down the kickstand. Jess lowered her leg and felt Victor’s hand on her thigh as he made sure she was steadily standing with one leg on the curb.
The sensation of his hand gripping her leg made her wonder, for a moment, what he would be like in bed. Such a strong man, she thought, would be amazing in the sack. I wonder what he could do with all of those muscles. She felt light-headed as she swung her other leg up and over the bike, and then found her balance on the sidewalk.
Victor got off of the bike easily, and then tucked the keys into the pockets of his pants. He’d thrown his jacket on for the ride, and she noticed that the slate grey color looked handsome on him.
He looked ready for a fancy dinner, while she was dressed for a day on the job. She’d worn her most comfortable blue jeans and a black top for her day taking photographs, mostly because she didn’t have many formal clothes.
Of her photography team, she’d been the most underdressed. The black ankle boots added a little bit of class, but not much.
Jess looked down at her outfit. “I’m not really dressed for a dinner out,” she said, as she looked down the street. She saw that many fancy restaurants lined the road.
“You look perfect,” Victor assured her. He stepped in close and wrapped an arm around her. “I’m just happy to be here with you. Let’s find somewhere nice and quiet so that we can talk. Does that sound good to you? I want to know everything about you, Jessica Lewis.”
Jessica felt the now familiar thrill of hearing her name come from his lips, spoken in his Danish accent.
“That sounds good to me,” she said. She was about to admit that she was feeling jet lagged, and the peace and quiet of sitting down somewhere sounded lovely, but as she checked in with herself she noticed that all of her fatigue was gone.
She felt light, and full of energy.
She leaned into Victor, who still had his arm around her, and wrapped her fingers through his hand. “I’ll follow you,” she said.
Though she only meant that she would follow him to the restaurant of his choosing, the statement rang entirely true in her ears. I’d follow you to the moon and back, she thought dreamily, as Victor started to walk.
She allowed him to lead the way, and noticed the easy, effortless way that her footsteps fell into synch with his.
“I feel like I’m skipping class or something,” she admitted as they walked.
“Playing… hooked? Hooky? What is it that you Americans call it?” Victor asked.
“Hooky,” Jessica said with a laugh. She loved the way words rolled off of his tongue.
She loved the feel of his tall, muscular body next to hers.
“I feel that I stole you away from your work,” Victor said.
“You did,” Jessica said honestly. In truth, there was nowhere she wanted to be more than right there, with him.
“I’ll make it up to you,” Victor said. “I promise you that. Now… what are you hungry for? I’m buying you dinner.”
Jess tried to answer, but she could barely focus. Her mind was too intent on answering the question that Victor had just posed. What I’m hungry for, she thought to herself, isn’t exactly a food. She eyed Victor and saw from the intent look in his eye that he had received her message.
****
The next morning, Jessica looked across the café table at Victor.
The night before, they had enjoyed a beautiful dinner together, and then spent the evening touring London on the moped. The ride had been filled with sightseeing breaks, during which Jessica was able to take photographs of the city.
Between photography, cruising, and sampling the city's cuisine, they’d also shared many kisses under street lights. Jess had been on cloud nine by the time she’d returned to her hotel room, at one in the morning.
She had been bleary-eyed, but not late, when she met with her team in the hotel’s lobby at seven the next morning. Thankfully, after a quick pow-wow, they had each headed off to different sites around the city to capture what they could of post-wedding events.
Jo headed to the hotel where the newlyweds had stayed, and took Trevor along. They also had the rental car, because they planned on following the couple to the airport, to try to get a few photographs of the honeymoon departure.
Candice had been assigned the London Hotel, where she was tasked with capturing images of the guests coming and going. Luckily, Jess had been tasked with getting more photographs of the royalty from the event before. In particular, Jo asked her to capture shots of the British royal family and the Danish one.
Jess looked into Victor’s eyes and smiled. “This is the best assignment I’ve ever had,” she said.
Victor laughed. “Oh really?” he asked.
“You’re very easy to look at,” Jess said, smiling. “And thank you for letting me take those photographs of you earlier. I feel like I’ve taken enough, and now I can enjoy the day with you.”
“I’m a lucky man,” Victor said.
Jess looked around the café. They had it entirely to themselves. The quaint, white-clothed tables were set for guests, but they were empty. Mid-morning sun streamed through the windows that lined the small space.
“How did you clear this place out so quickly?” she asked, cupping her steaming latte between her hands. “I was sure there were people in here when we arrived… weren’t there?”
He winked. “I gave the wait staff a healthy tip, and I told them that we wanted the place to ourselves.”
Jess could only imagine what Victor’s idea of a healthy tip might have been. She imagined that he may well have paid the café’s rent for the month, and possibly even the waiters' and waitresses' own rents for the month as well.
“Is that what you did at the restaurant last night, too?” Jessica asked. She’d been amazed that the cozy room in the back of the Italian restaurant had been empty. Now she suspected that Victor had arranged it.
He winked. “I may have,” he said mysteriously. He lifted the small espresso cup and took a sip.
Jessica watched his lips sip the espresso. She loved his lips. Why am I falling this fast for him? She wondered. I’ve never fallen for a guy this hard.
She lifted her cup, and cleared her throat.
“I hate to bring this up,” she said, and then paused to take a sip.
She saw Victor lift his eyes to meet hers. He was completely alert, and she sensed that he knew what she was about to say.
“Victor, last night was completely magical. Being with you is… amazing. I am so happy that I met you here in London. But I’m leaving tomorrow. Early.”
“Back to California?” he asked, in the same happy tone that he'd used often the day before. He was always so upbeat and playful. She’d expected him to be upset at the thought of her leaving, and felt the sting of his happiness.
Is he happy that I’m leaving? she wondered, trying not to feel hurt, yet not succeeding.
“Los Angeles, right?” Victor asked. He seemed to be enjoying her confusion.
“Right…” she said, slowly. “LA. I live there.”
“Oho America,” Victor said dramatically, leaning back in his chair. “Your amber waves of grain and purple mountain majesties.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say LA is filled with amber waves of grain,” Jessica countered, still not understanding his good mood.
Victor shifted in his seat, and sat forward. “I’ve always loved your country,” he said. “Since I visited it as a child.”
“Did you, now,” Jessica said. She wasn’t sure where this was leading. She also wasn’t sure if her Danish Prince would have loved the America that she’d known, growing up. The ghettos of LA had been anything but majestic, and it had been a struggle each day, just to survive. If Jo hadn’t spotted her talent at the youth photography show, she’d be living in the ghetto still, of that she was sure.
Jessica smoothed her long black hair over her shoulder, waiting for Victor to continue. She saw his eyes travel over her black locks, and then across her chest. She was well aware that he liked her full chest, and she’d picked out a tank top that showcased her cleavage nicely.
I might be leaving soon, she thought, but it doesn’t hurt to lead him on just a little, just for fun. She leaned forward as well, and saw him enjoy the eyeful she was giving him.
“I find America compelling. I love the people there,” Victor went on, his voice raspy and deep as he took in her figure.
“It’s very different than Denmark, I’m guessing,” Jessica said.
“Very,” Victor said. “The people in America—especially in California—are so free. So liberated.”
“How do you know so much about the people in California?” Jess asked, finding it hard to keep the skepticism from her voice. “Did you watch a documentary or something?”
Victor laughed. “No,” he said. “Better than that. I actually own a home there.”
Jessica nearly choked on her latte, which she’d just taken a sip of. When she managed to swallow, she set her cup down. “Seriously?” she asked in complete shock.
Victor was still chuckling. “Seriously,” he said.
“I had no idea,” Jessica said. “Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”
“I was still getting over the fact that you were from California. From LA. What are the chances?” He asked.
Again, Jessica thought of the feeling that she'd had when she stood at the altar with Victor. This is my fate. This is my destiny.
But the idea, though it sprang up from deep within her, felt too good to be true.
Meeting a Prince and falling in love… what do I think this is, a Disney movie? I must be crazy to think my destiny would be so good, she told herself.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling.
“It is a crazy coincidence,” she said. “Do you believe that things like this...” she toyed with her cup, trying to phrase the question correctly, “happen at random? Or do you think that there is some kind of… design to it all?”
“Do you mean—is our creator an artist? Is the universe one with a grand design, like a masterpiece by Michelangelo… or is it a place of chaos and random chance? I don’t know, Jess. I don’t think we’re supposed to know, really.” He flashed his mischievous grin. “Personally, I like the mystery of it all.”
Jessica felt herself attracted to Victor on a whole new level as he opened up to her in this way. She felt as though some deep and hidden part of her was resonating with his words. She didn’t feel the need to speak. The soft silence that wrapped around them as they continued to quietly drink their coffees felt warm and comfortable.
“One thing I do know,” Victor said after a moment, “Is that I can’t stop thinking about that moment, standing across from you at the altar. I’ve been all over the world, Jessica. I’ve been to the finest restaurants, world class performances, and seen the seven wonders. I’ve experienced so many beautiful, powerful things. But that moment—standing there with you—there was something about it… that I just can’t put my finger on. I think it's part of the divine mystery that I love so much.”
Jessica felt goosebumps rise up on her arms. ‘Truth bumps’, as her grandmother used to call them. He’d felt it too. That feeling that she couldn't put into words. It seemed altogether too big, and too real, to be captured and caged by language.
It was a wild feeling, yet one of deep comfort and almost inexplicable peace.
“It was kind of like the whole earth stopped spinning,” she said, trying to describe it. “Or like time stopped completely.”
“Yes!” Victor said. He reached across the table and found Jess’s hand.
Knowing that Victor had a house in LA unleashed a torrent of attraction inside Jessica. I might see him again, she thought. She’d been working to keep herself distanced from Victor the night before. She knew that she wanted to spend time with him, but the fact that they would inevitably part caused her to keep her heart guarded.
She held his hand lovingly. “Does that mean that I’ll see you again?” she asked.
“I think we owe it to ourselves to see what this is all about,” Victor said. “And if there is a design… if we were meant to meet, Jessica, then we won’t be able to help what happens next. It’s all predestined. So we just have to enjoy the ride.”
Jessica grinned. “I already am,” she said.
*****
One week later, Jessica sat down at her kitchen counter with a seltzer water in hand. She pulled up her email, sighing as she saw that Jo had sent her a dozen in the last hour alone, as usual.
Reading her damn emails is like a job in itself, Jess thought. She was about to close down the window without reading a single one, when a message at the bottom of her inbox caught her eye.
“This isn’t spam” read the subject line. The subject alone would have caused her to delete the message immediately, but the address caught her eye. It ended with a dot, and then the letters “De”, which she knew indicated that the message had arrived into her inbox from Denmark.
Denmark… could this be Victor?
Her hand started shaking, and she picked up her phone.
She called Candice right away. Though she’d disliked Candice almost immediately when she started working at the magazine, the trip to London a week before had solidified their bond. In the days since returning to LA, Jess felt a strange affinity towards the over-achiever that had annoyed her before.
“Candice?” she said. “I think I just got an email from him.”
“Well…? What does it say?”
“I haven’t read it yet.”
“Oh come on! Open it, Jess! Maybe he’s in LA. Maybe he wants to get together.”
“I know!” Squealed Jess. “But maybe it’s not that at all. I’m going to be crushed. I mean, it’s been a week, and he hasn’t called once. I’m starting to wonder if I imagined the whole thing.”
Candice laughed. “How could you have imagined hours upon hours with this guy? I mean, I could see imagining the meaning behind a look, or one touch, but Jess, you guys were inseparable the whole time we were in London.”
“Okay… I needed to hear this. So, I’m not crazy?”
“You're crazy lucky is what you are. The guy is into you. Open the email!”
“Will you stay on the phone with me?” she asked her new friend. “Just for some moral support?”
“Yes,” Candice said. “Just don’t take too long. I’m working on the African Fashion Week spread.”
“Do you ever stop working?” Jess asked.
Candice only laughed. Jess could tell that Candice was distracted by something on her end of the line—most likely the work on the computer in front of her face. Jess took the opportunity to open up her email and click on the one that read “this isn’t spam”.
“To: Jessica Lewis
Don’t worry. I’m not a Prince writing to inform you that you have a massive inheritance if you could only confirm your bank account number. But I am a Prince. And Jess—I’m glad you’re reading this. I’ll be in LA this weekend. I have two seats at the Global Hearts Music Awards. It is on Saturday night. Will you join me?”
Jessica stopped reading abruptly, and covered her mouth with her hand. When she was able to speak, she interrupted Candice’s work session on the other end of the line.
“Candice… are you there?”
“I’m here,” Candice said. “What does it say?”
“He’s coming to LA,” Jess said. “And he wants to see me. He wants to take me to the Global Hearts Music Awards.” She let that sink in for a moment, and could tell by Candice’s delayed response that her friend was just as shocked as she was.
Then, a thought struck Jess. “This Saturday, Candice. What in the world am I going to wear?”
“I’d offer you anything that you might want from my closet,” said Candice,” But I’m pretty sure your curves won’t fit inside of my dresses.”
Jessica laughed. Besides ample breasts, she also had a curvy ass. She tried to imagine squeezing her African American curves into one of Candice’s petite, straight-as-a-pole items, and could only imagine the pieces ripping at the seems. “I better not even try,” she said.
Her heart was beating fast as she contemplated the fact that Victor would soon have his arms wrapped around her again.
“I’m going to see him again…” she said dreamily. I’m going to smell his cologne, feel his body. Taste his lips. “In just three days.”