Girl, you need something stronger than coffee to keep you on your feet tonight,” Maggie says. “Better yet, you need a sinfully sexy boy toy!”

I snap my head up and smile wanly at her. It’s true. I’ve been up and moving since seven this morning, and it is now past midnight. Between painting all day and working here at night, I barely have two minutes to just breathe these days. But a boy toy for a little NSA action? Sometimes I wish I was that kind of girl or even had the time for that.

“You got that right. About the coffee, I mean. You know how I am about dating.” I sigh. Maggie is always teasing me about being single and how it’s a crime that I don’t have a boyfriend or, her preference, a string of men to play with. “But, only another hour and then I’m free. And I have tomorrow off from everything, so that will be a blessing.”

Maggie laughs and shakes her head. “Sophie, girl, I know you. You’ll try to relax, then you’ll be looking at your easel, then you’ll paint until it gets dark outside and your stomach cramps because you haven’t eaten in fourteen hours.”

“Yeah.” Maggie does have a point. It’s hard to sit still when you’re working your ass off for a goal. For me, that means working to earn as much as possible so I can get my butt to Italy and the Accademia del Arte in Florence. I’m supposed to be there right now, but I couldn’t afford it since I didn’t land a full scholarship. It’s lucky they agreed to defer my admission for a year, but if I don’t make the down payment next month, my dreams of the Accademia are over. On the plus side, I was able to land a grant for this year, which is financing much of my life right now. But, it’s barely enough to live on, plus with saving up for the Accademia…let’s just say I’ve become a master of frugality.

And I have no idea how I’m going to get the last ten thousand that I need. I’d need to start stripping to even come close to that. I’m hoping for some kind of miracle, either finding a winning lottery ticket or some new grant or something.

“You’ll get there, Sophie. Stop your worrying. You know I’ll help you out, too.”

“Thanks, Maggie. I couldn’t take your money, though. You’ve got your own education to pay for.”

Maggie looks over my shoulder and her expression changes from concern to excitement.

“Ooh, here we go. Flirt with these idiots and we might land a fat tip.”

I hear the customers she’s eyeing before I turn to look at them.

“Oh, shit. Really?”

It’s a bunch of douchebags in tuxes, obviously coming to Drip Drip Café because they’re slumming after some party. But, Maggie is right. If we play our cards right, one of us might walk away with a fat tip.

“Okay,” she says, pulling a quarter out of her pocket. “Flip you for them.”

“Deal,” I say, a surge of excitement running through me. I hate guys like them, but I do like their money.

“Be right over!” Maggie calls out. She flips the quarter in the air and our eyes are glued to it. Catching it, she looks up at me. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” I shift the weight on my feet. I want the table, because of the potential tip, though I also hope Maggie gets them. She’s still in school and she’s always running short of cash every month.

“I call tails.” Whenever we flip a coin, it’s always heads.

I gasp when she lifts her hand. The table is mine.

“Wish me luck,” I say, smoothing my hands through my hair. “Is my makeup okay? Or is it sliding off my face?”

“You look gorgeous. Now go make some bomb tips and work on Italy,” Maggie says, gently pushing me toward the table.

When I’m three steps from the table, my skin tightens and I hesitate.

I know that face. That mouth. A tall, sculpted body that could rival that of David in Florence. Holy hell…I’ve read about this guy in magazines for years! How the hell does someone that famous and that rich end up in the Drip Drip Café? I blink my eyes slowly, but he and his friends are still there when I open my eyes again.

When he glances at me, his intense blue eyes hold nothing but complete indifference.

Bastard. He could at least be polite.

“Yo. You gonna take our order, or what?” Another guy, who’s clearly used to snapping his fingers and having people jump, he’s staring at me like I have the IQ of an eggplant.

“Of course, sir. What can I get all of you?” I smile sweetly, though I’m gritting my teeth tightly as I do so. I hate rich guys like this who think they own the world and can have everything at the flick of their manicured fingers. The truth is, they can and do. It just sucks to be the one jumping for them.

I take their orders and retreat back to the counter as fast as possible.

“Oh, baby!” Maggie says, her voice a stage whisper. “That is one fine bunch of wealth over there. I wonder if any of them are single…”

“Yeah, you can have them.” I stop myself when I realize I’m slamming cups and dishes around. Our boss docks our pay if we break anything.

Maggie gives me a long look and I can see her mind putting things together.

“What’s with you? I know you don’t like guys like these, but something is obviously bothering you. Did they hassle you?”

“You see the blonde one, the one with his shirt open?” I look up and the glass-covered sign and see his reflection watching me. Dammit.

“Yeah, what about him.”

“Maggie, really. Haven’t you seen a gossip magazine? In the last decade?”

“You know I don’t read stuff like that. I don’t have time.” Maggie hands me mugs as I pour out the coffee orders for the table.

“That’s Gabriel de Montmorency,” I whisper, glancing in the mirror to make sure none of them are watching us. “You know, a prince. He’s freaking royalty! He’s been in all the magazines for years. Total playboy and all-around dick. Everything I hate.”

Maggie’s eyes go wide and I see her mind racing.

“Then that’s just the man you need as a boy toy.”

I roll my eyes at Maggie and load up the mugs of coffee on a tray. Walking over to serve the coffee, I can’t help but notice how much sexier he is in real life than in pictures or on television.

Then I roll my eyes. Pursuing a guy like him, even for a night?

He’s a recipe for trouble.