“Now, you have got to bring out your best tonight. You’re a natural with many of the high-profile guests we have in here, but I really need you to step it up, if you know what I mean.” Doug crossed his arms as he looked at the team of waiters and waitresses, but he focused primarily on Penny.

She smiled nervously, trying to appear as calm as possible. “Yes, sir, you don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll make sure everyone is taken care of properly.”

He seemed to relax slightly, but stiffened once more when a busboy hurried in. “I’m so sorry I’m late! I was stuck behind a huge accident. I hope I didn’t miss too much of the meeting.”

“Get out!” Doug snapped, pointing to the door. The boy looked at him in shock and Penny felt a wave of compassion wash over her. She had seen Doug fire dozens of people in her time working at the nightclub, and it didn’t surprise her that he would fire this boy on the spot for something like this. But that didn’t change the fact she still felt incredibly sorry for him.

“But, sir!” he said, looking around frantically. Most of the others avoided making eye contact with him, knowing there wasn’t anything they could do to help him.

Doug pointed to the door again. “Out, I said!”

The boy looked defeated as he turned and walked out of the room, his head held low. Penny wanted to say something in his defense, but she knew if she stepped in or got involved in any way she would have her own head ripped off—if Doug didn’t decide to make an example out of her and fire her as well.

It didn’t matter that he needed her specifically for that night. He would make a show of her as quickly as he would of anyone else in the room, and she knew it.

“Now, let’s hope that he’s the only one who finds himself out of the job tonight,” Doug said as he looked back around the room. There were solemn nods from most of the other staff members, and Penny once more put on a broad smile. She had learned the more optimistic she looked, the better her chances were of him leaving her alone.

“I’m expecting them to start piling in within the hour. I want Samantha to keep an eye on the door, and when the prince gets here, you let Penny know as soon as possible. Penny, you are going to be the one in charge of the table, but don’t hesitate to grab someone if you feel that you need help with the drinks. I don’t want them to have to wait more than a couple of minutes for anything, if they have to wait for anything at all. Understood?” Doug clasped his hands as he looked around the room, and Penny assured him she would be ready and waiting.

“Good. Then let’s do this. Let’s go!” Doug always wrapped up the meetings as quickly as he started them, sending them all off in different directions. Penny grabbed a towel and tucked it over her arm and adjusted her apron, glancing at herself in the mirror. She tried not to think of the fact that Chase was going to be there that night. She had to focus on the prince himself.

Of course, in the back of her mind she hoped that he would notice how good she looked. She was still indebted to him for standing up for her as he had the other evening, and she wanted to do a better job than ever in providing him with the best service. Maybe she was getting caught up in her feelings, but it had felt nice for a handsome man to defend her.

She wanted to show him that she noticed and appreciated it.

The time seemed to drag by, but Penny kept a close eye on the clock—and Samantha. She knew once they got busy with the other customers, she was going to have to pay even more attention to what was going on at the front of the nightclub.

When the men came in, they would know they were headed for the VIP section, but it was still her job to take them there, and she knew Doug was going to be watching her like a hawk. He wanted to make the best impression possible on these men, and he was putting it in her hands to make it happen.

Penny didn’t know whether to be more flattered or nervous, but she could feel the nerves settling in as she thought about Chase.

At long last, the men walked through the door. Immediately, the sight of him took her breath away and made her stomach do a flip. He was dressed in a dark suit, she wasn’t sure if it was dark grey or black, but it was beautifully tailored to fit his lean, muscular body. His silver tie was a stark contrast to the rest of his attire, and he looked as good as the prince himself, if not better.

She was also amazed at the sight of Prince Hussein. She had no idea what to expect from him, and she had thought he was going to show up looking like a man out of the movies. But he looked just as sharp as the rest of the men, donning his own crisp suit and tie. They were accompanied by more than a dozen other men, and even a few scantily-clad women trailed along.

At once, Penny felt overwhelmed. She didn’t know who to start with or what to say, and she could feel the pressure of Doug keeping an eye on her in spite of the fact she didn’t have any idea where he was. With a bright smile, she walked up and greeted the group.

“If you would like to follow me, I’ll show you to your table.” She walked briskly in front of them, making sure to make eye contact with Chase before leading the group back to the large table. “Here we are. If you will all take your seats, I’ll be right back with the menus. My name is Penny and I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”

She met eyes with Chase once again, though she was quick to scan the entire table. She didn’t want anyone to feel she was paying too much attention to one of the guests, and she really didn’t want word to reach Doug that she was being overly flirtatious with one when there was an entire company for her to tend to.

But she settled the group in well, and soon they were all talking and chatting away as she continued to bring them food and drinks whenever they asked for more. Penny knew just when to offer the complimentary dishes, and she did everything she could to make them all feel welcome.

Though, there were a few times when she worried she was getting too much attention from the Prince himself. It wasn’t long before he had asked for Doug personally, then formally asked if they might have her serve them and them alone for the entire night. Though they were certainly keeping her busy enough to keep her from feeling like she was wasting her time, Penny began to wonder how appropriate it was for her to be spending so much time with that table alone.

It was clear the rest of the restaurant was busy, and more than once she wanted to stop what she was doing and help out one of her coworkers. But she knew that she would only get yelled at if she were to stray from her one table, so she kept herself focused on her own table.

“Thank you, my dear! You know, we would be lucky to have someone like you back at our palace,” the prince said the more intoxicated he became. She smiled, thanking him but brushing off the compliment.

“I don’t think I could fit in among royalty, honestly,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, come now! Don’t be like that. Just give it some thought. You might be surprised.” He put his hand on her lower back, and Penny gave him another look. She was clearly trying to get away from him, but she didn’t know how to do so without offending him. She looked to Chase more than once for help, and she could see that he looked concerned for her. He was no longer smiling and his jaws were clenched quite visibly.

“Thank you, but my place is here,” she said with another fake smile.

“My dear, I don’t take no for an answer!” the prince said, his smile frozen and his grip a little stronger.

Penny felt fear flash through her body. What was she supposed to do now? He was a freaking prince, and her job was to make sure he was satisfied. Was Doug watching right this very moment? Before she could make any move, she heard someone speak.

“Look, the lady said no, so let her go.” Chase stepped in once again, and Penny almost let out a sigh of relief, as much as she knew he had no obligation to help her. The prince looked at him with wide eyes, clearly surprised he would overstep his bounds and stand up for this random woman—a waitress, no less. Penny gave him a grateful look, but the prince merely scoffed, clearly insulted.

“Did you hear that, gentlemen? I believe we are being told that we have overstayed our welcome,” Prince Hussein said as he looked around the table. There were looks of disgust on all faces, and Penny’s face was swept with a look of horror.

“No! Nothing like that, nothing at all!” she objected, but the prince pushed her away and rose from his seat.

“We are done here!” he said. At once, the rest of the company rose and walked out, following him. Penny tried a couple more times to apologize and keep them at the table, but their minds were made up and it quickly became clear they weren’t going to listen to anything she had to say.

One by one, they walked out, leaving her standing next to the table with a look of horror on her face. She looked across the dining room when the last of them had left, her heart sinking when she saw Doug watching her. He held her gaze for a moment, then he shook his head in disappointment and turned to walk away.

Her heart sank. She knew she was going to get blamed for what had just happened with the prince, and she didn’t know what to say or do. Penny was always the kind of woman to stand up for herself, and she wasn’t going to let a prince from anywhere use her in ways she didn’t want to be touched.

But, at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel that everything had gone wrong at the worst time possible.

And now she would get blamed for this.