Excitement filled me on my way to my car. I was about to pick up The Moonstones and their hot lead singer. I was beyond thrilled that they agreed to come to Raplen. Everything was going according to plan. Lizzie was going to be so incredibly stoked. Having them at her bachelorette party and wedding was on her wish list for some time now. I was looking forward to seeing the look on her face when she sees them. It was frankly worth every Raplen dollar I had ever spent. The band will always be a reminder of her fiancée and the day she met him at their concert.

I actually met someone that night too. As I was frantically searching for Lizzie, I ran into an older gentleman named Peter. He asked me if I was okay and was kind enough to help me find my lovesick cousin. He was incredibly charming and easy on the eyes. We exchanged numbers and met a couple of times while I was in Chicago. Lizzie was getting her fill of her fiancée, so I offered to stay and keep her company. Peter and I went out on more than one date. We hit it off almost instantly. He was a seasoned traveler and a wine connoisseur. He was more interested in me as a person rather than my status. I fell head over heels for him but unfortunately, Peter wanted to remain deep in the closet. I even flew back and forth like a fool just to spend more time with him. The last time we met, he told me he was going to get married to a woman. I was speechless and heartbroken.

All those memories came rushing back as I was leaving the palace. I was too lost in my own thoughts that I ran smack into Lizzie. “Ouch. Sorry.”

“No. No. I’m sorry.” She apologized. “My head is somewhere else.”

The bride-to-be looked worried and kept on wringing her hands. “What’s wrong?”

She shrugged and held onto my arm. “I just want to talk to you. You always manage to calm me down. I have these annoying pre-wedding jitters that I need to get rid of.”

“Well, I’m on my way out, so..”

“Great! May I tag along with you, cousin?” She asked, giving me her best puppy dog eyes.

I started to panic. I needed to say no. It was one easy word. No.

The last thing I wanted was for her to find out about her epic surprise. The Moonstones were supposed to be top secret. They were going to stay with me on my estate, far far away from Lizzie and her prying eyes. The bachelorette party was still two nights away. I had to find a way to throw Lizzie off my scent. Otherwise, she would show up unannounced like she sometimes does and ruin the whole thing!

I needed to cook up a story and fast.

“Lizzie. I love you but you cannot come with me right now.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m going out of town for a few days.” I lied. Lying was not exactly a skill of mine but I was great at storytelling thanks to my wild imagination.

Her face fell right before my eyes. I felt like such a jerk. “What for?”

Good question.

“You can’t possibly leave right now.” She shook her head in disbelief. “What about my bachelorette party? You promised to wear a feather boa and sing All the Single Ladies with me.”

I swallowed and tried to remain cool and detached while talking to her. “You’ll do fine without me, cutie pie.” I leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “All of your friends will be there. I’m sure Samantha would love to take my place. She’s always been jealous of our friendship.”

“You’re so pulling my leg, aren’t you?”

“Nope. Sorry. I really am leaving.”

She scowled at me. Her freckled face was the color of my red jumper. “Whoever you’re planning on hooking up with can freaking wait.” She huffed.

We stood there awkwardly until I cleared my throat. “The world waits for no one, love.”

“Fine!” She stomped her feet and walked away.

“Lizzie!”

“What?” She spun around and gave me the finger.

“Don’t have too much fun without me.”

She gave me another finger in response. “Fair enough. I deserved that.”

My Mini Cooper which was also known as Sarah Jessica Parker, was waiting for me in the driveway. I had it cleaned and polished just for today’s airport ride. I climbed behind the wheel and switched on the engine. The weather was perfect today with light, fluffy clouds in the sky and a soft summer breeze that made the drive to the airport short and sweet. I ordered a limousine along the way to help me pick up the band and their many guitars.

As a royal, I had my very own parking space close to the arrival doors. I parked my Mini and headed straight to the large hall. My casual outfit and cap helped me blend in while I waited for the band to show up. The doors finally slid open to reveal the hunky lead singer. My God. Nathan was sexier than ever. He had more swagger than Mick Jagger.

I remembered the first time I ever saw him at that concert and I couldn’t help but smile.