There was nothing like serving coffee all day to bring a princess down to earth.

“God damn it,” I cursed, as the cappuccino machine spluttered and sprayed boiling hot water all over my hands. The machine should have been thrown out years ago.

“I don’t know why you’re even here,” Ellie said, as she grabbed me by the wrist and shoved my hand under cold running water. “You’re going to be rich soon. This is no place for the fiancée of a prince.”

“Keep your voice down,” I whispered.

Every woman in the café was already talking about the new prince, especially now it had been discovered that he lived locally. I’d overheard a few students saying they’d spent the night with him, but I didn’t know whether to believe them. I didn’t want to believe them, but I knew the odds weren’t exactly in my favor on that one.

George had never claimed to be wholesome and innocent, but he’d also made me feel special. Unique. Knowing he’d slept with half the girls at my college didn’t help, but I wasn’t exactly innocent either. If I did go ahead with this crazy plan, there’d be a few guys here bragging about how they’d screwed a princess.

That was a thought I had to get out of my head immediately. I wasn’t a princess, and even if I became one, it would be a fleeting title. I’d lose it again when George and I went through the inevitable divorce.

At least we would actually get married. That was one step further than my last engagement.

“I’m just saying,” Ellie continued, “that you should be at home thinking this decision over. Then, when you finally come to your senses and decide to marry him, you won’t ever have to work here again. Although, come to think of it, I would like you to work out your notice so that I’m not left in the lurch.”

“I’m sure I can send in a servant to work my shift,” I joked. “Anyway, I don’t think I can go through with this. It’s going to end badly; I just know it.”

“I don’t know how you can say no to him. Literally. I don’t know if it’s physically possible to say no to a man like that. The other day, I closed my eyes and imagined him proposing to me. When I opened my eyes, my legs were wide open.”

I laughed at Ellie’s joke, but from the look on her face she was being deadly serious.

My hand still stung, but I pulled it away from the water and dried it off with a towel. There was already a line forming at the counter, and I needed to keep my mind occupied. Conversations like this weren’t helping.

A man coughed loudly behind me trying to get my attention. That made my blood boil more than a broken cappuccino machine. Weren’t the English supposed to be good at waiting in line? I thought it was a national pastime. It was more exciting than cricket at least.

“Just a minute,” I yelled out. Impatient prick.

I paused while putting the finishing touches to the coffee that had led to me getting a burned hand. The atmosphere in here had changed. The sound of fingers moving furiously over keyboards had disappeared, replaced by whispered conversations.

When I turned around, the first thing I saw was a room full of people all pulling out their phones and holding them up in the air. Then I noticed what the phones were all pointed towards.

George was standing at the front of the line just like he had been yesterday. Except now he had been outed as a prince.

“Hi,” he said casually. He appeared to be blissfully unaware of the attention he was getting. Either that or he didn’t care.

“Hi.”

“Can we talk?”

This was it. Decision time.

The gossip in the café ramped up a level as people began speculating why a prince might want to talk to the American girl who worked in the university coffee shop.

“Let’s go somewhere private,” I suggested.

“I don’t think we’re going to get any privacy right now,” George said. “And I don’t care.”

“You want an answer?”

“Yes. But I also want the opportunity to ask the question again. Properly this time.”

George dropped to one knee, and pulled a small box out of his pocket. The collective gasp from the customers could have been heard the next town over. Regardless of what happened next, this moment would be played on televisions and websites the world over. I was already famous. Even if I said no, my life would never be the same again.

“Sophia Simpkins,” George said determinedly. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

I was speechless. Even more surprisingly, so was Ellie. I still didn’t have an answer, and now I had no more time to think about it. I couldn’t do this, could I?

This is insane.

Absolutely batshit crazy.

I should run away and never look back.

I should—

George opened the box.

Holy shit, that’s a big rock.

“People are going to assume we’re shagging.”

“Would you like me to make some satisfied noises?” I asked. “There are bound to be people outside my room trying to get the scoop. Wouldn’t want you to look bad.”

“No, it’s alright. I’m sure there are enough kiss and tell stories doing the rounds about me by now. The whole world probably knows what I’m capable of in bed.”

“What happens next?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.

“We go out in public together a few times to make it convincing, and then get married.”

“Who are we trying to convince?”

“The trustees of the trust set up by my biological father. They won’t ask too many questions, but I’d like to make sure. They’ll hand over the money, then we’ll get divorced, and live happily ever after.”

“Just like a fairytale.”

George turned serious and took hold of my hand, leading me over to the sofa. I sat down next to him and this time our legs touched. My mind flashed back to last night in the club when his hand had touched my leg. How stupid was it that brushing up against my fiancé’s leg was enough to get me excited?

“I know I joke about this, but I do appreciate what you’re doing. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

“I know you will.”

“We’ll have to live together, but I can sleep on the sofa.”

I nodded, but we both knew it wouldn’t be as simple as that. We’d almost slept together after a few drinks in a club; how would we resist each other if we lived in the same house?

“My mom’s going to kill me,” I said. “Seriously, she is going to be pissed.”

“I can charm your mother, don’t you worry.”

“It’s not as simple as that. She won’t be happy about me getting married. Not after the last time.”

“You’ve been married before?”

The story was probably all over the internet by now, and it wouldn’t be flattering.

“No,” I said. “I nearly got married. I called off the engagement.”

“Oh, well that’s okay. Nothing to worry about.”

“When I say ‘I called off the engagement’ I mean I ran away on the day of the wedding.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah. Probably should have mentioned that I guess.”

A look of intense thought stretched across George’s face, but then he relaxed into one of his mesmerizing smiles. One of the smiles that melted my heart. No man had ever looked at me like that before. Not even Stan.

“People will think we’re made for each other,” George said. “I’ve got a reputation for… well, for appreciating the female form. And you’ve abandoned a guy at the alter. We’re two long lost souls, afraid of commitment until we found each other.”

“You almost make this sound romantic.”

“It could be, if you want it to be.”

“One step at a time, tiger, one step at a time.”