CHAPTER EIGHT
Not a Princess
Theo
“At this rate, we’re going to be late,” she said when she came out of my bedroom wearing a red cocktail dress. It looked more like a sexy slip than a dress. It wouldn’t work. I would spend the whole night with a hard-on, thinking of different ways to get her out of it.
“We will arrive fashionably late, and I’m sure the dinner will just be getting started.” I reached for another outfit from the rack they had brought up for us. “Try this one.”
She snatched it from my hand. “I swear to God if you don’t like this one, I’m going naked.”
“Stop looking so fucking beautiful in everything, and we wouldn’t have this problem¸” I said. She glared at me, and I glared back, trying my best not to touch her. If I did now, we would never leave.
“This is the last outfit I’m parading myself in for you.” She lifted the dress between us.
“Nothing in life is final. But we’ll see.”
The corner of her lip turned up, but she looked away and shook her head as she headed back upstairs to the bedroom. We’d picked up right where we left off, and I’d lost count of the number of times we had fucked each other in the last few hours. She was frustrated I kept making her change, and I was frustrated that everything she wore turned me on. You would think I had never been with a woman before. But there was something about her that kept drawing me back. The way she felt against me. How she moaned out my name. Not knowing what she would do or say next. She seduced me just by breathing.
“I like this one, and it’s staying on!”
Nothing is staying on for long. “Fine.”
When the door opened, I had never regretted a word more than I did then. She wore a white bustier top and a navy skirt that was short in the front, exposing her long, smooth legs, and long in the back. She had pinned her hair up, exposing her neck. She… I… fuck, why had I chosen that?
“Felicity—”
“Not changing,” she said as she took a pair of heels from the rack, along with earrings and a single ring. The moment she stepped into the heels, I bit back a groan as my eyes freely traveled over every curve of her. This was insane.
I knew it, yet the only thought going through my head was mine. She is mine. It wasn’t in a sweet way. It was in the I need her under me now kind of way, preferably with those heels still on.
Stepping behind her, I pulled the pins out of her hair, letting it fall down in waves. Brushing it to the side, I kissed her neck and pulled her close, touching her breasts through the material.
“Theo, we can’t,” she said, even though she tilted her neck to the side for me.
“I know.” I kissed her jaw before letting go. “I was just giving you some incentive to keep your hair down.”
It took her a moment to realize what I meant, and then she reached up and clapped her hand over her neck. “You son of a bitch.”
“You could make it even.” I tilted my neck, and she glared. “I thought so—”
Gripping my tie, she pulled me close to her. Losing it and undoing the top buttons of my shirt, exposing my neck, she kissed me hard.
“Fel….” I tried to say her name, but I couldn’t trust my voice. My dick hardened, and she rubbed herself against me more. Just when I was about to wrap my arms around her, she pulled back and innocently smiled at me.
“We really ought to be going.”
I opened my mouth to say something but decided against it, opting instead to take her hand and walk her to the door.
“You know that you—”
“I know,” I answered, knowing full well she was talking about the hard-on I was currently sporting, thanks to her.
She giggled softly as we stepped into the elevator.
“Oh, I will get payback, Ms. Harper.”
“What are you going to do? Tie me to your bedpost again?”
I grinned. “Who said it will be here? God knows how long we will be stuck at this thing. I’m thankful you chose that dress.”
“Do your worst, Mr. Darcy, but remember that I never have to see these people again so I can moan as loud as I want,” she said shamelessly, and as the doors opened she stepped out with confidence to the front entrance, where my driver was waiting.
I couldn’t help but smile.
She was the gift that kept on giving, and I was eager to see just how loud she could really moan.
Felicity
7:00 p.m.
“Let’s see if I’ve got this,” I said, trying to remember the rundown he’d given me of his family. “Your aunt and uncle’s names are Lorelai and Arthur Darcy, but you call them Mom and Dad. They have two sons. The first is Bartholomew, but everyone calls him Arty. He’s a few months younger than you, and everyone says you both look similar, but in your opinion he’s the less attractive one?”
“Yes.” He winked and leaned back in the chair. “He’s also the one who threw that party at my house.”
“So he knows about me?” Well, at least that was one less person to lie to, I thought. “And your other cousin-slash-brother is Walter or Walt. He’s five years younger but is the only one who is in a stable relationship that isn’t solely based on sex.”
“I sense judgment.”
“From the woman who let you tie her up and then begged you to smack her?” I gasped, shocked. “Never!” He laughed, shaking his head at me, so I went on. “He comes off the most immature, but I guess he’s grounded in some aspects.”
“Are you finished with your questions? Because we’ve been parked out here for at least five minutes. I’m sure the butler has told them we’ve arrived.”
He didn’t wait for me to answer before he opened the door, took my hand, and pulled me out.
The first thing I noticed was just how big the mansion was and how it looked more like a classic château than anything else. The front of it appeared to be made entirely of white stone. The second thing I noticed was it didn’t seem like this was just a family gathering, based on how many people were walking into the house, dressed way more elegantly than I was.
“This is just a dinner?”
“In the Darcy family, nothing is just a dinner.” He sighed, still holding my hand as we entered inside.
This was a bad idea.
This was a very bad idea.
I should have run away.
But I held on to his hand and followed him inside, going straight into the lion’s den, or the backyard. It felt like it stretched on for acres. There was a large pool close to the house, where a private orchestra played. It was exactly what you’d expect a rich people’s dinner to be. Servers going about with trays of champagne and appetizers, single men laughing loudly together in one corner of the pool, single women in another, while the married folk either danced or spoke among themselves.
“An hour tops and then we make our escape,” Theo whispered.
I leaned in. “I’ll hold you to it.”
“Theodore!” a woman with curly, light brown hair exclaimed. Her long green dress shimmered under the lighting in the backyard as she came up to Theo with her arms extended.
“Hi, Mom,” Theo said as he gave her a hug and kissed both her cheeks.
Mom? What?
“You’re tired, sweetheart. You need to rest.” Her gaze drifted to me—well, our clasped hands—then to my face. “And who is this?”
“The reason I haven’t been sleeping.” Theo chuckled, and this time I really did smack him as I let go of his hand to shake hers.
“Hi ma’am. My name is Felicity. Felicity Harper.”
“Welcome, Felicity. Felicity Harper,” she repeated, and I didn’t realize how dumb it sounded to repeat my name like I was James Bond or something. Two minutes into being here, and I was already in the negatives.
“Please enjoy yourselves. Now that you are finally here, I can give my speech.” She petted Theo’s cheek. “Don’t leave too soon.”
I knew he was going to say something dirty, so I spoke for him. “He won’t. I’m looking forward to your speech.”
She nodded to us both before heading back to her guest.
“If you’re embarrassed when I tell her you’re the woman in my bed at night, how embarrassed will you be when my hand goes up that dress?” he whispered into my ear before turning to a guest who called to him.
“Just do it already, so we can leave in shame. I already feel out of place,” I said softly as his hand moved around my waist to hold me tighter.
“Just stay close, nod and smile, and before you know it, we’ll be out of here,” he said seriously as we moved toward the crowd.
I did a mental yawn at the sight of them, but where else was I going to go? Especially with the dirty looks I was getting from more than a few women. Jealousy written all over their faces. However, there were some women who didn’t seem to care at all, more interested in who I was than jealous over who I was with. I could hear them as we walked.
“Mr. Darcy, it’s a pleasure.”
I focused my attention to the four men, most of them around Theo’s age. All of them held either a cigar, which was so cliché it was almost comical, or a glass of champagne.
“The feeling is mutual,” Theo said, but it didn’t sound like he was pleased at all. I couldn’t tell if that was because he disliked them or if it was because he really was a block of ice when it came to his work. “Gentlemen, my date for the evening, Felicity Harper.”
“Nice to meet you.” I smiled.
“You are beautiful.” One man took my hand and kissed it. Theo and I both tensed at that. This is not the nineteen hundreds. If I don’t offer my hand, please don’t take it.
“Are you a model?” another asked excitedly.
Someone else cut in before I could speak. “No, definitely an actress. I’m sure I’ve seen you in passing. You were….”
“A waitress,” Theo said for me.
“Oh, you played a waitress? In what movie?”
“I didn’t play a waitress. I am one. Jefferson’s Diner on McArthur. We have the best short cake in town.” I grinned, glancing at Theo, who was just as amused as I was.
They all looked at him, not sure if it was a joke or not.
“She’s being modest. She isn’t just a waitress. She has several odd jobs. What are they again? A call operator and—”
“A credit card phone representative and high school janitor. I even worked as a Disney princess once.”
“That’s so good of you,” one of them said, though it sounded condescending. “We’re looking forward to your upcoming gala, Mr. Darcy.”
“I hope it amazes. If you’ll excuse us, I owe Ms. Harper a dance.” He didn’t wait for their reply as he led me into the space near the pool where other couples were dancing. The men slowly broke up into different pairs and started talking, gossiping with others.
It was then I realized his plan. “By the time we finish this dance, almost everyone will keep their distance from me.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome.”
“You did all but drag me here, so it’s the least you could do.” I didn’t want to talk with them. I hadn’t said it, but he knew.
“Which Disney princess were you?”
“Belle from Beauty and the Beast.”
“She isn’t really a princess, you know.”
This time it was me who rolled my eyes and laughed. “Do not ruin children’s fairytales. It upsets them. I learned that the hard way.”
“Oh, I have to hear this story. I’m guessing you weren’t a princess for long.” He was trying not to laugh, but I could still see it in his eyes.
“If you must know, I did that little girl a favor. She wanted me to make a wish with her so she would meet a guy just like the beast. And I respectively and honestly told her she should want better than a man who kidnaps her father then holds her prisoner in a castle.”
“And how did the little girl react to this wisdom?” he asked.
I frowned. “Unreasonably. She cried and said I wasn’t the real Belle. Her mother filed a complaint, and all of a sudden I was the bad guy. Are you laughing at me!”
“I was trying hard not to, but really, who gets fired from being a princess?” he said with a wide smile.
He was so handsome.
“She’s not a real princess, remember? She’s a woman with Stockholm Syndrome.” And the moment I said it, I laughed too. I couldn’t believe we were having a conversation about Disney right now.
“Can an old man cut in?”
We both twisted around to face a man with salt-and-pepper hair, blue eyes, and a charming smile. He stood just a few inches shorter than Theo, but he had pride and a regal air about him. Like he was a king or something.
“Felicity, this is my father, Arthur Darcy.” Theo took a step back. “And you may cut in if my date agrees.”
“Of course I do. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” I let go of Theo and took his father’s hand.
“I’ll be at the bar,” Theo said, and Arthur laughed at that for some reason.
“Don’t worry, son. I’ll return her in one piece.”
“It’s you I’m worried about.” He winked at me before leaving us.
“You? Well, you look harmless,” Arthur said, drawing my attention back to him. I had to say for a man in his sixties, he was attractive. It kind of made me wonder about Theo….
No, Felicity.
“I’m harmless. I have no idea what your son is talking about.” I smiled, making sure to keep up with him as we danced.
“I’ve never seen Theodore laugh like that. Lorelai almost had a heart attack over there in the corner. Don’t look; she’s watching now.”
“You can’t say that. Now I really want to look.” Why was she watching me? “I’m sure Theo laughed long before meeting me.”
“True.” He nodded, a small frown on his face. “However, it’s always either forced or insincere. Like he’s laughing because he has to, not because he wants to—”
“Before you go on, you should know we aren’t serious. We’re just having fun.” I didn’t think I wanted to have this conversation with the man who was basically his father. Luckily the music came to end. “Thank you for the dance.”
“It was my pleasure.”
I went into the house in search of a bathroom. I asked one of the servers, who pointed me back behind the stairs. I didn’t make it that far, though. I’d only got past the stairs before coming face-to-face with someone who did not looked pleased to see me, despite the smile on her face.
“Hi. It’s Felicity, right?”
“Yes, and you are?”
She brushed black hair back behind her ear. “Theo didn’t say anything about me? I’m his fiancée. Well, ex-fiancée, Violet Montgomery. We met at the dance hall.”
“I remember now. You were the one who couldn’t get her footwork right. Nice to meet you. Sorry I left so soon.” I smiled politely as she scowled, like she couldn’t believe I’d called her out on it. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to use the little girls’ room.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“You just said your name was Violet Montgomery, so….”
She stepped closer to me. “I’ve danced in The Mariinsky Theatre, the Paris Opera House, and with the New York City Ballet and The Royal Ballet….”
“That’s nice and all, but your footwork was still off. Can I go to the bathroom now, or are you going to tell me the Queen of England flew you out to dance next?”
“You have no class. But what did I expect? You’re just a waitress,” she snapped at me.
“Says the women who introduced herself as Theodore Darcy’s former fiancée. What were you trying to do, intimidate me? Scare me off? Sweetheart, if you want me to walk away from him and the amazingly hot, downright sinful sex we’re having all over his penthouse, you’re going to have do better than that. Like a lot better.” I skirted her but stopped. “I really like your hair, by the way. My mother used to say I should find one thing to like about a person.”
“It won’t last. You’ll be out of his face in a week.”
“Seven more days of sex! Yay!” I did a little cheer as I left. Tori was around the corner with her hand clasped over her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing out loud.
She took my arm and pulled me into the bathroom, where she let it out. “You are my hero!”
“Thank you, I guess,” I said, closing the door to the toilet.
“I wish I could have seen her face. Man, she must have been steaming, and you blew her off like it was nothing.”
“It was nothing,” I replied as I flushed and came out to a large powder room, checking my dress before moving to the sink. She sat on the counter, shaking her head.
“You don’t get it. Violet Montgomery is like a modern day princess—”
“Well, she’s not a princess to me. She’s just a human being, that’s all. In this town everyone is a child of someone who has credit to their names, but it doesn’t really matter to me. I dish out what I’m given to work with—simple.” Unless it was work related… sometimes.
“Oh yeah, you and I are going to be friends.” She smiled. “I grew up in Las Vegas. The money comes without the bullshit. I never got to say it, but I love your music. It’s beautiful. I hope we get to work together in the future.”
“Thank you. I’m not sure about the music part though. But I’ll think about it. You mind giving me a moment?”
“Oh, sorry.” She jumped down. “See you out there.”
I waited for the door to close behind her. Taking a deep breath, I stared into the mirror.
What was I doing here?
Theo
“So, where is she? Everyone is talking about your waitress.” Arty placed a hand on my shoulder as he poured something into my drink from his flask before taking a gulp of it.
I handed the drink to Walt, and we both watched as he absentmindedly drank it.
“Oh God!” He coughed, and I grinned as Arty laughed and patted him on the back. “You guys are dicks.”
“You make it too easy.” I couldn’t count how many times we’d given him moonshine, and he drank it each time.
“Anyway, where is this Felicity?” Arty once again tried to change the subject.
“Is she really a waitress?” Walt added, replacing his drink with one from the server’s tray. “Or is she one of those ‘I’m waitressing until I get my big break’ waitresses?”
I didn’t answer either of their questions. I was scanning the crowd to see if she had come back. I noticed Tori, who had a giant grin on her face.
“Shouldn’t you be more worried about the person who made your wife smile like that?” I questioned, and his face fell in confusion. He walked up to her before she could reach us.
“Don’t fuck with the boy’s heart just because ours are damaged.” Arty said softly beside me.
I shrugged him off. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You are so right, Theo,” Walt came back, holding Tori’s hand. “I should be concerned about who was making her smile like that. Turns out it was Felicity.”
“What?”
Tori glared at me. “I overheard her talking to Violet. She knocked Princess Violet down a few pegs. It was priceless. She called her out on her poor dancing, and on top of that she bragged about your sex life. She even did a little cheer! I thought my stomach was going to explode from how badly I was holding in a laugh.”
Goddamn it, Violet.
“What did Violet say to her?”
“That she was your ex-fiancée. Felicity shut her down after—”
“Excuse me,” I said, walking away from all of them and into the house. Before I could get far, Tori popped up right in front of me. “What is it?”
“I love the fact that Walt is a goofball. He makes me laugh more than anyone else in the world. Please don’t try to make him as jaded as you and Arty are. I have no plans to hurt him. I love him.”
I sighed. “I was looking for an escape from an unwanted conversation and used you. I apologize. I’ll do my best not to let it happen again.”
She nodded and stepped aside.
Moving past her, I searched the crowd. The more people who came to rub shoulders with Lorelai and Arthur, the harder it was to find her. I did, however, see Violet. The moment our eyes locked, she made her way toward me. For half a second, I entertained the idea of walking away, but I wasn’t going to run away from her at my family’s house. So I met her halfway. She gave me a small smile, but I could see right through it.
“You look—”
“Why did you go to Felicity?” I interrupted before she got too deep into her bullshit.
She put a hand on my chest. “Be civil, Theo. People will think we’re arguing.”
“Violet.” I sighed. She was one of those people who drained the life out of you. “I’m not going to argue. I’m going to warn you. Keep our relationship professional, because if you cross the line again, I’ll buy out your contract and show you the door.”
Taking her hand off my chest, I drifted through the crowd and up the stairs into the main house.
Going down the corridor, I noticed the oversized family painting of us hung on the wall as if they were some royal family. Each time I saw it, I stopped. It had been painted about a year after I’d come to live here. Lorelai sat on a chair in the center, Walter on her lap, Arty at her side, while I stood next to Arthur behind the chair. The perfect family.
“Excuse me, sir.” I turned to one of the servers holding up a tray of caviar. “Felicity—I mean Ms. Harper said if you are looking for her, she’s in the basement kitchen.”
“Thank you.” I headed toward the spiral staircase in the back. Following the music, I heard laughter. Stopping on the last step, I watched her dance to some alternative folk-rock music. Her shoes were off, and she had a bottle of beer in her hand and a fat grin on her face. She danced with a few of the other servers who were down there relaxing. She linked arms, and they spun around, laughing so hard there were tears.
All of a sudden, she pushed them both away. Clearing the space around her, she placed her hands on her hips and started clog dancing. Her feet and legs moved so quickly, I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t the only one. A stream of whistles of and claps poured in as she jumped from side to side, spun around, and kicked her foot back and forth. She was amazing. I could have watched her for days.
“Sir!” the cook said, and everyone jumped up, cutting off the music.
“Don’t stop on my account, please,” I said. However, none of them seemed to be sure. I was a Darcy after all.
Felicity marched up to me, kissed me on the lips, and then put a beer in my hands as she pulled me out with her.
“There’s no way in hell I can keep up with you,” I said.
“It’s not the point. The point is to have fun,” she said, beating her head to the music. “Start with a small head bob and believe me, your body will follow.”
“Felicity—”
“Come on.”
So I did it. God, I couldn’t describe how lame I must have looked, but I bobbed my head to the music and then we were jumping around. After that, I have no idea what we were doing, but it felt like dancing so I rolled with it. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I had to be Theodore Darcy from Los Angeles but just Theo Walker from Fresno. It was a good feeling, one I wanted to keep, and it was because of her.
She wasn’t a princess.
She was much better than that.
****
“I had fun tonight,” she whispered in my arms as I carried her to my bedroom.
“So did I.”
“You didn’t think you had it in you, did you?” She exhaled deeply.
I chuckled. “I could say the same for you.”
“True.”
Just like before, the moment I put her on my bed, she took off her clothes and threw them on the floor then crawled onto my chest.
“Goodnight, Felicity.”
“Wait.” She yawned, rolling over. “Can I borrow your phone to call my roommates to let them know I’m here?”
“What’s the number? I’ll let them know.”
“877-1212.” She yawned again as she rested her head on the pillow. I dialed but it didn’t go through.
“The number’s disconnected.”
She let out a deep sigh. “I told her to pay the bill yesterday. Thanks. Goodnight, Theo.”
I put my phone on the dresser and stripped down. Entering the bathroom, I reached for my toothbrush but stopped when I caught sight of the reddish-purple hickey on my neck. It had been her gift to me earlier this evening. Reaching up, I touched it and laughed.
She had said the point was to have fun, and I was having it.