James was relieved Theo seemed to be warming to him. He was here to ask a favour, after all. Theo might not like him much, but at least he didn’t seem to outright hate him.

James glanced through the net curtains hanging over the window to see Mrs Smith pottering about in the garden beyond. She seemed quite oblivious and most happy in her own little world. “So, am I right to say that you assist your grandmother in her many charitable endeavours?” he asked, sipping on his drink.

“Yeah,” Theo said. His gaze was scrutinising. “Am I in trouble?”

“Dear lord, no!” James spluttered. He couldn’t help but laugh. “No, I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. I know we got off on the wrong foot today, but I was impressed with your…uh, passion and forthrightness.”

Theo definitely smirked at that. “You mean the part where I told you to piss off?”

“In so many words,” James said.

Theo nibbled his lip and pulled at his ear. “Look, I am sorry about that,” he said. “I was bang out of order.”

“It’s quite all right,” James assured him.

Theo tilted his head as he looked at him. “I bet not many people do that, do they?” he said. “Talk straight to you.”

“No,” James admitted with a rueful chuckle. He licked his lips, tasting the beer lingering there. “That’s actually why I’m here. I was hoping you might be able to assist me with something, actually.”

Theo looked at him for several seconds. “Me,” he said slowly. “Help you? What could you possibly need from me? Your Highness,” he tacked on as an afterthought. It was evident that Theo was acutely aware of the gap in class between them.

“I’d like it if you would call me James,” he said, feeling strangely vulnerable.

“Oh,” said Theo, like he hadn’t been expecting that. “Okay, sure. What can I do for you? James.”

Hearing Theo use his name did funny things to James’s insides. Christ, he was gorgeous. But he was clearly apprehensive still. There was also a good chance he wouldn’t be afraid to turn James down, which was largely why James was asking in the first place. He wanted someone who was unafraid of him. But he also really did want Theo on board.

“Okay,” James said, deciding to cut right to the chase. “I have a project I’d like to throw together quite quickly. A charity ball at Bodiam Castle. An elegant evening for around three hundred guests ticketed at a thousand pounds a head. All profits will go towards charities of my choosing. I already have several I’m considering approaching, all based in the UK focusing on doing tremendous work in different areas of local communities.”

He had Theo’s attention now. His gaze was assessing as he swirled the ice cubes around his drink. “Right,” he said, somewhat surprised. “That sounds excellent. How do I fit in?”

“I need an events coordinator,” James said. He managed to keep any of the nerves out of his voice. It was crazy. There were hundreds of people who would be more than qualified for such a position. But James wanted Theo. And what was the use of being a prince if you couldn’t get what you wanted every now and again?

Theo’s hazel eyes grew comically wide. “Are you offering me a job?” he asked.

James nodded. “Paid, of course,” he said, “and starting right away. Thanks to a last-minute cancellation, there’s a gap in Bodiam’s calendar on the Saturday, two weeks tomorrow. Otherwise, I won’t be able to host it there until after summer, and that quite defeats the purpose.”

He could always host somewhere else, but Bodiam was his favourite of the royal properties for a number of reasons. Out of all the palaces and castles he had grown up in, Bodiam had always felt the most like home. Some of the staff there were more like family than his own relations. For his first attempt at a fundraiser, he felt it was extremely important to host it there.

Theo stared at him for a few more moments, then shook himself. “But…I already have a job,” he said.

“I would only be contracting you for two weeks,” James said. “Three at most.” James sensed Theo was still resisting, but he still had the final ace up his sleeve. “Of course, I understand if that’s not possible. Regardless, I would also like to offer Rainbow Houses the opportunity to be one of the charities to take part in the evening. Do you think your grandmother’s halfway house project could benefit at all from that?”

Theo spluttered on his rum and coke.

“You what?” he said. He nibbled on his lip. “You want all those rich toffs to give money to help queer kids in Essex?”

James could have taken Theo’s comment as an insult. However, he didn’t feel he meant them that way. James wanted to tell him how much the project truly warmed his heart. But of course he couldn’t. Not exactly.

“No one should find themselves homeless or desperate just because they are unwelcome for the way they were born,” he said evenly. “I currently don’t have an LGBT charity in mind, and after your grandmother’s MBE, I felt it would be a wonderful opportunity to capitalise on that success and expand the program.” He shifted slightly on his feet. Although he’d taken his jacket and tie off from earlier, he was still dressed in his new shoes and they pinched a little.

“Oh, well, yeah,” said Theo, nodding. “That’s right. It’s not these kids’ fault their families are wankers.”

“Exactly,” James murmured, happy they were on the same page. It amused him how Theo wasn’t afraid to swear in front of him. The guys he served with in the Army weren’t shy about it, either. But that was soldiers for you. In the civilian world, most people would watch themselves. James liked that Theo didn’t even seem to notice he was doing it.

Theo cleared his throat. “So, all I’d have to do would be to help you put this event together?” he said. James did very well not to smile. He sensed he was winning. “I suppose I could do that as well as carry on with the day-to-day stuff for Nan,” he said.

“Exactly,” James said encouragingly. “The castle has Wi-Fi. Sometimes you have to go to the top of a turret to find it,” he added with a chuckle, “but it’s there, somewhere.”

Theo shrugged. “As long as you don’t leave me hanging when we need to double-check important decisions. Will you be there much before the ball?”

Ah. He’d misunderstood. “Oh, no,” said James, trying not to let apprehension get the better of him. “I presumed we would head to the castle the week before the event to get everything sorted in person. I meant that you could keep up with your work for Rainbow Houses from there.”

“Why?” said Theo. He swirled his glass again, but it was more ice than drink now and it clattered. “Most of the organising can be done online. I wouldn’t need to be there until the actual day if I just keep you up to date on emails.”

James swallowed and refused to get flustered. “I’m not the best with emails,” he said with a twitch of a smile. “Besides, we’re going to be doing everything at the eleventh hour. I appreciate you can work via email with contractors over the next week to get everything in place. But then I would prefer us to be on site to oversee the proceedings.”

Theo shook his head and made an ‘uhh’ sound. “I don’t mean to be rude or nothing,” he said. “But I don’t think I can do that, sorry.”

“Oh, no,” said James. “I don’t mean to impose. But this is an incredible opportunity. Won’t you consider it?”

Theo pursed his lips together. “Umm…”

“I’m sorry, Theo dear, I lost track of – oh!”

James turned around just as Mrs Smith came through the back door from the garden. She had been carrying a seed tray with little green leaves sprouting from each of the cells. That was until she saw a prince standing in her kitchen and dropped the lot in a spectacular dirt explosion on her nice clean floor.

“Oh my days!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth as she burst into a fit of coughing. “Your Highness, I – what – Theo?”

Theo had already dashed to her side, hopping over the dirt to wrap his arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, Nan,” he said. “Everything’s fine. Prince James just wanted to talk to me about something, but it’s not important.”

Mrs Smith blinked as she got her coughing under control. “Not important?” she repeated. “Theo, he’s a prince. I know you may be young, but I can tell you we’ve never had a royal in Becontree before.” She looked over at James and managed a wobbly smile. “It must be important.”

James smiled at her and stepped closer, offering out his hand. He took one of hers in both of his and clasped it gently. “It is,” he said warmly. “I’m dreadfully sorry to have startled you. Please, let me help you fix the mess.”

Mrs Smith waved a hand at him and tottered away from both the younger men holding her. “Never mind about that. Theo, did you offer him a cup of tea? He says he’s here for something important.”

“I did, first thing,” Theo assured her. “But then he went for a beer instead. He, um, says he wants Rainbow Houses to be involved in a charity ball thing.”

James smiled at him and his grandmother. Although Theo had a lot of fire about him, he was clearly unsure how to act around James. Yet again, James sighed inwardly at all the roadblocks his birth liked to throw up. But if it wasn’t for his title, he would never be able to offer Theo this job or the chance for his grandmother’s charity to benefit so handsomely.

James picked up his pint glass and sat beside Mrs Smith, who was watching him with owlish eyes. “It’s true I have an opportunity for Rainbow Houses that I’m very much hoping you’ll accept,” he said to her. “But after we met earlier today, I also have a short-term contract for Theo.”

“You met at the ceremony?” Mrs Smith asked doubtfully. She threw a look at Theo who was leaning against the counter by the fridge. “You never said?”

“I, um, forgot,” Theo said, not fooling anyone. Having thought Theo was mad at him, James now felt he was just as embarrassed by the misunderstanding as James was.

“Your grandson is being modest, Mrs Smith,” James said. “I happened upon him as he rescued not only a priceless vase but also one of my grandmother’s lost dogs.”

“Y-your…” Mrs Smith stammered. “Theo, you rescued one of the Queen’s Yorkies?” Mrs Smith looked like she might keel over. “Bloody hell, does he get a medal for that?”

James chuckled. “No, but to cut a long story short, I would like him to help me put on a fundraiser ball and have your Rainbow Houses be one of the beneficiaries.”

Mrs Smith bunched up her skirt at her knees, her anxious gaze flitting between James and Theo. “And he’s said yes, hasn’t he?”

Theo sighed. “To us being one of the charities for the ball, sure,” he said as he moved to sit beside his grandmother. “But I can’t take the job, Nan. Ja-Prince James is insisting I go away for a week and I couldn’t possibly leave you for that long.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Mrs Smith scoffed, smacking Theo’s thigh and turning to James. Theo looked stunned. “He’ll take it. He’s wasted working for me. He needs something to challenge him.”

“Nan!” Theo cried indignantly. “I’m fine with my job, but that’s not the point. You’d be all by yourself at seventy-seven.”

Mrs Smith narrowed her eyes dangerously. “I was born during the war, you cheeky sod,” she said. “I survived the blitz, I can manage a week by myself, bloody hell. Besides, you know as well as I do Sal will be here every day regardless.”

Theo opened his mouth and closed it again. James used it as an opportunity to jump in.

“We’re hoping the ball will raise substantial funds for all the charities involved,” he said. “After meeting you today, I was so touched by your dedication and felt you and those you help might especially benefit. It only seemed right to offer the coordinator’s position to Theo as well. Although, if he’s daunted by the task, I’m sure I can find another candidate.”

“No, wait,” Theo spluttered. “I didn’t say I couldn’t do it. I just wasn’t sure if I would be able to.”

Bingo. James had him. He knew it, and apparently so did Theo’s grandmother.

“He’s being silly,” Mrs Smith said firmly to James. “More to the point, he’s well talented at what he does.” She smiled warmly at him. “Don’t you give me all this ‘I can’t do it’ nonsense,” she told him. “You’ll be brilliant. This is exactly the kind of chance you need. Don’t you use me as an excuse just because you’re too scared to try.” She grabbed his hand and shook it. “You’ve got this!”

James glanced back at Theo, expecting him to still be shaking his head. But his cheeks were tinged faintly pink and his eyes were damp. “Thanks, Nan,” he said softly, a smile twitching at one corner of his mouth. He met eyes sheepishly with James. “Um, okay,” he said just as quietly. “Thank you. Yes. I’ll do it.”

James blinked. He couldn’t quite believe it. “No, thank you,” he said. “It’ll be an honour working together.”

Now he just had to hope this gamble paid off. That Theo could really do it, and that offering him a job out of guilt after their earlier interaction wasn’t going to come back and bite James in the arse.

One way or another, he guessed he would find out soon enough.