CHAPTER NINE - ENZO
I had been so excited about my progress with Cindy that I found myself humming the song we’d danced to in the shower the next morning. Not only had I secured her phone number, but I’d gotten a promise for a future first date. I couldn’t help but think about how much Esme had really liked her.
I was out of the shower and drying off when Lucas came into the room. “Excuse me, Your Royal Highness, but it seems Greg Levinas is up to his old tricks again.” He held out his phone and glanced at the screen while wrapping the towel around myself.
There were several pictures of Cindy and me, all from the gala events and the most recent had been last night’s dance. “That son of a bitch!”
“Yeah, and the headline: Future King Slums in the US and the article goes on to call her your common girlfriend, asking the burning question: ‘Is it true love for Enzo?’”
“I can’t wait until my mother sees this, I’m sure the hounds are already on it.” There was no way one of her advisors hadn’t seen that. Greg Levinas, while a low-life piece of shit, was famous for selling his created stories. And because of his infatuation with my family, my mother had hired a crew to keep her abreast. “Don’t let Esme see it. She’ll get her hopes up. She likes Cindy.”
“I told you that would never work, and that was before Levinas sabotaged it.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Have you called Cindy? Has she seen it?” Lucas was on edge, and I had a feeling he was feeling a bit guilty. It was his job to keep this stuff away from me. Despite being his friend, I had never made his job any easier.
“No, I better call her. And I’m calling that low-life Levinas too. If he doesn’t retract that story, I’m going to be all over him.”
“It’s on the internet, and it’s already been picked up by four others major sites.”
“Then I’ll sue his ass.”
“And what would you sue him for? Telling the truth?” As my eyes narrowed, he held up a defensive hand. “I’m just saying; he’s accusing you of having a relationship with someone you’re trying to have a relationship with. He’s not reporting anything too inaccurate. And in another day or two, it could be the truth.”
“It’s insulting to me and even more so to Cindy.”
“If she’s going to hang around with the future King of Aramis, then she should be ready for scrutiny and learn how to handle it. If you end up with her, it will only get worse.” He was right, and I hated it, but I was not giving up on Cindy, not unless she wanted me to.
I took my phone off the table beside my bed and learned I had two missed calls from my mother. “Shit. Mother knows. I’ll call Cindy first.”
I dialed her number, but there was no answer, and before I could hang up and dial again, my mother called me back.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Don’t you ‘hello mother’ me! How long has this been going on? Is this why you brought Esme with you? So that she could meet her future mother?”
“No, I brought her because you make it painfully obvious that you have no love for her.” I found my voice carrying too loudly and toned it down. “She loves the galas, and she had a good time. And as for Cindy, I haven’t been dating her. I met her at the last gala and—”
“And she’s part of the staff!” Mother’s voice was practically a hiss.
“She is the manager of the event company and a very nice person.”
“I want you to end it.”
“It hasn’t begun! But it will. I’d never disrespect you, although I know you think otherwise. But I need to make one thing clear and that is you can’t control who I chose to be with. I’m the one who will be King. I know you think when the times comes you’ll want to use my rule as a way to get what you want, but I’m not going to let that happen.”
“Are you threatening me, dear son?”
“It’s no threat, Mother, it’s a promise.”
I slammed down the phone and knew that I’d pay for it later. “Mother knows. I’ve got to go talk to Cindy. Before I left last night, I promised her a simple lunch date. Now, look what’s happened.”
“You aren’t going to be here to deal with her when she calls back are you?” Lucas gave me an exhausted look. “I need hazard pay to put up with your mother.”
“Yes, you do. Take Esme to the theater and watch that double-feature. If she calls back just pacify her with an excuse. I’m not talking to her again until I get home.” I hurried off to go get dressed.
An hour later, I was on my way to Cindy’s place, and she still wasn’t answering her phone. I called Greg Levinas after and the sneaky bastard answered on one ring.
“Greg Levinas speaking.” He sounded like he had a smile in his voice and a spring in his step.
“Retract the story, Greg. It’s inaccurate.”
“Well, well, Prince Enzo of Aramis, to what do I owe the honor?”
“You know damned well what you’ve done. Those comments are not only untrue, but they are insulting for an innocent woman who doesn’t need her life disrupted.”
“Well, if that’s the case, dating a royal prince who is soon to take the throne as a king might be a bit much for her.”
I hated that the guy already knew about my father’s stepping down and wondered how. There had to be a leak with one of the trustees or advisors, and it wouldn’t have been the first time.
I made a mental note to flush out all of the moles in the house as my first order of business when I got back home.
“Take it down or you are going to see a very ugly side of me.” I hung up the phone as my car arrived at Cindy’s house.
The neighborhood wasn’t the greatest, but with her being a single woman in the city, it could have been worse. I walked up to the door expecting a buzzer, but there was no security of any kind to get inside her building.
I thought of how I needed to put her someplace safer as I walked down the hall toward her door and rang the bell.
She threw the door open with a newspaper in her hand. “Have you seen this?”
“I’ve been calling. I’m sorry. I guess I should have warned you about the paparazzo. He’s been following me every time I come into the city. I didn’t think he’d stoop this low.”
“Well, he spins a good story, so maybe he believes his own bullshit.” Her tone and language surprised me. “But that’s not even the worst of it. Thanks to him, I’m on probation at work. One more incident and I can kiss my job goodbye, and all of this too.” She waved her hand around to her apartment, and I felt horrible knowing how much the place must mean to her.
“I can assure you that you’ll have a place. I’ll make arrangements, so you don’t lose your home over this.”
She let out a long breath and shook her head. “You’re too much. I’ve earned this place and that’s the reason I’d hate for it to be taken away from me. I’ve not been given everything I want or need.”
I tried not to be offended by the remark. “I’m sorry. If you would rather I leave—”
“I didn’t say that. Look, I’m sorry. You can’t help who you are any more than I can. I’ve just had a rough week.”
I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. “I’m not giving up on us. I like you, Cindy. I want to get to know you, and I want to date you. Now I can’t promise that this Levinas sleazebag won’t follow us, and torment us, but I’d like to spend time together. What do you say? Are you up for it?”
“I don’t know. You make it all sound so appealing.” She gave a breathy chuckle, and I pulled her into my arms. As she looked up at me, I brought my mouth down to hers for a nice slow kiss.
I pulled away and looked deeply into her eyes.
“Trust me, Cindy.”