“Oh my God, Cat!”

I freeze just outside the security section of the James Alexander III Terminal in the Dubrevian Airport when I see my former boss. Even in a crowd, she stands out as she strides up towards me, a huge grin on her face. One that’s reflected on mine as well. I drop my bags and she gives me a big hug.

“You look great!” Jessica cries, embracing me not like an employer, but like a good friend. And I truly consider her to be one of my best friends. “How was the flight?”

I give a short laugh. “Not bad.”

The flight from JFK to Dubreva was actually awful, through no fault of the crew or the flying conditions. This damn morning sickness—or day sickness, or whatever time it is here—caught me an hour into the flight, and I spent most of it hugging the latrine as we crossed the Atlantic. The woman sitting next to me was lovely and I felt bad—she was flying First Class and sitting next to a hot mess like me.

The good news is, I found out that ginger ale helps calm my stomach. Some.

“You should have accepted my offer of a private flight,” Jessica says. And, totally unlike the billionaire she is, she picks up both my bags. I let her—spending six hours sick will do that to a person.

“I’m just so glad to be back on the ground.”

“I’m so glad you could get the time off.”

Apparently, she’d heard of David’s temper. But I didn’t tell her that I had called in sick. And would have to call in sick all week.

I expect you to keep up with your duties, he’d said, which means that he expects me to work while I’m sick. Asshole. I debated saying that, but I got my sick day, and I didn’t want to push the issue. Now, whether or not that will fly all week is another story.

Then again, most likely you’ll be taking this job anyways.

I remember the phone call I had with my parents two nights ago when I told them the news. They were both on speakerphone and I heard their shocked silence on the line.

“Well,” Dad had said finally. “We always knew you’d make a great mother.”

I burst into tears then, and while I managed to tell them about the trip to Dubreva, I didn’t get around to telling them who the father of my baby is. I think they knew from my reaction not to ask.

That will have to come later.

Right now, I’m just glad for the distraction from not only my pregnancy, but my break-up with Dominic, who didn’t take it very well. He didn’t believe me at first, thinking it was a joke. Then he assumed that I’m coming here for a sordid romance.

That conversation didn’t end well.

I cried, yes. But I feel better now that I don’t have our relationship hanging over my head. I just have to keep telling myself that, and not think too hard about it.

I put on my bravest smile and look around at the walls of the terminal, looking for a clock. “What time is it here, anyways?”

“Eight in the morning,” Jessica says as we start moving towards the doors, where I see a limo waiting for us. The hood of the automobile has miniature Dubrevian flags on it, proclaiming a member of the royal family is riding in the car. I raise an eyebrow but don’t say anything. “Do you want to grab breakfast? I know of a cute little place off the main drag. They make a mean eggs benedict.”

She knows from our breakfast meetings that I love eggs benedict, but I pause, thinking. Can I even have hollandaise sauce when I’m pregnant? I itch to grab my phone out to check, but that would require some explanation, and I hope to share that with her later. Surely they have something else that I know for certain I can have, so I nod.

“Sounds good.”

The driver opens the door for us and we both duck inside while he takes care of my bags. “This is new,” I say, indicating the limo.

Jessica snorts. “A bit extravagant if you ask me. Phillip wants to use it to piss his mother off. Did you see those flags?”

I laugh. “I did.”

Then I notice the ring on her finger and my jaw drops. “When did—?”

Jessica can’t keep the huge smile from her face as she watches me. “I told you, we have a lot to talk about. Such as this.” She waggles her ring finger, the diamond and sapphire wedding ring glittering in the car. “We got married in Fiji two weeks ago.”

My heart sinks at the realization that I wasn’t there. It must show on my face, because Jessica shakes her head. “It wasn’t a big thing,” she explains. “It was just Phillip, me, and his valet, Frank, to officiate it. We wanted to do something spontaneous and small.”

I can imagine, with Phillip growing up as the crown prince of Dubreva being around people and huge events all the time. A tiny wedding was probably all he wanted. And it was Jessica’s second wedding, so she wouldn’t have wanted a big deal either.

That makes me feel a little bit better. That I didn’t drop the ball by not being there.

“Is Phillip still a prince?” I ask. “I saw the news and…”

Jessica’s smile lessens. “He’s not. But, to be honest, I think he’s relieved. He’s grown up with this stress of being the king of Dubreva someday, and it’s suddenly off of him. I think he’s going to like being a civilian like the rest of us.”

I know that every one of the Dubrevian princes is loaded, so they have no idea what it’s like being a normal person. Jessica grew up even more poor than I did, so I’m sure she helps ground him.

After everything they’ve been through to be together, they deserve to be happy.

“Hey, Joseph,” Jessica says, hailing the driver, “can we head to Le Café Café?” She winks at me. “Seriously, you’re going to love this eggs benedict.”

I almost tell her then.