Dating the Prince(8)

"I know. That's what was so nice about spending time with her."

Another grunt from Finn.

"It'd be rude to stand her up," Alex continued. He followed Finn out the  side door, where the other members of the security detail waited. They  were all dressed in plain clothes and would blend into the crowd outside  the café, ready to defend the prince if Finn put out the call. Alex was  used to security, but that had been increased since Isla, too.

"I'm here to protect you, Your Highness. Not pass judgment on your choices."

Alex snorted, turning down the street toward the café. "Yeah, you're always so good about keeping your opinions to yourself."

The smallest of grins turned up one corner of Finn's mouth-the closest to a smile Alex ever got.

They walked in silence for a few minutes and Alex took a deep breath,  savoring the fresh air. The barest hint of humidity tinged it, making  him wish he hadn't worn a sports coat. The streets of Castlebridge were  lined with honking cars and pedestrians hurrying to their destinations.  Libby might be one of them. What direction was her flat? He knew she  didn't live far from here, but hadn't asked Finn for the exact address.  It had seemed like too much of an invasion of privacy.

They waited at a crosswalk for the walk signal with a small cluster of  pedestrians. One of the women gave Alex a dirty look, then quickly  whispered to her friend. Alex clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stare  straight ahead and pretend he hadn't noticed. Beside him, Finn shifted  his weight from foot to foot.

The walk signal chirped on, and Alex crossed the street with the others. At the corner he turned right, heading toward the café.

"Isla's better off without you!" the woman yelled, then quickly disappeared in the opposite direction with her friend.

Alex's back stiffened, but he didn't acknowledge the woman's words. "And  that is why it was so nice to spend time with Libby," he muttered to  Finn.

"If I may be so bold, Your Highness?"

"I would expect nothing less than honesty from you." Finn had been his  personal guard for more than a decade, ever since Alex came of age, but  the man was still stiffer than a board.         

     



 

"You lucked out this time, Your Highness. Miss Claybourne has a clean  background, but she easily could've been someone dangerous."

Alex grunted, but didn't respond. He was less concerned about a security  risk than another media disaster. Yet another reason to quickly say  goodbye to Libby. If she found out he was a prince, there was no telling  how she'd react. When would he learn to start thinking with his head  and not his heart? Crown princes had no room in their lives for  ridiculous emotions.

The knowing gazes of passersby burned Alex, but they reached the  restaurant without further incident. The Queen's Café was a frilly  place, with menus written on chalkboards in loopy handwriting and an  eclectic mix of tables and chairs. It was nearly empty this time of day,  with only a handful of patrons. A group of college-age girls sat at a  table near the middle of the shop, and a few businessmen stood in line.  There was also an older couple, perhaps his parents' age, who were  clearly tourists as evidenced by their fanny packs and I Heart Durham  hats. No local would wear those.

Alex picked a square table painted a cheery yellow and tucked into the  quietest corner of the café. Five minutes until three o'clock. He hadn't  wanted to arrive too early because that would give the fellow patrons  more time to notice who he was.

"I guess she's not here yet," Alex said.

Finn grunted.

"Why don't you grab a coffee and sit over there?" Alex pointed to a  table two away from his. No sense complicating his date with Libby by  introducing her to his bodyguard.

"Of course, Your Highness." Finn walked stiffly to the back of the line  and stood, legs shoulder width apart and hands clasped in front of him.

Alex rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the door. If they  hadn't drawn attention before, Finn's bodyguard stance certainly was  now.

Finn placed his order and handed over a credit card to pay. A very  pregnant mother with an energetic toddler walked through the front door.  Three o'clock came and went, but Libby was nowhere to be seen.

Alex swallowed his disappointment as he watched the mother try to keep  her son from climbing on the wooden line dividers. Libby had probably  gotten delayed because of something with Kenzie. Maybe the baby dirtied a  nappy right as they were headed out the door. He tried not to fidget as  he sat in the chair, waiting. Finn sat down with his coffee at the  table Alex had indicated and took a slow sip.

The group of twittering girls in the center of the room gave Alex some  serious side-eye. Crap. Had they recognized him? His anxiety grew as the  minutes ticked by. He checked the time on his cell phone against the  time on his watch. It was definitely after three. Maybe punctuality  wasn't one of Libby's finer traits.

Or maybe she wasn't coming. The mother grabbed her order, juggling the  tray with one hand while holding onto her son's with the other. The  college girls' whispers grew louder and their glances less discrete.

Alex's neck grew warm as the sinking realization that he'd been stood up  settled in. Well, this was certainly a new experience. Princes weren't  generally ditched for dates. She was fifteen minutes late, which  probably meant she wasn't coming.

Disappointment eclipsed the embarrassment. He'd thought they had a  genuine connection yesterday. She'd seemed as reluctant to leave as he  was to have her go. But maybe the thrill of being just Alex had blinded  him to her indifference.

No. She'd been the one to suggest coffee. A new sense of dread washed  over him. Had something happened to her? Maybe he should send someone to  check.

The bell above the front door jingled, and Alex's attention jerked back  to the entrance. His heart leapt as Libby stepped inside. She'd come!

Another sundress, this one a soft cream color with a red floral print,  emphasized her slender frame, and her hair was once again in soft curls  around her shoulders. She pushed a pram with the pink sunshade pulled  down low. The door swung shut behind her and she scanned the room,  clearly looking for him. Her cheeks were flushed and her face pinched,  but otherwise she looked unharmed.

Alex rose and lifted his hand in a wave. Dang it. Now the giggling girls  were staring right at him. But so was Libby. He tried to ignore the  increasingly obvious stares of the café patrons as Libby pushed the pram  over to his table. The likelihood of getting through this date with his  secret identity intact grew slimmer with every passing second.

Libby parked the pram next to the table and set the breaks with her  foot. She wouldn't meet Alex's eye, and uneasiness curled up his spine.

"I'm so glad you're here," Alex said, watching her uncertainly. "I was getting worried about you."         

     



 

"Kenzie had a diaper explosion right as we were getting ready to leave."  There was an odd flatness to Libby's tone, and the sparkle was absent  from her eyes.

"I figured it was something like that."

"You were right."

Okay, something was definitely up with Libby. No way he was imagining  the frostiness in her tone. A cold dread pooled in his stomach as a  sneaking suspicion formed.

"I haven't ordered yet," he said. "I can get us both something. What would you like?"

"Oh. Uh, thanks." She pushed back the sun shade on the baby pram and  made an adorable face at Kenzie. "I'll have a small coffee with two  creams. No sugar."

Alex nodded and took his place in line, but kept glancing back at Libby.  She sat down at their table and pulled Kenzie out of the pram, then  began bouncing her on one shoulder. The girls from the nearby table had  definitely figured out who he was-their giggles and stares were getting  less subtle by the moment. A woman and her husband stepped into line  behind him, and Alex felt his muscles tighten.

Libby knew, and she was mad. That was the only explanation that made sense.

Alex fidgeted as he placed their drink order, trying to keep his face  down and not make eye contact with the employee running the counter.  He'd have to fess up to his true identity, but he could hopefully still  make it back to the palace without a major incident.

He set both cups of piping hot coffee on the table and slid one toward Libby. "Two creams, no sugar, as requested."

"Thanks." She took a careful sip. "I probably shouldn't be drinking  anything this late in the afternoon. I'll be up all night, just like  Kenzie."

The baby let out a giggle, as though she knew she was being talked  about. Libby laughed and kissed the baby's head, then snuggled her  closer. Man, what a life. Babies had it so easy.

"It's nice to see you again," Alex ventured.

"I wish I could say the same, Prince Alexander."

He froze, the title stinging like a bee. Well, there it was-his suspicions confirmed. "So you know who I am."