“No way, Princess.” I laughed when her face froze. “What? That’s what you’ll be in a few days. Good-bye America’s Duchess and hello America’s Princess.”
“And one day you’ll be America’s Que—” Jess was stopped by the look on Sam’s face.
“Nope. Don’t go there.” Sam shook her head. “One thing at a time. That’s a lot to swallow.”
“You won’t have to worry about that for a long time anyways.” I put my hands on the counter.
“It’s just a lot to take in.” Sam sighed. “It’s a lot of responsibility.”
“Meh. It’s worth it.” Jess sat up a little straighter. “You’ve got Prince Yummy.”
“And me!” I lifted my wineglass.
“And Cathy.” Jess laughed. “Not to mention a ridiculous amount of money, awesome job, and fabulous friends.”
“All true.” Sam shook her head. “So you’re saying I should stop my bitching.”
“Exactly.” I laughed.
“Look at us. I’m still in school, barely sleep, and poor Cathy hasn’t had a boyfriend the entire time I’ve known her.” Jess tipped her glass toward me.
Sam looked over at me and frowned, but I shrugged it off. “I’m picky.”
“We get it, Cathy.” Sam sighed. “It’s hard to find someone worth the risk.”
“What risk? I’m not talking about you finding a husband, just someone to spend a little time with.” Jess wiggled her eyebrows. “Take the edge off. How long has it been?”
My cheeks heated and I took a sip of my wine. There was no mistaking what she meant. How had the conversation turned into a discussion about my sex life?
“Jess.” Sam set her glass down. “Leave her alone. She has her reasons.” I’d confided in Samantha once after a night of drinking when she asked about guys at school. It had been nice to talk to someone—especially my soon-to-be sister-in-law. She hadn’t made me feel foolish for being scared of what could happen.
“What?” Jess looked between us before leaning forward. “Oh my God. You mean you haven’t . . .”
“No.” I shrugged and hoped I could pull off nonchalance, because it was the farthest thing from what I was actually feeling. “Too much at risk. How am I supposed to know if someone wants me for me? And if I just do it to get it over with, what if they try to use it against me? Or to manipulate me?” I thought about the photos of Alex that his ex had released, and shuddered. I’d never be able to understand how he had stayed so calm. I had been a wreck and the pictures weren’t even of me. “It’s not just my virginity. It could haunt me forever.”
“What you need to do is find someone that doesn’t care about your title.” Jess narrowed her eyes.
“And how do you suggest I do that?” I leaned back in my seat. “Hand out surveys?”
“You need to find someone that isn’t impressed by your tiara.” Jess leaned forward eagerly. “Someone that maybe even hates your title.”
“Oh. That’s a great idea.” I sat up. “Hi, I’m a princess. I heard you hate royalty. Want to go have sex?”
Sam laughed but Jess seemed unfazed.
“Why not? Take away the title and what are you left with?” Jess asked.
“A sexy blonde with a great sense of humor.” Sam wiggled her eyebrows. “It could work.”
“Right.” I spun the wine in my glass. I had contemplated a one-night stand before, but I hadn’t found anyone that inspired that kind of lust. I didn’t want it to happen and not enjoy it. That seemed pointless. But I was getting tired of waiting for the right guy to come along . . .
“I’m just saying that if someone happened to show up that was really hot and didn’t care for royalty, you should go for it.” Jess shot Sam a look.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes.
“Nothing. I’m just saying you need to live a little.” Jess smiled.
“You do need to have some fun.” Sam popped a piece of cheese into her mouth. “You haven’t done anything spontaneous or fun since . . .”
Her voice quieted, but I knew what she meant. I hadn’t been to a club or party since the night Sam found out her father was dying. It had been such a scary night for everyone. That had been over a year ago, though. I hadn’t done anything but go to school and family functions in that time. Other than my movie nights with Sam and Jess’s bachelorette party. But that didn’t really count.
“Okay. We need to find you a hottie.” Jess leaned on the counter and pursed her lips. “I have a friend studying to be a neurologist. He’s cute and driven.”