Sophia“We are beginning our descent into Seattle,” the pilot said over the speakers.Chewing the flavorless gum as quickly as possible, little popping sensations sounded in my ears as the plane landed. The journey from Dallas to Seattle was a piece of cake compared to the long-distance flights I had traveled just a month ago.A month.I drew in a breath, feeling the effects of Luke still in my system. The swirl of pleasure that I felt for him now circled my lungs and squeezed every time I thought of him.Mechanically, I moved down the aisle of the plane, falling in line with the other passengers. Just like every time I thought of Luke, the world closed in around me, and I struggled to breathe. Even in the ample open space of my apartment or at a coffee shop when images of him floated into my mind, I developed a strange sense of claustrophobia that crippled me until it decided to pass. Which usually wasn’t for several minutes, although it always felt like hours.Those situations were
SophiaMatt brought me to an expensive restaurant near the water. I scanned the menu, seeing so many good options. My palate had changed a lot since meeting Luke. Him taking me to expensive restaurants and the amazing food at the palace had brought me out of my fried food and pasta meal rut. Since I’d worked so much, those were always easy and quickly bought or prepared.“Don’t worry about the bill,” he said. “My treat.”“I don’t want this vacation to be me sucking your bank account dry,” I said.“Like you did to yours?” he asked, sipping his water. “Too soon?” I glared at the menu, and he gave up for the time being. I ordered the cheapest entree, but Matt didn’t skimp on the white wine. The sun was shining, a rare thing for Seattle, and after a full glass, I started to relax a little bit.“You can’t hold me in suspense too long,” he said. “I am paying for lunch.”So that was his game. He was footing the bill as long as I supplied him with information. I supposed there were worse thi
LukeRolling over in bed, I reached out to the spot next to me. For a brief moment, I felt something solid and warm. My eyes sprang open, and Sophia gazed back at me. Her lips curled into a smile, and she was still her breathtakingly beautiful self.I reached out to touch her but came up with nothing but air.I blinked again, and she disappeared, leaving two large white pillows in her place.It wasn’t the first time I had woken up thinking she was still with me. It was my fault she was gone, and for some reason, my subconscious couldn’t accept it.I shoved the pillows to the floor. There was no need to take out my frustration on them, but it was all I could do.Every day without Sophia seemed to get worse instead of better.Glancing at the clock, I remembered that it was Friday. I wasn’t scheduled to meet with the council today, but I did have breakfast with my family.Meeting for at least one meal a week was something that Mother requested soon after Father’s funeral. Since both her
Luke“Don’t be out too late,” Mother said, hardly disguising her stamp of approval.For the rest of the conversation, I asked Abir about Alda and how they met. It all seemed to have occurred naturally enough, but I kept an eye on Mother’s reaction. I didn’t know why I cared so much, maybe because she had tried to set me up every single time I came to visit the palace. There wasn’t one time before a month ago, when I brought Sophia as my fake girlfriend, that she hadn’t set me up on at least two dates during whatever short time I’d been home. And she wondered why I stayed in England for most of the year.Abir didn’t want to be late for his date with Alda, so he left soon after shoveling his breakfast in his mouth.I wanted him to stay, but I knew I would have to face Mother alone sooner or later. After discussing Abir’s love life, I knew what was coming before she said the first word.“With all this talk of girls and women in my boy’s life, I wanted to tell you that I’ve arranged a dat
SophiaBy the time Friday rolled around, I was so ready to go home. The sun from the first day I arrived had disappeared for good, and it poured buckets of rain every day since. How could anyone live in this sort of weather? I looked forward to the blistering Dallas heat to dry me out.Matt had been a gracious host, leaving me to explore and clear my head during the day while he worked and taking me out at night. I wished he lived closer. Now that I was without a job, it was nice to meet up with him on a regular basis. It was something I never did before, since I rarely went out with anyone other than co-workers, but those were usually company-planned events.I wondered if I would ever be that girl who went out with other women and chatted about our boyfriends or husbands. I supposed I would have to make some female friends before that could happen. And get a boyfriend or husband.Perhaps this new job would open a chapter in my life that I’d never had before. Being with Matt made me c
SophiaMatt shrugged. “What harm could it do?”“I thought tonight was about you and me?” I asked. “I’m not going to see you for a while.”“Remember, we agreed to change that,” Matt said. “Just go over there and say hi. It’s not like I’m going to leave you stranded.”“I don’t know how saying ‘hi’ is going to help me,” I said.Matt’s eyes widened. “Maybe you can sleep with him. Get Luke out of your system and someone else inside.”I glanced at the end of the bar, and the guy was gone. “That’s not—”“Hi there,” a deep voice said from next to me.Matt pinched my arm, and I drove my elbow into his side. The guy in the black suit stood right beside me. My mouth went dry as I took him in. Tall, pale blue eyes, and a five o’clock shadow. He smiled, showing off white teeth.“Hi,” I said.“I’m Thomas,” he said, extending his hand to me.I took it. He had a firm handshake, and my hand disappeared into his palm. “Sophia.”“I haven’t seen you here before,” he said.“I’m visiting from Dallas. My fr
LukeI had agreed to go on a date with Saanvi, but if I was going to attempt to find someone to replace Sophia, I was going to do it in my own way. Which meant I dismissed the outfit that Mother approved for my date and went with a slick suit and tie.Holding onto my independence was vital for my future at the palace. I didn’t need it to get around that at thirty-three years old, my mother dressed me up for dates. It was bad enough that she had set me up in the first place. I wasn’t going a step further to add to my humiliation.Even though most of it was in my head, I felt a little more like myself before heading off on my first blind date in some time. Years before meeting Sophia and taking over the family business, Mother had set me up with some women. Those were forgettable, and I hoped Saanvi was interesting to talk to at the very least.I also chose the venue. My mother intended for me and Saanvi to eat dinner together at the palace, but if I was going on a date against my will,
LukeSince we were both single, it was inappropriate for me to pick Saanvi up. So, we met at the restaurant. It was nice to be alone in the back of the car, mentally preparing for an evening with a stranger. Even though Mother and Father had a successful arranged marriage, the idea was archaic to me. If I was going to spend the rest of my life with someone, they needed to be someone I could tolerate on my own without anyone else interfering.I arrived early enough to secure our table and gather myself before meeting her.The restaurant was exclusive enough that no one approached me, but I noticed heads did turn when I sat down. I ignored their stares, already feeling the weight of Mother’s persistence in the back of my head. I had a sense that she would wait up for me and want every minute detailed to her when I arrived home.Deep inside, I hoped that I had something to tell her. Distracting myself with another woman would surely help me get over Sophia. It was all I wanted, even thou