CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 33

“So, why are you here?” Sarah asked.

“I’m eating dinner,” Ingrid replied.

“At my restaurant?”

“Why not? You serve food here.”

Sarah rolled her eyes before pointing out, “You hardly ever come in here. I usually bring stuff home for you, or you eat something else.”

“I wanted to get out of the apartment,” Ingrid said, finishing the delicious chicken Sarah had prepared just for her.

“Out of TV shows to binge or something?” Sarah took a sip from her iced water.

“My girlfriend is at some dinner with ambassadors, and I miss her,” Ingrid replied, looking down at her plate. “Am I pathetic?”

“One night apart has you all depressed?”

“No, it was one week apart after our first date. Then, a few apart after our second one. I just did the meet-her-parents thing – which was awkward, but I got through it – and now I’m sulking here because I just wish I could be there with her.”

“As her girlfriend or her secretary?” Sarah asked.

“Honestly, a little of both.”

“She offered you the job back.”

“I can’t take it if we’re dating,” Ingrid replied.

“Well, she needs to come out and tell people you’re together. Then, you can at least go to some things as her girlfriend.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Are you worried she’s not going to do that?”

“No, she will. She’s working with everyone at the palace to figure out the best way to do it. She’s been talking to Elizabeth, too.”

“You mean Queen Antonia of St. Rais? That Elizabeth?”

“Yeah.”

“I like that you just casually called her ‘Elizabeth,’ like she’s not Queen of a country.”

“She told me to call her that. They all did.”

Sarah smiled at her and said, “I have to get back in there, but call her, Ingrid. Just tell her you miss her.”

“She’s busy.”

“Then, text her, at least. She can call you back when she’s free.”

“Yeah, I guess I could.”

“This won’t sound right, but I like you like this,” Sarah told her, standing up from her seat next to Ingrid at the bar.

“Like what? Sad?”

“Sad because you’re really happy,” Sarah replied.

Then, she walked into the kitchen after kissing Ingrid on the cheek. Ingrid finished her meal and pushed the plate away. She stared at her phone on top of the bar, thinking about sending a message, when it rang instead. She saw the letter E and smiled.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“Hi,” Elin replied. “Where are you right now?”

“At Sarah’s restaurant. I just ate, and I was going to text you.”

“What were you going to say?”

“That I miss you, because I am very, very lame.”

“That’s not lame; that’s sweet,” Elin replied.

“I’m glad you think so.”

“I was calling to tell you this thing is going longer than I expected, but I was wondering if you could get to the palace later.”

“Yeah?” Ingrid smiled.

“I don’t want to be without you tonight.”

“You want me to stay there?”

“Yes.”

“With you or in the guest room I stayed in the last time?”

“Last time, you weren’t my girlfriend. This time, you’ll sleep in my bed.”

“And you’re not worried about what people might say?”

“No. I just… I miss you, too.”

“I guess we’re both lame,” Ingrid teased.

◆◆◆

Ingrid texted that she’d been escorted to Elin’s suite. Elin didn’t text back. The event must still be going on, so Ingrid sat in the living area and waited. It was after eleven. She was pretty tired from work and thought about changing into pajamas and crawling into Elin’s bed to wait for her there, but it would be her first time sleeping in that bed, and she thought she should let the Queen give her permission first.

Thirty minutes went by. Ingrid answered emails and scrolled through her news app on her phone. For a split second, she considered texting Elin that she was just going to go home and get some sleep, but she knew she wanted to fall asleep next to the woman.

“I’m sorry,” Elin said when she walked through the door.

“It’s okay.” Ingrid stood.

Elin walked over to her and went right into her arms.

“Bad night?” Ingrid asked, hugging her back tightly.

“No, it was fine. It was just long and boring, and I’m starving and tired.”

“You’re starving?”

“Dinner was at five. I ate a little, but I got caught up in a conversation, and then it was time for the next course. That happened a couple more times, so I’m hungry again.”

“You’re the Queen, sweetheart.” Ingrid smiled as she pulled back to look at Elin. “Ask them to bring you something.”

“Are you hungry?”

“No, I ate at the restaurant. I guess I could go for a snack or something if you’re going to eat.”

“Let’s go down to the kitchen.”

“Why?”

“Why not?” Elin asked back. “I can scrounge us up something.”

“You can scrounge?” Ingrid teased.

“Prepare to be impressed,” Elin told her and held out her hand.

Ingrid took it, and they walked to the elevator. It took them down to the main floor, where Ingrid let go of Elin’s hand.

“What?” Elin asked.

“People will see.”

“Ingrid, I don’t–” She paused. “I’m okay with people seeing if you are.”

Ingrid nodded and took Elin’s hand back. They walked past a few people who only seemed to care that their Queen was walking down the hall late at night. They bowed and greeted her. Ingrid noticed a few glances at their joined hands, but Elin didn’t seem to be concerned, so Ingrid wasn’t, either. When they got to the kitchen, it was thankfully deserted.

“Okay. I’m thinking cheese,” Elin said.

“What?” Ingrid laughed.

“Cheese and fruit. I can find some wine, too.”

“Wine?”

“Yeah, we could have a little date in here.”

Ingrid smiled and watched as Elin moved to the giant refrigerator. She pulled out a few types of cheese and then strawberries and blueberries.

“White or red?” Elin asked.

“Coffee?” Ingrid asked instead.

“Yes, I can make you coffee,” Elin replied, sounding excited. “I know how the machine works.”

Ingrid laughed. Then, she watched as Elin made her a cup of coffee, placed it in front of Ingrid, and grabbed a couple of plates. She sliced some cheese and plated some fruit. Finally, she put everything back in the fridge and turned around to face her.

“Will this be okay?”

“This is perfect,” Ingrid said.

“Thank you for coming over.”

“I didn’t really do it for you,” Ingrid replied. “I wanted to see you.”

“Still, thank you.”

Ingrid finally took in her girlfriend. She hadn’t noticed at first because Elin had breezed right into the room and hugged her. Then, they’d walked down the hall side by side, and Ingrid had been nervous about their hand-holding.

“Wow,” Ingrid said softly.

“What?”

“You look great,” Ingrid replied.

Elin was wearing black slacks with a light-blue button-down shirt. She also had on those very dangerous suspenders.

“Oh, thank you,” Elin said. “I had a jacket on earlier, but I took it off during the second round of boring after-dinner drinks, and I must have left it–”

Ingrid moved into her and kissed her. It was slow, but she kissed her hard and deep. Ingrid’s hands moved from where they cupped Elin’s face to around Elin’s neck. Elin’s were around Ingrid’s waist now, pulling Ingrid in closer. Ingrid backed Elin up until she was pressed against the stainless-steel island in the middle of the room, and her lips moved to Elin’s neck. She breathed her in and continued kissing her as Elin’s hands moved to Ingrid’s shirt and pulled it out of her jeans.

“Ingrid…” she breathed out.

“I want you,” Ingrid told her. “You’re wearing those suspenders,” she added in a whisper against her ear.

“I…” Elin’s hands rubbed up and down Ingrid’s back. “I…”

“Should I stop?” Ingrid asked, moving her lips to Elin’s jaw and then back to her lips.

“No,” Elin replied. “I want you. You have no idea how much I…”

“Say it, Elin,” Ingrid encouraged, kissing her again.

“I don’t just want that; I don’t just want sex.”

Ingrid smirked. “You said it.”

“I can say the word.”

“What do you want, then?”

“Everything with you.”

Ingrid lifted Elin up until she was sitting on the island. Elin laughed a little until Ingrid kissed her again. Then, Ingrid forced herself to step back for a second and stared into Elin’s eyes.

“We should go upstairs.”

“Finish what you started, Ingrid,” Elin told her.

“What about…”

“No one will come in here. They saw me come in here.”

Ingrid reached forward and pulled one of Elin’s suspenders down. After removing the other one and stepping between Elin’s spread legs, she cupped Elin’s face and kissed her slowly. Then, she stepped back again.

“Not like this; not the first time,” she said.

“But you took my suspenders off,” Elin replied, sounding totally adorable.

“I’ll take them all the way off upstairs. But, Elin, I don’t just want sex, either: I want to make love to you.”

Elin swallowed. Then, she nodded. She stood up and placed back her suspenders.

“I want– I mean, I want that–” Elin put her hands back on the island behind her. “Ow!”

“What happened?”

“Nothing. The cheese knife.”

“Did you cut yourself?” Ingrid took her hands to look at them.

“No, it just kind of poked me,” Elin replied.

Ingrid kissed both of her palms and said, “I need you to not cut these off, okay?” She kissed each of Elin’s fingers. “I haven’t seen what they can do yet.”

“Oh, I… Yeah, I won’t. I’ll…”

Ingrid smiled at her, kissed her, and said, “I’ll just hold on to one of these hands while we walk back to your room; for safety.” She winked at Elin.