40. Jasmine

40

JASMINE

E ll-rom was sleeping soundly, and Jasmine was back in the chair scrolling through videos about gorillas, which she found surprisingly entertaining and encouraging for some reason. Their expressions were so human, as were their reactions to things like rain or finding things funny. Knowing that they were peaceful and ate mostly leaves, stems, fruit, and bamboo shoots made watching them a relaxing experience.

If only humans could be more like gorillas, the world would be a better place.

As an incoming message banner popped up on the screen, she switched applications and was surprised to see that it was a text from Frankie.

Usually, communications from Frankie came through Margo, and a flutter of concern rippled through her as she wondered if something had happened with Margo's brother. Had she told him instead of arranging a meeting where he could see Lynda being cozy with her ex? Or had the meeting taken place already, and WWIII erupted?

Glancing at Ell-rom's peaceful sleeping form, Jasmine stepped out of the room and then out of the clinic and walked down the corridor a few steps before stopping and leaning against the wall.

As she dialed Frankie's number, her call was answered right away.

"Jasmine! I'm so glad that you called me back. How is Ell-rom doing?"

"Great. He had his first rehab session in the pool today."

"How did it go?"

"Better than expected." Jasmine smiled even though Frankie couldn't see her.

"And how are you doing, girl?"

"I'm doing amazing." She looked both ways to make sure that no one was out in the hallway. "After Julian was done showing Ell-rom the exercises, he left, and we stayed a little longer. Things were just starting to get interesting when he returned and almost caught us making out."

"Ooh," Frankie cooed. "I want details, honey. Tell me more."

"All I can say is that Ell-rom is improving by the hour," Jasmine said, lowering her voice despite the empty hallway. "His body is responding as a young male's body should."

Frankie's laughter echoed through the phone. "That good, huh? Where are you now?"

"In the hallway." Jasmine glanced back towards the clinic. "Any activity is exhausting for Ell-rom, and I'm not talking about making out in the pool. Taking a little walk or doing easy exercises in the water drains him. That's why he spends so much time sleeping."

"Must be boring," Frankie said. "I mean, it's fine playing nurse and doing naughty things with the patient, but what are you doing while he's out?"

"Well, sometimes I join him. We slept the whole night in each other's arms."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Frankie cooed. "Listen, the reason I'm calling is that my cousin Angelica is coming over, and I was wondering if you'd like to join us. I need someone human-looking for balance, so Angelica doesn't get overwhelmed in case Dagor, Negal, and Aru decide to leave their tinkering for an hour and come say hi."

"Are they still working on the salvaged equipment?"

"They've been holed up in that room for days. I don't know what else they are hoping to find."

It suddenly occurred to Jasmine that inviting Angelica to the penthouse wasn't the best idea. "Are you sure it's okay to allow your cousin to visit? I mean, did you ask Kian if it was okay with him? After all, the penthouse is his."

"We are not meeting in the penthouse. We are meeting at the café. We still need to pretend to be human, though. The story is that we work for Perfect Match, and they have insane nondisclosure requirements. That's why I thought that having you there was a good idea."

Jasmine laughed. "As the token human?"

"No, as an actress who can spin a tale better than me. Angelica and I practically grew up together, and she will know right away that I'm fibbing. Besides, you know that your humanity is just a temporary condition. Once your prince has everything working properly, you will enter transition in no time."

Jasmine bit on her lower lip. "It might take a little longer than that, but I really shouldn't be discussing this in public or anywhere else for that matter. It's private."

"Then come to the café. I can be there in five minutes."

It would be nice to spend time with her friends and meet the feisty Angelica. Ell-rom would probably be asleep for hours, and if he woke up, she could ask Julian to call her, and she could be back down in the clinic in minutes.

"When will your cousin get here?" Jasmine asked.

"She was supposed to already be here, but Angelica is always late. It's an Italian thing."

Jasmine laughed. "I thought it was a Russian thing, and then I thought that it was an actors' thing. Is anyone punctual?"

"The Germans," Frankie said. "They pride themselves on their punctuality and work ethic. Do you know that they turn off their phones at the start of their workday and don't turn them back on until it's time to go home?"

"I didn't know that. Makes sense, though."

"No, it doesn't. What if there is an emergency with their kids or something?"

"I'm sure there is a system in place for that."

"Maybe, but that doesn't lend itself to a joke. I have tons of jokes on every ethnicity under the sun, and Dagor just doesn't get them. Come to the café, and I'll share my best ones with you."

"I will in a few minutes. I need to tell Julian that I will be gone for a little bit."

"A long bit. Come on, you need a break, girl. It's not healthy to spend every minute of the day with your guy, no matter how fabulous he is."

When Frankie ended the call, Jasmine put the phone in her pocket and headed back to the clinic.

Once inside, she knocked on Julian's open door. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to the café for a while to hang out with Frankie and her cousin. Could you call me as soon as Ell-rom wakes up?"

He looked up. "No problem. Enjoy your break and don't rush back. He can survive without you for a couple of hours."

As Jasmine turned to leave, she nearly collided with Edgar, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "What are you doing here?"

He flashed her a charming smile. "I was in the building to deliver something that the gods needed, and I thought I'd stop by to say hi." Leaning in close, he whispered, "I wanted to see Morelle."

Jasmine hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I'm on my way to meet Frankie in the café, but I can take you to Morelle's room for a quick peek."

As they walked toward the princess's room, Julian arched an eyebrow at them, but he didn't stop them from entering.

The princess lay still and pale, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

Edgar walked over to the bed and leaned to look at her face up close. "She's stunningly beautiful," he breathed. "She looks like the statue of Nefertiti." He turned to look at Jasmine. "She was also bald."

"Maybe it's their regality that makes them look similar."

"No, I'm telling you. She looks a lot like Nefertiti. I'll show you." Edgar pulled out his phone and started a search for a picture of the ancient Egyptian queen. "Aha!" he exclaimed when he found it. "Told ya."

He held it up next to Morelle's face, and there was some resemblance, mainly in the prominent cheekbones and the shape of the lips.

"Is that statue even authentic?" Jasmine asked. "There are so many fakes, and in people's minds, Nefertiti looks like Elizabeth Taylor playing Cleopatra. Very few remember Jeanne Crain or Geraldine Chaplin playing Nefertiti."

Edgar chuckled. "I'm old enough to have seen those movies, but I don't remember who played what part in which movie or even what the plot was."

"Because you are not an actor."

Jasmine needed to go, but she felt bad about bailing on Edgar. "Frankie invited her cousin Angelica. Do you want to meet her?"

Edgar's face lit up. "Sure, I'd love to meet Angelica. Heard a lot of good things about her."

The way he said that indicated interest, and Jasmine regarded him with a wry smile. "I thought that your heart belonged to this sleeping beauty, or rather the sleeping Nefertiti."

He affected an innocent expression. "I'm intrigued, but I'm not yet taken. For now, I'm still a free agent."

Fair enough. Jasmine had hooked up with Edgar even though she had longed to meet her prince. The difference was that once she had seen Ell-rom, she couldn't even think about another male. From that moment on, he was the only one for her.

She had a strong feeling that the princess was not meant for Edgar. If she was his fated mate, he would know it on a subconscious level and wouldn't be so eager to check out Frankie's cousin.