Chapter 2

Chapter Two

EVERSON

"What's wrong, Everson?" Corbin asked after taking off his unicorn mascot head. His blond hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat from being in the hot costume all shift.

I put my crown in my locker before unbuttoning my princely jacket. "I'm annoyed I missed out on someone who could have been special."

"Aww, did you meet a single dad who swept you off your feet with his sweetness and adorable kid?" Corbin took off the rest of his costume.

I snorted at how off base he was. "Not quite. This guy was a grump who I'm pretty sure hates adults and kids alike."

Corbin's eyebrows furrowed. "Seriously? What part of that appeals to someone like you who loves everyone?"

"There was just something about him." I shrugged as I continued getting undressed. "He was clearly having a stressful day, but I'm sure under that, there was a good guy. I could tell there was a sense of humor under his annoyance."

My friend made an uncertain noise. "Seems like a pretty big if to me."

"It's a moot point. I didn't get his name or number, and there's no way he's coming back here voluntarily. My chances of ever seeing Sir Grumpsalot again are slim to nil." I sighed in disappointment as I put on my normal clothes.

Corbin laughed hard. "Sir Grumpsalot ?"

"Yeah, like Sir Lancelot but grumpy." I grinned at the silly name. "It seemed fitting."

"Well, let's head to the Hurly-burly Bar and Grille and see if we can distract you into forgetting about your grumpy prince."

A cold glass of strawberry lemonade was like heaven after a long day working under the heat of the summer sun. I drained half the glass in a single go. It rejuvenated me.

Red came over with a refill before I could ask for another. We always requested him when we came to the restaurant because no one took as good care of us as him.

"Thanks, Red." I held my almost empty glass up in a toast. "You're the best!"

"Only because you make it easy. How are things in Romancelandia?" It was what I fondly called the amusement park.

"They were almost romantic today, but alas, I was denied." I sighed as I sipped my drink. "My grumpy prince lives in a different castle, never to be seen again."

"Aww, that's a shame." Red's expression was sympathetic. "You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy."

"I'm not sure Sir Grumpsalot would have qualified for that, even if you could track him down again," Corbin said.

Red laughed at the nickname. "Sir Grumpsalot?"

"It's what I called the guy. He was grumpy but in that cute, grouchy kitten sort of way."

"He sounds like Vander, one of my regulars. He has a kinda grumpy demeanor, but he's actually the nicest guy ever. It's an interesting contradiction. Plus, he's a fantastic tipper. He'll probably be here later tonight since he almost always comes on Thursdays."

Corbin shook his head. "I still don't see what the appeal of a grump is for you. You're the most upbeat guy I know."

"Grumps need love, too." I shrugged. "It's hard to explain. I don't know what it was about him, but I felt a magnetic attraction to him." Not getting to pursue that was an enormous disappointment.

"Oh, there he is." Red waved at a man who entered the restaurant alone. He gestured for him to come closer.

My world slowed down until the only thing that moved was my pounding heart. It was my Sir Grumpsalot, looking tired but no less handsome for it.

He was gorgeous in his blue polo, which really brought out the color of his eyes. His cheeks were tinged pink with the slightest hint of a sunburn from being out at the park all day. Every step he took closer to me sent the butterflies in my stomach into hyperdrive. There was no reason for me to be drawn to someone who was so unlike the guys I normally dated, but I couldn't resist the pull of attraction, nor did I want to.

Our gazes met when he came closer. It sent an electric thrill through me that whispered with certainty that he was the one. It was the height of ridiculousness when we had barely talked to each other, but something in me just knew he was special.

He faltered as we stared at each other for a long moment before his blue eyes went wide with recognition. " You ." He breathed the single word as if it was the most sacred in all the English language.

"Vander, this is Everson and Corbin," Red said, gesturing at us. "They're regulars of mine."

He didn't take his eyes off me to look at my friend. "Wait, Everson is your real name? I thought it was your fairy-tale name."

" This is Sir Grumpsalot?" Corbin asked with an impressed whistle. "Okay, I get it now."

That drew Vander's attention. "Get what?"

Corbin gestured at me. "Why my friend was moping about missing the chance to be with you."

Vander blinked several times without saying anything. It was cute how he didn't know how to react.

"Care to join us?" I gestured for him to sit beside me in the booth.

For a moment, it looked like he was about to refuse. But he sat down next to me, sending off a hallelujah chorus in my heart. "Thanks."

"Do you want your usual?" Red asked Vander.

"That would be great. Thanks, Red." Somehow, it didn't surprise me that Vander had a usual in a place like the Hurly-burly Bar and Grille. Red left to put his order into the system.

"Congratulations on surviving today," I said. "It seemed like a rough day for you."

Vander scowled. "I'm not a fan of crowds, kids, noise, or the heat, so the amusement park is the last place I'd want to spend my day off. No offense."

"None taken." Corbin chuckled as he studied Vander. "So, what were you doing there if you hate it so much?"

"My company sponsored today's event for our employees. Since I was head of the planning committee, my presence was required, unfortunately." He wrinkled his nose with distaste. "Otherwise, I would have skipped it and enjoyed my day off."

"It's really cool your company cares about the employees enough to sponsor a day at the park, though. That's not cheap." Corbin took another sip of his soda. "I've worked for soulless companies that would never reward its employees with a good time at their expense."

"Rhys is the best boss anyone could ever hope to have," Vander explained. "He enjoys taking care of people. This is one of his many ways of showing his appreciation for everyone's hard work. This event may not be my cup of tea, but we're lucky to have a boss like him who actually gives a damn."

Red returned to give Vander a strawberry lemonade. It made sense for me but was an unexpectedly cute drink for the prickly hedgehog.

"What do you do at the park?" Vander asked Corbin.

"I'm a unicorn mascot because I wasn't cute enough to be an unmasked prince." He grinned at me. "Unlike some people, who are blessed with charisma and dashing looks."

"It has less to do with how you look and more to do with the fact your face doesn't hide a single emotion." I snorted in amusement. "And with rowdy kids around, it's a good thing you don't have to pretend not to react to stuff."

"True." Corbin's grin was unrepentant. "Are you an event planner at your company?"

Vander shook his head. "No, I'm senior VP of HR for the firm."

My friend gave an impressed whistle. "Look at you being Mister Fancy Executive."

"It's not nearly as glamorous as it sounds." He scowled. "It's a lot of hiring, firing, and mediating any office squabbles that pop up from time to time."

"That sounds stressful." Dealing with that kind of interoffice politicking sounded like my nightmare. There was a reason I worked out in the fresh air and not behind a desk.

"What job isn't?" He shrugged. There was something charming about his realism. "Even your ‘fun' job has a ton of stressors."

Corbin tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Fair. Happy kids screaming their heads off isn't for everyone."

"That'd be my version of Hell."

"Not a fan of kids, huh?"

Vander hesitated as he tried to find the right words to express himself. "I don't know how to relate to them. Even when I was a kid, I wasn't that carefree."

It was easy to imagine a serious Vander as a kid. "I'm sure you were the quiet and bookish type, right?"

He nodded. "Books were easier than people."

"And yet you went into HR." Corbin snorted in amusement. "That's the most people type of job out there, next to ours and politicians."

"I followed in my father's footsteps, so I didn't really have much choice in the matter." Vander frowned. "Thankfully, my job is primarily hiring new employees since Rhys isn't a fan of firing someone unless they truly deserve it. Because he's created such a great corporate culture in the office, we have very little turnover. It makes my job much easier than at my last office. I was firing someone almost every week, which was awful."

"That must be hard." I had never really considered the toll it would take on the person doing the firing.

Vander took another drink. "I do it with as much dignity as I can. It's awful, even when they've earned their dismissal. Seeing people at their lowest is by far the worst part of my job."

"Well, at least you have a kind heart," Corbin said. "I'm sure they appreciate that."

"It's why I had to leave my last job. I couldn't keep hurting people all the time because my bosses constantly wanted to fire people to save money, then never hire anyone to replace them. Everyone was stressed-out, overworked, and severely underpaid. But Rhys runs a very different company, thankfully. I've been with him for six years now."

Corbin changed topics. "So, what do you do for fun?"

"I unwind by playing video games." His answer was unexpected.

My friend stroked his chin as he studied Vander. "Funny, you don't strike me as an FPS or MMO type."

"That's because I'm not. I only play Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy ."

It was almost too good to be true. "That's my favorite series," I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. "I bet FF8 is your favorite, isn't it?"

His cheeks colored slightly. "Is it that obvious?"

"I had a hunch you'd identify with Squall, who is a quiet lone-wolf type."

"You're not wrong. His story really spoke to me at a time when I needed it." Vander studied me. "Based on your sunny personality, FF10 seems like it would be your favorite."

I grinned at his assumption. "While I love that game, FF8 is actually my favorite, too."

The shocked expression on Vander's face was too cute for words. "It is?"

"What can I say? I have a special soft spot in my heart for a lonely wolf who finds true love and friends."

"That's…unexpected." It seemed he struggled to find the right word.

Corbin nodded to himself. "You know, this is making a lot more sense to me now."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "Is it?"

"Shadow and light—it brings balance to everything. Your Mr. Handsome Loner and Homecoming Prince is a vibe I can get behind."

"Prince Charming and Sir Grumpsalot would be one hell of a story," I teased.

The real question was if Vander would take a chance on me when we were so different.