17. Xander

CHAPTER 17

XANDER

J orge scowls and slaps the table in front of me. “We’ve barely started the meeting, and yet it feels like you aren’t listening to me. One of these days, you’re going to have to make the crown a priority.”

Daphne springs to her feet. “Watch it, Jorge. I’ve had it up to here with you and the issues you keep creating.”

“Some days I think you’re working for Stavros,” Atticus says to Jorge, frowning as he looks over at me. “I told you that we should’ve fired him a long time ago. You could have promoted one of the prime ministers to his position and not a single person would’ve had a problem with it.”

The color drains from Jorge’s face. “I’m not committing treason, and how dare you suggest such a thing. I have the best interest of the crown in mind.”

“Then you need to stop picking apart Amy at every turn.” Daphne glowers at him before looking at me. “She’s coming along in her lessons just fine, and she’s going to be ready for the wedding. We had the final dress fitting yesterday, and she’s been learning the dances.”

Maybe I should spend some time with her. It might be worth it to help her practice the dances before we have to perform them in front of hundreds of people.

Although, that could blur the boundaries we set a couple nights ago.

It’s just a dance or two though. I can do things for her without it having to mean anything more. We’re friends after all.

Are we, though?

Atticus raps his knuckles on the desk in front of me. “All right, maybe Jorge did have the right idea. You’re not paying attention at all today. Are you sure that you should be at this meeting right now?”

“Actually, no. We must go over some of the financial records today. Put them on my desk in the study in my chambers, and I’ll get to them later tonight.”

Jorge looks like he’s about to have an aneurysm in the middle of the conference room. “You can’t be serious. You’re going to blow off work when you know that the public already thinks you’re going to run the monarchy into the ground.”

“I have a hard time believing that’s still the opinion.” Daphne gestures to the stack of magazines in the middle of the table. “The tabloids love Amy and Xander. If he wants to go work on making their relationship look more legitimate in front of everyone, then that’s part of his job now too.”

I nod to Daphne in a silent thank-you before taking off.

Though I don’t know what to do today, I do have a couple things that I think Amy would like. She’ll probably want to see Beatriz and find out how the wedding cake is coming along.

When she suggested hiring people in town to make the cake and flowers for the wedding, I couldn’t have agreed with her more. She even found people who decorate for a living and was able to hand them a blank check for the wedding.

Jorge was furious, and that was the icing on the cake.

I glance out the window as I head down the hall, and sure enough, Amy is in the rose garden, sitting on the edge of the fountain with a book on Katastinian history in her hand.

Pushing open the nearest set of doors, I go out to her with a smile. “I was thinking that we could head to town today if you don’t have anything else planned.”

“You want to go to town?” She closes the book and sets it to the side. “I thought you were supposed to be in a meeting right now?”

“Yeah, but it’s a boring one and I could think of a million better things to do.” I take her by the hand, helping her to her feet. “Besides, weren’t you the one who said I still have to be myself and have fun?”

“I think it’s a good idea and what your family would want for you, but are you going to have a problem with Meri and Stavros over this?”

“I don’t care if I do. Aunt Cora is currently giving them a run for their money with a property she’s looking at buying in Scotland. It’s a castle bigger than the one they have there, and Meri is just about losing her mind.”

Amy laughs and drops my hand, following me around to the garage. “You really think that’s enough of a distraction for them?”

I nod. “Meri and Stavros will back off once we have the wedding. Neither of them are going to get on the throne either way. Abdication hasn’t been mentioned in a council meeting since you showed up.”

Her cheeks tint pink as I lead her over to a sleek black motorcycle. “Well, I’m glad I could help.”

“You have helped, which is why I want to spend the day with you. We’re getting married soon, and you were right the other night when you said we haven’t been seen much together.”

And I’m still not sure we should be.

The boundaries are in place, though. We act like a loving couple while we’re in public, and then when we retreat to the safety of our chambers later tonight, we go back to being nothing more than two friends who are working together for the greater good.

At least, that’s what I keep telling myself when I start to think about other possibilities late at night.

It’s better this way though.

I’m not going to lose another person the way I lost Yorgos.

Amy won’t have to go through losing me either.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the crown is a curse in some ways more than others.

Amy shines so bright that I’m sure the council will do nothing but drain her energy and light. I don’t want them to ruin her.

I grab a helmet and hold it out to her. “Here, put this on.”

She takes the helmet and slides it over her head. I stand in front of her, adjusting the strap to the proper tightness before flipping up her visor.

Her eyes sparkle with amusement. “I don’t think this is a side of you I get to see much anymore.”

Guilt stabs me in the chest. “Work has been awful, and it seems like the policies are getting harder to push through. After the wedding, we’ll have a bit of a honeymoon though.”

“Actually, there’s something I have to do a few days before the wedding.”

I press the button to open the garage door before putting my own helmet on and turning on the comms between both. “What’s that?”

“I have to fly back to New Jersey for Gabby’s wedding. I’m her maid of honor, and I have to be there for her. It’s bad enough that I missed the bachelorette.”

Tensing, I nod and get on the bike, waiting for her to get on behind me. “Give Daphne the flight details, and she’ll inform the pilot.”

“I don’t need a private plane.”

“I think you should take it. You’ll fly comfortably, and you don’t have to worry about who else is on the plane.” I gun the engine to life as her arms wrap tight around my waist.

Amy hums, but she doesn’t say anything, nestling tighter behind me as we rip out of the garage and down the road to town.

The front gates swing open as we near them, security nodding to us and a black car appearing behind us.

The team will stay far enough back that it’ll feel like we’re alone, but I’m still not going to be able to shake the knowledge that we’re being followed.

We enter the town, and I park the bike near Beatriz’s café, popping in long enough to wave at her before leading Amy to the next street over and down about two blocks.

“Where are we going?” she asks, looking around at the other shops and restaurants in the area. “The florist said they would be done with the arrangements the day before the wedding.”

“We’re not going to see the florist. I had something else in mind.” I stop in front of a little building with a “for lease” sign hanging in the window.

Amy looks at me, her eyebrows pulling together and her mouth pinching into a thin line. “Are you going to be leasing a space in town?”

I punch the code into the key box hanging from the handle, opening it up and taking out the key.

There’s a dull thud as it twists in the lock before the paned glass door swings open, showing off white oak floors and a counter painted the same color as the ocean.

Amy walks in, her mouth dropping as she looks up at the white ceiling with the exposed beams that match the floor. “Xander, what is this place?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I guess we should look around and find out.”

She goes over to a window that links the main area to the industrial kitchen in the back. “This looks like it could be a bakery, but that still doesn’t explain what we’re doing here.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I smirk as she rolls her eyes and pushes her way through the white swinging door to the kitchen.

Her excited squeal echoes through the empty building before she pops her head back out. “You have to come in here. Everything is top of the line, and whoever had this kitchen loved it.”

I follow her through the door, glancing at the white and blue tiles on the floor and the glossy white walls. “What do you think of the place?”

“It’s gorgeous, but if you think this is going to be my bakery, you must’ve lost your mind. There’s no way this building is going to be on the market in two years. Someone is going to see this and snatch it up right away.”

“I thought that too, which was why I thought I should bring you here and show you the place today.”

Amy bites the inside of her cheek. “I can’t afford this place. Not reasonably, at least. I have a good chunk of money in my savings, but I’m sure the lease for this space is beyond that. And then I have to worry about all the startup costs.”

I lean back against the stainless-steel counter. “And what makes you think that you would have to drain all of your money to do that?”

“Because this would be my building. I know that I get a bakery at the end of the deal, but if I were going to purchase this now, I would have to drain my savings and then still need more money. I can’t afford it.”

“What if I was going to lease it for you now?”

“What happens when the deal ends? I plan on going back to New Jersey,” she says, looking away from me.

My heart sinks in my chest, even though that was always the case.

We have a deadline, and she’s not going to stay with me.

Not that I should want her to. I was the one who imposed the deadline and the conditions for her returning home. I know that this is going to end.

And yet, there’s still a selfish part of me that wants to keep her here for as long as possible.

I can’t stand the thought of having to say goodbye to her.

At least there are years before that happens.

I clear my throat, crossing my arms so I don’t have to think about what to do with my hands. I haven’t felt this uncomfortable since my coronation. “I know that sitting in the castle every day isn’t going to be enough for you, and I would never ask you to do that anyway. I was thinking that I could purchase the building, and then when the deal is over and you leave, I’ll still buy your bakery wherever you want it.”

She bites her bottom lip. “What if I don’t want to open one yet?”

There’s something in her eyes — a look of longing — that makes me think that isn’t the problem.

I shrug. “It’s not going to hurt my bank any to keep the building in my portfolio. You can take as long as you want to think about it, but if you love this building, say the word and I’ll buy it.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“I’m offering.”

Amy shakes her head. “I don’t know, Xander. This is a lot. And to be honest, I don’t know if I’m good enough. I know that I make good desserts, but opening a bakery is a huge undertaking.”

“And you are more than up to the challenge. I’ve spent weeks eating everything you make, and so has the staff. They’ve been raving about your desserts and the bread you make. If there is one person in the world who should open a bakery, it’s you.”

Her eyes shine with tears as she looks away from me. “I think it might be time to play the orphan card again.”

Understanding flows through me as I pull her into a hug, holding her while she sniffles and presses her face into my chest.

My heart feels tight as I wish that I could take away her pain.

“I know the first big step after my parents passed was the hardest. Then came the realization that I was next in line to the throne. I felt like I was going to throw up every morning when I woke up.”

“And you got over that?”

“Until Yorgos died, and suddenly I was king. I didn’t know how to do it without any of them, and it felt wrong.” I clear my throat, hand drifting up and down her back. “I know it’s hard to keep thinking about doing this without them, but everything is going to be fine. You’re strong enough to get through this, and your family would be so proud of you.”

She pulls back and looks up at me. “I don’t think I can do this right now. Not with everything else going on.”

“Then I’ll buy the building and keep it for you until you’re ready, whenever that might be.”

Amy wipes her tears. “Thank you. I don’t know if there’s any way to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, but this is incredible.”

“I haven’t done anything else.”

She gives me a wry smile. “I think you brought me back to life.”