3
"Ihad fun tonight."
A week after his first meeting with the matchmaker, Valentin stood looking down at his date, Amy. The state dinner had been surprisingly painless. It was over now, and he'd escorted her out to the drive, where the day limo would return her home. There were still a few state officials lingering on the lawn, their cars waiting on the drive while they conversed. It was a public place for a goodbye.
He was thankful for that. It meant he didn't have to decipher her social clues. Figure out whether a kiss was appropriate or a hug would be better. Here, it was appropriate for him to tuck her into the limo and say a simple good-night.
There was a reason Annika had been his only long-term relationship.
His social skills left much to be desired. He could work a room of politicians, but reading a woman was something he'd never mastered.
"Thank you for coming," he said.
Amy smiled at him, her eyes kind and intelligent.
"I won't wait for you to call," she said with a pat to his cheek.
She got in the limo without a backward glance, and he closed the door for her, watching as she drove off.
Her intelligence had drawn him to her when they'd met in a university chemistry lab more than five years ago now. He and Amy had gone on all of two dates when they'd realized they were better off as friends.
But he had to hand it to Crystal. She'd done her homework. It was true that the media documented every time he was seen in public, but it must've taken hours of reading internet articles to find the mention of those dates from his sophomore year. Or maybe she'd just phoned his mother to ask.
It had been nice to catch up with Amy. She didn't have a royal lineage, but she was interesting and educated. She'd held her own talking tax law with the attorney sitting to her right while Valentin had been engaged with the woman's husband, a high ranking official from a neighboring country.
Amy had been demure and charming and kept conversation flowing all evening long.
If there had been any spark between them, he'd already be texting her for a second date.
Instead, he was considering whether he should text Crystal.
He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since she'd walked out of his suite a week ago. He blamed Max for the stain on what would've been an otherwise uneventful, if uncomfortable, meeting.
But his anger at Max didn't explain why he was still thinking abouthereven now as he nodded a last good-bye to guests and strode past the pair of bodyguards standing at the entrance to the hallway that led to the royal family's private residence.
He was only paying half attention to his surroundings as he pulled his phone from his pocket and fired off a text.
Nice try. No chemistry. Who’s next?
His phone beeped as he entered his rooms, pulling loose his bow tie.
I saw.
He had to bite back a smile. Events like the state dinner were televised on a remote channel that had to be special ordered from a viewer's cable provider. The local news would likely have a short clip of him shaking the ambassador's hand and little more. But if Crystal had been watching, it meant she'd worked for it.
He let the door close behind him, sealing him in privacy.
And dialed the phone.
Crystal answered with a blush.
Which was incredibly silly, given that the prince couldn't see through the device to catch her in her pajama pants and oversize T-shirt, nor could he see the evidence of the now-empty bowl of chocolate ice cream or popcorn kernels that littered the coffee table in her tiny flat.
She hadn't thought watching the state dinner on telly would have been as interesting as one of her favorite rom-coms, but she'd been riveted.
"At least you were polite," she said by way of greeting.
The prince had been the epitome of a perfect date, escorting Amy around the room, introducing her, making conversation. Crystal had been a little surprised by his good manners after he'd admitted that hiring her was his mother's idea.
