Just notthatman. First of all, how do I know he’s interested? Just because he kept glancing at my lips, it doesn’t mean he wants to kiss them. So there’s that. Besides, we're not meant for each other. There is absolutely no way a relationship with him would work in the long term. Short term out here in the wild where no one would be the wiser, however…
Nope!
I'm out here to test my resolve—not only out here in nature, but my resolve about not becoming physically or romantically involved with someone who is entirely wrong for me. Someone totally sweet who made us dinner, then prepared a warm salve for my ankles, which, I do have to say is making them feel so much better. Someone who’s also such a gentleman that he's outside, possibly being feasted on by mosquitoes, while I sleep in this comfy tent. Although, if I'm going to be completely honest, I do miss having a pillow and my Tempur-Pedic mattress.
Oh God, I do fancy him! Shit. Okay, that's it. First thing tomorrow morning, I'm just going to pull it together. No more crying, no more gagging when presented with beetle larvae for lunch. I am just going to woman up, stop whining, and let the inner Xena, Warrior Princess in me come out for the first time ever. Yes, that's it. No flirting, no more being a girly girl. I'm going to earn his respect and the respect of everyone else I know because that is what I’m here to do. I’m not here for love. I’m here for respect.
So, I will not shag him.
Ever. No matter what.
Even if it would be amazing and no one would find out.
No shagging.
None.
Not even a little.
Go to sleep.
* * *
ABN Morning Newscast – Friday, April 17th
“Good morning, I'm Veronica Platt with the ABN news desk. Our top story this morning is the mystery of the missing princess. Rumblings have been heard throughout the city of Valcourt over the last two days as Princess Arabella has begged off all of her obligations with no explanation. Silence from the palace as she's left twenty-eight charities wondering where their patron is. Giles Bigly is on scene in front of the palace this morning. Giles, what can you tell us about this shocking situation?”
The screen splits in half, and Giles Bigly fills the right side, standing under an umbrella as rain beats down around him. Instead of looking at the camera, he’s talking to someone out of the shot. “…because they’re a bunch of bloody sadists, that’s why.” Pause. “There is no good reason to have us out here when it’s pissing down like this. I could have just as easily done this in the studio. You can’t even see the bloody palace behind me for all the rain.”
“Giles! It’s Veronica! Can you hear me?” she yells.
Turning to the camera, Giles lifts his microphone. “Yes, I’m here, Veronica. You’ll have to speak up. The pounding rain is competing with your voice.”
“Righto. Giles, what have you learned about Princess Arabella’s disappearance?”
“Not much, Veronica. Palace officials are remaining tight-lipped as to her whereabouts. My sources at the hospital have indicated there’s no sign of her at their facilities, so it's unlikely that she has taken ill.”
“Thank goodness for that, at least. Could it potentially be some sort of a mental breakdown?” Veronica asks. “After all, she is so much like her mother and her mother definitely had difficulty keeping up with her obligations before her untimely death.”
Giles glares at the camera, barely hiding his disdain. “It's hard to say. For all we know, she’s got a touch of a flu or some injury—she does a ballet workout every morning, so maybe she pulled a hamstring or tore a ligament. What we do know is that, up until this point, Princess Arabella has always been a steady and reliable patron of all of her charities and her many foundations throughout the kingdom.”
“Giles, would you say her reliability makes her sudden disappearance more alarming?” Veronica asks.
“No, not really.”
“You don’t think so?” Veronica says. “Her disappearance is extremely out of character. There’s some buzz around the nation about a possible kidnapping, although none of those rumours have been substantiated.”
“I highly doubt it,” Giles answers. “I’d say the explanation is likely nothing of consequence and when we do find out why she’s taken a few days off, the whole thing will be rather anticlimactic, and certainly not worth having a seasoned journalist standing outside during this frigid rainstorm.”
“But, let’s imagine for a moment she has been kidnapped. Would you have any idea who might have wanted to kidnap her?”
“Nope. No clue, Veronica. What I do know is that spreading unsubstantiated rumours is not in keeping with any sort of journalistic integrity.”
“So true,” Veronica answers with a firm nod. “I’d say it’s all the more reason for the palace to make some sort of statement.”
“Indeed. That would put a stop to this nonsense.”
“Exactly, Giles. Whatever they’re hiding, they really do need to come out with it.”
