I feel my face heat. “Pippa…”
She studies me for a second, then grins. “Oh. Oh! I think you already did slip up! You did, didn’t you?” She throws her head back and cackles. “I was right!”
“Oh my god,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Okay, so Stellan and I finally did it. So what?”
“Umm… yeah, that’s not good enough. I’m going to need details. Was it great? Where did you do it? And how did you guys leave things?” She spreads her hands out over the table. “Tell me everything.”
I groan. “Please don’t make me."
She snots. “Dish.”
“Ugh.” I run my fingers through the curls in my hair. “Okay. Umm… yes, it was great. We went to a little coastal house in Norway for the weekend and we…” I pause, screwing up my face. “We did everything we wanted to do for a full twenty four hours, on every conceivable surface. And then…” I shake my head. “I thought we left things on a good note, but then he just stood me up today, so…”
I throw my hands up in the air. “Who knows?”
Pippa leans forward. “Do you think he got in his own head? In my experience with Stellan, duty is his weakness. If he spends too long thinking about how he wants to do something but is duty bound to do something else… he ends up doing the un-fun thing. It’s just how he is.”
“Well… it doesn’t really matter. I am not exactly chomping at the bit to get involved with all the crap that comes along with trying to date Stellan. He is great, but…” I shake my head. “The whole ‘requirements to date a royal’ thing doesn’t sound like I’ll like it. I’m all about smashing the patriarchy and breaking through glass ceilings, not reinforcing them.”
Pippa gives me a look. “You might say that. But what does your heart have to say?”
I give a humorless chuckle. “My heart says what I tell it to say, period. End of story.”
“Does it? Tell me, how do you get your heart to listen? That’s one of the things that I struggle with constantly.” She pouts.
I shift in my seat, not entirely comfortable. “I don’t know. You just do.”
Her lips lift. She raises her latte to her lips, sipping it coolly. When she sets it down, she eyes me.
“I think you are full of shit.”
“What? Why?”
She shrugs. “I think you just haven’t given yourself enough time to consider whether you are a complete lovesick fool or whether you’re just dabbling. Dipping a toe into Stellan’s pool to test the waters.” She smirks. “I’m willing to bet you’re the former.”
“Well, I call bullshit on you not being in love with Lars! It’s complicated? I just bet it is, Miss Welch. I think you love him and you’re just not willing to say it out loud.”
“Ah!” she says, making an outraged sound. “I could say the same for you!”
“No, no. You and Lars share a history. Stellan and I were born under two totally different moons in two completely different solar systems. Okay?”
Pippa’s eyes narrow. “I don’t think so.”
My phone buzzes. I reach for it, checking the screen. Then a warm feeling rushes over me when I read the words.
Sorry about today. Got held up. Meet me at seven tonight? Wear cocktail attire.
There is no signature, but I know who it’s from. I smile as I respond.
Just give me an address.
When I look up, Pippa is surveying me knowingly.
I turn red. “What?” I ask, putting my phone away.
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t pretend like that wasn’t Stellan. You are so easy to read, it’s crazy.”
I sigh. “All right, it was Stellan. Happy?”
