I can’t. I have to watch some screens. I could talk though. I understand if maybe you can’t call. Rules are different for princesses than they are for the second-born son.
Ugh.That word.Princess.
A knock comes to my door, and I freeze. I draw a slow breath. “Who is it?”
“Who else would it be?” Berto huffs. “You opening the door or not?”
“I’m changing.” I lie on instinct, but I know my cheeks are pink from smiling as I talk to Royal, and I don’t want Berto to shove question after question down my throat, all because he notices my face is flushed.
“It’s fine. I’m headed out. There’s a problem we’re handling before we take off for Italy. Mom is in bed, she took her medication and a glass of red. Dad is where I’m going. We won’t be back before we go to Italy. There’s a little heavier security, so you’ll be safe until your flight later after finals. Unless Mom changes her mind again and you really do stay home,” Berto rattles off.
He doesn’t even wait for a response before his footsteps retreat.
No goodbye. No love you. No frills.
But it does change my answer to Royal.
Leticia:
I can call. But only if you promise to never call me princess ever again.
Royal:
I swear on my favorite computer mouse’s life, I will never call youprincess again.
I call Royal,not wanting to dance around the whole ‘you call,’ ‘no, you call’ routine, and it doesn’t even trill through the first ring.
“Hey, Leticia.” The way he says my name, velvety and smooth, makes me pause.
I try to pull it together, but my stomach is replaced with a giant butterfly swooning for no reason. “Royal, hey.”
“It’s good to hear your voice,” he says softly with a chuckle. “Now, let me put you in my ears as they say.”
“Ditto.”
I know he’s making fun of me for saying it, but it doesn’t feel malicious. I find my second set of earbuds, tucked underneath my mattress, and pop them in one at a time.
“What’s the difference between a jeweler and a fisherman?”
Royal’s question catches me off guard.
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“One sees watches and the other watches seas.”
I laugh. The joke is actually kind of funny. “Ooft. I haven’t heard a dad joke like that in a long time.”
“Thank you, I’ll be here all week.” Royal announces himself like a cheesy stand-up comedian.
“Leticia’s distractions and side quests at your service.” I keep the humor rolling with an odd voice, nasally and nothing like my own.
Royal laughs, and it’s warm but also kind of forced. “What sort of distractions do you have on the services menu?”
“Well, we have the basic packages: twenty questions, two truths and a lie, and would you rather.” I offer the first three things that come to mind.
“Hmmm, very standard. What else have you got?” Clicking and typing sound in the background on Royal’s end.
“The gold packages include things such as polite small talk, readings from textbooks, and explaining plots of Italian movies you’ve never seen before.”
