“I had fun. It just didn’t involve anyone outside my protection team.” I know her heart is in the right place. It’s just when you’ve had your entire world turned upside down once before, it’s difficult to step outside the protective bubble you’ve built. “Besides, let’s say Ididmanage to speak to a guy at a pub. Odds are, if my security team didn’t scare him, I’d do it the moment I opened my mouth. You know how I am when I’m nervous. I start rambling about the first architectural feature that the pops into my mind. It’s one of the reasons I’ll never find a boyfriend.”
“That’s rubbish. There is someone for everybody out there! Besides, aren’t you the one who’s told me you get on better with guys than girls?”
“Yes, I did,” I admit. She has me there.
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Lads are only interested in how a girl looks. They don’t care two bits about personality.”
“There’s where you’re wrong. I guarantee you that there are guys out there who will like you for your brilliant brain and your personality. Look at your brother and me. We’re total opposites. But we love each other for who we are.”
A smile tugs at my lips. Amanda and my brother are indeed living, breathing proof of that.
“It sounds to me like you just need some practice to boost your confidence. If I have it my way, you’ll have a boyfriend in no time,” she muses. “What are you doing tonight?”
Technically speaking, I’m free. I was going to dive into one of the books I picked up on my trip, but I can’t tell her that. “Laundry,” I fib, knowing she’ll see right through it.
“Pfft. Not anymore, you’re not. The laundry can wait. Tonight, you’re going out with Clara and me.”
Clara is my cousin David’s wife. She’s a prima ballerina with the Westminster Ballet and one of the most genuinely kind people you could meet. She’d give you the pointe shoes and leotard off her body if you asked her for them.
“But Amanda, if the three of us go out, we’ll stand out like a group of people who have decided to wear inflatable flamingo suits to a black-tie dinner. Every eye and camera will be on us.” I can’t imagine anything worse. My stomach fills with dread thinking about it. “Plus, I can guarantee that Eddie, David, or both will find a way to join us. Talk about an instant way to repel any guys.”
“Ali, quit being a party pooper. Live a little. Can’t is not a word that exists in my vocabulary. Trust me, it’ll save us both a lot of time and energy if you just give in to me now.”
“I don’t know.” I rub the back of my neck. Everything in my body is telling me not to engage with Amanda’s plan. I’m mentally fighting with a two-ton rhinoceros, trying to be open-minded.
“If you come out tonight, I can guarantee the boys won’t join us, and we’ll go somewhere we can mix in with the crowd.”
“Where were you thinking of going?” I pinch my nose, chiding myself for asking.
“Three places—the private members’ club, the Keys at the Tower of London, or a mystery location. Each one of those is semi-private. Even our protection officers wouldn’t have any trouble blending in.”
My body feels like I’m playing a game of tug of war. On one hand, I have absolutely zero desire to go out. But on the other hand, as my therapist has repeatedly told me, the best cure to a problem is to face it head-on. Meaning that going out will help me get over my fear of being targeted by the paparazzi.
Compared to where I was before I left on my gap-year travels, I’ve made big strides. Being able to travel through Europe with near-total anonymity has shown me Icango out in public and have an enjoyable time. Plus, if I’m with Amanda and Clara, I know I’ll be among family and well protected. I can trust them.
I rub my temples as I turn to another problem—the last date I went on. It had to have been at least two-and-a-half years ago. And the time before that? I squeeze my eyes shut and have a think. I’m fairly certain itwas on the night after my fifteenth birthday. I distinctly remember having dinner with one of the blokes from the all-boys school down the road.
I swallow hard. Two dates. That’s the extent of my romantic life. Two bloody dates. I can’t start uni without having gone on a proper date. I’ll be more of a social outcast than I already am. A surge of adrenaline courses through my body. Before I’m fully aware of what I’m agreeing to, I exclaim, “I’ll do it!”
“You’re learning well, my young padawan. Now, pick your poison. Where are we going tonight?”
“The mystery location.”
I hear Amanda clapping. “Awesome sauce. I’ll text you with the details. Wear something that has a skirt you can twirl in.”
“Huh?”
“For the mystery location,” she clarifies. “You’ll need a skirt that gives you some movement. Trust me, it’ll all make sense soon enough.”
What does Amanda have in store for me? She and Eddie have a history of planning elaborate dates and get-togethers. What’s waiting at the mystery location?
“Okay, um... I’ll see you soon. I guess.”
I hang up the call. Despite the anxiety and tightness in my chest, I’m going to see this outing through. Walking over to my closet, I plant my hands on my hips. There is a large selection of suits, formal gowns, coats, riding clothes, and my more casual everyday clothes, but a flowing skirt? I don’t know if I own one. I’m a jeans and blouse kind of girl. It looks like I may have to improvise.
Twenty minutes later,my mobile lights up. I’ve been added to a group text message.
