“I will pass your number along to Lucy. She’ll be in touch tomorrow.” She hung up the phone before I could make a suggestion or argue that I did not want Lucy Walters anywhere near Elias if they’d had sex in the past. Fuck jealousy and the way it seemed to disregard all other senses.
I set my phone down and called Etienne. He didn’t answer the call. I called Joss. She answered on the third ring.
“Missing me?”
“Always.” I smiled slightly, but my jealousy would only let my mouth pull up a touch. “So, apparently Elias is being an asshole to Mrs. Meyers and she handed off the task to someone else.”
“The basket?” she asked. “That task?”
“Yes.”
“So what?”
“So, the person she handed it off to is Lucy Walters, who apparently had sex with Elias in the past.”
“Okay. And?”
“And I don’t want her delivering the basket to him.”
Joss fell silent for a moment. “Because you like him?”
“Yes.” I closed my eyes, wishing I could shut out all emotions toward him. It didn’t work. All I could do was picture Lucy Walters and him in bed. My eyes popped open again. “I really like him. More than like him, if I’m being honest.”
“That’s not . . . ” She sighed. “Addie. You realize he’s not for you, right?”
“Everyone keeps saying that, yes.” I closed my eyes again. “I know he’s not. I’m not an idiot, but if he’s not and he knows that, why does he continue to pursue me?”
“Because he’s a man with little regard to others’ emotions. Trust me, I know.”
My eyes popped open again. “You two—”
“No. God no. I’m just saying, I’ve known Pilar long enough to know enough about the princes and their flings. To them, you’re just another number. Another pair of tits.”
“I don’t think it’s just that,” I said. “He doesn’t treat me like that.”
“He can be very charming. He has a way about him. It’s a façade.”
I let that sink in. “I don’t think I should come to dinner on Sunday.”
“I think you should.”
“But he’ll be there and I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to see him right now.”
“He’ll be at his villa when you get back there too. He’ll be on every paper and every magazine in a few months when he gets married and has his coronation. There is no escaping him.”
“Seeing him in person will be worse than seeing him on a magazine cover.”
“He’s bringing a date.”
“How do you know?”
“Pilar. Obv.”
“Oh.”
“Bring a date.”
“I can’t bring a date. The queen invited me, not me plus one. Besides, I wouldn’t have a date to bring. I don’t want to ask poor Pierre again and leave him high and dry.”
“Bring Thomas.”
“Evans?” I cried. “My ex-boyfriend?”
“Yeah, you know, the one you filmed a sex tape with. He owes you. You’re still on good terms, and it will kill Elias to see you together.”
“I don’t want to play those kinds of mind games, Joss.”
“Love is a game. You need to play to your heart’s advantage.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“It’s not bullshit, Addie. The royals like to play games.” She lowered her voice. “While we’re on the topic of royals, Pilar wants me to be her secretary.”
“What?” I shrieked. “You have a job.” I liked Pilar, but this was going too far. Using me was one thing, but trying to take my best friend and best employee I had was going a bit too far.
“I told her I’d think about it.”
“Seriously?”
“I don’t want to flat-out say no to the opportunity. She’s as good a friend to me as you are and it would require travel and meeting people I’d never otherwise get to meet.”
“I understand the glamour of the job, Joslyn. I just . . . I don’t want to lose you too, you know?”
“I’d refer so many people to Pirouette Events, you’ll have the longest list of parties to plan you’ve ever dreamed of.”
I felt myself smile. “I still don’t want to lose you.”
“But you like that perk, huh?”
“Yes, I like that perk.” I laughed. She laughed too.
“Take a date on Sunday.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Keep me posted.”
I didn’t like the idea at first, but the more I thought about Elias being there with a date, the more I liked the idea of taking one of my own. After all, showing up with a man was better than showing up alone and having to endure seeing Elias with a woman. I wondered if he’d chosen someone from the other night. I wondered if this would be the woman he’d announce his engagement to. I needed to armor up just in case. When I hung up with Joss, I texted Thomas. There was a lot to be said for staying on friendly terms with an ex, even when that ex was the reason you were hiding from the entire city.