“Addie?”
“Huh? What?” I blinked and looked at Etienne, who was staring at me with a raised eyebrow. “Sorry. I zoned out.”
“I was telling Elias that if he needs anything you’re right next door.”
“Oh. Yeah. Right next door.” I jutted my thumb in the direction of my villa.
“Your family owns that villa?” he asked.
“Yep.” I watched him to see if he gave away any kind of hint that he might remember. He didn’t.
He’d asked me the exact same question the night we hooked up and I’d gotten no reaction out of him just now. Was I that unforgettable? I took a breath. I wanted to be unforgettable. I wanted to be invisible. I didn’t want him to remember me at all. Wasn’t that what I wanted? It didn’t matter. That was the reality.
“So, I guess I’ll be seeing you around,” he said.
“I guess so.” I smiled again. “Actually, I’m only available after five on weekdays.”
“But if you need anything, she can pause what she’s doing,” Etienne said.
“My uncle asked me to fix up the bookstore,” I responded as way of explanation.
“That isn’t your . . . ” Etienne exhaled heavily, shaking his head.
I already knew exactly what he was going to say. It was the same thing he’d been saying to me since he arrived four days ago. The bookstore wasn’t my job. If I was going to take time away from my actual career planning events, the least I could do was actually decompress and relax. Blah, blah, blah. But I had already promised my uncle I would help out and I was going to make good on that promise. He was alone out here all of the time. He hadn’t taken a vacation in over ten years before I came along, so yes, I would help.
“I won’t bother you before five,” Prince Elias, or Eli, as Etienne referred to him, said.
“It’s not a bother,” I said quickly. “I mean, the cellphones don’t work anyway so I’m not sure how you’d get ahold of me.”
“Landlines,” Etienne suggested. He was speaking to me like I was five. I glared at him, hoping he understood I’d slap him if he continued. He seemed to understand it, because his attention shifted back to the prince. “So, any big parties I need to come back for?”
“If I decide to host one, you’ll be on the invite list.”
“Right. Well, I guess I’ll see you around then.” Etienne bumped his fist against the prince’s and I gave a little weak wave, unwilling to touch him even with my fist out of fear of what I might feel.
When we got outside and the door was shut behind us by the security guy, I punched Etienne in the shoulder.
“Ow. What the hell, Addie?”
“What the hell you! What was that in there?”
“You were fidgeting and talking too much and then zoning out in the middle of conversations. Telling the prince you wouldn’t be at his beck and call. You needed to get your shit together.”
“I won’t be at his beck and call. My job is to make and deliver him baskets and help my uncle with his bookstore. That’s it.”
“Well, you looked like an idiot back there,” he said, and then started laughing.
“You’re an idiot.” I unlocked the door and let us in. “Go pack your bag for your stupid trip.”
“I’ll be done quickly.” He shook his head as he walked down the hall and disappeared into the guest room. “You really need to get a grip before you take that next basket.”
I walked toward the guest room he was in. Even though my parents hadn’t been here in a while and never rented it out, they set it up ready for rent. The only thing they left that was ours were some family photographs on the wall by the entrance, and I was sure my uncle would take those down if they ever decided to rent this out to anyone. Everything else was new. Absolutely no memory of my childhood or adolescence was left in here aside from whatever was stored in my brain.
“Why does he need so many baskets anyway?” I asked. “And so much champagne?”
“Maybe he’s having guests over.”
“Maybe.”
“So I guess it is true what they say about your first time.”
“I knew you were going to say that.” I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “I was over there acting like an idiot and he doesn’t even remember me.”
“Oh, he definitely remembers you.”
“What? No he doesn’t.” I sat on the bed as he continued packing the suitcase. “He didn’t act like he did.”
“Trust me, he remembers.”
“I really don’t think so.” I bit my lip. “I mean, maybe it’s best that he doesn’t.”
“It won’t erase the fact that it happened.” Etienne looked up from the suitcase he was packing. “But I know him. Eli has the memory of an elephant.”