Does Sam's mother have a dirty mind? Sure seems as if she does. Like mother like daughter.
"It's just a normal day spa," I say. "No idea why the town is called Cockshire, but I did not name the place. Most of my clients are recovering from injuries, and what I do is more like physical therapy than a traditional massage."
"Maybe you can help me out," Chuck says. "I keep hurting my back."
"I'd be happy to give you a massage. Back pain is the most frequent reason our clients at Nick's Nirvana give for wanting a treatment."
"Nick's Nirvana?" Judy says. She gives me another sly smile. "And you say it's just a regular old spa."
"My mate Nick Hunter owns the place. He thought using nirvana in the name would make it sound more relaxing and welcoming."
"I was teasing you, dear. Of course I don't think you work at a brothel."
Nick had been accused of that not long ago, by a nasty woman who wanted to punish him for refusing to give her a "special" massage. But Sam's parents don't need to hear about that.
"If you're the crown prince," Chuck says, "shouldn't you be in Mith-whatsit instead of in England or America?"
"My mother wanted me to go back to Mithoria after university, but I told her I needed to find out what the real world was like before I committed to the royal lifestyle." I sit forward, elbows on my knees, and stare down at the wood floor. "Honestly, I knew even then that I didn't want to become the future ruler of Mithoria. It's just not the kind of life I want."
"Do you have a choice?" Sam asks.
I turn my head slightly to look at her, wondering if she wants me to stay for longer than a couple of weeks. I want that. But after hearing all about me, I wouldn't blame her if she'd rather not get involved with me.
"According to my mother," I say, "I don't have a choice. It's my duty, and no respectable crown prince shirks his responsibilities."
"Will you eventually become the ruler of Mithoria?"
"Only when my father dies. Right now, I'm essentially a figurehead they trot out at official functions." I slump backward into my chair and sigh. "A few months back, my mother ordered me to go home and find a suitable wife."
Chuck does squint at me this time. "So why are you here with my daughter? If you're looking for a wife back home?"
"Because I'm not looking for a wife in Mithoria. I've tried, but the only women my mother thinks are suitable don't suit me. They're aristocrats of proper breeding, but they're bloody awful human beings." I pause to calm myself before I go on. The last thing I want to do is sound like a whingeing arse. "Look, I know I've had every advantage, and I'm not saying my life has been harder than anyone else's. All I know is that marrying a woman I don't love, don't even know, is not how I want to live."
"What do you want?" Sam asks.
I meet her gaze, and I don't care that her parents are listening. "To stay here with you and find out what we could have together, that's what I want. But I understand if you don't want that. Now you know the whole story of me. I ran away from Mithoria because I couldn't stand the 'find Ben a princess' bollocks. I ran away, which means I'm a bloody coward."
Chapter Twelve
Sam
Ben thinks he's a coward. Okay, I get why he feels that way. Now that I've heard his story, I understand why he'd been reluctant to tell me about his family and his life back home. But I think "home" to him means Cockshire, not Mithoria. Being the crown prince isn't his real life, not anymore. He loves his job and his friends, and I can understand why he ran away from Mithoria. I would never want someone else to choose my spouse for me. How can Ben's mother do that to him? Why doesn't his dad intervene? Well, maybe he agrees with his wife that Ben shouldn't have a choice.
Maybe this whatever-it-is between me and Ben won't work out, but I want to give us a chance. I don't want him to leave, not yet.
"You ran away?" Dad says to Ben. "Did you even tell your parents where you went?"
"No, I, uh…" Ben squirms in his chair while wincing slightly. "It's complicated. My mother has a habit of summoning me back to Mithoria, whether I want to go or not. She didn't come herself to retrieve me, though. She sends her minions."
"Minions?" I say. "That sounds awful."
"I didn't mean it that way. Mum doesn't like England, so she would send one of the palace guards to come get me."
"How many times did that happen?"
"Three times. Before, I could always negotiate with my mother for more time in England, and I did promise I'd try to find a wife, eventually." He covers his face with his hands and groans. Then he lowers his hands. "This time, I had to do it. But every girl Mum introduced me to was greedy and hungry for a title, not interested in me. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with a girl like that. Mum insists I'll grow to love my wife, but I can't see that happening with any of the rich girls she brought to me."
"You make it sound like she served them up on a platter."