She was hiding at Amanda’s Irvine apartment these days. After quitting LABT, Clara was of the mindset she needed a fresh break from everything. It would do her well to spend time in a place the media moguls had not yet discovered. It was better that her roomies didn’t have to worry about their every move being watched too. They need to focus on their own dancing.Clara’s lease would end in three months. She had saved enough to buy her way out of it.
She feltguilty bringing her stuff to Amanda’s place, but Amanda was never there long enough to notice. Clara should call David. She was inconsiderate. How could she have forgotten about the time difference?I wouldn’t even answer my own phone so early in the morning.
Clara’s makeshift dance room was Amanda’s second closet. Why she needed a closet for her handbags and shoes, Clara never understood. Her thoughts were interrupted by Amanda barging into the closet excitedly with a medium-sized box in her hands.
“Clara, you have a package that just arrived express for you. It looks like it was overnighted from London! What did you order? Besties share with one another.” Amanda’s doe-like eyes made Clara laugh. She rolled up her yoga mat and moved it into the corner of the closet near her portable ballet barre, resistance bands, and other supplies. She stood and took the box from Amanda’s hands. Clara should be disgruntled at Amanda for interrupting practice, but to be honest, Clara hadn’t been focused in a couple of days.
“I didn’t order anything, but let’s see.” Examining the shoe-box sized packaged, Clara didn’t see a return address. Was this a hoax? Should she open it? Was it more hate mail? Gently, she shook the box. It was well packed, whatever was inside. Curiosity got the better of her. Amanda had a pair of scissors ready at lightning speed. They moved into the living room where the light was better and there was more space. Carefully, Clara opened the package.
“Hurry up! The anticipation is killing me, smalls,” Amanda reached for the contents of the box. Clara pulled it out of her reach.
“Play nice or I won’t share what’s inside with you.” Clara’s tone remained playful.
Another box was within the box; two dust bags covered what Clara assumed to be a pair of shoes. There was no note, but inside laid a single pink ballet flat street shoe. Why would someone go to the trouble of sending her a single shoe? Upon closer examination, she could see the sheer upper of the shoe was made of high-end leather and contained detailed designs of a flower and told the story ofThe Sleeping Beauty. The designs were delicate and stitched to perfection. Slipping the shoe onto her foot, it fit her like a glove. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that David had made this for her.
Clara was lost for words. Taking the shoe carefully in her hand, she ran her fingers over the intricate design.David. I can’t believe you made this for me.Clara took the shoe and cried. Her body shook as the salty tears ran down her face. She hugged the shoe toward her chest. All of the frustrations and stress left Clara’s body. She needed to call him.
A door behind Clara opened and closed. Looking up, Amanda was no longer in the room. Instead, in a perfectly cut navy blue suit and glasses stood David. Clara felt in every fiber of her being a longing to be embraced and comforted by him.
“David,” she whispered. David smiled at Clara. He wiped the tears from her cheek, and with his hand cupped her face. Clara buried her face in his jacket. She soaked in his scent of sandalwood and cinnamon.
“Hey now. I’m so sorry, Clar-Bear. I can’t promise I’ll never be short with you again, but I have come to the point where I need to change my lifestyle. I’m a workaholic. I’m sorry. I love you too much. Now, no more tears. Do you accept this humble shoemaker? Did you miss me that much?” David’s tone was teasing.
Clara danced with excitement. Inside, an outburst of desire made its way up into her heart. She felt like a volcano ready to erupt with passion and joy at seeing her prince. “I forgive you. Do you forgive me? I was so short and upset and I didn’t even give you a chance. I need to be understanding and more accepting. I love you.” Clara was still holding David’s gift, her Aurora shoe.
“Let’s see if this fits.” David took the shoe carefully from Clara’s hands and directed her to sit. Mutely she followed his directions. David knelt and slipped the shoe onto Clara’s non boot-clad foot. It fit like a glass slipper. The supple leather glided into place and fit around the hard built callouses.
“It looks like I did a pretty amazing job, if I do say so myself.”
Clara couldn’t fight the urge to show David just how much she’d missed him. She waited for David to stand and launched herself at him. David caught Clara in his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs locked around his waist. Clara tilted her head to the side and soaked in David’s scent once more. Her mouth kissed David’s neck and made its way over to his mouth. Clara felt his breath upon her as he returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm. The two remained blissfully ignorant of the world around them.
The same couldn’t exactly be said for the room next door.
Amanda Collinssilently closed the door to the living room/kitchen area and patted herself on the back. She couldn’t believe how easy it was to distract Clara with Mr. Boring. Amanda should win an Academy Award for how brilliant her acting was. Clara owed her when she found out how many strings Amanda pulled to get a charter jet to LAX to get her prince here. Brownie points to C’s man for knowing how to fix his mistakes.
Amanda wished she had a man as thoughtful and compassionate as David. She daydreamed of Clara carrying several large shopping bags from South Coast Plaza in her hands for her as she shopped until she dropped.
Speaking of shopping, it was time to head off to the grocery store to pick up some much-needed supplies for dinner. If she was going to have to feed Clara’s prince, she needed more than instant Mac and Cheese and microwave dinners. She actually needed to cook. Slipping on her flip flops and a light jacket, Amanda made a mental checklist and snuck out the front door as quietly as possible.
“Oof …” Amanda walked right into the man standing awkwardly on the apartment doorstep. “Hi… can I help you? Are you lost or something?” Her eyes roamed over the sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. Why did he look so familiar?
The man laughed. “Terribly sorry, I was looking for my cousin. He left me in such a rush, I didn’t have time to ask what the apartment number was, and he isn’t answering his mobile…”
Amanda screeched as she recognized the Prince of Whales, Prince Edward, her celebrity crush.This is not happening right now. I don’t look cute, and oh my gawd… Prince Edward! I’m staring at my future husband. Say something. Don’t make this more awkward.
Amanda stuck out her hand. “Hi! I’m Amanda. I’m the bestie. You are even more gorgeous in person. Oh em gee. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
Prince Edward laughed and didn’t seem at all intimidated by Amanda’s recognition of him. “Call me Eddie. I’m awkward myself. Now what do you say you invite me and the security team lads into the apartment before the press discovers our secret location.” Adding to Amanda’s mortification was the realization that four muscular, attractive men stood on either side of Eddie.
The blood rushed to her cheeks. Her face felt hot. Her palms were sweaty. “Ah well?… I’ve already made a stupid blunder. You might as well come in. I guess I’ll be cooking for a lot more handsome men than just David tonight.” Amanda poked her head around Eddie. “Are ya’ll okay with BBQ?” Amanda heard a murmur of agreements as she signaled Eddie and the team to follow her into her apartment.
Eddie linked arms with Amanda and walked her inside. “I like you already, Collins. I’ve heard a lot about you from David and Clara. What do you say we leave the lovebirds alone and you can have dinner with just me and the lads? Do you surf by any chance?”
“You didn’t even have to ask! And this is Southern California, of course I don’t. I just pretend I know what to do, like Hollywood.” They both smiled
This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
15