Blue Hour

Socializing

Life happens. Adapt. Embrace change and make the most of everything that comes your way. – Nick Jonas

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We had come back home for New Year's Eve and I had decided to not go out to the Palace or one of Alex's restaurants. They sure were extraordinary, but I did not want to leave "the bubble" of our holiday already.

So we celebrated with just the two of us together on Alex's rooftop terrace. The view was unbeatable anyways.

I was wrapped in Alex's thickest down parka (that on me almost reached to the ground) as the shivering cold and snow had turned NYC like every winter into a freezer. 

With Alex's arms around me and his head resting on mine I felt toasty inside and outside.

Happy New Year!

Eventually the bubble time had to end and I found a new hobby: Playing with my new bracelet. Like all the time.

Bee knew where I got it, as she was my confidante in this crazy second life, and just lightly teased me about my obsession with it. 

Hannah in contrast didn't know and was rather irritated by my constant fiddling. Especially during boring lectures I spent hours dreaming of our trip. Her annoyed glances with my newfound pastime made me feel compelled to explain its presence. 

Pondering on how to stick to the truth with saying little, I told her that I had gotten it as a gift for Christmas. Which it somehow was, wasn't it? It had been part of the gifted week.

Like every year the snow in the streets turned dirty and I was eager to have it all melt away. 

As beautiful as snow could be, in a city like New York it just made life inconvenient and only held its beauty for a very, very short time. 

The dirty looking streets fitted my mood as I watched them pass by in front of the car window. Or did I find them dirty because I was in a bad mood? 

Anyways, they were annoying and so was my outlook.

Somehow Alex's mother had pressured me in taking part in one of her charity dinners at her house. Urg! 

She had picked me up in a very regal Bentley to go dress shopping. 

I had tried to wiggle myself out of her dinner plans by stating I did not have proper attire. Did it help? Of course not. I only got a dress on top. Great, just what I liked...

It was hard or rather impossible to say no to this lady. She insisted in such a polite way I had caved with the plan to pick the cheapest one available. Whatever that would mean and hoped I could live with myself afterwards.

The boutique she brought me to was the special private section of a luxury department store. Yeah, what else did I expect? Stupid, Charlie. Did you thing to just go to a normal place? Dream on...

This part of the store was only accessible with special arrangements and Alex's mother walked in like she was a daily customer. Heavens.

So not my world. So not me!

I had put on my only cotton blouse in a mute baby blue with the only skirt I owned that had a professional colour of night blue. It was my most sophisticated outfit that I used for interviews and I still looked like a sore thumb. Just great.

"Your highness, thank you for gracing us with your presence." A middle-aged woman, model thin, sporting a grey pixie haircut and elegantly dressed in a fancy black dress greeted Alex's mother with a freaking curtsey!