Acting Royal #Wattys2017

13

JENNY

On the walk back to the bedroom Jenny had another chance to look around the palace. Although it had been renovated and was modern, there were still details that looked like they dated back hundreds of years. All the doors were intricately carved, like pieces of art, old tapestries and carpets hung on the walls and elaborate chaise lounges were abundant. The whole palace seemed to revolve around an enormous golden dome which looked liked it was dead center in the middle of the place. Tens of corridors radiated off this central point in every direction. At least three or four stories down, directly under the dome was a large marble room, four large staircases ran into it.

"It's the ballroom." Zayn said as if sensing her thoughts. "That's where my we're having my birthday party."

She thought about her last birthday, she'd spent it at the pizzeria. Somehow Giovanni had gotten wind of her birthday and baked her a cake. Everyone had stayed after work and eaten it together. It was very sweet, but nothing like a birthday ball in a marble room under a gold dome. She wondered what his family would think of her if they really knew the truth. Farmers daughter from the Free State of South Africa not exactly the kind of girl who usually ran around marble floors wearing cascades of rubies that could probably buy the entire small town she had grown up in.

There was nothing fancy about her family. And to date, her life had been a very unglamorous affair. She'd made a living doing odd jobs; waitress, receptionist at a dental practice (that hadn't lasted long, she couldn't bear the constant drilling sound) and her favorite so far, babysitting a small evil child who had clearly been possessed by the devil (his parents thought he was an angel, though). They even thought it was cute when he dropped her car keys down the toilet) And she desperately needed to work, not only to support herself, but pay off her student loan and some unfortunate debt she'd gotten into because she hadn't really understood how credit cards worked.

She realized that this was probably something a man like Zayn woud never understand. Was loan even in his vocabulary?

ZAYN

Looking down at the ballroom, Zayn couldn't help wonder what she'd look like at the ball with that necklace on, in an evening dress coming down one of those staircases. He also wondered what his third birthday wish would be, he had a few ideas, but he needed to choose this one well.

Tomorrow he was going to leave the palace early in the morning, take the helicopter to the mainland and buy her some lingerie. He hoped she would like whatever he bought. They got to the room and for the first time, he became aware of the time, it was already 2:00 PM in the morning. He couldn't remember when last he'd had such fun, and it hadn't all just been about sex. It had been a crazy night, it had been a crazy 48 hours actually, and he felt exhausted.

"What side do you like?" he pulled down the duvet.

"Um..., I'm not sure actually?" Jenny looked at the bed as if she was nervous now.

"You've never shared a bed with someone before?"

"Not recently, that's for sure." She sounded coy.

"Well", Zayn jumped onto the bed, "I like the left-hand side, so that makes you my right hand girl." He liked that she was inexperienced, it made for such a change, all the other woman he'd been with had been around the block a few times- and then up and down the highways and into all the cul-de-sacs too. She was full of this innocent energy that was very attractive. "Come, here." He straightened her pillows, but he could see she was reluctant.

"I'm not going to bite." he reached out and grabbed the bottom of her top gently, pulling her closer until she climbed onto the bed and slipped under the covers. He never did this. Usually he would fuck some girl, roll over and fall asleep with absolutely no desire to hold her. In fact, he preferred it if they left and sometimes he'd asked them too. But not now. Not with her.

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close until his face was a few millimeters from the back of her neck. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply, taking her in. Through the curls he found the soft skin of her neck and planted a kiss on it. He felt her respond and he pulled her even closer. They could not be closer if he tried. But it wasn't enough for him, he wanted to feel her skin against his. He reached down and tugged on her top, trying to work it up over her head.

"What you doing?" she grabbed his hands and held them in place.

"Taking your clothes off." He felt her slowly loosen her grip on his hands and he went back to pulling at her top. He fiddled with her bra strap and pulled it off, revealing her naked back. She had freckles all over her shoulders, he traced his fingers from one to the other. He then sat up quickly, ripped his shirt off, and settled down next to her. The feel of her back against his naked chest was soothing and he soon found his eyelids getting heavier and heavier.