Ricky And Jackie

12. Jackie

"How long does this prince stays here?" asks Jerry for the hundredth time.

We were shopping for a gift for his girlfriend Jayda since 1 p.m. and he still hasn't decided yet what to get her.

"Undetermined time, Jerry, undetermined time!" I groan.
"And he likes you?" he says again, scrunting his nose in disbelief.
"Yes, Jerry, some men do find me attractive." I stare at him with daggers in my eyes.
"Chill, I didn't mean it like that, gee." he raises his hands above his head in mocked surrender.
"It's okay." I wave it off.

But I'm not okay. I'm scared Ella ruins it for us somehow. I try to think otherwise but I can't.

"How... how did you know you love Jayda? Like, when did you look at her and thought 'She could totally be the one'?"
Jerry frowns, thinking about it.
"Can't tell you for sure, Jack, but I guess when I had to go to her father's to ask him to take his daughter out."

Jayda has really strict parents and they weren't enthusiasts at the thought of letting their daughter date. Jerry had to drive to her house to talk to her father to get his approval.

"I was driving there and I just thought: 'Goodness, I must really like this girl if I am willing to talk to her dad.' And I arrived to her home and I understood that I loved her. I just made sure her father gets it too." He pauses. "Why did you ask that?"

I shrug. I can't put a finger on Ricky's feelings or mines. Are we doomed to burn down to ashes? Or is it really meant to be? We have been "going out" for two weeks now and I have never been so insecure about myself. Oh what I would give to read the prince's mind... Then I would know where we stand.

Jerry finally settles for a devotional book and bracelets.
"That was about time, I have to get ready for work!"
"You have a night shift!"
"Exactly, dummy, I have to take a nap if I want to make it through the night!"

He rolls his eyes at my antics but it is already his time to pay. My phone rings.
"Vicky?" I say when I respond.
Vicky is my superior at the hotel.
"Can you come at work earlier?"
"How early? My shift doesn't start till 10 p.m.!"
I hear her sigh.
"I know but we need to talk to you before that. I cancel your shift, alright? Just come here as soon as you can."
"Goodness is there something wrong?"
"We'll tell you once you get there."

She ends our conversation, leaving me worried about this meeting. What have I done? Could it be that she heard about the prince and me? But then, why is it even a problem?

"Are you okay?" wonders Jerry once he's done with the cashier.
"I need to be at work ASAP, can you drive me there?"
"Sure, but I thought..."
"I'll tell you in the car, hurry!"

Jerry doesn't play: I'm surprised we don't have the cops coming for us right now. And I'm too much of a wimpy kid to look at how fast my friend is going.

"So, he says, what's wrong?"
"I must have done something, she sounded like I was gonna get fired!" I panick, fanning myself.
"Relax, I'm sure it's nothing."
"Maybe I should call Ricky?"
"Don't stress him for nothing! He has enough things to worry about from what you told me."
"The wait is killing me!" I groan, shutting my eyes closed.
"Killing me softly with his song..."
"Oh, hush it!" I blindly spank him, grinning.
"I bet you already feel better?"
"I do. Thanks bud."
"Anytime." he pauses then adds: " but if we get a ticket I'll send it to you."

Gotta love this idiot.

"Hum...you two are a thing?"
Jerry drops me in the parking in front of the glass doors just in time to witness Jeffrey and Mary cuddling on the bench. I think they were about to kiss or something.

"Leave us alone, kid! whines Jeffrey, shooing me with his free hand.
The other one is resting on Mary's shoulders.
"Yeah, although I'm reconsidering it", admits my coworker with a smirk.
"Hey!" says Jeffrey, apparently offended. "Why are you so early anyway? Don't you have a night shift?"
"Unfortunately, I sigh, that's what I'm about to find out. Vicky called me."
"Oh..." they both have worried faces. "Good luck then." says Mary.
"Thanks."

I walk in the lobby. I first look for Ricky but he is nowhere to be found.
I finally find the guts to knock on Vicky's door.
"Come in." I hear a masculine voice says from inside.

Oh oh. This can't be good.

I walk in, nervous. Vicky and three other men I never saw are waiting for me.
"You can sit down." says Vicky.
I almost let myself fall in the chair.
"Jackie, I won't waste anymore of our time: I'm afraid we have to let you go."

The information comes too fast to process in my brain.

"I-Why?" I stutter.
"I heard about the prince and you. And the king is not having it."

My eyes widens.
"Is this why you're firing me? Because he told you to?"
She shakes her head.
"Not exactly. I have to let you go because I cannot fire you for such a futile reason. However, they threaten to sue us for some obscure reason if we keep you."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I will ask you to politely give your demission."
"Okay."

My heart sinks. I'm losing my job because the king asked to.

"Also..."
I jump out of my chair at the man's deep voice. He pulls off his sunglasses and look at me in the eyes.
"... You will have to keep your distances from the prince and don't contact him."

A fellow suit-up man listens to something in his walkie-talkie and whispers it to his partners.
"Apparently the prince refuses to listen to his parents. You are asked to talk to him to convince him to end things." he says, motioning to the door.
"I-i don't think I can." I reply. "I don't think I should see him, let alone talk to him."
"Order from the Queen, miss. You don't have a choice here."

My hands are shaking really badly now. "I can talk to his parents, but not to him." I insist.
The three men shake their heads at the same time. Two of them grab me by the arms while the third one opens the door for us.
"Fine! Let me go!" I yell, causing a few persons in the lobby to look at us curiously.

They drop me on the carpet. I get up quickly, brushing the dirt off my boyfriend jeans. I use the elevator to get to the suite, on the last level. I am able to calm down during the short ride.

When I reach their door, another man shows me to the living room, where I can already hear people yelling.

Ricky and his father.