Maid For You

Chapter 25

Prince Coleman had rendered me speechless, his compliment completely uncharacteristic.

"Come with me, Cassie." He walked past me and gestured for me to follow. 

 I watched Luke's head turn as his eyes followed our movements. The girls begrudgingly climbed into the hot tub, Madeline once again only placing her feet in, and the Prince and I sat down on two white pool chairs a ways away from them.

"Um..." I started.

"It's very funny, watching them get all huffy!" Prince Coleman laughed. "Don't think I'm suddenly falling for you, little maid!"

"I never thought that!" I spat.

Okay, that was a small lie.

"I'll give you this, you make things more interesting."

"Thanks...?"

"But really? Insulting my guests? One might say you were jealous." Prince Coleman looked at me expectantly.

"Jealousy?  My so-called insults were really just simple retaliation, as much as being side girl number four appeals to me." I rolled my eyes.

"It's a coveted position, you know."

"I certainly believe that!"

"Ah, so you do see its value, do you?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I don't personally see the value in being another side chick, but I see the way all the women worship you. So I know how desperate they are for a scrap of your attention. I mean, look at them over there." I gestured to the pouting girls in the hot tub. "All gorgeous women, and yet so eager to please you, and so hungry for affection. You know, I don't think they picked on me for my looks." I chuckled ruefully. "They're far more beautiful than I. They insulted me because you talked to me. And those words spent on me were words that could have been addressed to them."

"You are perceptive, if nothing else."

"I daresay, that the second compliment you've paid me today! No wonder they're jealous!" I laughed.

"The second? What was the first?" He leaned forward, placing his forearms on his knees, and turned to look at me.

"Well, you said my name was pretty." I bit my lip.

"Didn't we establish all of that was just to rile them up?" He snorted.

I pursed my lips, suddenly feeling awkward. "Right." I was cringing internally, and stood up hastily. "Well, your ruse has gone on long enough, I think. You should really get back to them. You're being a bad host!" I marched up to Luke and let out a huffy breath.

"What did he say?" Luke asked.

"Oh, he indicated I was jealous of his Barbie girls, and made me feel stupid. The usual."

"Hmm." Luke seemed uncharacteristically quiet.

"Is something the matter?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"What? No." He gave me a big smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Your smile doesn't fool me."

"I just—" Luke paused, searching for the words. "I just feel—"

"Hey! Butler boy!" Tina screeched from the hot tub.

I would shoot her. Why, why, why did you think it was necessary to interrupt, TINA?

Luke did not hesitate to rush to her aid.

Thanks, Tina, for interrupting him. That was just fantastic.

As soon as he had approached, he was off grabbing a platter of drinks for her and the rest. When Luke came back with the glasses, they were passed around the hot tub. However, as Tina grabbed the last drink, the glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the patio outside the hot tub. I rushed to aid Luke in the mess.

"You get another drink," I said. "I'll clean up this mess."

"I'll be right back with another drink, ma'am." Luke bowed quickly and rushed off. I sat crouched down and began picking bits of glass, obscured from the vision of the hot-tub dwellers, when their conversation pricked my ears.

"You certainly showed that maid girl a fair bit of attention, Prince Coleman." It sounded like Tasha.

"Oh, that was nothing." Prince Coleman laughed.

"Cassandra; that was her name, correct?" Madeline broke into the conversation. I was now cleaning up the mess as silently as I could.

"Yes. She usually goes by Cassie, however," he answered.

"You even know her nicknames." Madeline's voice held an edge. "One might think you fancy her."

"That's ridiculous!" His reply came quickly. "Truthfully, I was using her to tease you ladies. I knew you'd be annoyed. I'm sorry for playing a joke on you."

"It didn't seem like a joke," Tina grumbled.

"Well, it was."

"Was it really?" Tasha asked. "You sure seemed to mind when we were teasing her a bit."

"Of course I didn't mind. I often insult her myself. She's quite used to it."

"I don't believe you, quite frankly." Madeline was cold. "I'm sorry for being so blunt, but really? A servant girl? And one who doesn't even sound like she's from our country. I'm surprised she is your type."

"Cassie Carmichael isn't my type."

"Oh really?" It was Tasha.

"Yes, really! Now can we move on from this?"

"Why isn't she your type? Because you sure give a lot of attention to someone who isn't your type," Madeline pressed.

"Cassie is loudmouthed, brash, and quite frankly she's not very pretty. She doesn't hold a candle to you ladies. In fact, the only reason I keep her around is that I'm bored and I find her misplaced haughtiness entertaining." He laughed coldly. "I can tell that she's attracted to me even though she tries to fight it, and it's very amusing. I don't like her one bit, so you all can be at ease."

Vote and comment! :)