Maid For You

Chapter 43

That weekend, something incredible happened. I won the two staff raffle tickets to Sky Land, Aregano's biggest amusement park, and as promised, I invited Luke to come along with me. He readily agreed, and it was only a matter of him informing his moody employer of the need for a Saturday off.

"You're so lucky you won those tickets!" Charlie sat himself across from me. I was pleased to have the talkative young gardener next to me.

"Thanks, Charlie. I really wanted to go to Sky Land."

"Who are you taking with you?" Charlie reminded me so much of my brother, Calvin.

"Who says I'm taking someone with me?" I rose an eyebrow. "Maybe I'll just go by myself twice."

Charlie grimaced. "I suppose I won't tell you anything I've learned, then."

"Wait, what have you learned?" I set down my fork.

Charlie remained defiantly silent.

"Oh Charlie! I just love a good story."

"Who are you going with to the amusement park?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Look, I just don't want it to be a big deal, or anything, but I'm planning to go with Lucas Prescott." I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Lucas Prescott?" He showed his gap-toothed grin. "As in Mister Lucas Prescott, the Prince's Butler, the young man you work with?"

"Yes...?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"Oh that's priceless!" Charlie laughed.

"Why?"

He kept chuckling.

"Charlie!" I pouted.

"Fine, I suppose I do owe you a story," he conceded. "Though, perhaps you are already aware of the Marstella Incident?"

"I keep hearing whispers about it, but no-one will tell me anything!" I was excited. Finally, I'd get some answers.

"You're in for a real treat, Miss Carmichael! Here is the story of the infamous Marstella Incident—"

"You'd better watch what you say, silly boy." We turned to find Sherry standing over us.

"Hi, Sherry. Want to hear the story?" I asked.

"What's your name?" Sherry ignored me and addressed my little gardener friend.

"Charlie," he muttered.

"If Missus Lucille hears you spouting off about the Marstella Incident, Charlie, she'll have your head, you know," Sherry warned.

"You just don't want Cassie to get any ideas, do you?" Charlie grinned wickedly. "She's the biggest threat around here, isn't she?"

"Why don't you go back and run around outside where you belong!" hissed Sherry.

"Whoa!" I interjected. "Why so hostile, Sherry? Charlie is my friend. And I wanted to hear this story!"

"Seriously? This kid? You're friends with a child?" Sherry rose an eyebrow.

"I'm not a kid. I'm sixteen!" he argued.

"Is everything okay, Sherry?" Where was my bubbly little friend? "You're acting kind of—uh..." I figured I'd better not say it.

"I am so annoyed!" she huffed, plopping down onto the bench, much to Charlie's apparent distaste. "Now that Isabella is back, I'm not going to be covering your weekends with the Prince anymore. She is!"

"I see." I nodded slowly. "But hey, at least you don't have to put up with Coleman's nonsense." She didn't seem to appreciate my jazz hands.

"How am I supposed to get him to fall in love with me now if I can't even spend time with him?" Sherry whined.

"I don't think he'd fall for you even if you worked for him full time," Charlie remarked. "Obviously, if he falls for any servant it will be Cassie."

"You know what, I don't know that that's helpful, Charlie." I shot him a look.

"Well it's true." He tossed up his hands. "And everyone knows it."

"It's not. I'm probably the last girl he'd go for." I looked at the boy pointedly. "He doesn't even like me."

"Then why does he keep you so close?" Charlie challenged.

I didn't know how to answer. I stood there gaping like a fish for a moment. "Like—like I know! I don't know what goes through that thick skull of his!"

I took my precious lunch dish and excused myself. Last thing I needed was for Sherry to turn on me too.

***

The Saturday in question finally rolled around. Prince Coleman had been surprisingly gracious in allowing Luke the day off, and I was excited.

"So, it's a date, right?" I asked my friend Lydia over the phone.

"Oh for sure!" she affirmed.

"I mean, we never said it was a date. Also, I asked him."

"Shut up, Cassie. He definitely likes you."

"We don't know that for sure," I said.

"I've known you a long time, Cassie." I could practically see Lydia rolling her eyes. "I thought we were past this faux-humility crap."

"Hey, don't accuse me of such of a thing! I did offer him a free ticket to Aregano's premiere amusement park!"

"Yeah, well from everything else you've told me, it sounds like he has the hots for you," Lydia argued.

"You've also said that about literally every guy I've ever liked," I contended.

"I didn't ever say that Prince Alexander was in love with you," Lydia countered.

"Because he is literally a celebrity!" I laughed. "Also, you were in love with him too."

"How could I not be enamored by those baby blues? Oh! Speaking of princes, how is it going with Prince McHottie over there?"

"Did you just call Prince Coleman Prince McHottie?"

"Sometimes I look at pictures of him online to try to live vicariously through you," she answered.

"Well it's not always about Prince Coleman, you know," I sniffed. "Even though everyone and everything else revolves around him, I don't have to—especially on my weekend!"

"I didn't say your whole life had to revolve around him. I'm just saying, have you ever got tingly around him, or butterflies in your stomach?" Lydia egged on.

Flashes of moonlit moments and charming devilish grins flashed through my mind.

"I—I got to go. Luke will be here soon."

"Cassie?! IS THAT A YE—"

Beep.

I hung up.

I peered in my mirror to adjust a few hairs and reapply my lipstick before a sharp knock rapped on my door. My heart leapt to my throat. Taking a deep breath, I went to open my door.

Unfortunately, that deep breath was promptly swept away.

Luke stood there with dark jeans, a white undershirt, and an open navy blue plaid shirt on top.

Sure, I enjoyed a man in a suit as much as the next girl, but something about his casual attire had my heart thrumming. I had seen him once before wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, and once again the affect was stunning.

"Hey." His clothes coupled with that gorgeous crooked smile of his was too much to bear.

I blinked slowly.

"Hi."

This better be a freaking date.