Love at First Sight

4. Xavier Fletcher

She accepted. Only for the food though. Which was a good start if any.

Does Odile have a big appetite? Should I go somewhere I normally don't go like a buffet?

I want her to enjoy her time with me than feeling uncomfortable or feel like she has to pretend to be someone she's not.

"What time are you available?"

"Now," she responded way too quickly as her mouth virtually drooled, probably, at the thought of food. Her eyes had even sparkled. "I was supposed to clock out like thirty minutes ago, but the owner allows me to stay until closing. Lily should be in the back doing whatever."

"Why?"

"Mm?"

"Why do you stay until closing?"

She removed the apron and began heading to the back. "I have my reasons," Odile called out as she went through a door then a girl who looked like she might be mixed walked out; her tag read Lily on it.

"Odile will be out in a bit, my Majesty, so you will be able to converse with her some more," the girl said with excitement from talking to the prince. I still got it. How come Odile isn't like that?

"Well, while we wait... Do you know why she isn't all giddy like you by seeing me?"

She laughed. "She isn't human. Well, she is, but she isn't normal. You know how many guys she turned down?"

"Uh... No."

"Wanna know?"

"Sure," I answered, trying to contain my curiosity.

"Like thousands! So many good looking guys -but not as gorgeously hot like you- have been rejected and discarded. You're some lucky dude to have her accept the date."

"It's not a date, Lily," Odile said, startling both of us. So cat-like, that girl. "He feels sorry treating me like one of you sheep who oogle him all day and wish to be married to him. The best way to show that you're sorry to a girl is food... Well, at least for me. I'm in it for the food and not for the dude at the end of it."

So straightforward. Hurtful, but duly noted.

"Just accept that you're going on an actual date with a really good looking guy who happens to be a prince," Lily teased, wiggling her brows.

She rubbed her face a tad bit, looking annoyed by her coworker. "Don't care for the looks. Don't care about any relationship. Just in it for the food like I noted earlier. F. O. O. D. Not D. U. D. E."

"Um... Well, can we plan some more? I was thinking about a buffet since I assume you have a huge appetite, but what time should we meet?"

Odile silently thought, knitting her brows together. "I do need to get home to feed my baby. I hope she's doing okay," she said more to herself than me. Though, I am very surprised that she has a baby since it seemed like she was not for relationships or love.

"Baby?"

Lily chuckled. "Her fur baby. Never personally met the cat, but saw pictures."

"What? You thought I had a kid? Oh, no, no... I'm not for kids. So messy, nosy, and time-consuming."

There go my dreams of having kids.

"I guess... An hour or so from now?"

"Why an hour?"

"It takes me a bit to walk home and back."

"I can take you home," I told her.

She gave me a look. "In front of this Cafe. I don't want you knowing where I live just in case you're a crazed stalker or whatever."

Lily gasped as if she was offended, probably was. "Prince Xavier would never do that. He's a prince!"

"She has a point you know?"

Why would she think I would be something like that? A prince would never do that, right?

Odile moved around me, shaking her head. "Even royals can be crazy, my Majesty, so don't think you're an exception," she said so matter-of-factly. "Anyone can be an obsessive, stalker, maniac who's ready to fall off the edge and murder someone. Do you really think a royal never did anything terrible in the past? Take King Henry, he put many women to death because they didn't birth him a son. King James went bonkers. Being royalty doesn't make you resistance from insanity."

She certainly was right about that.

"Alright, I'll be waiting here for your return."