Royally Yours

Chapter 2

Amara

It was so clearly a mistake.

I knew it from the moment Hastings suggested I attend the Love's Charity Ball, knowing fully well there was a chance Ben would show up.

When Hastings had called me into his office that morning, I had assumed it was for his daily coffee run. He always insisted I make him a cup of caffeine every morning, no matter that it was not in my job description and he already had a secretary that could do that for him.

" But I like the way you make it Amara," He had protested when I had suggested that I show his secretary how to make it. "No one else makes it like you. My entire morning would simply be ruined without your coffee."

He had then pouted as much as a 55 y/o man could pout until I had assented. Me giving in had put his normal smug expression on his face and set the tone for our relationship henceforth.

A part of me thought the only reason that Hasting's wanted me to make him coffee every morning was to remind me of my place such as it was. While, Light Up the World had originally been my company, our recent bankruptcy had had me ceding majority control over the Hastings as CEO. I still held a significant share, but it was not enough to go against Hastings without other shareholders and I would need his approval for every new undertaking. He was effectively in control of me. And he never let me forget it. Hence, the coffee.

Now I could have insisted, and reminded him that making coffee was not exactly rocket science, and that any semi-intelligent fish could be taught to make a decent cup. I could have evoked that nowhere in the merger of my company and his had I been demoted to an assistant running around doing his bidding. I could have asserted that my time was better spent doing my actual job designing and implementing sustainable structures in Africa, rather than the assortment of administrative tasks he always assigned me.

But all that would require rocking the boat, and a boatrocker I was not. So I said nothing. As usual.

Which pleased Hastings greatly and directly led to me showing up early every morning to make his coffee before I could I start work. It was what I thought he was calling me into his office for that Monday morning. Instead, he suggested that I attend the Love's Charity Ball, with his right-hand man, the similarly odorous Tremayne, of all people.

"What?"

Hastings didn't look up  from the contract he was reading, instead remarking distractedly " It's on Saturday. You might want to get a dress."

" I can't," I squeaked, not entirely sure he was serious.

" I suggest something not from Zara. This is a classy event with all sorts of VIPs. I would hate for you to give a bad impression of the company with cheap clothes."

"I can't go," I said a little more firmly, trying to keep my voice from trembling. Be firm, Be assertive. " That's not my job, Chloe is public relations."

"Chloe is off for a few weeks on a personal leave. She won't be back until April."

Chloe is always on leave, and the only reason you haven't fired her yet is because you're likely sleeping with her. My best friend Ely would have probably said something like that, but I couldn't have. No matter how much I wanted to.

"Besides," Hastings continued, finally looking up at me with a gleam in his eyes, " She doesn't have quite the connections you do, does she?"

I swallowed then, feeling every ounce of nerve drain out me then. Did he know? This was not the first time he had insinuated that he somehow knew something about my history with Ben. How he knew was a mystery, as I was sure our brief relationship (if you could call it that) had been kept out of every tabloid and news agency. Ben's brother had made sure it was buried so deep, it had never seen the light of day.