The Bachelor: Royal Edition

She came back and that was all I had wanted.
It felt like the manor was a different place with her back, the girls were all trying to suck up to her, to be nice to her, I didn’t like it.

Today the producers had organised a get to know you cocktail party where the girls dressed up and each got a chance to chat with me.

She entered the room and suddenly everything stopped.

She looked stunning.

I could barley take my eyes off her as she picked up a strawberry cocktail and sat against one of the chairs.

“Nathan, I thought we could go outside to chat” One of the girls, a tall, red head named Sasha said, placing a hand on my arm.

I turned, diverting my gaze from the beauty before me and attempted a smile, following her outside.

I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t listen to her ramble on about how she was a do gooder like me, how she worked for charity’s and companies that gave back, all these woman seemed to be so, fake, so phony.

“I’m sorry Sasha, but I have to…” I attempted.

“I’m so sorry, am I boring you? I tend to talk too much when I like someone, so if you want me to stop” Sasha asked.

“It’s fine” I said slowly “tell me more about your life” I said.

Sasha went on and on about the good she does, it was so fake, so played for the cameras.
Once she was done I strolled away, avoiding the girls as they attempted to take me aside, I just wanted to talk to her.

I found her in the gazebo, alone.

“Mine if I sit?” I asked.

She looked up and smiled a small smile “Sure” She said.

“What are you doing here all alone?” I asked.

“Thinking” She shrugged, fiddling with the edge of the wooden chair she was sitting on and diverting her gaze, looking out to the gardens beyond the large hill.

“Not about leaving again I hope” I said.

“No” She said “I think Lilly would completely disown me if I went back home” She added, still not looking my way.

“That’s the only reason you came back? Because of Lilly?” I asked.

“Yes” She announced, looking at me now and smiling, her smile was so beautiful and it was so real.

“Funny” I said, shaking my head at her and smiling back.

“So how’s this going? Your first cocktail party” Simona asked, her eyes focusing on me.

I sighed “Quite good” I said “Not what I expected though” I added.

“What did you expect?” Simona asked, her eyes stayed on mine, something about that was comforting to me.

“I don’t know to be honest” I confessed “I only watched the show a few times before” I said.
I could see the producer nearby, he was shaking his head at me, I didn’t care, conversations I had with Simona were ones I really don’t want on the show.

“I think they’re calling you over” Simona said, pointing.

“They are just going to tell me not to talk about certain things” I said.

“You can’t say you didn’t watch the show?” Simona asked.

“They don’t like that” I shrugged.

“Tell me, I’m curious, what do you do all day?” Simona questioned.

“You say that like you assume I do nothing” I said slowly.

“I know you don’t do nothing, you do charity work and stuff like that, I mean apart from that” Simona said.

“I read a lot, usually I am busy with the charity work, I have to fly around to different places, but when I’m on the plane I like to read” I shrugged.

“Really? What do you read?” Simona asked.

“I like thrillers, lots of different things though, I’ve read all of the harry potter books” I said.

“Seriously?” Simona asked, her tone made me wonder, maybe I shouldn’t have told her that, maybe it made me sound nerdy, or lame? But then she continued “I love those books” She said.

“I thought you were about to call me a nerd” I said.

Simona shook her head “That would mean I was one too” She said.

I was about to say something else when one of the girls came over “Mind if I steal him?” She asked Simona.

Simona stood “Take my spot” She said.

I watched her walk away, frowning slightly, she was hard to read, I didn’t know why I liked that.