Page 7

Valeria
My body quivered with an adrenaline rush when he ended the call. A giddy grin tugged on my lips as I let out fits of giggle, covering my mouth.
“I can’t believe you just did that!”
I remember how I had called him by his first name. A Prince!
Ahhhhh
I fell on the sheets of the bed that felt like how I imagined clouds would feel like. Extremely soft and warm. My red hair splayed across the huge pillows where I planted my face and let out excited squeals. I was acting like a teenage girl who got asked out by her crush for the prom night. Not a twenty-six-year-old tycoon and founder ofDelicate Dew, a perfume brand, I had started after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business and no job offerings because I was visually impaired.
“Valeria!”
Startled by Benjamin, my loyal guardian, seeing me acting out like that made me roll over. Unfortunately, it caused me to tangle my legs in the blanket and fall over on the other side of the bed, causing a very loudthumpas my head hit something hard.
Benjamin winced. “Are you okay, Valeria? I didn’t mean to startle you.”
I sat up, patting my unruly red hair and ignored the small itch of pain on my forehead. I had momentarily forgotten that there was a nightstand placed on the left side of the bed.
“It’s okay, Mr Benjamin. I was just…um, I talked to Prince Khalid, and he wants to dine with me tomorrow atAmbrosial,” I said, my cheeks scorching with blood. I must resemble a tomato with my cheeks the same color as my hair.
“That Prince Khalid you talked about?”
I nodded in his direction. I had told him and Mabel, his wife, also my guardian, that I met the Prince of Azmia. “He asked you out for a dinner? That’s nice, I suppose.”
I turned towards the deep, raspy voice and smiled. Patting the edge of the bed, I stood up and fixed the blanket. “It is more than nice. I will have dinner with a Prince tomorrow!”
Valeria.
My body still hummed with little goosebumps when he had said my name in his deep voice. It was rich with a little English accent. His voice made me feel warm. Like I was wearing a thick cashmere sweater on Friday night and drinking hot cocoa while it snowed outside. I wanted to hear his smooth voice again, especially hear him call me by my name.
“Tomorrow? But you have the meeting with the factory manufacturer to talk about the new launch—”
“I know it’s important, Mr Benjamin, but can you please move it on Tuesday? Or else I won’t be able to meet him.”
I could sense the hint of a smile in his voice when he replied, “Of course, my dear. I will prepare for your dinner with the Prince and postpone the meeting.”
I gave him my best toothy grin.
“It’s so good to see you smile like that, love,” he said, joy lacing his voice. “Goodnight.”
I waved toward my bedroom door, trying to remember how his face looked when he smiled at me. After more than a decade of not having my sight, it was hard to remember the faces of the people who took care of me. Especially Mr Benjamin.Did his hair color change? Were there wrinkles on his face? How did his eyes react when he heard his wife laughing? Did they gleam with happiness?
“Goodnight, Mr Benjamin.”
I shook out the sadness that weighed heavy on my shoulders and mentally counted the steps towards the balcony. Holding the cold latch, I shut the doors closed and huffed out a sigh when London’s wind stopped weaving inside my bedroom. After settling under the warm blanket, I wondered if Khalid Al Latif was as excited as I was.
In only a matter of few hours, I would be sitting across him.
Khalid
I tightened the golden cuff links of my shirt before donning a suit of the similar color as my obsidian eyes. I was wearing the latest watch fromPatek Philippe. I had taken time to trim my stubble neatly. Heeding Valeria’s advice, I sprayed a mild musky, woodsy scented cologne from Azmia, a custom-made scent just for me. The top two buttons of the white shirt were unbuttoned, giving a glimpse of my tanned skin. Donning the shiny black shoes, I was ready.
I had put an effort to look good in front of Miss Valeria Dunne.For the dinner and one-night-stand, I reminded myself, checking my watch for the umpteenth time.
As the driver drove the sleek back car towards the venue of the restaurant, I impatiently checked the internet again, searching her name like a teenager. I couldn’t help myself. I was curious. Being a royal for over thirty-two years, there were only a few things that made me curious and not bored. And Valeria made me extremely curious.
I was impressed reading about her upbringing as a foster child, losing her sight in a car accident, dealing with unemployment even though she had a Business Degree from a reputable University just because she was blind. The reason behind having her own perfume brand, sharing her story through her social media and various interviews.