Page 19 of His Blue Moon Princess (The Silver City #1)

Bobo laughs and gently pushes me towards the pile of presents. I start by opening and reading the birthday cards, and I can’t stop smiling all along. Tonia and Bobo chose a pretty one with a winter theme, while their older brother went for a simple one. Liam picked a very girly one with purple and blue ribbons on it to tease me. All of them wrote really simple but touching birthday wishes.

After the cards, Bobo gives me one of the presents.

“But you guys already gave me a present: the smartphone!”

“Oh, stop it, Nora, and open it. You said you haven’t gotten birthday presents in years, you can let us spoil you today!”

Says Tonia while giving me a large box.

For some reason, Bobo is smiling and waiting to see my reaction. What is this? The box is a pale blue with some golden letters on it, like a chic brand... Not anything unusual from Tonia so far. However, as soon as I open the box, I blush and close it just as quickly.

Oh, Moon Goddess!

She got me super sexy, embarrassing, shameless French lingerie! I turn to look at Tonia, red with embarrassment. Why did she have to go and pick something like this! Even if I glanced at it only for a few seconds, I already know that this... piece of clothing is way too sexy and revealing!

Bobo is laughing out loud, and Tonia is acting innocent. “What? You might need it sooner than you think.”

“Tonia! How can you buy me such an embarrassing thing? It barely has any fabric!”

“Well, it’s not meant to be worn long, after all...”

“Tonia!”

Is she enjoying getting me embarrassed, or what? I can’t believe it! I’m still struggling with having Damian touch me, how could I be thinking about the appropriate outfits for a physical relationship now! I’m already stressed enough about tonight’s date as it is!

While the two siblings are still laughing at me, I take a shy glance at the piece of clothing once again. It’s a night blue ensemble with a bit of embroidery, laces, and ribbons. I do have to admit that it’s beautiful, but I can’t picture myself wearing it. I push the box aside, for now, trying to regain my composure.

Bobo holds in his laugh and gives me another big box.

“This one’s from me.”

I really hope his present his less embarrassing than his sister’s... I open it, and to my surprise, it’s a brand-new pair of boxing gloves! I can’t believe it! I turn to Bobo, and he is smiling.

“I knew you would like it. Next time you need to throw some punches with me, too, okay?”

I nod, delighted with it. I love those new gloves! I try them on, and they are the right size, too! I play with it for a while and put them back after thanking Bobo. Aside from the lingerie, Tonia also found the time to buy me a stunning winter dress for tonight’s date. I wonder when she got it. I like it a lot. It looks warm and pretty, too. I’ll definitely put it on tonight. Tonia also booked me an appointment at some famous salon after work so I can have my hair and makeup done by a professional. She always complains about how I’m never putting any makeup on, so I guess this was her way of cornering me into this...

Nathaniel’s present is a very expensive-looking pair of pretty shoes from a French brand, which I think is supposed to go with my new dress. I am a bit worried about the high heels, but they do make me gorgeous once I try it... It seems like a have another fairy godmother.

Liam, on the other hand, offered me a selection of movies and CD albums of his own choosing. He was a bit surprised about my lack of knowledge in pop-culture last time we talked about it, so I guess it gave him ideas. I really like it, though, since I do feel like I’ve missed a lot all these years. He even put sticky notes on some of them, stating which ones we should watch together or his personal favorites. I really like that he actually took the time to write these down.

Once I’m done opening all of these, I turn around to thank Bobo and Tonia once again. “This is definitely the best birthday ever!”

I say, ecstatic.

Tonia laughs and gives me a wink while pushing me into the kitchen. “Save that for your date, baby girl! Now let’s get to breakfast before you get late on your first day of work.”

Bobo agrees with her, and I happily start preparing breakfast. I’m in the best mood today and even put one of Liam’s CDs on the music station to play while I’m cooking and dancing around in the kitchen. Bobo happily joins me in my dancing, trying to teach me a few steps of Latino dancing and making me laugh. At the same time, his sister takes pictures of us with her smartphone. I really love my Bobo in his human form. He is not a big talker, as expected, but I find that he does express himself with his gestures and smiles. It’s like having a big brother, but a caring one. We get along incredibly well, as we keep chatting over breakfast.

Once we are done eating, I get ready for my first day. I’m quite nervous, actually, but I do want to make a good impression, so I pick an ivory shirt with black pants. It’s good that I can choose to wear pants... Robert always made me wear short skirts whenever I was working at the bar, and I hated it. Tonia helps me put on a bit of mascara and lip gloss and styles my hair into a pretty bun. While she goes out of my bedroom to go get her own makeup done, Bobo swiftly enters, while I’m still anxiously examining myself in the mirror.

“Hey, pretty girl.”

“It’s not too much, is it? I don’t want to make a bad impression...”

He shakes his head and walks up to me. “Don’t worry, it’s great. And it will be perfect with this.”

He takes out a small box from his jean pocket and gives it to me. What is this? There’s only a tiny ribbon on it. Another present? I look at him, confused. Bobo smiles. “It’s another present for your birthday. I didn’t want to show it to my sis, she can be naggy about this kind of stuff... Open it.”

I take it and open it. It’s a pair of earrings! And they are so cute and pretty, too! They are blue and tear-shaped, and about the size of my pinky-nail.

“It’s blue topaz, your birthstone. I noticed your ears were pierced.”

That’s true, my dad had them pierced when I was young because I wanted to wear pretty earrings like mom...

“Oh, Moon Goddess, Bobo, I love it...”

I really do. The earrings are delicate and not too garish, perfectly suitable to wear anytime. I immediately put it on. He smiles and nods, visibly satisfied. “They match your eye color. Really pretty.”

“Thanks, Bobo, I love them lots.”

I hug him quickly as thanks before looking once more in the mirror. Bobo is right, they do look like my own iris color, a deep London blue. My eyes are the one thing I’ve always liked about myself. Their dark blue color is uncommon, but somehow, I still loved it anyway. If only it wasn’t for my scar... I look in the mirror again. As always, the red line running across my face is hard to miss. Bobo seems to follow my train of thought, and lifts my chin up gently, giving me a reassuring smile.

“Hey. Don’t worry about details, baby girl. Okay?”

I nod obediently. Bobo’s right. No matter what, my scar is there and won’t go away, so I might as well cope with it. It’s my first day at this job, so I can’t start with a negative mindset. I need this change.

About an hour later, I’m in the car, nervous but quite excited at the same time. I keep playing with my phone between my hands, and Bobo is observing me with an amused smile but says nothing. While Tonia is looking for a parking spot, my phone suddenly vibrates. It’s Damian! I blush before I even get to answer.

“Hi...”

“Happy Birthday, Nora.”

“Thank you. Are you at work?”

“I am. Trying to get it all done so I can have a date with my princess tonight.”

I blush a bit. Bobo taps his sister’s shoulder, and they exit the car to give me some privacy.

“Please tell me you’re not saying this in front of a lot of people again.”

It’s like I can hear him smiling. “No, I’m not.”

“Good. Because it’s really embarrassing.”

“Not for me.”

Well, it should be! I know he is playing with me, but I still fall for it and blush.

“How’s your day so far?” He asks.

“It’s... Really great. No one has celebrated my birthday in years, you know. But this morning, I woke up, and I had people me wishing a Happy Birthday, birthday cards, and presents all over the place.”

I keep talking, making me realize how happy I really am. Damian listens to me, and we discuss for a few minutes, about things like my presents, Liam’s music, and how happy I was to see Bobo in his human form. I love how we can have trivial conversations like these over the phone. I feel a bit closer to him that way. However, there is still this wall between us, something holding me back and making me shy.

“...I got a couple of surprises for you tonight, too.”

I smile and bite my lip. What plans did Damian make? We barely talked about our date since last time. We only agreed to both diligently go to work, as I didn’t want to ditch my first day, and Damian still has work, a busy CEO. Only at night did we plan to reunite to celebrate my birthday together. I wanted to go as soon as my job was over, but Tonia intervened, saying I needed to pretty up first, and would need a few hours for that. I didn’t dare to oppose that. It’s my very first date, after all, so I should at least listen to her advice on this.

“I can’t wait for it,”

I whisper. “But I still want to go to work.”

“I know. Have a good first day, then.”

“You are not going to wish me good luck or something?”

“What luck? I will get rid of anyone who dares...”

“Damian!”

How can he say such things so easily? That is ridiculous! I’m just going to start a new job, what does it have to be a threatening situation for some people? And what could possibly happen? I’m just going to work...

“Okay, I’ll call you later. Just let Nathaniel know if there’s anything you need. And stay with Bobo.”

“I know. Have a good day.”

We both hang up, and I sigh. My bodyguard’s presence was the only condition Damian refused to discuss. No matter what, if I wanted to work, Bobo had to be there. Even Nathaniel agreed to it right away. I was the only reticent one. Who goes to work with a bodyguard? I’m not some royalty! But no matter how long I argued, no one agreed to let me go to work alone, be it the siblings or the Black Brothers.

I exit the car, and Bobo’s waiting for me. Tonia is not supposed to come with us, so she drives away, leaving us alone to walk to the restaurant La Rose de l’Aube. I’m as nervous as one can be...

When we get there, Bobo opens the front door for me, and a gorgeous young woman comes to meet us right away.

“Hello! You must be Nora, right? I’m Narcissa Brookes. Nice to meet you.”

We shake hands, and she has this professional smile on all the time. I feel a bit intimidated. Her brown hair is tied in a perfect chignon, and her crimson dress is impeccable as well. There is not a single thing out of place. I’m glad I took the time to dress up and am wearing my new earrings.

“Nathaniel asked me to show you around, so you will be under my wing for today!”

She says with a smile

“Thank you for that.”

“Please, I am doing my job. So, please, follow me.”

Narcissa gives me a tour of the restaurant. I love it. The decoration is delicate, not too fancy. Glass, pale cherry wood, white velvet, some floral elements, and marble. It’s big enough to hold about fifty people, and it does look as high class as I heard it is. I can’t believe I will have my shot at working here...

Narcissa is the Ma?tre d’h?tel and quickly introduces me to the people already present, the kitchen staff. Most of the team is werewolf and part of the Blood Moon Clan, as expected, and welcome me warmly. All of them seem to know Bobo, though they are surprised to see him in his human form.

“I heard you have a bit of experience as a waitress?”

Asks Narcissa.

“Yes, but just in a local pub.”

“I see. Then you can grab one of the menus and start learning it. The other waiters will arrive in about an hour or so to get ready, you can join them then.”

I do exactly as told, though I find the menu quite easy to remember. Once the rest of the staff arrives, I naturally join the other waiters and help with the dressing. I befriend everyone quite quickly while working, especially two girls my age, Kathie and Elise. Apparently, aside from Narcissa and the chef, no one really knows who I am or how I’m related to the Black brothers. Some question Bobo’s imposing presence in a corner, but Narcissa dismisses them.

Truthfully, I feel quite happy to be working and useful. As soon as I show how fast I can learn, everyone looks glad to let me participate. Narcissa protests a few times that I’m only supposed to observe for now, but as the day goes on, I can’t ignore it when someone needs help, and step in when I can. As the lunch service starts and goes on, I act as a support to all the waiters, and Narcissa has no choice but to let me do so, considering she gets quite busy herself. Nathaniel didn’t lie when he said the restaurant was understaffed. I run all day to help one waiter then another, and even the chefs start asking my help for the service.

La Rose de l’Aube is busy, due to its reputation, but nothing I can’t handle. I make sure to clear or set the tables quickly, assist anyone who seems in need, and keep an eye on all the tables to make sure nothing is amiss. The rhythm is quite peaceful compared to Rob’s bar... By the end of the service, I’m a bit proud. Everything went well!

However, Narcissa suddenly calls everyone in the restaurant, including the kitchen staff, looking unhappy.

“What was with today? I said Nora should observe! Why did you guys give her your work?”

“I volunteered, Narcissa,”

I explain, immediately stepping up. “I couldn’t just stand aside when I saw some of the waiters struggling.”

Narcissa answers with a smile, clearly only meant for me. “They should have been able to handle it themselves, Nora.”

I frown. What does Narcissa mean? They are clearly understaffed! Though it was all very professional, everyone was running around until the end of the service thirty minutes ago! How is it their fault? No one made a mistake, they just had too much to handle!

“Oh, shut it, Narcissa,”

says the Chef, Michel. “The girl did just fine, and she was exactly where we needed her to be. It’s been weeks since we had a service going so well. We do lack some waiting staff and everyone’s overworked. Let them breathe a little.”

Michel is a strong man in his mid-forties and a force of nature, as expected of a head chef. He was a bit surprised to see me come at the pass a few times today but let me take the dishes without saying a thing. Behind him, Elise nods. “That’s right. I had to handle fifteen tables by myself, and if it wasn’t for Nora, I’m not sure I would have made it so swiftly, Narcissa. But every time I thought I had forgotten something or missed a detail, Nora had already taken care of it.”

“And she helped everyone that way, the whole restaurant,”

Adds Kathie. “I barely noticed her for the full service, but she was always there right to handle things when I thought a problem might arise!”

I start blushing from their compliments, not knowing what to say. Narcissa still seems pissed, but she rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. “All right, if all of you guys are ganging up against me, I won’t argue anymore. But I insist that no matter how efficient Nora might be, she is still in training. Nora, you will keep working as a busser for now. Let me know if you have any problems.”

Yes! I guess that means my first day went well! Narcissa sighs and steps out with Chef Michel to discuss the menus. Everyone else disperses to start the cleaning. Kathie and Elise run up to me, smiling.

“You were great, Nora!”

“I can’t believe you memorized all the menus and table numbers so fast!”

Says Kathie. “And you can endure the pressure like it’s nothing, too!”

Well, try working for a hungry pack that won’t hesitate to hit you if you’re late...

“Thank you, guys, but you were the ones that helped me. I couldn’t have learned the ropes so fast if it weren’t for your help.”

They both laugh and disagree, and then Kathie puts her hand in her apron and hands me a bit of money. Elise does the same. I look at them, confused.

“What is that?”

“Oh, come on, Nora, we want to share with you!”

“Bussers don’t get any tip, but you helped us so much today, I will feel bad if you don’t get your share! Here!”

They put the money in my hands before I get to say a thing. I’m so shocked, I can’t say a word for a few seconds. I can’t believe they are sharing their tips with me! I start tearing up unwillingly, and Kathie frowns, while Elise puts a hand on my shoulder, worried.

“Are you okay? Nora, what’s wrong?”

“I’m okay, I just... This is the first time I earned money for myself!”

I’m so touched by Elise and Kathie’s gesture. No matter how long I protest, they insist I take the money, so I eventually accept it, though their kindness means much more to me than the amount. What a great first day! From the corner of the room, Bobo gives me a thumbs up. After thanking my new friends and colleagues, I join everyone to clean the restaurant in a cheerful atmosphere. Everyone chats happily, and some of them seem eager to know more about me.

“Are you a fighter, Nora?”

“Not really... I’m kind of a late-bloomer werewolf.”

I’m a bit awkward. From his corner, Bobo is sending me amused looks, not helpful at all. I’m glad everyone in the staff seems accepting of me, but this is a bit... Narcissa quickly intervenes as she comes back.

“Are you cleaning or chatting? Why do I find you annoying Nora? Stop being so curious!”

An hour later, I finish working with a large smile stuck on my face and join Bobo, who was waiting with a large cup of coffee. He smiles when I approach him.

“Hi, there.”

“A macchiato?”

I guess from the smell.

He nods and finishes his cup in one go. Bobo really has childish tastes... I sit in front of him, watching my coworkers go one by one, all of them saying bye to me.

“You look happy,” says Bobo

“I am. It went great! And everyone is nice, too.”

He smiles as an answer. I hope he wasn’t too bored while I was working, just waiting in a corner. Bobo didn’t help at all and barely interacted with others. I only saw him talking with Michel at some point.

“Do you know the staff here well?” I ask.

“Michel’s one of our Blood Moon Clan warriors when he is not cooking. So are a couple of others from the kitchen staff. Elise is among our hunters too. She’s good.”

It’s a bit weird to imagine them as wolves when I saw them working all day as a perfect-looking staff. But my wolf did analyze their smell out of habit, and about two-thirds of the team are werewolves. I should learn to be more aware of the other Clan members now, I guess... All the staff slowly leave the restaurant until we are left with only the head chef and Narcissa. They are still discussing menus, but Bobo and I are useless in that, so we just casually chat.

Then, around 3pm, Bobo raises his head, and I see Nathaniel walking in. Narcissa immediately walks up to him with her perfect smile on. From the expectant look in her eyes and her attitude with him, I gather what’s going on immediately. She might be trying to act natural, but I can tell she is mindful of her every move and slightly changed her tone, too. I exchange a quick look with Bobo, who nods. She is either after Nathaniel or already one of his “private”

relationships. I recall what Tonia and Bobo mentioned earlier. Behind the gentle and smiling face, I guess the angel-like brother really is the player they described, then...

He listens to Narcissa and Chef Michel for a while, then dismisses them and walks towards us. He greets Bobo with a nod and gives me a smile.

“Happy Birthday, princess! How was your day? Narcissa told me you did great.”

“Thanks, Nathaniel. And thank you for the birthday present, I loved the shoes! And yes, it went well! Thank you so much for letting me try this job, I truly love it. And the team is great, too.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Well, it seems like everyone is happy, so I guess we can think of making this a long-term position for you.”

I nod, happy. It would be awesome! A real job, with no pervert customers, my own paycheck, practical working hours, and friendly coworkers, too!

“Let’s give it a week and see if it works well for you. You can discuss the details with Narcissa since she’s basically in charge of this one. I come often, but I just oversee it and only intervene if I’m needed.”

“Okay. But will Bobo have to wait for me every time? It’s a bit long for him, and Tonia has to drive me, too...”

I can’t help but ask.

Nathaniel shakes his head. “That’s not for me to decide, princess. Personally, I don’t think you’re at risk being here, but we both know how my brother can be overprotective. I suggest you bring this matter to him yourself, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.”

Indeed. Damian is stubborn when it comes to my “safety”, though nothing happened so far... What is he fearing? Could something really happen? I proved that I could take on an Alpha, so who would attack me after that? There is no point, I don’t even belong to a pack as of now! I exchange a look with Bobo, but he doesn’t seem really interested in the matter either. Is it because he won’t disobey Damian? How could he not be bored after waiting for me all day? I still feel guilty, somehow.

Nathaniel and I discuss a bit longer about my work at La Rose de l’Aube until Tonia comes to get us. I forgot about the appointments she got me...

One thing I have to admit: I’m really not used to people taking care of me.

It’s like in those movies we watched together, where the lead actress gets a total makeover after going through the hands of beauty specialists and putting on brand-new, expensive clothes.

Well, one thing those movies have wrong: it’s incredibly long, and there is no entertaining background music.

Instead, I need to stay seated and wait for hours while Tonia and the professionals take care of my skin, my hair, and my nails.

I refused the massage after the perfumed bath, despite Tonia’s protests.

I don’t want to lay while some unknown lady touches my bare skin.

Bobo’s older sister argued for a while, but I said no and stuck to it, I hate people seeing my bareback! In the end, Bobo stepped in to tell his sister to stop insisting.

Tonia sulked for a while, but she let me move on to the hairdresser lady.

After two hours and a dozen products being put on my head, both Bobo and I are helplessly bored. Tonia obviously doesn’t care, as she keeps discussing with the hairdresser and makeup artist. How can it take so long to get ready for a date? I know I have no experience in taking care of myself, but still! I make the silent promise to myself to learn how to style up my own hair and use makeup from now on.

While she is arguing about going for a braided chignon or styling my curls, Tonia’s phone suddenly rings. She frowns and immediately picks up. Sitting next to me, Bobo, who was half asleep until now, sighs.

“That’s the Liam-is-going-to-get-scolded ringtone,”

he whispers.

I listen to Tonia’s conversation, and it does seem like it.

“What do you mean he went to the eastern territory...? Why did he have to go there again! That makes it three times this month! Three times! I don’t care... No Neal, I’m not going to get him again, I’m busy! Find someone else! I’m done fetching that brat! He... No, I don’t care! Just send Erik or someone else! ...So what? He asked for it! Didn’t the Boss tell him to stop? He got in this mess himself. I’m done with the Purple Clan, let them kick his ass!”

I frown and turn to Bobo. The Purple Moon Clan? They are known for their rude behavior and constant fighting with others. Out of all the local packs, they are the most agitated and ruthless, always looking for someone to pick a fight with. Bobo doesn’t seem worried and shrugs. With that and Tonia’s heated conversation, I guess this isn’t the first time... I wonder why Liam went to mess with them.

“Why does it have to be me? I said I... No Neal, I told you, let the brat handle his own mess! He... Well, I don’t care, he is not my Alpha! ...So what? You can’t let me handle this every time! ...Oh yeah? And how long do you think this will work? Lysandra is... Oh, shut up!”

They keep arguing for a while, loudly. Bobo leans to me to explain quickly. “Tonia has ties with the leader of the Purple Clan. She almost joined them before we met the Boss. Liam often picks fights on purpose with their fighters, so she’s usually the one to intervene.”

From what I know, the Purple Clan as a lot of young members, but I never imagined Tonia almost joined such a reckless pack... Well, I guess the Blood Moon cannot be considered as soft-hearted, either. She and Neal argue for a while on the phone, but eventually, she hangs up, angrily, with a look of defeat written all over her face. Well, I guess she can’t really say no to her Beta after all.

“I got to go settle this. Bobo, you stay with Nora. I’ll be back quickly.”

She leaves angrily, leaving Bobo and me alone in the salon, with the confused hairdresser.

“Ahem... For your hairstyle...?”