Page 24 of Tech Prince Troubles (Runaway Prince Hotel #6)
Chapter Twenty-Four
SAM
why is he purple?
I hummed along to the rhythm of the café—clinking dishes, hissing and gurgling coffee machines, and murmuring customers—and caught a few surprised glances from my baristas.
The only discordant notes were those of the new machines.
It would take months for them to blend in and harmonize, but we were glad to be back to our regular setup.
Enjoying the lull after the early morning rush, I pulled a flawless espresso from a hissing and puffing Gandalf as Adri approached across the plaza. He didn’t like the sounds of the new machines much, either—he kept having to adapt his noise filter.
The ball was in two weeks, and the long hours were draining him. I doubted anyone else noticed, but he lacked his usual grace, and his posture seemed tight with exhaustion.
“We might finish in time,” he mumbled as he paid, flinching as a customer burst out laughing.
“Good to hear.” I handed him his espresso and gestured toward his—still empty—corner booth.
I held my breath as he wobbled past waiting customers, but he made it to the booth in one piece and didn’t spill a drop. When I checked on him a few minutes later, he sat with his chin leaning on his hands, staring at nothing.
“I’m taking a break,” I told Justice, wiping my hands on my apron.
Adri barely looked up as I slid into the bench opposite him. “You’re not gonna fall asleep here, are you?”
“We don’t sleep.” His voice sounded flat.
I sighed. “Not the point, Adri. Are you okay?”
He blinked and lifted his gaze to meet mine. “Sorry. I was answering a ping from Min-Oliver about booking rooms for the ball.”
Whenever he mentioned his parents or their visit so casually, nerves shivered up my spine. “How are you feeling?”
“Low on energy, but otherwise fine.”
“Then why aren’t you…” I gestured toward the socket. “…plugged in?”
He glanced from me to the socket and sat up to wrap his fingers around it. “Distracted. Thank you.”
I shook my head. “Maybe you should go up to your room.”
“Without my morning espresso shot?” There was a weight in his voice when he added, “And I wanted to see you.”
He picked up his cup as if he’d just remembered it and sipped his espresso.
No doubt Justice would tease me later, but I smiled like a goof. Made me want him, too. And my shift wasn’t over yet. “You still up for coming to mine later?”
“Of course.”
Could his voice go even deeper?
“I’ve been looking forward to it.”
“Good.” So was I. Even more so now. “It was a good shift, then?”
“Yes. All but the first floor is done.”
“Riley still sneaking in chandelier time?”
He nodded. “It’s only half an hour after each shift, but chandeliers trump coffee. Her words, of course.”
Of course. “You know Jasper has been sneaking Riley flat whites on his breaks?”
“I’ve seen him a few times. I’m—” He mouthed, “Oh.” And then clamped his lips together.
What was that about? “You’re what?”
He lowered his gaze to the table and shook his head.
“What? You didn’t catch them necking in the elevator, did you?” Like they hadn’t done that. Well, not while on shift.
Another head shake.
I sighed. “Would you rather talk about it later?”
“No… Yes… I…” He took a breath. “She said there was something different about me a few weeks ago. And I… we…”
Ah. I got what he meant now. “We’re not hiding.” I pointed at the counter. “They all know. You can tell her.”
I tried not to dwell on the growing urge to introduce him to my family. It was useless denying we fit well together, but he was still going home after the ball. And he was a prince, for beans’ sake.
“I didn’t want to… but now I feel I’ve left it too long. I don’t want her thinking I didn’t want her to know.”
Only my nosy baristas watching us stopped me from reaching across the table, though I didn’t know if I wanted to hug or throttle him. It was a good thing I’d been deciphering my kids’ rambling for years, as it now helped me understand what he meant.
“She might tease you. Might even scream, so be prepared. But she’ll understand.” Maybe that would light a fire under her and Jasper’s asses, too. “But it’s okay to keep it to yourself.”
“Thank you. For understanding.”
“No problem.” I rose. “I’d better get back to work. ”
Adri let go of the socket. “I think I’m going to draw for a while.”
I so wanted to kiss him. “See you after my shift.” I forced myself to turn and walked back to the counter, ignoring the sniggering behind the counter.
The morning wasn’t particularly busy, but it wasn’t until Mateo came in that I realized I hadn’t seen Adri leave. I spotted him through the window, sitting near the fountain.
After the handover chat with Mateo, I crossed the plaza.
He was so busy drawing, he didn’t seem to notice I paused and took my fill of him.
It was good to see him more relaxed and in his element.
He’d taken my comment that Layla might want a drawing of the fountain seriously and had started on a series.
Even one without a bird in it, though I did prefer the ones with birds. I’d have loved to hang one at the café.
I sat on the nearest bench, unwilling to disturb Adri.
When the kids returned this weekend, we wouldn’t see half as much of each other as we did now.
Not at my place, and not entire afternoons like this.
While I couldn’t wait to have everyone home again, I’d miss being able to spend those afternoons with Adri.
Even if it was for the best, with him leaving after the ball.
Quinn’s ringtone jolted me out of my thoughts. Adri, too, it seemed.
“Hi. Have you been staring at me long?”
“Not long enough.” I fished my phone out of my pocket and answered it.
Quinn’s smiling face appeared on my screen, with the others behind them. “Hi Pop.”
“Hey, kiddo. How was the Aviation Museum?”
“It was cool. Especially the flight simulators and the cockpits. And we’ve been to the Maryland Science Center. Julian will tell you more about that.” They held a hand over their ear. “ Can’t wait to sleep in my bedroom again. Charlie sings in her sleep.”
I laughed. It was more humming than singing, but I got the point.
One by one, they shared personal details of what they’d seen and done.
Told me who beat who at what games, how Grandpa had taught them new curses, and how Bethany had given him an earful for it.
Alex proudly showed his missing front tooth.
It was so good to see them—suntanned and happy—to hear their voices, even though I’d talked to them three days ago.
Charlie kept pausing her tale, angling her head this way and that to glance behind me. With a frustrated huff, she gestured for me to tilt my phone. Which I did without thinking.
“Hi,” she said as she waved.
Adri. Of course . I looked over my shoulder to find he’d moved to the other end of the bench, out of their line of sight. I moved closer to him and offered him a reassuring nod.
Charlie turned to Quinn. “Wow. He looks just like those Niren from your podcast.”
Shit. I forgot she’d seen those, too. With luck, Quinn wouldn’t recognize him from the reels.
“He does,” Quinn chimed in.
“Hello,” Adri replied and smiled awkwardly at my kids.
I gave him a thumbs-up for encouragement. “This is Adri, everyone. His pronouns are he/him, and he works at the hotel, in the Tech Hub.”
“Hi Adri,” the kids greeted him in unison.
“Adri, you’ve met Quinn. To their left is Julian, their twin. His pronouns are he/him.” I introduced them all, unable to suppress my laughter when Alex, once again, showed off his tooth.
“Is he the one who liked your drawings, Quinn?” Alex asked as he ducked out of frame with a wave .
“Yes,” Quinn answered from behind Ella and Charlie. “But he also designs electronic systems.”
“Cool…” Alex’s voice faded as he seemed to move even farther away.
Ella and Charlie were still staring at Adri, though.
“Coffee?” Ella asked. “Why is he purple?”
I forced myself to relax and not show Adri how horrified I felt that she’d asked that. Telling him she’d never seen a Niren before felt like a pithy excuse. Instead, I turned to Adri.
“He’s a Niren,” I said, squeezing his hand out of frame, hoping he’d take over.
His hand trembled in mine, his smile brittle as he answered Ella’s question about why Niren were purple—stuttering at first, a little nervous. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, let him know I had him. But along the way, his voice became steadier, and his trembling eased.
I was proud of the way he fielded all my kids’ questions with patience. Proud of how the kids behaved, too—friendly and polite, if inquisitive beyond belief, the nosy rugrats. If I didn’t count Ella’s purple question.
It all went swimmingly, until Charlie asked if he’d visit when they got back, and I felt like a vice tightened around my heart.
“I’m sorry, sprite, he can’t.” I couldn’t look at Adri then. “His work at the hotel is almost done. He needs to go home.”
When the kids eventually disconnected the call, I still stared at my phone. I wanted to apologize, wanted to explain I couldn’t promise my kids something that wouldn’t happen. So sure was I that my words had hurt him.
Instead, he smiled as he rose, still holding my hand. “They’re sweet.”
He pulled me to him and took me to his room.