“What do you mean a long night?” I frowned. “What do you have planned?”

“I mean a long night.” He paused. “Or maybe you’d prefer me to say a big one.”

“Oh.” I flushed. “You’re so crude. Did you just bring me here for sex?”

“I’d rather not answer that.” He shrugged. “Or as you Americans say, I’ll plead the fifth.”

“Uh huh.” I walked over to my bag and opened it quickly and pulled my phone out as he walked into the bathroom.

“Lola.” Anna’s voice was loud as she picked up the phone. “You’re alive. What’s going on?”

“You don’t want to know.” I groaned. “I’m in Romerius at the Royal Palace with Xavier.”

“No flipping way.”

“Yes, way. It’s crazy. I even met his mom and dad, the Queen and King.”

“No flipping way.” Her voice grew even louder with excitement.

“And I met his cousin Tarquin. He came to meet us at the airport, but then disappeared when we made it back to the palace.”

“Oh my god, Lola. You’re in a palace.”

“Can you believe it? It’s so surreal.”

“I cannot believe it.” Anna’s voice sounded a bit jealous. “You have all the luck.”

“Anna, trust me. It’s not luck. And it’s not like he’s fallen in love with me and wants to marry me. He just wants some hot sex.”

“I want hot sex.”

“Anna.”

“What? I’m just saying. Shit, I’d love some hot sex with a Prince. Could you imagine what I’d tell everyone in Palm Bay, “hey biatches, I f**ked a prince? Who did you f**k, Johnny the head waiter at Applebees?”

“Anna.” I giggled. “That’s so bad.”

“Okay, okay. Maybe they f**ked Luke the shoe guy at Dillards.”

“He was a sick f**k.” I laughed, remembering the creepy middle-aged man that sold women’s shoes in our closest mall in Melbourne.

“Do you remember that time I went to get heels for Homecoming and we caught him sniffing my flip-flops.”

“Don’t remind me.” I shuddered.

“At least he gave me a discount.”

“He should have given you more than 5%.”

“I know.” She sighed. “I miss you, Lola.”

“I miss you too, Anna.”

“I’m happy for you though. I hope you know that I’m not being a sour bitch.”

“You mean a hater?”

“I’m not being a hater.” She giggled again. “Well just a little bit. I want to meet a guy; he doesn’t even have to be a prince. I want to be whisked somewhere. I want some hot sex.”

“What about Sebastian?”

“Sebastian?” She laughed. “Yeah, right. He thinks I’m crazy after the first night we met.”

“No, he doesn’t.” I lied. It was very possible that Sebastian thought she was a big creeper after her psycho behavior the night we’d all met.

“Lola, it’s okay. You don’t have to try and make me feel better. I’d think I was a psycho if I was him.”

“I wish you could come out here.”

“Why don’t I?”

“I’ll only be here for a week.” I whispered into the phone. “Then Xavier will have no need for me.”

“What?” Anna sounded pissed. “You are not going to really let this guy use you, are you?”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Lola, remember this. You are beautiful. You are good. You are kind. You don’t need no losers.”

“Are you misquoting that movie?” I asked, laughing, but happy at her words.

“What movie?”

“The Help? You know that scene where she says ‘you is this and you is that’?”

“You is isn’t proper grammar.”

“Anna, I swear. Sometimes you’re so annoying.”

“What? I’m an English major. It’s something I pay attention to.”

“Anyways, I just wanted to tell you I was okay and not to worry.”

“I’m still going to worry.”

“You shouldn’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“I can’t help but worry. This isn’t part of the plan. This isn’t something you do.”

“We all change and do crazy things.”

“You’re not the one that’s supposed to do crazy things, though.”

“I can’t be boring Lola Franklin anymore.”

“I think you lost that title the night you slept with Prince Xavier of Romerius for the first time.”

“You’re so bad.”

“Actually, I think you’re the bad one.”

“No, I’m not.” I giggled and then paused as I heard the shower in the bathroom stop. “Anyways, I really have to go. I think Xavier is about to get out of the shower.”

“What? Are you sleeping in the same room? What?”

“It’s a long story, Anna.” I whispered.

“Don’t tell me he’s a prince, but lives in some sort of one-bedroom apartment or something? He’s not a poor prince is he?”

“No, Anna.” I rolled my eyes. “His family is rich. Even the toilet is plated in gold. And I already told you I’m staying at the palace. You even exclaimed that you’re so jealous I’m staying in a palace or something like that.”