Carla’s Prince

“The other place that is on the other side of town?” There was a cynical tone in Brenda’s voice. “Don’t you remember that day I told you that I had sworn off the usual Thai place because they had messed up my order and almost got me fired?”

Carla frowned. She could vividly recall that conversation but that was it. She could not really remember anything else about that conversation save for what Brenda had said. She shook her head and wondered if that was the only reason she no longer had Thai food from the closest joint to their apartment.

“And then there is the fact that I somehow got you off Chanel,” Brenda went on.

“Actually, as much as you would like to take credit for that, Chanel was something personal for me.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I made that decision when I read about her and how she carried herself in the German occupation during the Second World War…closing of her shop? Using her lover to ensure she took control of all Jewish owned competitors…” Carla shrugged. “I am not a Jew but I understand the kind of sh*t they went through and I am not now nor will I ever support anything or anyone who benefited from the death of millions.”

Brenda raised an eyebrow over the other.

“Yeah, that was definitely not my influence. That speech was all you.”

Carla forced a smile.

“Listen, I know that it has just been a few weeks since you met Cristoff but if it were not for me, perhaps you guys would have already began exploring whatever this thing between you is…” Brenda started before Carla shook her head.

“It is too soon to know.”

“Don’t say that. I have seen the way your eyes kind of twinkle when you talk about him. I think that you like him and you are trying to find reasons why the two of you shouldn’t be together because of the whole royal thing…” Carla’s lips parted before she could finish what she was saying but Brenda knew too well to allow her to interrupt again. “I think you need to just let yourself be happy. Let yourself find out what this is…if there is anything there at all.”

Carla bit her lip and played with a curly strand of her hair.

“I don’t know, Brenda,” she said as Brenda got up and put a finger up.

“Wait here,” she said before she ran to her room. Carla did not really know what she was supposed to be waiting for when Brenda came back into the room but she could not help but wonder if her roommate had been right to think that she would have already entertained Cristoff’s advances thus far. “This is so that you know that this is indeed a heart-felt apology,” Brenda said as she walked back to where Carla was.

“What is this?” Carla asked as Brenda handed her a black velvet case.

“Go on. Open it,” Brenda said.

Carla gasped when she saw a pair of perfect long red garnet tear drop earrings. They were the image of perfection. A deep red hanging from what looked like a silver and diamond encrusted crown. She looked up at Brenda and shook her head.

“This looks too expensive…I can’t take it.”

Brenda smiled.

“Please, those earrings are a reflection of yourself. You will look perfect in them.”

Carla shook her head again.

“I don’t know what to say,” she said in a soft whisper.

Brenda giggled.

Don’t say anything at all. Just promise me you will keep them and wear them with pride,” she said as she sat down next to Carla who looked like she was about to say something when her phone vibrated loudly against the couch. She smiled and reached for it as Brenda turned her attention back to the TV.

Carla sighed silently when she saw Cristoff’s name on her screen, again. This time, it was a text asking for a meeting ‘to touch base.’ She felt a slight flutter go through her stomach. She had not replied to his email yet, and maybe she was never going to reply to his email and he seemed to be okay with it. Maybe, just maybe, he was one of those people who knew how to keep things professional even in grey areas. She sighed again as she began replying to his text.

Where and when?

She reached for her coffee as she waited for him to reply. It only took minutes before the reply came.

I would say immediately but I don’t know what your schedule looks like. So, how about two in the afternoon?

She shook her head almost as if he could see her. Two was not going to work for her. She would have agreed to meeting him right away but she did not want to seem like every time he said jump, she was going to ask how high. So, instead, she was going to make him wait.

Busy at two. Five?

Her heart was racing as she waited for the reply.

Five it is. I wanted us to meet at my house so that it is less conspicuous…we have been meeting a lot in restaurants after all.

She smiled as she typed.

We sure have.

She sipped on her coffee again as another text came in.

I will send a car for you at half past four.

She frowned. She would not have minded driving to his place but since he was offering to send a car, she did not see why the hell she could not take advantage of the situation. Besides, who knew? This might have as well been her chance of knowing what the inside of a three hundred grand car looked like.

                                                            *****

The day went by way faster than Carla intended and before she knew it, it was half past four. She had spent the day trying to unwind from work but she was so much in her head that she did not realize that she did not even get time to do her hair. Instead, she moisturized it and rocked her naturally curly afro. She had on a long sleeved off white knee length dress and a pair of strapped flat-soled sandals that matched her new earrings perfectly. She had thrown on a black zipped up jacket and as far as she was concerned, she was as simple as ever. There was no way her dressing would have sent the wrong message. There was no cleavage or side boob showing and she had made sure her flawless legs were not as exposed in the calf length dress.

When the car drove into the Benedict estate, she gasped silently. She had always seen the high fence and the driveway that led up to the mansion, but she had never once pictured what the inside would have looked like: sheer perfection. The property was much bigger than she had ever thought possible and Cristoff had done something that she did not even consider possible: have an orchard right in the property which even though was located on the outskirts of town was still very much in view of the city. Hell, it might have been still within the city as far as she was concerned.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Cristoff said when the driver opened the door for Carla.

“I would hardly call this humble,” she said, smiling as she walked towards him. “I mean, you have so much acreage in here and that is saying something considering that you’re still within the city limits.”

He smiled.

“I would have loved to have more but I was a little late in getting in the wine business. So, now all I can do is send my fruit to the winery from two different orchards,” he said and she shook her head.

“Did you say winery?” she asked and Cristoff nodded. “So, this…all this is an orchard?”

He nodded again.

“I could give you a tour if you like,” he said and she shrugged.

“I would love to but I am not exactly in the right outfit for a walk in an orchard,” she said and he shook his head.

“You are in flat shoes. We will be just fine,” he persisted.

“But we have that meeting…” she started.

“We have time. Unless you are in some kind of hurry?”

She shook her head.

“Great,” he said as he led her out into the orchard.