Carla’s Prince

“So, I guess the first thing is to ask what you have lost off the top of your head. Of course we are going to need a complete inventory later.”

He took a long deep breath and exhaled loudly.

“I guess just a few pieces of silverware here and there, as I said before. I might not be able to give a good enough detail until I do an inventory.”

She nodded and bit her lip. This was not going to be as easy as she thought. They were going to have a whole lot more sit downs before she finally cracked the case.

“You said you had suspects?”

Cristoff nodded.

“My staff.”

“That’s a wide net,” she said but he shook his head.

“Actually, it is a pretty small one because the culprit is just one of three people. My chef, housekeeper, or butler.”

She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow over the other.

“Did you just say butler?” she asked and he nodded.

“He is a quiet man like the chef who I hardly see. The housekeeper…I don’t know much about her. Unlike the chef and butler who I have known for a while, the housekeeper has just been with me for a little under ten months.”

She nodded.

“She is young, pretty like you.” She looked up at him and felt her heart skip a beat. “Well, you are so much prettier of course.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she said casually even though her cheeks were flushed.

“That is not what I am trying to do,” Cristoff said in a soft voice making her fidget. Her hand somehow knocked over her fork from her plate and as she reached for it, he reached for it too. Their hands touched and she felt a flutter in her stomach. She looked up at him, at his perfect warm eyes. She could not help but bite her lip before pulling her hand away. There was a long awkward minute before she spoke again.

“So, we were talking about your staff,” she said quickly.

“Yes. We were talking about my butler.”

She once again looked at him. She still could not believe that he had a butler.

“So, when you say butler, you are talking about the smartly dressed man who opens doors for you and everything?” He nodded again. “Are you Bruce Wayne or something?”

Cristoff laughed.

“Ironically, my butler’s name is Alfred,” he said.

Carla smiled and shook her head.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought you were some kind of royalty,” she said as she tucked another stray hair behind her ear. She looked up when he did not respond and bit her lip. She’d had a crazy feeling that she had seen him somewhere before ever since she met him in Thomas’ office but she just couldn’t place him. She had taken solace in thinking that he was perhaps one of those people who just happened to have ‘one of those faces.’ “Wait, are you?” she asked.

“Am I…what?”

“A royal? Maybe you are like the fifteenth in line after the queen since I know for a fact that you are not one of Princess Diana’s sons.”

He smiled and shook his head.

“No, I am not. I am actually from Denmark.”

She raised an eyebrow over the other.

“That is interesting. I have never really met anyone from Scandinavia before.” She shook her head. “Your diction is perfect. I mean, if you had not told me anything, I would have been stuck wondering which British boarding school you went to.”

“Actually, I did go to a British boarding school. All the members of my family did.”

“Aristocrats?” she asked as she reached for her phone.

“Not really,” he said, smiling.

“You know what? I’ll just Google you,” she said and he shook his head.

“I could tell you anything you want to know,” he said and she shrugged.

“Yeah, but I just don’t know what questions to ask. Besides, Googling clients is an integral part of any job. I am just doing it right in front of you because I feel a little free with you for some reason…” Her voice trailed off and she looked up at him. “This cannot be right,” she said under her breath. She looked at her phone and then looked at Cristoff, shaking her head.

“This, right here, is why I would have preferred to be the one to tell you,” he said.

She put her phone down on the table and switched off the recorder.

“You know, I thought you looked familiar but I did not have…I mean, I was not so sure about who you were…”

“But I introduced myself using my real name.”

“Well, the same reason you so comfortably move in the United States so freely is the same reason you use your real name with everyone in here, clearly.”

A smile played on Cristoff’s face.

“So, I just had breakfast with the prince of Denmark?” she whispered and he nodded.

“Yeah, and I appreciate you whispering. The last thing I want is for my pictures to be all over tomorrow’s gossip pages.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Anonymity is my biggest ticket out here.”

Carla nodded and took another sip of her coffee. Suddenly, she was not so sure how she was supposed to handle herself around him. He was literal royalty. She must have been quiet for a long time because Cristoff had to snap her back into reality once again.

“I’m sorry….this is just…a lot to take in,” she said and he nodded.

“I know. I am sorry…maybe, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Actually, you didn’t. I Googled you, remember?” she said, smiling at him.

He nodded and a loose lock of his thick brown hair fell out of place. She looked at him as he ran his fingers through his hair setting the thick lock back in place.

“Why don’t we do this, talk a little about ourselves to make sure we are comfortable around each other?” he asked.

“I don’t know…there isn’t much to me. I live a very simple and routine life.”

“So, let’s start there. Tell me about your very simple routine life,” he said and she shook her head. “You said something about a roommate earlier?”

She nodded.

“Yeah, Brenda. Brenda Haus,” she started as she sipped on her coffee again. “She is a junior editor at Faux Pas, an up and coming fashion magazine. In addition, she began dating this chef, Pete, a few months ago and lately it is more of a three person housing situation, but I am not complaining. I love it.”

He raised an eyebrow over the other.

“Really?” he asked. “I don’t know so many people who would have the same sentiments.”

“Well, Brenda and I are polar opposites. She is this bubbly person with a loud personality who really gets me. I mean, I have never had boundary issues with her and Pete is a relaxed guy who kind of grounds her. Plus, I have been having homemade meals, delicious homemade breakfasts and dinners on the regular.” She shrugged. “Why would I ever complain about that?”

“Sounds like a cozy set up you have there.”

Carla nodded.

“It is. It really is.”      

“See? Now we are getting somewhere.”

She smiled and shook her head.

“Actually, I am the only one who shared something about myself. It is time for you to tell me something about yourself.”

“All right. My name is Cristoff Mikkel Benedict. I have one brother, three sisters. I am the eldest in my family…” His voice trailed off when she put a finger up. “What?”

“You have to tell me something that a quick Google search wouldn’t show me,” she said. “Everything you just said is on Wikipedia.”