Mistress to the Prince (9 page)

“Have a good night,” he replied.

Tara
left the palace that night feeling as if she’d just hurt her best friend’s feelings but she didn’t understand that emotion.  She and Max had fun working together, his jokes about the various people they worked with
usually
made the day go by quickly.  She also loved the work
as well as
the challenges the work brought to her mind and she respected the initiatives Max pushed within the government.  H
e was a very intelligent person
who considered several aspects of a situation before making a decision on how to go forward. 

But he definitely wasn’t her best friend.  They had a good rapport.  That was all. 

When she walked into her house that night, there was a message on her answering machine from Greg with more details about the party the following night.  He apologized but asked her if she could meet him at his office.  He was traveling and his flight didn’t land until one hour before the party was scheduled to begin.

Tara
was fine with that.  Although she thought he was a very nice man, she didn’t really want him to know where she lived just yet.  Until she knew more about him,
Tara
thought it was best to keep her home address to herself. She told herself that her caution had nothing to do with Max’s warnings. 
She was just being smart. 

The next morning was Saturday and she worked
on the pile of reports she’d packed up yesterday
throughout the morning, highlighting areas of several contracts that Max should be aware of before he discussed them the following week.  She made herself a simple sandwich for lunch and wondered why she wasn’t more excited about the evening ahead.  She was meeting a handsome and interesting man for a glamorous evening.  She should be fluttering around, jumping through hoops to get ready for the night.  Instead, she was considering going over another contract instead of showering for her nail appointment. 

After thinking about it for several minutes, she realized that she didn’t have anything new to be excited about.  For her, it was just a
nother party.  Since she went to
so many functions at the palace, the idea of anot
her black-tie night just didn’t
thrill her like it would have two years ago. 

“A new dress,” she said out loud. 
Tara
decided she needed to get a new dress, something that would make her feel feminine and glamorous.  Her current formal attire was nice
and very appropriate
, but ultra conservative.  They were dresses that allowed her to stay in the background when she was required to work government functions for various reasons.  They were elegant but very boring. 

Tossing the rest of her sandwich into a container for later, s
he showered and quickly changed into jeans and tennis shoes, then set out for the stores.  She knew of several that might have something more daring for tonight. 
She’d seen some in the stores when she’d been shopping for her conservative dresses recently but hadn’t dared to buy them.  They were much too sexy and feminine. 
She had no idea what the party was for, but it wouldn’t be with anyone she would see the next week so she felt it was safe to spice things up a bit. 

Tara
found
the perfect
dress in the third store she looked in.  It was a satin dress that flowed over her body like water, highlighting all her curves in a daring way.  The deep, rich maroon made her skin look creamy and her hair a darker
, more sultry
brown.  She bought it immediately, then went to her nail appointment and manicured her nails to match her dress. 
On her way out of the salon, she spotted the perfect pair of shoes for her dress and she slipped into the store to buy them.  They were sexy, strappy sandals that excited her to step around in them.  And thankfully they were comfortable to dance in, a rare find indeed!

She arrived home just in time to do something with her hair. She was just about to pull her long, dark tresses into her normal chignon but decided against it.  Instead, she curled the ends and pinned up the sides with sparkling clips, allowing the rest to flow down over her shoulders to the small of her back. 
It felt good to have her hair down for once.  She knew it would feel good against her skin as well once she put her dress on.  The back to her dress revealed a great deal of her back, flowing down to a smooth line once it passed her hips. 

With her sexy new dress on and her hair falling down her back, she felt pretty and sexy.  The thought came through her mind that she wished Max could see her like this.  But then she pushed it aside.  They were a great working team and she didn’t want to ruin that by
this
silly fantasy of hers that would never be a reality.  Max needed someone who could handle the pressures of being queen someday.  Not
Tara
. 

Sighing, she heard the cab honk his horn and she touched up her lipstick one more time
and grabbed a black, silk shawl to throw over her shoulders
before leaving her house.  She gave the cab driver directions to Greg’s office.  It was very close to the palace but she didn’t worry about that.  She knew that Max had some huge gala he was attending tonight
for one of his sister’s causes
so he wouldn’t be venturing outside the palace tonight. 

Greg met her in the lobby
to his office
and whistled when he stepped out of the elevator and caught sight of her.  “Wow!  You look fabulous,” he said, taking her hand and twirling her around so he could get the full effect of her dress.  “I’ll be the most admired man tonight,” he chuckled. 

Tara
was now glad that she’d gone out and gotten the dress.  The look in his eyes was flattering not to mention his words.  “Thank you.  I was hoping you’d approve,” she said and smiled gratefully.

“Let’s go.  I can’t wait to show you off,” he said and took her hand to lead her out of the building.  His car was on the street and he helped her into the passenger seat, then rushed around to the driver’s si
de. “It isn’t far away, but it’
s more convenient to drive than take a cab.”

“I don’t mind.  I’m hoping to save my feet for dancing rather than walking,” she joked.

“Me too,” he said with a grin.

They talked casually about where he’d been traveling to and
Tara
forced herself to concentrate on the conversation instead of letting her mind slip to a comparison of what Max looked like in a tuxedo versus Greg.  There really was no comparison
anyway
.  Greg looked nice and handsome but Max was about four inches taller in height and about five inches broader in the shoulders.  When Max put on a tuxedo, he was absolutely breathtaking.  Add his charming smile to that and she’d seen women literally melt in his arms. 

Who was she
kidding, she thought as Greg talked about the horrors of his flight. 
Tara
was one of those women.  She remembered the first time she’d seen him in a tuxedo.  She’d been working late one evening and he’d stopped by to pick up some information.  He’d smiled casually at her and her mouth had literally dropped open in astonishment.  Thankfully, he’d just grabbed his material and left the office again, off to wherever he’d been destined for that night.  And she’d continued working for several more hours, suffering through the work she’d been doing in an effort to impress him with her dedication. 

There was silence in the car and
Tara
looked over at Greg who was obviously waiting for a reply.

”I’m sorry, I was distracted wi
th a memory for a moment.  What
was that?” she asked. 

“No problem.  I’m excited about tonight as well,
”
he laughed.  “
It isn’t every day we get to visit the palace, is it?”

That caught
Tara
’s attention.  “Excuse me?  Where are we going?” she asked, sure she had misunderstood him.

Greg smiled proudly.  “The palace.  My boss wasn’t able to make it tonight so he gave me the tickets.  He donated money to some charity function and tonight is the big event
to thank all the contributors
.  Aren’t you excited?  I wanted to surprise you.”

Tara
could barely catch her breath.  “The palace?” she asked blankly and looked out the windshield.  Sure enough, they were already in the security line, only one car away.  She looked over at Greg and thought quickly. 

“Greg, I can’t go in there, not dressed like this,” she said quickly, deciding to be honest about her reasons. 

He glanced distractedly
toward
her but then quickly back to the car in front
o
f him, obviously nervous about getting through security. 
“Are you kidding?  You look fabulous,” he said and moved forward, already rolling down his window to hand the security guard his invitation. 

Tara
smiled weakly at the security guard who looked over at her, the surprise obvious on his face.  “Good evening, Ms. Tara,” the guard replied.

Greg was confused and looked between the guard and Tara, trying to figure out how the two knew each other.  “You know him?”

“
Y
es,”
Tara
smiled, but didn’t offer any explanation. 

The guard, named Phil, looked over Greg’s invitation and identification, then nodded him through the gates.  “Pull on through.  There will be additional security at the entrance,” he warned.  “
Have a great night
, Ms. Tara.  Behave!” he said and laughed softly at her stricken expression. 

Greg laughed along with him but he obviously didn’t get the joke.  “How do you know that guard?  Does he live near you?”

“Oh, we talk a lot,” was all she would say.

They pulled up to the doors of the palace and a valet rushed over to their car.  “Good evening,” the young man said, opening the door for
Tara
.  Greg handed him the keys and then came around to the entrance, putting a hand to the small of her back to escort her through the second security checkpoint. 

Tara
could feel the dread moving through her body as they slowly worked their way through the metal detectors and another guard searched her small purse.  Thankfully, it only held her driv
er’s license, a credit card and
lipstick. 
There had to be some way to get out of this night, she thought to herself.  She glanced quickly up at Greg but knew it would be a futile effort.  He was so excited he was almost sweating.  His hands were clammy too, she noticed. 

They were finally through and
Tara
walked into the ball that was thankfully crowded with so many people, she could barely walk into the room.  It was an odd feeling to be on the other side of one of these events.  She could feel the excitement from the other guests and, because there were so many people, she considered that perhaps she could avoid running into anyone she knew. 
Having been on the working side of these, she knew the way they would flow and perhaps she could stay away from the
royal family, all of whom knew her. 

Greg was too busy surveying the party and the incredib
le
beauty of the palace ballroom to notice her panic.  He almost left her behind at one point when he spotted the lavish buffet table in one room. 
“Let’s head over for some food,” Greg said
excitedly
.  “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.  I wonder if the food here is any good,” he joked.

S
h
e was so nervous, she doubted she would be able to eat anything. 
“I’m sure it’s wonderful,
” she replied
diplomatically
,
thinking about the breakfast she’d had earlier this week.  The palace chef was world renowned for
her
feasts
so really there was no question about the tastiness of the food
. 
It was a given. 

They went through to the dining room where a buffet table was set up.  Many people were already milling about, eating and socializing.  It wasn’t as crowded in here so
Tara
became a little nervous
, worrying that she might be picked out in a crowd
.  “Greg, I’m not really hungry.”
  She glanced around, looking over her shoulder in fear that she’d be recognized.