spreadsheets, it helped me create order from chaos and I got satisfaction from crossing off an item from a to-do list. It didn’t take much to make me happy.
Unsurprisingly, by the time the other staff started to trickle in, my anxiety over the whole ‘Freddie Proposition’ had calmed. Spreadsheets did that for me and I wasn’t ashamed to admit it. I was even humming under my breath as I went about my daily tasks. So involved in my work was I that I completely missed his arrival and was caught completely unawares when he leaned over my shoulder and whispered in my ear.
“You didn’t call me.”
Startled, I jumped causing his lips to make contact with my neck and sending all sorts of confusing sensations through me. He chuckled as I turned to glare up at him.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that,” I hissed, hoping that no one had seen the inappropriate moment.
He sat on the edge of my desk with his arms crossed over his chest and looking down at me with a smile on his face.
“Nice spreadsheet,” he said with a head tilt toward my computer screen.
“It’s a list of the cards and gifts that have been sent to the Queen,” I replied haughtily, still trying to find the calm I’d had before he’d surprised me.
“So, do you have an answer for me?”
I was saved from answering by the entrance of the Queen herself. Alyssa looked relaxed and happy as she walked into the office in a stylish Chanel suit. I know that Savannah had agonised over the choice of the outfit for the Queen’s first official day and I approved of the winning outfit. We all stood and curtsied/bowed and then applauded her lightly as she grinned at us. I had hit it off with the Queen-to-be from our first meeting and I counted her among my closest friends.
One of the things that I loved about her most was her total unpretentiousness. Yes she was brought up as the Heir Presumptive, the spare to the heir, but she had chosen to live a relatively normal life, until fate had intervened and thrust her into the Heir Apparent role. It hadn’t changed her and it was one of the characteristics that had swayed public opinion in her favour.
Freddie was the first to step forward and place a chaste kiss on her cheek. They were good friends and he had been a rock for her throughout the difficult ascension process and it was obvious the affection between them. But their friendship was outshone by the love she had for Will, who now held the very prestigious role of Queen’s consort, until their wedding in six months. Then he would become Prince Will, since he couldn’t hold a rank higher than her. She had argued against it, insisting that he hold the role of King to her Queen, but the government wouldn’t be swayed. She had grudgingly accepted it telling anyone who would listen that it was an antiquated tradition and the words King and Queen were just words. To the Peerage at large who took their titles a lot more seriously than the Queen did, it was blasphemy and they insisted the tradition remain. Will didn’t care either way, which was what finally convinced Alyssa to concede.
“Thank you,” the Queen said, looking around at the assembled staff, “I couldn’t have done it without any of you. Here’s to a long and fruitful reign!”
A rousing “Long live the Queen” erupted from the assembled staff and she blushed and laughed. As much as I wanted to celebrate with everyone else, if I didn’t get this train back on track we would be running behind for every appointment we had today.
“Okay, back to work,” I said in my general’s voice, “We have a busy day ahead of us, starting with a photo op in front of the Palace.”
I herded everyone out of the office, my day had begun.
I tried several times throughout the day to corner Alex and get her to talk to me, but we never got more than a few minutes alone and there was no time to discuss the proposal. The more I’d thought
Unsurprisingly, by the time the other staff started to trickle in, my anxiety over the whole ‘Freddie Proposition’ had calmed. Spreadsheets did that for me and I wasn’t ashamed to admit it. I was even humming under my breath as I went about my daily tasks. So involved in my work was I that I completely missed his arrival and was caught completely unawares when he leaned over my shoulder and whispered in my ear.
“You didn’t call me.”
Startled, I jumped causing his lips to make contact with my neck and sending all sorts of confusing sensations through me. He chuckled as I turned to glare up at him.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that,” I hissed, hoping that no one had seen the inappropriate moment.
He sat on the edge of my desk with his arms crossed over his chest and looking down at me with a smile on his face.
“Nice spreadsheet,” he said with a head tilt toward my computer screen.
“It’s a list of the cards and gifts that have been sent to the Queen,” I replied haughtily, still trying to find the calm I’d had before he’d surprised me.
“So, do you have an answer for me?”
I was saved from answering by the entrance of the Queen herself. Alyssa looked relaxed and happy as she walked into the office in a stylish Chanel suit. I know that Savannah had agonised over the choice of the outfit for the Queen’s first official day and I approved of the winning outfit. We all stood and curtsied/bowed and then applauded her lightly as she grinned at us. I had hit it off with the Queen-to-be from our first meeting and I counted her among my closest friends.
One of the things that I loved about her most was her total unpretentiousness. Yes she was brought up as the Heir Presumptive, the spare to the heir, but she had chosen to live a relatively normal life, until fate had intervened and thrust her into the Heir Apparent role. It hadn’t changed her and it was one of the characteristics that had swayed public opinion in her favour.
Freddie was the first to step forward and place a chaste kiss on her cheek. They were good friends and he had been a rock for her throughout the difficult ascension process and it was obvious the affection between them. But their friendship was outshone by the love she had for Will, who now held the very prestigious role of Queen’s consort, until their wedding in six months. Then he would become Prince Will, since he couldn’t hold a rank higher than her. She had argued against it, insisting that he hold the role of King to her Queen, but the government wouldn’t be swayed. She had grudgingly accepted it telling anyone who would listen that it was an antiquated tradition and the words King and Queen were just words. To the Peerage at large who took their titles a lot more seriously than the Queen did, it was blasphemy and they insisted the tradition remain. Will didn’t care either way, which was what finally convinced Alyssa to concede.
“Thank you,” the Queen said, looking around at the assembled staff, “I couldn’t have done it without any of you. Here’s to a long and fruitful reign!”
A rousing “Long live the Queen” erupted from the assembled staff and she blushed and laughed. As much as I wanted to celebrate with everyone else, if I didn’t get this train back on track we would be running behind for every appointment we had today.
“Okay, back to work,” I said in my general’s voice, “We have a busy day ahead of us, starting with a photo op in front of the Palace.”
I herded everyone out of the office, my day had begun.
I tried several times throughout the day to corner Alex and get her to talk to me, but we never got more than a few minutes alone and there was no time to discuss the proposal. The more I’d thought
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