Chapter 10
Ten
“Soooooo,” Lauren said, leaning against the bathroom sink. Una was washing her face after what looked to be a successful night
out, if the hickey just below her earlobe was any indicator. The post-Singapore jet lag had been all too real, and this was
the first time in three days that Lauren had finally been able to wake up at a civilized hour, which worked out well as it
was her first day back in the office.
“Let’s say theoretically,” Lauren continued, and Una peeked one soapy eye up from her hands, looking at Lauren in the mirror.
“Well, this sounds like it’s going to be juicy,” Una said through a mouthful of foam.
“Definitely not juicy,” Lauren lied. “Let’s say that—”
“Theoretically,” Una said, rubbing at her mascara.
“Always,” Lauren agreed. “So, let’s say you were on a business trip with a, um, a coworker, for example.”
“That is usually who you see on business trips,” Una said. “But go on.”
“And let’s also say that maybe and perhaps possibly, you and this coworker kissed, even though it would be inappropriate.”
Una peeked her other eye up. “I’m hoping for your sake that this isn’t theoretical after all.”
“It’s not about me,” Lauren said quickly. “I’m just asking for a friend.”
Una looked disappointed. “Lauren. Try harder.”
“Okay, fine. Let’s say you kissed this person but then fortunately you got interrupted and nothing more happened. But then
unfortunately, you have to see this person at work.”
“Sounds like a champagne problem,” Una said, splashing water on her face. “Do you double cleanse?”
“What? No.”
“You should.” Una turned off the water and grabbed a towel. “Is this theoretical person cute?”
“Yes,” Lauren said, a little too quickly for her liking. “Very.”
“Hmm, nice. And who exactly would have to know about this if you did hook up?”
The entire world, Lauren thought to herself before saying, “Possibly no one? But also possibly everyone. At work, I mean.”
Una nodded as she thought, dabbing at her face, and Lauren could see the exact second that it hit her.
“Oh my God,” she said, whirling around. “Did you fuck the hot duke?”
“What?” Lauren screamed. “Oh my God, no! What do you think, that this is Bridgerton or something?!”
“Because you said you worked at Buckingham Palace. And I saw you in the news in Singapore with the royals.” Una was shaking
her finger like a detective who had solved the most impossible mystery. “And there’s exactly one person at Buckingham Palace
right now that everyone wants to shag. I have to say, Lauren, I am impressed.”
Lauren, for the millionth time since she had arrived in London, wished she had her own bathroom. “Listen to me. I haven’t fucked anyone, which I understand sounds really sad when I say it out loud—”
“Hey, I don’t judge,” Una said with a shrug. “Takes all kinds to make the world go ’round.”
“I’m just saying that a coworker and I became close and I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Well, I am quite proud!” Una said. “Look at you, working your way through the royal lineage.”
“Oh for the love of—okay.” Lauren covered her face in her hands, possibly smudging the eyeliner she had put on twenty minutes
earlier, before Una had come into the bathroom and when her life had been easier. “I have not done anything with the royal
lineage, and please don’t think that I did. Or worse, say that I did.”
“Hey, if there’s one person who can keep a secret, it’s me.” Una turned back to the mirror as she opened a bottle of blue-colored
serum. “I know where all the bodies are buried.”
Lauren paused before asking, “Is that a metaphor?”
Una started to dot serum all over her face. “You can decide.”
“I’m just wondering if it would be bad, if I did something with someone.”
“Is anyone going to die if you do?”
Maybe me, Lauren thought. “I don’t think so?”
“Then go for it. Don’t live your life by someone else’s rules. This world is hard and if you find someone who keeps your bed
warm and also happens to be insanely attractive, then why not.”
Lauren knew that this was not the advice she needed, but it was still good to hear. “Okay,” she said. “Thanks, Una.”
“One more piece of advice?” Una said, then gestured to Lauren’s forehead. “I know a great Botox lady who can fix that in a
second.”
“THANKS, UNA!” Lauren yelled as she left the room. “Always a pleasure!”
“Hopefully that’s what he says as well!” she replied before Lauren decidedly slammed the door behind her.
There was only one reason that Lauren had confided in Una at all, she realized on the tube into work that morning: It was
because she could never, ever tell Joy. Even now, she wasn’t sure if Joy could read it on her face, and she had enough on
her plate without her one friend putting the pieces together.
The truth was, Lauren hadn’t stopped thinking about Jasper. Sitting with him on the couch, their knees touching in a way that
made Lauren feel like she was back in high school again. It was like he could see right through her, exposing her in a way
that felt even more dangerous than if they had just locked the door and tumbled into those luxurious sheets on his king-size
bed. And then there was the sturdiness of his body next to hers, his steady gaze as she had spoken about her past life in
DC, the hot press of his mouth on hers.
With Oscar, she had felt incredible tension, the pull to make out with him in the middle of a nightclub and then bicker with
him a day later at a press conference. There was the witty banter and the flirty texts, but also the considerate phone call
that night at Balmoral. She sometimes didn’t know where they stood, which made it exciting. Lauren had never not enjoyed a
challenge.
If Oscar felt like her schoolboy crush, then Jasper felt, well, not like a schoolboy at all.
It was thrilling and sparked a specific joy she hadn’t felt in so long.
But she could not deny the sense of guilt that had also set in.
She and Oscar were definitely not exclusive, not really even a thing, but still, she liked him.
She knew that if Oscar had kissed someone else, she’d feel jealous and likely pissed off.
So she didn’t feel great about what had happened with Jasper—even if a relationship with him, or just another kiss, was completely out of the question.
The chill and gloom on her walk from Green Park station to the Palace, along with a quick slushy spray from an errant cabdriver,
matched her mood that morning, and by the time she got to work, everyone else was in full work mode, Joy included.
“Hi, my love,” Joy said breathlessly as she brushed past Lauren. “Look, come with me to this meeting. I want to hear allll about Singapore and everything you did, but I have to do this one thing first and it’s about this community outreach program
we have in the works for the Strathearns, so you should be there as well, as I’m really hoping it finally gets activated.”
“Okay,” Lauren said, and felt the rush of relief that always came from seeing a friend after what felt like a long time apart.
“Did you get more pods for the Nespresso in your office?”
“Of course I did.” Joy looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “Am I supposed to drink the coffee from the kitchen? Please,
Lauren, life is too short.”
Lauren gave her a quick hug. “I adore you, do you know that?”
“Again, of course I do.” Joy squeezed her arms as they walked toward her office. “What’s gotten into you?” She glanced around
then before mouthing at Lauren, “Please say Oscar.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” Lauren replied. “Just happy to see you, that’s all.”
The meeting consisted of Joy, Lauren (who had first made herself a double espresso before settling into an office chair), and three members of the Prince and Princess of Strathearn’s team, including their private secretary, Harold Cockburn.
“Hello, Harold; hello, all,” Joy said. “I brought Lauren in as well, since she’s currently crushing it as the head of comms,
as I’m sure you all are well aware.” The look on Harold’s face seemed to say that he did know and he wasn’t particularly thrilled
about a twenty-eight-year-old American being employee of the month.
“We’ve been discussing having the Strathearns pilot a community outreach project in the city,” Joy said to Lauren. “There,
now you’re caught up.”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Lauren said, all too ready to be Joy’s hype woman.
“Well, we shall see. The couple already have a few engagements a week in their diaries through the end of the year,” Harold
said. “Joy did send over a list of community centers in different neighborhoods, though it appeared to be focused mostly on
southeast London.” The way he appeared to say “southeast London” with a little disdain gave Lauren pause, and judging from
the intentionally blank look on Joy’s face, she didn’t appreciate it either.
“Well, ‘community outreach’ does involve neighborhoods,” Joy replied. “Usually in different communities other than Westminster
or Kensington, and through research and my conversations with local MPs across the city, there is a need for more youth-focused
initiatives and service projects in the likes of Lewisham, Bexley, Southwark, and so on—all extremely diverse communities.”
“Hmm.” Harold hummed as he flipped through several of the pamphlets and printed memos.
“Let’s do this one in Lewisham.” He held up a page with the name of a youth center to the woman sitting next to him, who was apparently low enough on the roster to not even garner an introduction.
“How long will a visit take?” he asked. “An hour? Less?”
“Ideally this would be a longer commitment than just one visit, with an announcement, an initial visit, a roundtable with
local politicians and community leaders, a follow-up visit further down the line,” Joy replied evenly. “I know they would
appreciate as much time as the couple have to offer. Visits like this, they can bring so much attention to the community,
and that radiates outward, of course.”