Chapter 3 #2
This pub was in one of the artsy areas, just down the block from one of my favorite bookshops, although I hadn’t noticed it before due to the door being tucked back from the street. I wondered if its inconspicuousness was part of why Oliver liked it.
He was right about fitting in, I noted with amusement as I took in the patrons in their casual attire. Groups of people ranging from early twenties to middle-aged huddled around tables, chatting and laughing as they waited for the trivia host to kick things off.
Oliver nodded to our fellow patrons as we wove through the bar, greeting a handful of people by name or with a friendly clasp on the shoulder.
If not for the presence of the two bodyguards near the door and the third now taking up a spot near the bar, it would have been impossible to guess that he was anything more than another regular coming in for a midweek drink.
Oliver turned to me as we neared the bar. “Beer or cider? Or I can get you something else?”
“Cider is great, thanks,” I said, reaching for my wallet.
His hand reached out, stopping mine mid-movement.
“I’ve got it.” He motioned to the bartender with his free hand, holding up two fingers and pointing to a table near the back.
Still holding my hand, he ushered me to the table he had indicated, letting go only to place his hand on my upper back as he introduced me to the small group around the table.
“Adelaide, these are my friends Vince, Tej, and Chauncey.” He motioned to the three men at the table.
“And Vince’s girlfriend, Bianca.” He nodded to the woman draped over Vince.
“Or, at least, his flavor of the month,” he murmured in my ear with a wink.
“Everyone, this is Adelaide. Be on your best behavior, mates, no scaring her off,” he chided jokingly as he motioned for me to sit before grabbing a stool for himself.
“Ahhh, the mysterious tutor!” Chauncey said jovially, his dark cheeks lifting into a conspiratorial grin. “We finally meet!”
Oliver’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly as his cheeks flushed. What is that supposed to mean? I wondered, I but didn’t have a chance to respond before the bartender brought two pints over, setting them in front of us.
“Good to see you, mate!” the bartender said, shaking Oliver’s hand. “We’ve missed seeing you. Are you finally going to win tonight?”
“Let’s hope so,” Oliver laughed. “Otherwise you might have to start pretending not to know us out of shame.”
“Well, for Tej’s sake, let’s hope not.” Vince laughed, a deep dimple appearing in his cheek, as Bianca rolled her eyes and smacked her gum.
Oliver inclined his head toward the bartender as he turned to me.
“Chris here is Tej’s boyfriend. We have a nasty habit of coming in second place and it’s getting embarrassing.
I haven’t been able to join the guys here for pub quiz since you and I started working together, but they have not been holding it down in my absence. ”
“Please be our lucky charm,” Tej implored, lifting his glass to me as he took a drink.
“No promises,” I laughed, taking a sip of my own drink.
Despite my nerves, our team—The Beer Necessities—held our own in the first four rounds, and I found myself falling into easy conversation and banter with Oliver’s friends as the night progressed, nearly forgetting about my breakup with Theo.
And, thanks to knowing why flamingos are pink (“It’s because they eat shrimp!
” Vince had declared. “Actually, it’s because of the carotenoid pigments in the algae they eat; that’s why shrimp are also pink,” I corrected.) and which Olympic sport was originally called “Mintonette” (volleyball), we were tied neck and neck with The Smarty Pints at the beginning of the final round.
“Okay contestants, jump into your Delorean and set the clock to 1980, it’s time for ’80s music trivia!” the host announced as Tej and Chauncey arrived back at our table with another round of drinks.
“Goddamnit,” grumbled Chauncey as Vince groaned. “I don’t know jack about this shit. We’re doomed.”
Oliver leaned over to me, whispering, “Or maybe not.” His breath danced along the shell of my ear and sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.
It didn’t take long to discover why Oliver seemed so confident.
The answers for the round spilled out of him; he pulled Sting’s government name out of nowhere and immediately knew the title of George Michael’s debut solo album.
None of us questioned him as Vince wrote down our answers to be tabulated—not out of any deference to him as our prince, but because he spoke with such confidence that we knew he had to be correct.
“Okay, we are down to our final question of the night, which also happens to be tonight’s bonus question!
Getting this one correct will win your team an additional ten points: What ‘Friend’ did Bruce Springsteen bring up onto the stage in his music video for ‘Dancin’ in the Dark’?
Was it Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, or Lisa Kudrow? ”
“Oh, it has to be Jennifer Aniston, she’s been around forever,” Chauncey said confidently.
“I agree. It has to be her,” Vince concurred.
“No,” I disagreed. “It’s Courteney Cox.”
Vince, Tej, and Chauncey looked at me skeptically. Bianca rolled her eyes, clearly bored with us.
“She’s right,” Oliver said, a proud grin spreading across his face.
Vince paused, the pencil hovering over our answer sheet.
“My dad loves Bruce Springsteen. I was raised on that music video. I promise it’s right.” I returned Oliver’s smile.
“Write it down.” Oliver pointed to the paper.
Moments later, the host’s voice rang out through the room. “And our winning team tonight, with every answer correct in the final round including the bonus question: The Beer Necessities!”
The cheer our group let out was deafening.
Chauncey and Vince nearly toppled our table over as they leaped to their feet in celebration, and Oliver wrapped me in a tight hug before he seemed to remember himself and quickly pulled back.
He hesitated for a breath before saying, “Great work,” and squeezing my arm.
“Thanks,” I answered breathlessly, unsure of why I missed the feel of his arms around me so much.
“So. Is there like a special class on ’80s music or something that royals take?
” I asked, bumping Oliver’s arm with my shoulder as he walked me home, his bodyguards trailing behind us close enough to watch us but far enough not to overhear our conversation.
“Where did that bit of knowledge come from?”
Oliver blushed, running his hand through his short-cut blond hair.
“As a kid, I didn’t have a lot of choices when it came to extracurriculars.
As royals, we were required to take different languages, play an instrument, you know—the classic type of things.
” He tucked his hands inside his jacket pockets.
“Xavier obviously had to take more classes and lessons on state affairs and such, so in my free time, I found things that I enjoyed. I love ’80s music, but hair bands were a particular interest. I play guitar and pretty much exclusively play hair metal when I’m alone. ” He shrugged, giving me a boyish grin.
My cheeks nearly hurt from the wide smile that spread across my face. I couldn’t think of the last time I had laughed and smiled so much in one evening.
“Really?” I asked incredulously. That explains the calluses on his fingers.
“Yeah, I know, it’s weird,” he said, the flush on his cheeks deepening.
“No, that’s not…I was just thinking that you’re not at all who I thought you’d be.” The words slipped out before I could reel them back in. Now it was my turn to blush. I should not have had that last pint of cider.
“Oh, is that so?”
“I just mean—” I stopped, taking a breath as I faced him.
We were a few steps from my place. I continued in a rush, “We’ve known each other since we were kids, right?
But like…I guess I never really knew you.
I saw how Xavier acted and you never really spoke up when Renata Raines would make fun of me, and I just kind of assumed that you were like your brother and most of the other high-born kids.
” I shoved my hands in my coat pockets and stared at the pavement, wondering if the ground would open up and swallow me whole if I simply wished hard enough.
I felt Oliver’s hand on my upper arm. “Adelaide, I’m so sorry that I never stepped in and stopped them,” he said gently.
I made myself meet his gaze. “I was a stupid kid and still learning how to use my status for good. It’s not a very good excuse, but I need you to know that I’ve been thinking a lot about it these past few weeks and I can’t apologize enough for my childhood inaction.
I wish I could go back and do better, but all I can do now is be better moving forward. ”
I shook my head, playing with my keys in my pocket. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made assumptions. I mean, I’m not the same person I was in primary school; it wasn’t fair of me to think you wouldn’t have changed, either.”
“Maybe we can start over.” Oliver let go of my arm, bringing his right hand up as he smiled broadly at me, his silvery-gray eyes sparkling. “Hi, I’m Oliver. Part-time prince, full-time hair band enthusiast, and hopeless at the Spanish subjunctive.”
I laughed as I took his hand, warmth spreading through me despite the chilly weather. “Nice to meet you, Oliver. I’m Adelaide. Current tutor, future teacher, and lover of bubble baths.”
“It’s a pleasure, Adelaide,” he said as he walked me to my door. “And for the record, I wasn’t exaggerating earlier. You’re far too good for anyone who doesn’t treat you the way you deserve.”