6. Hello Ms. Andromeda
Chapter six
Hello Ms. Andromeda
T he silence isn’t as awkward as I’d imagined, and maybe that’s because I’ve relented control to Eliam since he’s the one who wants to have the conversation.
For a while he just watches me leisurely eating the strawberries I’ve brought outside, as butterflies violently flutter around in my stomach. Occasionally, I glance over at him.
“Before—” He clears his throat. “I didn’t mean to walk in on you. I wanted to surprise you by bringing up your room service.”
I bite into another strawberry. “ Want one?”
“That’s your reply? To ask if I want a strawberry?”
“Yes? I can’t undo what happened, and I’m trying this thing where I don’t stress about things I can’t control. Plus, I’ll just assume you didn’t see too much.” I wink at him before I lick fruit juice from my wrist.
“And what if your assumption is wrong, Princess?” His demeanor shifts the energy in the air, amplifying the tension between us. I know we just met, but our attraction is as magnetic as it is undeniable.
“Is it?” I twist a strawberry stem around.
Eliam doesn’t answer the question. “What I’m trying to do is apologize. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. And it’s actually embarrassing how I can’t seem to keep it professional around you. Maybe the gravity of earth is getting to me, I’m not usually down here this long.” Eliam rubs his neck.
“And why are you? Down here, this long?”
“Because— I mean— I feel like it’s obvious.” He’s trying to keep his eyes on my face and failing.
“Be a big boy and use your words.” I shift in my seat and feel the robe fall open a little more.
“From the moment I saw you bathed in moonlight under the canopy of trees, I wanted to hold you, to know everything I could about you. To see what your lips taste like.” Our eyes are trained on each other .
“If a taste is all you want.” I move to sit in his lap and in one fluid motion, run my nose against his neck so I can inhale his scent.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” His velvety voice is raspier now.
“Do you want to kiss me? Because I want you to kiss me.” I run my fingers lightly down his neck.
Eliam pulls me nearer—his fingers pressing into my hip. Our faces are close enough that our noses softly graze each other. I slide my hand up the back of his neck until my hand is gently cradling his head; our breath, the only thing that fits between the space separating us.
I’m not going to make the first move—I’ve already made it too easy for him. I drop my gaze to his mouth and lick my lips before locking eyes with him again. If he wants to taste me so badly, he will have to do it himself. He starts to shake his head, which only makes me smile.
“I’d rip the galaxy apart for that smile,” he whispers, before he erases the distance by pressing his lips to mine.
He tastes like apples and honey; tropical and sweet. He deepens the kiss in a way that makes me want to climb into his skin as we explore each other.
“How was that for a taste?” A smile tickles my lips.
“Not nearly enough. I—” A loud ringing interrupts us. I launch myself towards the doors so I can make it inside before the call cuts. I catch it on the last ring .
“Hello, Ms. Andromeda?” a polite woman on the other line asks.
“Yes, this is she.” Eliam follows me inside, half-eaten strawberries in hand.
“Hello! I hope you’re enjoying your stay. Ms. Serpen requested a call to remind you of your museum tour in an hour.”
“Thank you so much!” I had completely forgotten about it.
“Not a problem. Was there anything else I could help you with?”
“No, thanks for the reminder. That’s it.” She hangs up immediately after.
Eliam lifts an eyebrow at me, the corners of his mouth pulling upward.
“What?” I walk into the bedroom and I'm standing at the end of the bed.
“Nothing, Princess. Nothing at all.” He playfully shrugs and sits down on the mattress.
I ignore him. “We’re going to have to cut this short. I have a date with your cousin.”
“Nyari?” He’s confused like he’s forgotten she's my real guide and he's hijacking her job.
“The one and only.” My partially open robe shimmies down my shoulders, when I turn to leave the room to get dressed.
I can hear Eliam saying something under his breath, before he loudly adds, “Do you want me to come back later?”
“That depends.” I wiggle out of the silk and let it slip to the floor with my back towards him .
“On?” There is pronounced gravel in his voice.
“I haven’t decided yet.” I laugh, glancing over my shoulder before I walk into the bathroom and close the door.
“I’m surprised you’re on time.” Nyari is sitting in her favourite spot when I walk out to head down to the lobby.
“I need to put bells on you nebulae! When did you get here?” I glance around in case Eliam is still lingering nearby.
“He left. I caught him on his way out.” She smiles like she’s keeping a secret.
I nod in response, not wanting to have a conversation about what we’d been up to. “Ready?”
“Yup. Did you want to teleport or get a car?”
“A car. I want to see the city from somewhere other than my balcony,” I explain as I walk to the door.
We take the elevator, and once we are in the lobby, Nyari scurries off to request a car. I’m admiring the elaborate ceiling when she comes back.
“The driver will bring the car around. We can wait outside.” She starts walking away immediately .
The chilly breeze tosses my curls around.
I pull my leather jacket close to avoid some of the wind blowing at me.
Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for the car to arrive.
Once the car is parked, an older gentleman hops out and opens the door for us.
Nyari gets in first, and after I am seated, the man closes it behind me.
We haven't pulled out of the entryway yet and Nyari is handing me a glass of champagne.
“Is this like the macarons? Are you obsessed with champagne too?” I ask her, laughing.
“No, but it sure is fun to drink.” She grins as she pours herself a glass.
“We’ll be arriving at the museum in ten minutes,” the driver announces.
The rest of the way, we sit in silence. Nyari keeps to her phone and I watch the scenery fly by.
We drive for a short distance, take a left and then keep going straight.
We are driving next to a river and I can see a few boats drifting in the distance.
Soon, we’re taking a right to exit the street.
The driver is traveling up a cobblestone driveway and I watch as we pass under an arch and follow the road until he stops.
“Ladies, we're here.” He opens my door first and then goes to let Nyari out.
I step out into a square and I’m immediately stunned by the brightly lit, giant triangle made of glass. There are no people around except for us, and I start wondering if the museum is even open when the driver voices my concern out loud .
“Of course it is. Thanks!” Nyari flashes him a smile. “We’ll contact you if we need a ride back.”
He nods, gets back into the car, and drives off.
“Is it really open?” I reluctantly follow as she confidently struts towards what I assume is the entrance.
Nyari spins around so she is facing me and walks backwards. “Nothing is ever closed for a royal. Come on, let’s have some fun!” We make our way towards a large escalator that takes us underground.