CHAPTER 8
The princess couldn’t remember a time she’d enjoyed herself more as she finished her dinner with Ned in her hotel suite.
Ned not only answered all her questions about what it took to become a director, he’d also entertained her with his hilarious stories about some of his mishaps on his first jobs. Even Benson, faithfully standing by in the background, had chuckled. The princess was delighted to learn that beyond being a talented director, Ned was also a fantastic storyteller. When he confessed to writing several movies of his own that he hoped to someday direct, she was quick to offer to read them.
“If you let me read your scripts, I could give you my notes,” the princess said rubbing her hands together in anticipation. “Free of charge, of course. I am quite good at notes.”
Ned laughed. “Oh, I know you are, but these aren’t royal stories.”
The princess shrugged. “That’s okay. I could give you my opinion as a viewer. The female perspective. What are they about?”
“One’s a comedy. The other is an action-adventure movie,” Ned answered.
“And I love both!” said the princess. “So, that’s settled. I’ll read them. Have you written any romantic comedies?”
Ned laughed a little. “No. That’s not my lane.”
“I’ve written one,” the princess said proudly. Then covered her mouth with her hand. “I can’t believe I just told you that. I haven’t told anyone.”
Ned leaned in. “So, what is this romcom about? One of the great loves of your life?”
The princess sighed. “No, I haven’t found any great love yet, but I still have hope.”
When their eyes met, the princess blushed, looked away, and started folding the napkin on her lap. “I think it will help my writing when I actually do fall in love. Right now, I’m just writing about what I think love should be, using my imagination.”
“Is that the only reason you want to find love, for the research?”
The princess smiled as she looked up at him. “Of course not. I want to find love because, at the end of the day, love is all that really matters. Without love, what do you have? I want to find my person that will love me no matter what. I want someone who will support me and challenge me, and I want to challenge and support them. I want it all…”
Benson, taking it all in, cleared his throat and joined them. “Princess, it looks like you’re all done here, and it is getting late.”
The princess laughed. “Benson, it’s only nine o’clock. Ned still needs to show me the castle he’s shooting in. Why don’t you go work on The Elderman Report. Like you said it needs to be done. I’ll join you after we’re finished here.”
Before Benson could respond, the princess stood up and walked him to the door. She whispered to him so Ned couldn’t hear. “Can I please have just a few minutes alone with Ned? I’m twenty-six years old, not sixteen. You’ll be right next door if I need you. I promise to behave myself.”
Benson looked like he wanted to protest, but the princess had already opened the door for him.
“Thank you, Benson, for everything and for going over that very important report.”
“Thank you, Benson,” Ned called out. “The dinner was great. I really appreciate you both setting this all up.”
“It was our pleasure, right Benson?” the princess asked with a smile.
Benson nodded. “I’ll be right next door if you need me for anything.”
“We won’t,” the princess said as she shut the door.
“Benson really takes his job seriously,” Ned said. “That’s admirable.”
“It is,” the princess agreed. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful for all Benson does for me. It’s just sometimes a little suffocating. It’s like I have a constant shadow.”
“That would be hard,” Ned agreed.
“Okay, so now show me this castle you’ve been telling me about,” the princess said, wanting to lighten the mood. “Let’s go in the living room.” Ned followed her as they walked over to the fireplace. “Do you have the pictures and videos on your phone, or did you bring a tablet? I can’t wait to see it.”
“And I can’t wait to show it to you, but I have a better idea,” Ned said as he flashed her his irresistible smile. “To really get a feel for its grandeur and scope, you need to see it in person.”
The princess laughed. “Okay, sure. Just have your helicopter land on the roof, and we’ll go right now.”
“I can’t get us there tonight, but I can tomorrow morning.”
The princess’s mouth dropped open. “What? You’re serious?
“Absolutely,” Ned said. “These final castle scenes will be key to setting the tone of this movie. I could really use your input and advice. I know you’re busy and heading home soon, but just in case you could find the time, I had to ask and see if…”
“Yes!” the princess answered, excited before he could finish. She flung her arms around him in a heartfelt hug. “That would be amazing!” As she felt his breath on her cheek, she suddenly realized what she’d done. She was in his arms. Embarrassed, she started to pull back but then saw the way Ned was looking at her.
As he gazed into her eyes, she knew he was going to kiss her, and she had never wanted anything more. As he leaned in for the kiss, she shut her eyes. Her heart pounded so hard she could barely breathe. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, she heard the front door opening.
They both jumped apart as Benson entered.
“I forgot my…” Benson started but stopped. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the princess and Ned. The princess, breathless, felt her face heat up.
“Benson, we were just going to call you,” Ned said.
The princess nodded. “We were.”
“Really?” Benson asked, skeptical.
“Yes,” Ned said as he approached Benson. “We need your help planning.”
“Planning for what?” Benson asked, still looking suspicious.
The princess joined Ned. “Benson, Ned needs our help again tomorrow with the movie. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Benson frowned. “But I thought we were done in Central Park.”
“We are,” the princess said. “We’re going to help him at a castle.”
“What?” Benson asked, looking shocked.
The princess, beaming, took Benson’s hand. “It’s going to be amazing, Benson. Come, sit down. Ned’s going to tell us all about it!”
As they all sat, the princess saw Ned watching her. They shared a smile. As excited as she was about another day working on the movie, she was even more excited about spending more time with Ned. She had her own plan to find a way to make their near miss kiss actually happen.