My One True Love

Chapter Three: Our Holy Ground

ADALET...

While Judy was in her interview, I left to go meet William at the hotel he was staying at. I took his computer case and rushed to the streets in search of a cab. Thankfully it didn't take long and a minute later, a cab stopped beside me and I got in. The man looked at me expectantly, "Where to, miss?"

"To the St. Regis Hotel please," I said calmly and sent Judy my live location just in case, you can never be too careful.

The ride there was quiet and a bit long due to the traffic but it was nothing out of the ordinary. When the cab stopped in front of the hotel, my hands began to sweat and my body stiffened a bit, to say I was nervous was an understatement.

The man looked at me through the reirview mirror with an impatient look on his face and that's when I realized I had to pay him. I took out money from my purse and handed it to the man before stepping out of the cab.

The hotel looked elegant and expensive, as I walked up the steps I could see a man standing at the entrance and he opened the door for me and I walked in, my legs feeling like jelly. Calm down, Adalet, it's just lunch, after this you never have to see each other again, I said to myself in my mind, truthfully, I wanted to see where this led, who knows, maybe I could make a new friend. Suddenly, the computer case began to feel heavy on my shoulder. "Miss Adalet Trent, we meet again," his voice said behind me, running an involuntary shiver down my spine.

I turned around and looked at William with a calm expression on my face, "Hello William Johns." William looked taken aback by my tone but he quickly hid his surprise with a smile. Such a beautiful smile he had. I cleared the thoughts away and fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Shall we find a table for lunch?" He asked, he had probably seen me fidget and thought the laptop case was too heavy.

I let the words sink in and then my expression turned to shock, "we are going to eat here?"

William nodded and smiled. I wasn't sure I could afford to eat in that place. It looked too fancy and elegant, too exclusive. It's not like I didn't have enough money but I had other expenses too and I didn't earn a lot like William Johns probably did. "Don't worry Miss Trent, this will be my treat," William said as if sensing my discomfort. "Or would you prefer to eat lunch someplace else?" He asked quickly, he seemed nervous.

I shook my head and said, "it's fine," and both of us walked side by side into the hotel's restaurant. "Table for two?" Asked the host. William nodded and the young man nodded, "follow me please."

The waiter left us at a table next to a window, I found it difficult to take my eyes off the window. The view was beautiful, not what you would imagine finding in New York. But when I took my eyes off the window and realized the waiter was standing there looking at me expectantly.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked while trying not to turn red with embarrassment. Way to go Adalet.

"What would you like to drink miss?" repeated the waiter kindly with a smile on his face.

"I'll have a lemonade," it was what I usually ordered at restaurants, I wasn't really into alcohol or soda.

The man nodded and turned to William. "And for the gentleman?"

"I'll have one of your finest wines." My eyes widened but I tried to hide my surprise as I looked at the menu and after taking our drink orders, the waiter left.

There was an awkward silence between William and I. What were we supposed to talk about? I hardly knew him and I only came here to get my laptop back. What should I say? Was I supposed to say anything at all? God, why was this so awkward?

"I see you've brought my computer, Miss Trent," said William trying to break the ice. I nodded and handed his computer back to him as he did the same with mine. "Ah, thank you miss Trent, I have work to finish here."

"Please, call me Adalet," I said. I wasn't used to formality like he was and I found it odd to be called like that.

"Sure miss-" he stopped mid-sentence before correcting himself, "forgive me, Adalet."

Unconsciously, I smiled and William smiled back. We stayed like that looking at each other for a few moments before the waiter came back with our drinks. He placed the drinks on the table. "Have you decided what you're going to order?"

I jumped and turned red as she quickly flipped through the menu. "I'll have... Spaghetti Bolognese." I said, after quickly skimming for the lowest price on the menu, it all sounded good but I didn't feel comfortable taking advantage of William's money, besides, at the end of the meal I was going to insist on paying for my part. It wasn't negotiable.

He quickly scribbled my order on his notepad and turned to William. "And for you sir?"

"I'll have steak, medium rare." The waiter nodded and quickly hurried off.

"So... how are you liking New York so far? Is it your first time here?" I asked after a few seconds of silence.

William chuckled, "Yes, it's my first time in another continent actually, but I'm not really here on vacation, I'm here on a business trip."

I nodded embarrassed, "right, you told me that on the plane."

"But, I will have a few days off after I finish my work here, maybe you could show me around," he said quickly, almost suggesting it.

"Sure, but I'll have to check my schedule. I'm mostly busy everyday." I said calmly but inside I jumped in surprise, he wanted me to show him around New York. Goodness, Adalet breathe, I told myself.

William smiled, "I see, well Adalet, what is it you do that keeps you busy?" William now had his eyebrow raised and he looked at me questioningly.

I opened my mouth to respond when the waiter returned with our food. "For the lady," he said placing the Spaghetti in front of me, "and for the gentleman." A good looking steak was placed in front of William. Quickly I took my gaze off his food, it was an old and annoying habit I had, looking at people's food, my parents used to remind me not to do that but since I've been on my own I have forgotten. Old habits die hard.

"Anything else you need?" the waiter asked and both William and I politely and we shook our heads, "no thank you, we're fine." The waiter nodded and left.

"May I guess? Are you a famous writer?" William then asked as he began to cut his steak.

I shook my head and chuckled, "Oh no, I'm not a writer, I'm more of a reporter but I am an editor as well. Actually, today I was just editing a book draft."

"Interesting, you get the first look to a story, in both cases actually. In one you talk about your first hand experience of the event in your article and in the other you revise another person's work before it is published." said William with a surprised and curious look on his face. "You don't look like a young woman who spends her days editing other people's works."

I shrugged as I ate, "I guess but I don't have a lot of time to read them once they're published."

"And why is that, Adalet?" he asked curiously.

"I'm also a part of an orchestra," I said turning red and returning my attention back to the plate that was in front of me, not even half empty, these plates were huge.

"Really? Fascinating, what do you play?" William looked at her with sincere awe. As a child he had grown up with all types of music and since he was royal, his family was invited to many orchestral concerts, he even used to play viola, but that had been years ago. In reality he did enjoy classical music and didn't find it boring like a some people usually did.

"I've been playing the oboe for twelve years," I said looking at William through my eyelashes.

"I bet you must be a good player then," said William as he finished his steak.

I just nodded and changed the subject: "And what do you do for a living?" I asked as I put my fork down, I was more of a paused eater.

"You really don't know do you?" asked William with wide, shocked eyes. "That explains your calmness," he said under his breath.

"Know what?" I asked now feeling nervous and hesitant. Was he some sort of actor? Musician? Famous writer?

"Well, I am William Johns, I am soon going to run my family's business, which is one of the biggest businesses in the world and I am also a... prince," explained William looking a bit wary of how I would react.

"You mean business prince, right, like the ones that are really successful and rich and have their own empires?" I asked slowly and cautiously.

William shook his head, "business prince? No, I meant a real prince."

I stared at him with my mouth open and eyes wide, "but- I- you-" I took a deep breath and was about to speak when my phone rang with the song Sugar from Maroon 5.

William grinned as I blushed, "This will just take a second," he nodded and I answered. "Yes Madeline, I'm listening."

"We have a situation back here and I'm going to need your help, how soon can you get here?" asked my boss sounding irritated.

"Oh right, yeah I'll be there in a bit, maybe 10 minutes." I hung up and looked at William with a frown. Part of me was relieved to be able to leave this unusual lunch. William seemed like a nice man and all but he was someone too powerful and a public figure.

"I'm sorry to cut this meal short but I have to leave, Wil- I mean, Prince William," My voice shook and my eyes looked past him, not looking at him directly.

"It is quite all right, I hope to see you again Miss Trent," William's voice held disappointment as the waiter came and took our empty plates.

I nodded, "thanks for everything prince William."

William frowned, "it was a pleasure and please, call me William."

I only nodded once again and took my laptop that William had returned and walked out in search of a cab, I had managed to do what I had thought of before, I snuck $50 dollars into his laptop case to pay for lunch. A few minutes later, my head was resting on the window of the backseat of a cab.

Those brown, piercing eyes, dark hair, beautiful smile and just his voice made me melt. Now that she knew who he was, he seemed more out of her reach than before. Maybe it was wishful thinking, maybe it was just her attraction to him. He was from another social status too, different than the one she grew up in. I sighed, William Johns was just a dream and nothing else, I would have to remind myself from now and on. He was a prince and it made since now, the way he talked, the way he walked, everything about him indicated he was from a different world, a different background.

The rest of the day passed, I had helped Madeline fix the situation with the printers and the articles that were missing and at the end of the day I was out of work and heading over to dinner where I was supposed to meet Judy but I couldn't stop thinking about him, about that meal we had shared. The first and probably the only meal we would ever share. He was just too much for me. As I sat on a small table in a coffee shop alone I couldn't help remembering that hotel I'd declared our place, our holy ground.