Royal Pain in the Ass (42 page)

I watched as Fiore sauntered out of the room and Hewitt followed like an obedient puppy.
 
I sighed and looked over Xavier.
  “
How are you feeling?
”

“I
’
m well, and you?
 
You were a little out of it last night.
”

“Yeah, I
’
m sorry about that.
”
I felt myself flush.
  “
I don’
t really remember last night.
 
Well, most of it.
”

Xavier was thoughtful for a moment and pursed his lips.
  “
I see.
 
What do you remember?
”

“
Basically up until I accidentally got drugged by sipping Fiore
’
s drink.”

“Ah.”
Xavier nodded.
  “
Not to worry.
 
You didn
’
t do anything wrong or embarrassing.
”

“
I just don’
t like having gaps in my memory.
”

“
Not many people do.
”

I nodded.
  “
Um, do you remember all of last night?
”

Xavier gave a snort of laughter.
  “
Yes, Juliet.
 
I do.
 
Unlike you, I didn
’
t get drugged.
”
He chortled.

“
So you remember what happened with, erm, well the whole Chase thing?
”  Xavier
’
s jaw clenched and a fierce tension was throughout his shoulders, like a tiger about to pounce.

“I
’
ll take that as a yes.
  I
’
ve made my decision.
” 
Xavier looked over at me confused.
  “I
’
m going to play his game for now.
”

“You
’
re what?
”
Xavier hissed.

“
I don’
t see any other way around it.
 
I don’
t want to embarrass anyone, and he doesn
’
t actually want me, he just wants fame.
 
It shouldn
’
t take him long to be finished and over it all.
”

“
Juliet, let
’
s be reasonable,
”

“I am. 
If I don't play along, he
’
s just going to release the tape.
  He
’
s right.
 
Regardless of whether or not I agreed to it, the paparazzi will still eat it up.
 
This is just what they want.
 
If I play his game, just until he gets bored, he won
’
t release the tape.
”

“
Do you really believe someone like this is trustworthy?
”

I shook my head.
  “I
’
m not stupid.
  He
’
ll totally throw me under the bus if it suits his fancy.
 
I know this.
 
I also know Chase.
”

“But,”

“Xavier, I
’
ve made my mind up.
 
The last thing I need is another scandal.
 
I won
’
t embarrass my father and his family any more than I already have.
”

Xavier sighed and turned from me.
  “
Juliet, we will fix this.
 
Somehow I will find a way to fix this.
”

I walked over to stare him in the eye.
  “
Xavier, I am fixing this.
 
Once I get that tape, we
’re done.
 
All he wants is a taste of this so called fame I
’
ve accumulated.
 
Chase is an ass, but he
’
s easy to appease.
 
It doesn
’
t take much to satisfy him.
  He
’
ll get bored here soon.
”

Xavier shook his head.
  “
I don’
t want to see you get hurt.
”

“
How will I get hurt?
”

“He
’
s already hurt you.
”

“Xavier, I
’
m not actually going to date him.
”

“You
’
re so naive sometimes.
”
Xavier shook his head.
  “
I would advise speaking to your father,
”

“NO!”
I cut him off right there.
 
I was so not telling my father that there was a sex tape of me out there.
 
Hell no.
  “
There is no way in hell that is happening, do I make myself clear?
 
If James finds out you will have me to deal with.
”

Xavier looked pissed and it almost frightened me, but there was no way I was backing down.
 
This was my mess, I was going to fix it.

Chapter XXI

It took a long moment where Xavier and I were staring each other down before he sighed. “Very well
, Juliet.
 
If you feel you have to do this, I will support you.
”

I relax
ed
. “Thank you, Xavier.”

“
Juliet, if you
’
ll excuse me.
” 
Xavier bowed himself out and retreated to the room Fiore had allotted us.
 
I let him go. I didn’t know what else to say anyway.

I knew what I was going to do, trouble was keeping it quiet and clean.
 
All I had to do was bide my time.
 
Sure enough after Chase called me on the third day.

“
Hello?
”

“
Hello Jules,
”
his voice purred.

“
How did you get this number?
”

“
Same way I found you.
 
I have resources.
”

“
Great.
 
Get to the point.
”

“
Have you made your decision?
”

“
I have.
”

“And?”

“
There will be ground rules if we agree to this.
”

“
Such as?
”

“It
’
s all an act.
 
You understand, that right?
 
I will play nice in public, but I have no intention of actually dating you.
”

“
Of course not.
”

“
So long as we
’
re clear.
 
And there are limits.
 
There are thing that I simply will not allow.
”

“
Sounds fair.
”

“
And if anyone gets a hold of that tape, you understand how fucked your world will be?
”

“
Jules, aren
’
t I a man of my word?
”

“No.”

“Ouch,”
I could hear the smirk across the phone.
 
I really hated that arrogant ass sometimes.

“
I mean it, Chase.
 
I will fuck your world up, got that?
”

“
Alright Juliet.
 
I hear you.
 
Now, when do you want to start this?
”

“
I need a little time to get things sorted.
 
Go back to the states, I
’
ll let you know when you can make it public, got that?
”

“
Alright, Jules.
 
I want exact dates in a week.
 
Sweet dreams.
”

I hung up on Chase.
 
I had no desire to ever see him again.
 
I really did hate him.
 
I sighed and put the phone away.
 
I had a press conference to attend.
 
I stood by my aunt and uncle silently, looking solemn.
 
I watched everyone being sure not to fidget or look bored.
 
I did everything I could to do what I needed to do.
 
Fiore helped Ian and Christine through and answered questions when Ian would falter.
 
I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
 I
couldn't imagine going through what Ian had to right now.
 
But Lana was going to be alright, she was out of the danger zone and they were just waiting for her to heal enough and pull her off the drugs.
 
She would make a full recovery, and the scars wouldn't be that bad.
 
I just played the part I needed to for the conference.
 
After it was over I hugged Christine, Ian, and Fiore and Xavier and I headed back.

Xavier hadn
’
t pressed the issue any more and I was about finished talking with him anyway.
 
I was so over this.
 

I kept keeping Chase waiting, he wouldn
’
t wait forever, but he
’
d wait until I had everything figured out.
 
Chase was easy enough to pacify.
 

Three weeks later, he was getting impatient and we were back at the Eastgate estate.
 
I was keeping to myself, avoiding Angelica and Millie as best I could and trying to be polite when I couldn
’
t. 
They seemed to appreciate that I wasn
’
t ‘
in their way
’
and were almost cordial.
 
James was his usual self, he
’
d taken to going for a ride with me at least every other day.
 
It was pleasant enough, but I still felt like I didn
’
t belong here.
  I
’
d made my decision.
 
I knew now what I was going to do and how I was going to do it.

I made a very important phone call.

“
Hello?
”

“
Hey, I need a favor.
”

“
Sure, what
’
s up?
”

“
Can I get a ride somewhere?
”

“Sure. 
When?
”

“Now.”

“
Alright, where to?
”

“Not far.”

“I
’
m on my way.
”

“
Thanks.
”

I grabbed my bag and snuck out through the servants quarters.
 
It wasn
’
t long before I saw a familiar car.
 
I hopped in.

He asked a few questions, but I just told him I need a ride to the palace.
 
I had to get away from everyone, especially a certain someone.
 
He accepted my lie without question.
 
The guards let me in as I marched right up.
 
I asked how to get to my uncle
’
s office and knocked.