him.
‘We’re squashing my sketches,’ she explained, gesturing at them.
He looked down and laughed, standing up and carefully moving the charcoal sketches.
‘See you tonight, Cinda,’ he said and he bent down and kissed her again, just so she knew how much he liked her.
Cinda stared at the door after Ludo had left her, her mouth still tingling from the kiss.
He is so crazy sexy , she thought yet again. And then she thought about dinner. She had nothing to wear. She ran down the marble hallway to find Jonas.
‘I have to go to dinner with Ludo and I have nothing to wear,’ she squealed as she skidded into his room. ‘And we can’t stop kissing, so I think we’ll go somewhere nice.’
Jonas walked out of the bathroom, a plush towel around his waist, his face white from a moisture mask.
‘Hold up, girl,’ he said, his hands on his hips. ‘You’ve been kissing?’
‘Yes,’ Cinda said impatiently, ‘but what am I going to wear?’
‘How was the kissing?’
She paused. ‘Lovely. Sexy.’
Jonas looked at her and pursed his lips. ‘Hmmmm.’
Cinda knew that look. ‘I don’t have time for any theories, Jonas. We have to focus. What will I wear?’
Jonas walked over and touched the peach satin curtains, holding them up to the light.
‘I am not wearing curtains. I’m not one of the Von Trapp children,’ Cinda said firmly.
‘I know, I’m messing with you,’ laughed Jonas. ‘Lemme take this crap off my face and we’ll head into the town and get something fab. I saw some gorgeous shops for the rich bitches of Sardine City.’
Forty minutes later, Cinda and Jonas were in town, wandering about the shops. Everything they liked was well beyond their budget.
‘I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ Cinda moaned as they walked out of another store empty-handed.
Jonas thought for a minute and then walked back into the store. Cinda stood outside, watching him talk to the sales assistant. The woman glanced at Cinda a few times before her face spread into a huge smile. Jonas waved at her to come inside.
Cinda tentatively walked back inside the beautiful store.
‘Maria here says you can have anything you want,’ Jonas said, a triumphant look on his face.
Cinda stared at him, confused.
‘I explained you are going out with Prince Ludo tonight and she said she’d be happy to help with your outfit.’
Cinda smiled at the woman but shook her head. ‘Thank you, but I’m not comfortable doing that. I don’t need free things.’
The woman frowned. ‘But we all love Ludo. Of course you need a dress to match your beauty and his style. Let me help.’
Cinda shook her head again. It felt all wrong, expecting people to give her things just because she was going on a date with a prince. ‘I can’t, but thank you.’
Jonas scowled. ‘What are you going to wear then? One of your shitty maxi dresses?’
‘If I have to, then yes,’ said Cinda crossly. She turned and walked out of the store.
Jonas followed. ‘Cinda, stop. I’m sorry.’ he said. ‘I just wish you could see how amazing you are. You deserve the best.’
She turned to him and crossed her arms. ‘I don’t know who you think I am but after seven years you should know I don’t accept charity.’
‘It’s not charity,’ said Jonas. ‘You’d be helping this woman get coverage for her designs, which are gorgeous. And you get a nice dress for tonight.’
Cinda shook her head, defiant.
‘What about if you return it tomorrow?’ asked Jonas. ‘That way it’s like borrowing a dress from a very stylish friend back in Sydney.’
Cinda paused. This was a good argument, and she did need a dress. Maybe she was being silly about this. ‘I would need to return it in perfect condition.’
‘I know,’ said Jonas. ‘Which will be fine, provided you don’t fall into any pools.’
Cinda smiled, accepting the joke and his idea. She looked back at the shop. ‘We are just borrowing though, right?’
‘Right,’ said Jonas
‘We’re squashing my sketches,’ she explained, gesturing at them.
He looked down and laughed, standing up and carefully moving the charcoal sketches.
‘See you tonight, Cinda,’ he said and he bent down and kissed her again, just so she knew how much he liked her.
Cinda stared at the door after Ludo had left her, her mouth still tingling from the kiss.
He is so crazy sexy , she thought yet again. And then she thought about dinner. She had nothing to wear. She ran down the marble hallway to find Jonas.
‘I have to go to dinner with Ludo and I have nothing to wear,’ she squealed as she skidded into his room. ‘And we can’t stop kissing, so I think we’ll go somewhere nice.’
Jonas walked out of the bathroom, a plush towel around his waist, his face white from a moisture mask.
‘Hold up, girl,’ he said, his hands on his hips. ‘You’ve been kissing?’
‘Yes,’ Cinda said impatiently, ‘but what am I going to wear?’
‘How was the kissing?’
She paused. ‘Lovely. Sexy.’
Jonas looked at her and pursed his lips. ‘Hmmmm.’
Cinda knew that look. ‘I don’t have time for any theories, Jonas. We have to focus. What will I wear?’
Jonas walked over and touched the peach satin curtains, holding them up to the light.
‘I am not wearing curtains. I’m not one of the Von Trapp children,’ Cinda said firmly.
‘I know, I’m messing with you,’ laughed Jonas. ‘Lemme take this crap off my face and we’ll head into the town and get something fab. I saw some gorgeous shops for the rich bitches of Sardine City.’
Forty minutes later, Cinda and Jonas were in town, wandering about the shops. Everything they liked was well beyond their budget.
‘I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ Cinda moaned as they walked out of another store empty-handed.
Jonas thought for a minute and then walked back into the store. Cinda stood outside, watching him talk to the sales assistant. The woman glanced at Cinda a few times before her face spread into a huge smile. Jonas waved at her to come inside.
Cinda tentatively walked back inside the beautiful store.
‘Maria here says you can have anything you want,’ Jonas said, a triumphant look on his face.
Cinda stared at him, confused.
‘I explained you are going out with Prince Ludo tonight and she said she’d be happy to help with your outfit.’
Cinda smiled at the woman but shook her head. ‘Thank you, but I’m not comfortable doing that. I don’t need free things.’
The woman frowned. ‘But we all love Ludo. Of course you need a dress to match your beauty and his style. Let me help.’
Cinda shook her head again. It felt all wrong, expecting people to give her things just because she was going on a date with a prince. ‘I can’t, but thank you.’
Jonas scowled. ‘What are you going to wear then? One of your shitty maxi dresses?’
‘If I have to, then yes,’ said Cinda crossly. She turned and walked out of the store.
Jonas followed. ‘Cinda, stop. I’m sorry.’ he said. ‘I just wish you could see how amazing you are. You deserve the best.’
She turned to him and crossed her arms. ‘I don’t know who you think I am but after seven years you should know I don’t accept charity.’
‘It’s not charity,’ said Jonas. ‘You’d be helping this woman get coverage for her designs, which are gorgeous. And you get a nice dress for tonight.’
Cinda shook her head, defiant.
‘What about if you return it tomorrow?’ asked Jonas. ‘That way it’s like borrowing a dress from a very stylish friend back in Sydney.’
Cinda paused. This was a good argument, and she did need a dress. Maybe she was being silly about this. ‘I would need to return it in perfect condition.’
‘I know,’ said Jonas. ‘Which will be fine, provided you don’t fall into any pools.’
Cinda smiled, accepting the joke and his idea. She looked back at the shop. ‘We are just borrowing though, right?’
‘Right,’ said Jonas
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