Royally Lost (6 page)

10

As
the boat sailed closer, Becca recognized his ruffled blond hair and broad shoulders.

She wanted to yell to him, but a couple dozen people were scattered around the deck, enjoying the late afternoon sun. She stood and waved back, her pulse racing.

Nikolai seemed to visibly relax knowing she’d spotted him. As they neared the bridge, she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t get off and he certainly couldn’t jump on, not without breaking his neck.

“Dylan, what do I do?” she asked in a panic.

“I don’t think you need to do anything. He came to you.” Dylan smiled and propped up his feet on an empty chair.

The bridge loomed huge. Nikolai stood a good fifteen feet above them. Passengers on board the
Bolero
waved, but Nikolai only had eyes for her. As soon as they were within hearing distance, he yelled.

“I’m sorry!”

She didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t okay, but he was sorry, so he must not have meant to skip out on her. The boat floated under the bridge and blocked Nikolai from sight.

And then the sun broke out again as they came to the other side. She turned, hoping desperately to see him, but Nikolai wasn’t there. Then suddenly he appeared.

“I’ll see you at the next stop,” he yelled.

Becca turned to her brother in a panic. “Where’s our next stop? Where are we going to be tomorrow?”

He was mid-swallow of his beer.

She smacked his arm. “Dylan! Where?”

He choked on his beer. “Jeez, Becs, I don’t know. Some German town, I guess.”

She turned to Nikolai, who was quickly being left in their wake. “I don’t know where we’ll be!” she yelled back, but he didn’t hear her. She shrugged in frustration.

Nikolai leaned on the railing and pounded.

“Dammit,” she sighed as Nikolai and the bridge faded into the distance. Now that she knew he was sorry for not showing up today, she really wanted to see him again. “What do I do? I didn’t even get to talk to him.”

“Don’t worry, if he’s into you enough to wait for you from a bridge, he’ll figure out where we’re docked tomorrow.”

Nikolai became a tiny dot on the horizon.

Dylan continued. “What was it Mom used to say? ‘If you worry about the future, and dwell on the past, you can’t enjoy the present.’”

“Yeah, well that doesn’t help me much now.” She plopped into her chair and sighed.

“Come on, let’s go in to dinner. I hear they’re serving something chocolate for dessert. You can eat away your troubles.”

Becca didn’t want to go to dinner. She wanted to stay on deck and watch for Nikolai at every bridge, but looking ahead, there were no more in sight. She didn’t know when there would be another bridge or if Nikolai could reach it in time. Her stomach grumbled from missing lunch.

“Fine.” Becca reluctantly got up and followed her brother down to eat.

Vicky spent the entire time during dinner talking about the benefits of international travel for young people, and studying abroad. She included a long dissertation on an extensive education in art history, political science, and international business studies.

Dylan cracked jokes the whole time, which eventually wore on Vicky’s cool exterior until she pressed her thin red lips so tightly that they seemed to disappear. She gripped her steak knife like a potential weapon. Becca wanted to hug her brother.

With dinner over, Becca climbed to the top deck, wishing Nikolai would magically appear. He didn’t.

After an hour, she retreated from the lonely night and returned to her empty room. Dylan had snuck off below deck with a cocktail waitress named Ursula. Becca envied his ability to find a good time no matter the circumstance.

She turned her bedside light on low, slipped out of the dark jeans she wore to dinner, and into loose shorts and a T-shirt. She sank onto her bed, leaning against the headboard. The magazine with Nikolai’s pictures lay on the bedside table.

A glance out the door revealed they were entering another lock. Earlier in the trip she might have rushed onto the deck to watch the iron lock doors open as the enormous boat maneuvered into the tight space, but now, well, she just didn’t care.

She sighed and picked up the magazine, examining each picture of Nikolai, from the laughing pictures of him with other girls, to the staid, formal picture of him with his family.

His sister seemed poised, her hands clasped as she stood beside their mother, a regal beauty with rigid posture and a graceful smile. His father, a handsome gentleman with Nikolai’s looks, wore an unyielding expression, as if he were a high court judge about to impose a sentence. He reminded Becca of her dad.

Nikolai appeared stoic in a decked-out navy blue uniform with gold sash and colorful adornments. He stood behind his father’s shoulder. None of Nikolai’s good-natured personality shown through.

Who was Nikolai really? The fun-loving guy who spent the day with her or a royal prince from the house of Mondovia? She sighed and tossed the magazine aside.

Outside her balcony, the smell of algae from the wet, slimy wall of the locks permeated her room through the open door. She considered getting up to close the door, but was too lazy. In a moment the boat would rise and in a few minutes, they’d be floating even with land again.

Becca turned on the TV and clicked through the channels. She found nothing but news channels, most of them European. They didn’t even have the American version of CNN, let alone a music station.

She landed on the cruise ship’s channel, which aired a program about the history of the Habsburg Dynasty. Jeez, could she never escape this stuff?

Becca set down the remote and rubbed her face. When she looked up, she saw a tall, imposing figure lurking on the other side of her balcony railing.

Becca screamed and scrambled back into the corner of her bed.

11

“Becca,
it’s me, Nikolai,” he called out, hoping he didn’t fall into the Danube as he clung to the outside of the moving boat.

She froze and studied his shadowed form across the dimly lit room. “Nikolai?”

His tightened his grip on the balcony railing. “Yeah.”

“Oh my God! How did you get there?” She shot across the cabin to his side.

“I figured the only way to see you was to board the boat. Can I come in?” he asked from his precarious perch high above the water.

“Yes, of course. How did you get up here?”

“I waited at the lock. You told me your cabin is the top, last one on the end. When the boat rose in the lock and started moving, I took a chance and jumped for it.”

“You’re insane, you know that?” She giggled. He felt a surge of relief and knew he’d been right to risk leaping aboard.

“I feel that way a lot lately.”

“Hurry up. Get in here before someone sees you,” she said.

Becca gripped his upper arm while he scrambled over the rail, and they came face-to-face in the tiny cabin. He noticed the light dusting of freckles on her sunburned nose and resisted the urge to kiss her.

“Hi.” He grinned, glad to lay eyes on her after the day he’d had.

“Hi,” she answered, then looked away, suddenly acting shy, as if she didn’t know him. He could hardly blame her. Standing in her tiny stateroom, which was smaller than his closet, was a lot different from talking on a public street.

“So this is your cabin.” Nikolai glanced around. Two nightstands separated twin beds. One bed was a cluttered mess of clothes and tangled sheets, the other was tidy with only a magazine and TV remote. He had a good guess which bed belonged to Becca.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here.” She studied his face as if searching for something.

“I hope you don’t mind that I, you know, barged in.”

“No, I’m glad you did, but what if the door had been locked and I wasn’t here?”

“I hadn’t actually thought that far ahead.” He dipped his head, suddenly realizing how crazy desperate he must look to climb aboard her boat.

“You’ve got something in your hair.” Becca reached up, her face so close he kissed her. She smiled as a small leaf fell to the floor.

“I was hiding in the bushes. I didn’t think the lock operators would welcome someone planning to stowaway. I waited till the last second and made a run for it. I don’t think anyone saw me.”

Becca’s smile held such sweet adoration, he knew he’d been right to chase down her boat. “Come sit down. I’ll get you some water,” she said, opening a small fridge built into the cabinetry.

He sat on her brother’s bed, pushing some clothes to the side. “Water would be great,” he said.

She handed him the bottle and faced him from her bed, their legs stretched out to each other.

Becca’s eyes darted around the room, to the magazine on her bed, then back to him. “So, what happened today? You didn’t show up.” She watched him carefully.

Now he understood her odd behavior. She was mad he stood her up.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. Today has been the biggest mess. It started when I prepared to leave Melk. My motorbike was gone.”

Concern replaced her earlier cautiousness. “Was it stolen?”

“That’s what I thought at first, but then I found out I’d parked in a tow-away zone. It never occurred to me that I’d have to move it.” He unscrewed the water bottle cap and took a swig, glad for the refreshment.

“After that I had to find out where they took it, and then I had some problem with the . . . uh . . . with getting my motorbike out of the holding lot.” He almost blurted out his problem with the paparazzi, who’d somehow picked up his scent and camped out waiting for him. He’d have to be a lot more careful moving forward.

“But you got your bike back okay?”

“It took a while, and I had to jump through a few hoops, but I got it back.”

“That’s good, where is it now?”

“Hiding in said bushes, waiting for me to return.”

“How are you going to get back? How are you going to get off the boat?”

“The same way I got on.” He shrugged. “I figure there will be another lock soon enough. I’ll walk back or catch a cab.” He doubted cabs would actually operate this late at night in small villages. It would be a long walk.

“I can’t believe you did all this just to see me.”

“I had to. I didn’t want you to think I’m a jerk. Plus, I really wanted to see you again and if I didn’t try to now, you might slip away.” He nudged her foot. Becca blushed.

“I don’t understand you. You make no sense.” Becca stared down at her painted toenails.

Something was still wrong and he couldn’t imagine what it was. “What don’t you understand? Ask me and I’ll tell you.”

“It’s just . . . I don’t get it.” She hesitated. “I’m nobody, just an American girl stuck on vacation with her family.”

Nikolai shook his head. “First off, you’re not a nobody. You’re funny and irreverent and beautiful. Plus, you make me laugh. You are far from nobody.”

She raised her eyes in doubt. He moved next to her. Becca took a measured breath as if nervous about something. He captured her hand, noticing her pretty, oval fingernails. “What’s wrong?”

Becca tugged her hand away, reached for the magazine, and dropped it in his hands. His image filled the cover.

Dammit
.

Nikolai heaved a sigh. The walls of his freedom were closing in and he hated it. The paparazzi were hot on his trail, his parents were tightening the noose, and now, Becca knew his true identity. How would she react?

He scrubbed his hands over his face.

She opened the magazine to a photo spread of him, including the most recent official royal family photo.

“So, who
are
you?”

He gazed into her innocent, amber eyes. She hadn’t been ruined by the realities of the political world he lived in.

As he began to answer, the cabin door opened.

Becca’s brother strolled in. Dylan stopped short when he spotted Nikolai.

“Whoa! How’d you get here?” he asked.

Nikolai stood.

“He came in through the balcony door at the locks,” Becca answered for him.

“Impressive.” Dylan nodded, his eyes still trained on Nikolai. “So what’s the plan? You come here to hop in the sack with my sister?”

“Dylan! Shut up!” Becca said, as a flush crept across her cheeks.

Nikolai moved a step away from her. “No. I came to talk.”

“Yeah?” Dylan seemed to weigh the situation. “I bet you have a lot to talk about.” He gestured to the incriminating magazine.

Nikolai wondered if Dylan would toss him overboard or report him.

“Well, I’ve gotta use the can. I don’t suppose you need me hanging around for your little chat. And just so you know, Becca will tell me everything you say after you’re gone.” Dylan turned and disappeared into the bathroom.

Becca’s eyes were full of questions.

Before he could explain, a loud knock sounded at the cabin door. Becca turned in alarm. “Who the heck could that be? One of Dylan’s girlfriends?” She held up a finger and gestured to Nikolai to stay silent. She spied through the peephole in the door and rushed back.

“It’s my stepmother!” she whispered. “Quick, hide!”

“Where?” He scanned the tiny cabin. Other than the two twin beds, set against each wall, all the cabin contained were the small side tables, built-in dressers for their clothes, and a half closet, big enough for no more than a small child.

Becca looked frantic. “Get in his bed.”

“You mean under his bed?”

“No, his suitcases are under it, you won’t fit.”

Another loud knock sounded.

“Hurry up. She won’t go away until I let her in.”

Becca dragged back the sheets and practically shoved Nikolai into the narrow bed. She yanked the covers over his head and tossed dirty clothes on top.

He faced the wall and struggled to slow his panicked breathing. He’d never stowed away on a cruise ship, let alone hid in a girl’s bedroom before.

He heard the cabin door open and some mumbling. The voices came closer.

“I didn’t hear the door at first, I was in the bathroom,” Becca said softly.

“Where’s Dylan?” a cultured voice asked.

“Sleeping,” Becca whispered.

“Already? That’s got to be a record,” the stepmother said in a low voice. “I wanted to see if you and Dylan want to join your father and me for the extended walking tour tomorrow in Regensburg. It’s an hour longer than the other tour, but includes the Imperial Chamber at City Hall and the old bishop’s residence. The tour comes highly recommended, and I think you would get a lot out of it.”

Nikolai fought the urge to scratch his itchy nose. Becca’s stepmother sounded so close. All she’d have to do was pull down the covers, and she’d see he wasn’t Dylan. He feared the covers shook from his nerves.

“Nah, I’ll pass, I’m kind of historied out.”

Becca’s voice sounded right next to him. She must have stepped between her stepmother and him. He prayed that Dylan wouldn’t suddenly appear from the bathroom.

“Becca, I know you weren’t very happy about this trip, but you really should make more of this opportunity. We’re in such an important part of the world, and you’re missing out.”

“You’re right. I’ll think about it. Can I let you know at breakfast?” Becca asked, speaking fast.

“That would be fine. You won’t regret joining us. Oh, what’s this?” her stepmother asked.

“It’s just a magazine I picked up.”

“Really? You don’t speak German. How did you expect to read it?” He heard the sound of pages turning. “I see. You picked it up for the guy on the cover. It says here he’s Prince Nikolai of Mondovia.”

“You can read German?”

“I mentioned it before we left the States. I majored in German and spent a year abroad in Germany during college.”

“Oh.”

“He’s heir to the Mondovian Dynasty. His family descends from some of the most influential royal families in history, including Tsar Nicholas of Russia and the Habsburg Dynasty.”

“I had no idea.” Becca sounded dumbfounded.

So much for him having the chance to explain.

“Well, my master’s in European history is good for a few things. If I knew all it took for you to get interested in Europe was a good-looking young man, I’d have picked up a few celebrity magazines at the start of the trip.”

“I’m sorry, Vicky. I’m kind of tired. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go to bed.” Becca yawned loudly.

“Oh. Of course. I’ll see you in the morning then.”

A few seconds later the door clicked shut.

“Prince Nikolai, you can come out now,” Becca said sarcastically.

He lifted the covers and rolled to a sitting position.

She stood with her arms crossed and her head cocked, her expression a mix of cynicism and disbelief.

He grimaced. “Can we get out of here and go someplace to talk?” He didn’t want to be interrupted by any more of her family members. Next thing he knew, her father would walk in.

“I think that’s an excellent idea.”