Chapter 232

Andrew smiled at Princess Aurora across the table. A splash of pink spread across the princess’s cheeks, and she smiled back. Andrew lifted his champagne to Princess Aurora before taking a long drink.

They sat in the opulent Urge inside the Lexington Hotel. The scent of roses filled the air as candlelight sparkled on crystal chandeliers. Black paint covered the walls, and red carpeting decorated every inch of floor.

Black and red silk curtains draped the floor-to-ceiling windows, opened just enough to allow a trickle of daylight inside. The tables were covered with red silk tablecloths accompanied by black lace. Even the wood of the furniture was painted black, while the cushions were red satin.

The restaurant was a splurge, almost as much of a splurge as Amour, and Andrew had not been there since he had brought Crystal there for brunch. However, it was his and Princess Aurora’s third date, and Andrew wanted it to be special. Between the caviar they had with their appetizers and the gold flakes sprinkled on their ice cream, it was well worth the price.

As splendid as the food and the company was, Andrew’s smile lacked true mirth. Watching Princess Aurora eat her dessert, he could not help but compare every inch of her to Crystal. Where he had once seen Crystal’s twin, Andrew could now only see their differences.

The eyes that he had once thought so closely resembled Crystal’s now did not carry the same depth. Her face was slightly too rounded, and her hair did not have the same bounce and shine. The smile that shined with the intensity of a thousand suns was a little too bright for Andrew’s liking.

Even the way that Princess Aurora dressed was drastically different. Whereas Crystal preferred the more outdated low-cut dresses, effectively resurrecting that fashion, Princess Aurora chose to go with the flow of the crowd and favored the turtleneck dresses with jewels in the center of the of the throat. As beautiful as Princess Aurora looked in her dresses, Andrew had to admit to himself that he much preferred Crystal’s sense of fashion, and not only because it gave him at her cleavage.

Andrew was pulled out of his thoughts by the clinking of Princess Aurora’s spoon in her glass ice cream bowl. Princess Aurora dabbed at her lips and chin with her cloth napkin before glimpsing up at Andrew, a coy smile dancing across her face.

“That was delicious,” she said. “What do you want to do now?”

“I was thinking that we could drive over to Howler Park and take a walk.”

Princess Aurora tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

“That sounds wonderful. Maybe you’ll even spill more mustard on your shirt.”

She placed her hand on Andrew’s and winked at him.

Andrew half-heartedly squeezed Princess Aurora’s hand. He gestured for the waiter.

“Check, please!”

Princess Aurora clung to Andrew’s arm as they strolled through Howler Park. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled contentedly up at him. She did not even care about the scenery around her, so long as she had Andrew by her side.

Andrew looked around at the flowers and trees, trying to enjoy the nature without getting unnerved by Princess Aurora’s attention. He figured that, perhaps, there just wasn’t anything catching her eye yet and decided to take her to the most breathtaking view in the park.

His heart clenched as he walked them toward the water feature that he and Crystal had sat next to the first time that he had played hooky for Crystal. He sat himself and Princess Aurora on the same empty bench, his gaze fixed upon the stone fish spitting water into the pool below.

He remembered Crystal seeming to be so hypnotized by this water feature back then. Now that he truly looked at it, he understood why. Its smooth curvatures and cascading waters were oddly soothing, like the back-and-forth movement of the Newton’s cradle on the desk in his home office.

Andrew looked down at Princess Aurora to see if the water feature was having the same effect on her. He found her snuggling against his arm and staring back at him, a warm smile plastered on her face. He tried to return the smile, but it wavered.

Andrew turned his head back to the water feature, his mind on Crystal. He wondered how she was doing. He wondered who she was with.

There was so much that he wanted to say to Crystal now. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, he wanted to tell her that he needed her, but mostly, he just wanted to tell her everything that had gone on in his day. That was what he missed most about being apart from Crystal; he missed his best friend.

The silence between him and Princess Aurora was almost painful. There had been plenty of silence between Andrew and Crystal, but this felt…different. It was more like they didn’t have anything to say to each other than that they were comfortable spending time together without talking.

Andrew wasn’t quite sure how to handle a woman who didn’t say what was on her mind all of the time. Between his experiences with Crystal and Lisa—not to mention his Lunas—it didn’t feel natural. It made him miss Crystal all that much more.

“Andrew?” Princess Aurora said. Her voice was a welcomed reprieve from the quiet.

“Yes?” Andrew asked, not looking away from the water feature.

“Can you look at me for a moment?”

Reluctantly, Andrew turned his head toward Princess Aurora. She frowned slightly, though more in concentration than sadness, as though she were trying to figure something out…something out about him. He could feel her eyes boring into him as she searched his expression for something, anything, to help solve the puzzle.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

Andrew furrowed his brows and shook his head.

“No, nothing’s wrong. Why?”

“You seem distracted. Did I do something?”

“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

“You’ve hardly spoken to me all afternoon, and you keep staring off into the distance…or staring at me like you’re inspecting me.”

Andrew forced a grin onto his lips.

“I’m only inspecting your unparalleled beauty.”

Princess Aurora pursed her lips.

“Are you sure that you aren’t thinking about…her?”

“Who?” Andrew feigned ignorance. “Do you mean Crystal? Why would I be thinking about her?”

“This is the park where she caught us…I don’t know…becoming close. Maybe you’re having second thoughts about her…about me.”

Princess Aurora bit her lower lip, as though she were about to cry.

“No, no, most certainly not!”

Andrew grabbed Princess Aurora’s chin and tilted her head towards him.

“Like I said at the press conference, I still have love in my heart for Crystal, but I have moved on. You are my princess now.”

Andrew leaned down and kissed Princess Aurora lightly on the lips. While Princess Aurora returned the kiss passionately, Andrew held back.

When they parted, Princess Aurora’s eyes shined with unshed tears of disappointment.

“I am a gentleman, my princess,” Andrew explained. “It’s only our third date. Please, be patient.”

Princess Aurora hesitated, then nodded.

“If you say so, my love.”