A King's Heart

A Fluttering Sight In Music

Naveen was walking down the streets of the French Quarter feeling pretty good this morning. The past couple of weeks have been pretty good for him. He's got three square meals a day from a beautiful woman who not only pleases his taste buds but also his ears with her beautiful voice he gets to listen to during any time of the day, and kept good company for him. She also taught him a thing or two in the kitchen like...mincing vegetables and even fruit! He didn't have to worry about his valet and bodyguard ruining this for him since they had their own apartment and he wanted it to remain that way. For now he wanted his royal life to be kept a secret for as long as he could.

But today he wanted to go out for a walk with his lovely roommate and what was she doing at the moment? Sleeping.

It took a lot to get Tiana out of bed except when preparing breakfast. He even begged (which he hated doing) and all she did was snore in response leaving him to his lonely walk down the French Quarter.

"Hey Naveen!" Louis shouted from behind him.

The king stopped and saw the heavyset man trying to catch up to him. "Louis my friend." He patted him on the back. "How have you been doing?"

Louis laughed. "I should be asking you that question! Haven't seen ya outside in broad daylight in how long?"

Naveen shrugged. "Been very busy."

"With whom?" Louis wiggled his eyebrows.

Naveen shook his head. "Not that kind of busy."

"It has be a woman. The only thing that can keep a man in the house for as long as you were in have to be either making whoopee with a woman or making whoopee with a woman."

Naveen laughed. "It's neither of those things, but a woman is present in my life."

"A woman!" Ray chimed in excitedly. "Is she blonde, brunette, red hair?"

"Why should it matter to you two? She's a woman, right?"

"I suppose so, Cap." Ray said before bumping into a young blonde man. "Oh pardon me, sir—

"Watch where the hell ya going dingbat!" The blonde man shouted, making his buddies laugh along.

Ray slumped his head down low in embarrassment.

Naveen didn't like the way the man disrespected his friend and was about to confront him until...

"Hey handsome!" A blonde woman from the music store grabbed him by the arm.

"Oh he is handsome, Eloisa!" exclaimed a squeaky voiced red hair woman.

"Indeed he is." Another woman said before swooning at his feet.

Naveen looked further at the group of men and saw them getting into a car before pulling off. He really wanted to give that blonde gentleman a piece of his mind before the women suddenly surrounded him.

Ray on the other hand forgot about the incident and wanted to swoon one of the women for himself. "Now which one of ya ladies would like to be swept off ya feet by yours truly?"

The women looked at the skinny red hair man and started laughing.

"Now why would we leave all of this man." The blonde rubbed her hand over Naveen's chest. "For someone like you?"

Naveen pulled her hand from his chest before standing beside his friend. "Ray is a good man who will love you far more than I can, ladies." He figured that they would listen to him since most of his fan girls had the intelligence of a mosquito.

"Do you really mean that…uh…what's ya name?" The ginger hair woman asked, proving his point.

"Naveen." He answered.

"Naveen." The ginger hair woman nodded her head before going by Ray's side, locking her arm with his. "Well, he isn't that scrawny."

The blonde and brunette also followed to checked out Ray who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh look at his cute little hair!" The brunette beamed, twisting his hair with her finger.

"His green eyes are the same colour as my new dress!" Chimed in the blonde.

Louis stood with his mouth agape. Shocked that the women followed through.

Naveen had a smirk on his face, satisfied that his friend finally got the attention he deserved. "Louis my friend, why don't we leave these happy people to themselves for a bit, yes?"

"Uh, yeah." Louis said, scratching the back of his head. "You know what Naveen? I got to go home to see how the wife is doing." He started towards his car.

Naveen shook his head and continued his walk down the street where he saw an older woman with sunglasses with a snake trying to help her cross the street. He also noticed no one coming to assist her.

"Excuse me madam?"

The older woman's lips formed a smile as she expected him to help her. "Oh, hello der young man."

Naveen gently took her hand, helping her cross the street. "I couldn't let a lovely woman as yourself go through the trouble of worrying about ongoing traffic."

The older woman chuckled. "Well I appreciate a strong and handsome young man coming to an old woman's rescue."

"I'm Naveen." He introduced himself.

"Well, Naveen you can call me Mama Odie."

"Mama Odie." He repeated.

She also introduced him to her snake JuJu, who was very fond of the young king.

"My JuJu likes you which means that ya a good man with a kind heart. There's not a lot of dem these days."

"You're safe to shop or do whatever you wanted on this side of the street." Naveen reassured her.

"I was actually headin' home baby."

"Oh you just missed the trolley for this hour."

"I don't need no trolley. I got my own ride!" She pointed over at an old rusty green truck down the street on the far corner.

Naveen raised an eyebrow. "You drive?"

"Nah honey, my JuJu does! Can't ya see that I'm blind!" She pointed at her shades and chuckled.

Naveen decided to laugh along even if he didn't find what she said funny. 'This poor old lady has lost her marbles' He thought.

She knew what he was thinking and started walking. "Come on, JuJu!"

"Wait!" Naveen went after her. "Are you sure that you want to drive that...truck?"

"Juju been driving it for as long as I can remember." She said, stepping on JuJu who assisted her into the vehicle.

"But how can a snake—

He was cut off when the snake started the engine. His mouth now went agape. "Faldi faldonza!"

Mama Odie laughed. "I'll see you soon, King Naveen!"

He gave her a puzzled look as Mama Odie winked at him.

"I know all about you, baby." She continued chuckling until the truck disappeared in smoke.

Naveen blinked a couple of times, trying to absorbed what he just saw before him. "I need to get out of this sun."

()()()()

Naveen was more than happy to be back in his apartment, but a certain scent caught his attention. 'Vanilla lavender?' He wondered and soon heard humming from the living room. "Tiana?"

"In here!" She shouted from the room.

Naveen walked into the room to see Tiana on his couch wearing a black thigh length silk night gown painting her toenails. His eyes scanned from her red painted toes up her smooth brown legs that looked good enough to run his hands over, perhaps even kiss?

"How was ya walk?" Her voice interrupted his ungentlemanly thoughts.

"Long." He answered, walking into the room and sitting in his arm chair. "Saw Louis and Ray along the way."

Tiana smirked. "I guess Georgia grew tired of Louis again."

"Is that his wife?" He asked.

"Mmhm. She's five months pregnant and is driving him nuts, but he's doing a swell job at driving her off as well." She said with humor.

"I completely understand." Naveen said.

"You do?" Tiana raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, there were times when I—

"Hold that thought!" Tiana got off the couch after hearing the telephone ringing. "Hello?" She answered.

Naveen rose up from his chair and quickly left the kitchen where he helped himself to the refrigerator to find him something to eat. He also left the room because he needed something to distract him from the thoughts of a very revealing Tiana in his living room. She seemed so confident in her appearance before him. Not even his wife dared to wear such night wear…or house wear in his presence, even when he would ask her to do so.

"Naveen!" She screamed in excitement.

He turned to see her busting int the kitchen and coming over to him with the hugest grin he's ever seen from her.

"You ever heard of the jazz singer Skinny Willie Hunk?" Tiana asked.

"Yes, he's the best jazz performer of our time. Why do you ask?"

"He called and said that he's coming down to see me perform! My dreams are finally comin' true!" She beamed.

"Congratulations." Naveen said.

Tiana couldn't contain herself and embraced Naveen in a hug. "I'm sorry. I needed to hug somebody!"

Naveen laughed and returned the hug. "Not a problem at all."

"But…" She pulled away. "I have to make a dress! The other dresses I've made I already worn and I best be gettin' started right now."

"Why don't I buy a dress or two for you." He suggested.

Tiana raised an eyebrow.

"Your cooking is amazing and I tried thinking of ways of prepaying for your generosity." He explained.

"I can't let you do that, Naveen." Tiana said, not wanting to be the burden that she already felt like she was to the man.

"You're not letting me do it. I'm letting myself do it." Naveen gave her a sly grin. "It's not everyday I get to take a beautiful woman shopping."

She rolled her eyes. "All right prince charming, but one dress. And I'm coming with you!"

"What? You don't trust my taste in fashion?" He gave her a humorous grin.

"Exactly. You may know how to shop as a man but for women…" She looked him up and down. "Mmm."

He had to laugh at that while throwing up his arms in defeat. "All right you got me. I've never shopped for a woman and—

"And you need to learn. What would your girlfriend or wife say down the line if she can't shop for herself?"

"They wouldn't have to worry about it if I have tailors making dresses for them." He said with a weak smile.

"Do you have idea how much a seamstress would cost? My mama did it for some years until she got sick." Tiana said, walking over to the refrigerator.

Naveen raised his eyebrows. "Got sick? What happened to her?"

"She died." Tiana answered curtly. "What would you like for lunch?"

"I thought you wanted to go shopping?"

"I do though I do want to have something in my stomach before we make the trip. There are a couple of stores I have been dying to go to." She smiled.

Naveen looked down at her revealing thighs. "So, are you going to be wearing such revealing material around here more often?"

"Why? Is it too much?" She asked, closing her housecoat.

"I don't mind it but I do have some friends who just might stop by without calling—

"I get it." She put a hand on his shoulder. "I best be getting dressed anyway." She left the kitchen.

Naveen watched her leave and sighed in relief. It took the woman little effort to arouse him and like a gentleman he had to make sure that his head doesn't effect his thoughts. He came here for the jazz, not to fool around.

"You're still in here?" Tiana came in the kitchen moments later with her hands on her hips wearing a blue sundress.

"I was thinking…" He nervously laughed.

"Of what?" She asked.

"Of how I'm going to take us out for lunch instead and how this shopping trip could end up being a long afternoon for me." He opened the door.

Tiana laughed, walking out of the kitchen. "For a man, you whine a bit little too much."

"Don't tell me that it doesn't take you women five hours to find the right pair of shoes," he joked.

She playfully rolled her eyes, unlocking the front door. "Our hours of shop just an excuse to stay away from the likes of you whiny men!"

"Oh so you're already growing tired of me?" Naveen blocked front entrance, which prevented her from leaving their home.

Tiana rested her hands on her hips. "Excuse me, sir."

"Answer my question." Naveen pressed with a grin.

She looked him up and down before sighing. "Are you serious?"

Naveen remained where he was.

She walked up to him, standing on her tip toes, wrapping her arms over his shoulders. "I will never grow tired of you." She brushed her lip over to his neck. "Now why would you ever think that?"

Naveen heard her seductive tone and soft lip on his skin and swallowed hard. "Um, th-that's good to know."

Tiana bit on her bottom lip before letting him go. "Good to know." She brushed passed him out into the hall outside their apartment holding in her laughter; and when she didn't see him following her out she asks, "Naveen, are ya comin'?"

The king composed himself and hurried outside the door. "Here I am...I was uh-I'm ready."

"Good." She locked her arm with his as they started down the hall and towards the elevator. "I know a place where they serve the best Cajun shrimp remoulade, well, at least second to mine of course!"

Naveen laughed. "Tiana, I don't think there is another woman as confident as you are."

"Is that a bad thing Mr. Naveen?" She smirked.

He shook his head, looking into her eyes. "There is nothing more greater to a man than a confident woman by his side."

Tiana was almost taken aback at how serious he looked when he made that comment, it was almost as if she was swept off her feet againm, but she couldn't show him that. "That's good to know then."

Naveen only nodded as they walked through the lobby and outside the buildling. He really meant what he said to her as far as a confident woman goes. He's ever been around any during his life. His mother and wife were devoted to one task, please their man before pleasing themselves. Tiana was the complete opposite and even spoke her mind, and did look good in the revealing attire. Besides her clothing she had a personality and elegance that made his heart skip a beat, light a fire in soul and mind, a feeling he's never experienced from his arranged wife.

While driving, he looked over at her and noticed how quiet she was. She looked to have something in her mind. "You want to talk about it?"

"Huh?" Tiana looked over at Naveen before shaking her head. "It's nothing." But if it was nothing, then why was she of all people trying to compose herself from thinking of him? She could easily flirt with him without a care in the world but when he's at his most honest, especially when he looks at her is when everything changes. Her heart feel strange, almost as if it...flutters? She rolled her eyes at the thought of that. 'Music makes my heart flutter, not Naveen and his...eyes.' She tried convincing herself. But why wasn't it working?

()()()()