The Prince And The Waitress
Phoning His Royal Highness
"Tiana? I'm home!" Eudora said, locking the front door. She walked into the kitchen and didn't see her daughter anywhere.
"Hmm? She couldn't be sleeping in." She left the kitchen to go check on her daughter's room, and was surprised to see that it was locked. "She usually doesn't lock her door unless...Naveen's in there with her!"
Eudora pulled a hair pin from her hair and used it to slowly open the door to Tiana's room. She sighed huge in relief when she saw her daughter and Naveen sleeping peacefully in each others arms on the bed-fully dressed! She also happen to notice the the incredibly large diamond on her daughter's ring finger.
Eudora looked up at the ceiling and mentally shouted, 'He did it, James! Our babycakes is getting' married!' While slowly closing the door shut. "It's time I finish up on her wedding dress."
But a knock at her front door prevented that from happening right now. Eudora groaned before walking over to open it and to her surprise it was Charles. "Good morning, Charles."
"I didn't see Tiana at work this morning." He walked in uninvited.
She rested a ran on her hip. "Well it's her day-off."
"And she's still asleep?" He asked, curiosity hinted in his voice.
Eudora frowned. "And why are you asking so many questions?"
"I was being a friend." He simply answered.
"Well you won't be seeing too much of her now. I'm sure she'll quit that diner job now that she has more important things to focus on."
Charles grew a little irritated by the statement. "Such as her engagement to that prince?"
"Naveen is a good man, Charles," Eudora said, defending her future son-in-law. "You should try to at least be happy for Tiana since you are a friend of hers."
"You're a Christian woman, Ms. Eudora and I refuse to lie right in your face about being happy for Tiana, but Naveen isn't to be trusted. He's a womanizer, very irresponsible and I read that most Maldonians don't even believe in God."
Eudora opened her front door. "It's time for you to leave, Charles."
"But Ms. Eudora-
"Good luck with college and life," She said sternly.
Charles took the hint and started at the door. "I care for Tiana and want what's best for her."
"She has what's best for her and that's her family." She then closed the door and shook her head. "Ain't nothing worse than a jealous man."
Tiana's bedroom door opened to her and Naveen walking out.
"Aw ya'll finally woke up." Eudora smiled, her mood back in good spirits.
Tiana gasped when she saw her mother. "First of all, we didn't do anything, mama."
"I know ya'll didn't. I didn't smell any sex in the room." She said honestly.
Naveen laughed while Tiana's cheek flushed with embarrassment.
"Mama…"
"Well, I didn't. But enough about that!" Eudora took a hold of her daughter's hands. "I want to see the ring Naveen gave you for your engagement!" She saw the ring again and hugged her daughter. "Oh babycakes I can't wait until the big day!" She then pulled form the hug and hugged Naveen. "I told you it she would say yes." She patted him on the back.
"She did tell me that." Naveen smiled.
"So when are ya'll gettin' married? Soon I hope, but not too soon!" She looked down at Tiana's flat tummy. "You know how people like to talk."
"Tiana has told me about that and I honestly do not care what they think. I want to marry your daughter." He took her hand and looked her way. "The sooner I marry her, the sooner I can spend the rest of my life with her."
"I hope ya'll not going to city hall. I didn't start working on Tiana's wedding dress for nothing." Eudora said with a wrinkled nose.
"No, we will have a wedding, right?" He asked Tiana.
"Of course! I think my mama deserves a big wedding after pressuring me into marriage for the past three years." Tiana made sure to point that out to her mother.
"Well that wedding will finally happen and once it does I will be the luckiest man on earth." Naveen said, and kissed her hand. "To have your heart, just as you have mine."
Tiana rolled her eyes at his mush.
Eudora sighed. "You remind me so much of James when we were together. He was a romantic man himself." She looked proudly at the couple. "He would've loved you like a son, Naveen."
"You really think so?" Naveen's eyes brighten when he heard the compliment. Tiana shared some stories of her relationship with her father before he died and from what she told him he seemed like an honorable man. The type who loved his family and would invest all of his time with them, no matter how tired he was. Made him think of his own relationship with his father and how much he use to yearn for his attention. He sighed and put on a smile, despite now feeling bad about his 'fatherless' childhood.
"Naveen, are you alright?" Tiana asked. Noticing his silence and heavy in thought.
"I'm fine." He looked her way. "But I should contact my parents and let them know the good news."
"We don't own a telephone so you'll have to go to the phone both down the street." Eudora told him.
"I'll do that now." He started toward the door.
"Do you want me to join you?" Tiana asked.
"Sure." He stretched out his hand for her to take it before leaving the home.
"We'll be back mama." Tiana said.
"Take all the time ya want." Eudora said, following them out the door.
She saw her neighbor Mrs. Jones stepping out on front porch. "Ooh let me see that ring of yours, Tiana."
Tiana wasn't much of a bragger unless in the kitchen, but the ring was very impressive. So why not show it off?
Naveen watched his fiancée's as she showed the woman her ring.
"Oh you treat him real good. Ya hear?" Mrs. Jones advised Tiana with a wink. "He's a good man to buy you much an expensive engagement ring. But he is a rich prince."
"Thank you, Mrs. Jones." Tiana smiled. Not only was she proud about her ring, but she was also proud about her man.
"When is the wedding gonna be?" The Haitian woman asked.
"We haven't decided on a date yet, but I'm sure my mama will fill ya in." Tiana answered.
"Oh I know she will." The woman smiled.
"Well I best get going. I don't wanna hold Naveen up." Tiana started down the stairs.
"I won't hold ya'll up then. Goodluck you two!" She waved.
"Thanks!" Tiana took her fiancé's hand.
"I think my arrogant showboating is rubbing off on you." Naveen joked.
"Don't push it." Tiana warned.
()()()()
Naveen waited for his father to answer the phone with annoyance. 'Nothing ever changes with him' He thought. Always late when it comes to his family but on time for business and anything that involves money.
"The operator is going to cut in for the fifth time if he doesn't hurry up." Naveen said.
Tiana wrapped her arms around his waist. "Well he is a king. You told me how busy he is."
Naveen was just about to disagree when he heard his father pick up.
"Naveen, why are you calling me at this hour? It better be important." Kabir growled.
"As a matter of it is very important, father." Naveen said. "I'm engaged to be married."
"You're engaged?" The king's tone softened. "It's about time you swooned that southern belle LaBouff. When is the wedding?"
"I'm not engaged to Charlotte LaBouff." Naveen confessed.
"Then who is the lucky young lady? I must speak with her at once!" The king beamed.
Naveen frowned. "You want to speak with her now?"
Tiana's eyes widen as she let her fiancé go.
"My father wants to speak to you." Naveen handed her the phone.
"Hello?" Tiana answered, feeling a bit shy.
"You are definitely a southern belle with that accent! I was just telling my son how lucky you must feel to be engaged to such a magnificent young man. Surely you two will marry very soon."
"Well we haven't discussed on a day-
"I will send my royal planners to you at once! This will be the biggest wedding Maldonia has ever held!" Kabir said.
"Maldonia?" Tiana frowned. "But I would rather have the wedding here in New Orleans-
Naveen leaned over to hear the conversation.
"Neither my son or I will not approve of such a wedding in New Orleans. It is right that it's in the home country of the royal prince."
Tiana rolled her eyes, handing the phone to her fiancé.
"Father, I would like for Tiana and myself to marry here in New Orleans. Where we plan to spend our life in." Naveen said, already knowing that this wouldn't end well.
"Rubbish! Your mother, brother and myself will be there within the next week to straighten out this confusion!" Kabir sternly said.
Naveen wasn't expecting to hear that. "Next week?"
"Yes, but by then you two will have a wedding date set up and we will discuss your future." The king said.
Before Naveen could say more, his father already hang up the phone. He groaned. "Just like him to take over everything."
Tiana knew that Naveen was never close to his father and could understand how their relationship came about. "We'll tell him that this is our wedding. Not his."
"If only it were that simple." Naveen sighed. He eventually shrugged his shoulders and wrapped his arm over her shoulder, leaving the booth.
"I am excited about meeting your family." Tiana admitted. "How is your mother?"
"She's sweet, very quiet little woman." Naveen answered, not caring about the topic.
"And your brother?" She asked.
"A typical six year old." He shortly said. "Very curious, enjoy games, toys. You know, something a six year old boy would be into."
Tiana heard his uninterested tone on his family and knew he didn't seem all too thrilled about their arrival. So she stopped walking. "Well hey…" She faced him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. "…I don't want you feeling down all day. Not when we planned to spend it all together." She kissed him again.
Naveen wrapped his arms around her, pulling onto him. "Mm." He moaned before pressing his lips onto hers.
Charles was walking down the street when he saw the couple in a loving liplock. He wrinkled his nose and kept walking, growing more furious than ever.
"Good morning Charlie," spoke an elderly man. "Why the long face?"
Charles nostrils flared. "It's Tiana and that prince she's engaged to, Mr. Baker. Everwhere I go I see him all over her."
The older man chuckled as he watched the couple now leaving hand and hand away from them across the street. "Young love has the best drama. What happened? Did he steal her away from you or something?"
"Not exactly."
The older man nodded his head. "Well those Creole boys have that good hair and eyes to make the girls swoon."
"But he isn't Creole. He's some Mediterranean prince." Charles said.
"Medi-what?" The man frowned.
"He's from Europe." Charles answered.
"All the way across the pond?" The man asked.
"Much further than that I'm for certain. He's from a country that's not even in all the world maps. It took me nearly ten atlas' to finally find the country."
"Hmm." Mr. Baker curiously scratched his chin. "He seems like a nice kid to me. Always making time for Tiana who is a very nice and hardworking young lady."
"She's wasting her life away in diners making second to none. If she were to marry me she doesn't need to work. I can provide for her." Charles said.
The older man chuckled and shook his head. "Tiana doesn't seem to be the type would would stay home all day waiting for ya, boy. Why don't you look at the other nice looking girls around here. They will love to have young, college boy for a husband."
Charles snorted. "I have to get going Mr. Baker."
"Alright young man you take care. Oh, and when are you leaving for college?"
"The end of next month." Charles was growing tired of the older man.
"July? Well if I don't see you by then then I wish you luck with everything." Mr. Baker grinned.
"Thank you." He said, walking away. He stopped and turned when he heard Tiana laughing as Naveen spun her in his arms. He rolled his eyes and continue walking away.
"Naveen, put me down!" Tiana laughed.
"I don't know if I want to." He stopped spinning and put her back on the ground.
Tiana tried to step back but was locked in his arms. "Can you let me go?"
"And if I don't?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
Eudora and Mrs. Jones laughed at the couple. Reminiscing on their romance with their husbands who were no longer with them.
Tiana looked into Naveen's honey coloured eyes and smiled. She loved the way he was looking at her and holding her. Such strong masculine arms around her body that was pressed against his hard chest. She couldn't wait to run her fingers across his abdomen. He was simply perfect.
Naveen looked into Tiana's dark brown eyes and couldn't stop smiling. She felt right in his arms. The softness of her skin touching his, every curve on her body as he held her made him feel complete. And the softness of her breasts pressed on him turned him on. He couldn't wait to explore every last inch and crevice of her body. She was simply perfect and was his as he was hers. He had to feel her lips on is again.
"Ya'll got plenty of time to kiss later!" Eudora cut them off.
"Mm." Tiana moaned into Naveen's mouth before slightly pulling away. "She's right. We should get clean and see each other later."
Naveen didn't want to hear that. "I don't want to leave."
She rubbed her thumb over his lips. "How about I make you a big hearty breakfast before you leave?"
"I'd like that." Naveen smiled. "But could I mince?"
"If you want to." She smiled back.
He kissed her once more. "Then let's get started."
()()()()
A/N: The royal family comes in for a visit on the next chapter!