Chapter 9: Grumps

Mia sat staring aimlessly at the wall of her bedroom. She didn't understand her grandmother. They were so different, opposite ends of the spectrum. How could her Grandma do this too her? She had said yes, but now she was changing her mind, people were always changing their minds.

Lily had changed her mind about wanting Mia to be a princess. Her mother had changed her mind about her father. Micheal had changed his mind about her. Everyone was always changing!

She curled up in the chair, flipping through the channels aimlessly. The cable still wasn't installed, and she had already missed the first episode of American Idol. Stupid Genovian TV! Why didn't they have anything good one here?

Mia closed her eyes it wasn't even three yet, but she was tired, worn out from the action of the last couple of weeks. Within minutes the young girl was asleep, looking peaceful and demure, as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Joe was trying to act like a normal functional human being, but he was a bit shocked by Charlotte's comment. How could she have known? And the way she put it, well with kids these days you never knew. But getting it on? He'd thought about his queen a lot, but he didn't want to think about it like that.

Clarisse was talking about something, but honestly he was distracted. By the way the light hit her hair, the way her suit jacket pulled slightly across the bust, the way she kept wiping the invisible wrinkles out of her suit. Everything she did caught his attention. He felt as if he'd been caught off his guard. Charlotte must have eyes in the back of her head, and a nose for, well anything. How else could she have known?

Clarisse was sorting papers over by her desk, chatting as if nothing was happening, and he was still over by the couch. Over where he had kissed his Queen, and where her personal assistant had read him like a book.

Joe had always considered himself a rather mysterious person. Obviously he had been wrong. But why was he obsessing over this? Charlotte would never tell anyone. He decided it was just because it was so unnerving.

Clarisse turned around to say something to him, but he was off in another world. She couldn't help but laugh at him, he looked so serious, so grave. With his black sport coat, and black sunglasses, he could have been going to a funeral. Suddenly it struck her, did this have something to do with the kiss? Their kiss?

She turned away blushing at the mere thought of her reckless actions. She shouldn't have done it. She really shouldn't have done it. But she had. What if it happened again? What would she tell him? She had to say no, but she knew she couldn't say no. She didn't want to say no. Clarisse shook her head, she would worry about that when the time came. For now she would just, what was it that Mia said, oh yes 'Go with the Flow.'

Dinner that night was an awkward occasion to say the least, Mia wouldn't speak to her Grandmother, Joseph stood firmly against the wall refusing to be seated, and every time Charlotte walked past she burst into a fit of giggles. Clarisse gazed around, it was as if someone had turned the palace into a mad house.

In a way she was mad at Joe. He was the one that had initiated the whole thing. And if he regretted it now, the least he could have done was act like a gentleman, about the whole thing. But here he was, leaning on the wall, arms crossed, glaring at the world, like a toddler that hadn't gotten his way. And for crying out loud, she might be the Queen, but it was one kiss, one measly kiss. It wasn't as if they had slept together or anything.

Clarisse laughed to herself at that thought. She had never really considered it. Sleeping with Joseph. She had thought about kissing him and holding him. She wanted him to kiss her, to love her. But she had never really thought about sex. Clarisse shook her head. Her granddaughter was sitting across the table from her, and she was thinking about sleeping with her head of security, who stood behind her. The whole thing made her blush.

Dinner was going rather badly, Joe thought to himself. Mia was grouchy as anything, and Clarisse wouldn't really look him in the eye. Not that he made it particularly easy for her, as he was standing behind her. But on the way down from her suite, she hadn't said anything, she hadn't really spoken to him since the little incident in the suite. She had jabbered on about work and queen related things, but she had been speaking to her head or security. Not to Joe. He uncrossed his arms, letting them fall to his sides. He knew in the back of his mind what the hardest part of this was. The fact that she had all the control. She could summon him, dismiss him, fire him, hire him, and he didn't have any say in the matter. Joe had never considered himself a really sexist man, but when it came to woman, he wanted to be the leader and protector. Not some puppet on a string for her to play with.