Chapter 6. During the last two weeks I have been debating about how to continue this. I decided upon a little out of character scene maybe. But I want some fireworks going on. Quite long this time and only from Joseph's POV.

I saw a few typo's and grammar mistakes in the previous chapters. I will update them in the coming weeks.

6. Years later. Just before Amelia finishes her education.

Her mouth was hot and wet on his. She leaned against the inside of his suite door. His right hand rested on the door next to her head. His left hand travelled between her left and right breast. They just came out of bed and had been in the process of getting dressed. Well, they had been dressed, but she started kissing him again and he had opened the top buttons of her blouse so that he could reach inside.

He knew that she only intended to stay this one night. He was not really in search for a one-night stand. But he was only human after all. He needed a warm body against his every now and then. The last weeks when he went out to the bar to meet some friends on Saturday night, she had been there. She looked good and flirted with him. It felt so good to give into it instead of trying to ignore it. So, when she kissed him yesterday, he asked her to come home with him.

She brought him back to the present time by breaking the kiss and saying:

"Thanks to you I now know what the palace looks like from the inside."

Joseph couldn't come up with a decent reply. His mouth stayed open a little bit, still remembering the touch of lips.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked. She bit her bottom lip.

He thought about the question for a moment. Was he angry that she wanted pleasure for one night and that she used him to get access to the palace? He quickly realised that he was not hurt, he was not angry. He found it quite funny.

"No, No I'm not angry. It's all right. I…I had a pleasant night." He smiled.

She laughed out loud before she daringly said:

"Would you care to give me a 10-minute detour?" She stroked his cheek with her fingers. "Now that I have the chance. I mean, I will probably never return here."

Laughing even harder Joseph took her hand in his and pulled her away from the door in order to make room to open it.

"I guess I can take the long route while showing you out."

Both laughing and still half in their embrace they stumbled into the hallway. While doing so they collided with something. Or rather with someone.

In a split-second Joseph reached out for the other person in order to avoid a drop to the ground. He only half succeeded because he also had to steady himself and his date. While the three of them were half on their knees and trying to get onto their feet again he realised who it was they collided onto.

Clarisse. The queen.

His suite was at the end of the hallway that leaded to the queen's suite. Originally, he received this room for safety purposes while he still was working as the queen's personal bodyguard. Back then it made sense to be close at all times. After he stepped back as bodyguard, he remained in his old rooms just for the sake of old habits. But if he was honest, he would admit to himself that he just liked to be close to Clarisse.

Clarisse probably was on her way to her office to start her day and had just passed his door when he and his date stumbled out of his rooms.

"Your majesty. I am very sorry, are you unharmed?" he asked.

Right at that moment he heard both women grasp. He guessed that his date like himself realised that they collided with the queen of Genovia, and she looked exited. Clarisse on the other hand was very good at concealing her emotions. She was difficult to read. But knowing her quite well, he guessed she was at least annoyed.

His date could not suppress her enthusiasm any longer and said:

"I am so sorry your majesty. But I hope you don't mind me saying that even considering the circumstances I find great pleasure in meeting you."

With that the woman held out her hand towards her queen.

Clarisse then did something that told Joseph that his estimation was wrong. She wasn't annoyed. She was downright angry.

Clarisse completely ignored his date. Which was not only arrogant and antisocial, but also very unlike Clarisse who always tried to keep up the best possible social standards. Especially with strangers.

She looked him in the eye and said in a cold way:

"First of all, it's very bad behaviour for adult people to stumble and play around the hallway. I think you can do better than this Joseph. And second, it's inappropriate to fiddle around in the hallway during your shift. Which, if I may remind you, stared five minutes ago."

Joseph felt ashamed and hurt after hearing those words and a gave the only reply that he thought would be in order at the moment.

"Yes, your majesty. It won't happen again."

After hearing Joseph's answer Clarisse finally acknowledged the other woman who meanwhile had lowered her outstretched arm and looked dumb folded at the scene.

"May I recommend that you close the top buttons of your blouse? You are a little bit too exposed I would say."

And with that the queen turned around towards the end of the hallway and was out of sight.

While Joseph still stared at the empty hallway his date started to talk hysterically.

"Oh my god, oh my god. I feel so cheap right now. I meet the queen of Genovia while my breasts are half exposed. No wonder she tried to ignore me…. I would have done the same probably."

Joseph shifted his gaze towards the lady and saw that she quickly started closing the blouse.

"Are you alight?" she asked him. "If you ask me, I think she was quite hard on you. For what it's worth to hear my opinion."

"Yes, yes. I am fine." Joseph replied. But that was a lie. He was far from all right. He was hurt and confused.

He saw her biting her lip again.

"I hope that I did not ruin your career." She said softly.

"Not I don't think so. I have been working her for a while. So, I won't be sent away over a small incident." He managed to say with a smile.

"I guess, we will take the short way to the door then."

"Yes. I think that is for the best."

When he had let the lady out of the palace, Joseph walked towards the security office without stopping at the kitchen to collect his usual morning coffee.

He sat down, picked up a pile of paper and stared at the words. Meanwhile he tried to process what just happened.

Clarisse was angry. And he understood that she did not fancy being knocked onto the ground. But it was an accident and she was not hurt. He collided with her before and back then she just laughed about it, said sorry and that was that.

For the fact that he brought a woman into his rooms. Well that was his own business wasn't it? But he had to admit that it was unprofessional that he was late for his shift because it took him so long to say goodbye to his one-night stand. But he was always early starting with work, working extra hours, never complaining. One day being fifteen minutes late was not that big of an issue was it?

And yes, those exposed breasts, that was stupid, he had to admit that. But why not laughing about it? Why being so damn cold. They were friends and he was angry and hurt that she had been angry and unreasonable with him.

But he also felt ashamed and sorry. Ashamed that he took a woman into his rooms to have a one-night stand with. Sorry that Clarisse had to see him that way. He was sorry somehow that he gave in onto his desires. He never wanted Clarisse to find out about his every now and then dates.

He sighted and tried to calm down and examine his own emotions.

Why was he so hurt by this whole thing?

He knew the answer.

Since they agreed to ignore their mutual spark, it had not been easy for him. When he stopped being her bodyguard, they had set a steady rhythm of meetings about security issues. But they turned more and more into meeting with friends' moments. They always seemed to find a moment to talk, walk in the garden, have lunch.

Clarisse was a great friend. The last years they even became better friends. The grief of Rupert's death wore off a little and Amelia learned fast and turned out to be a very sweet young woman. Clarisse became happier and more relaxed over the years.

Joseph watched it from close by. He valued their friendship a lot. But next to friendly and kind Clarisse was also a very attractive woman. How deeper their friendship became, how more frequent he felt a spark. First, he tried to pretend that they were not there. Later he started to look forward to them and enjoy those moments.

He was sure Clarisse noticed that he felt something. He could control his actions and not act on his feelings. God knew he wanted to kiss her, do a lot more than that. But he told himself no. But he could not control his emotions and the way they spread across his face. But she, in all those years, never said anything about it or showed anything herself.

He had to admit to himself that against all odds, he was completely in love with Clarisse. His queen. But he respected their agreement and besides he was far too afraid to lose his friendship with her if he tried something more.

Joseph tore his eyes away from his paperwork and walked over to the monitors. He quickly found the image he was looking for. The queen's office where Clarisse was working behind her desk. He stared at her for a few moments, then tore his gaze away.

Her outburst hurt him because he cared. He felt ashamed that Clarisse saw him with another woman because he did not really want it that way. He was hurt because he loved her. He wanted to be with her, not with a one-night stand date. He was angry with her because she was unreachable. He was angry with her because while he loved her, she still could hurt him so much.

Angry. Hurt.

Suddenly a possibility struck him.

He was angry because he was hurt.

Could it be, could it possibly be that she was angry because…because she was hurt as well?

Maybe, just maybe, when Clarisse saw him with another woman, she was hurt because she was jealous? While being hurt she covered that emotion with anger in order not to show it?

Clarisse was very good in hiding her emotions, even towards him.

Yes, it was a possibility. Yes, maybe she also felt the spark and tried to ignore it.

It was an absurd thought. But the small opening made Joseph smile.