Sorry it took so long guys, life keeps getting in the way. Hope you enjoy, a pretty fluffy chapter, last night at the horse show, we'll be back to 'real life' and the difficulties that go with it in the next few chapters.
Double Take
Chapter 41
This can't be 'Being in the Spotlight'
Although Richard was doing his best to reassure her, Kori was feeling more upset than she remembered being in a long, long time. It appeared that sleep was not going to come easily to either of them, Richard thought the most productive use of their time would be to plan out what they were going to say to the press.
"Kori, you're comfortable about portraying our relationship in the press as a couple in love, aren't you?"
"Of course, Richard," Kori answered quickly and then stopped to look at him. He was so strong and she knew he would guide them through the maelstrom of the press, but at the same time he seemed so emotionally vulnerable. Before Bruce's call about the TMZ fiasco, he had opened up, asking for reassurance they could have a future.
She added, "We are very much in love. Perhaps we should mention also the fact that we are exclusive."
"Absolutely. We are exclusive."
He didn't know why, but there was something about that being said that Richard found thrilling. Discussing the press release would have to wait. He couldn't stop himself as he closed the distance between them, nearly tackling her. Kori found herself pinned on the bed, Richard kissing her as though his life depended on it. She surrendered immediately and melted into his kiss.
"Richard," she breathed when they finally took a break for air.
"I love you so much Kori," Richard said, looking at her intensely. How could he tell her how much he cared about her, how much he wanted a future with her, and how he never felt anything like this ever before?
"And I love you," Kori managed, her head swimming after that kiss and the way he was looking at her.
"Kori, I want to spend my life with you," he said sincerely.
"You do?" she replied, feeling her heart pound. "I-I would love to spend my life with you as well Richard."
Richard smiled but the intensity in his eyes continued and he soon became serious again, "we'll get through this, I promise you, and we'll be stronger because of it. We found each other after all these years, Star. We belong together."
"I agree. We do belong together. Please Richard, lets make the most of our night together."
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In the morning, Kori took her shower first and took time to reflect on the night before. She had no idea that she could feel that way physically and emotionally. They hadn't made love but more directly than he had before, Richard had assured her that they would and that would be together always. He hadn't proposed, but it was implied that he would and that she had a feeling he would make that a very romantic moment in their future.
Even in the face of having to go public about her royal status and their relationship, she had never been happier, and she felt as though she could float.
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While Kori was in the shower, Richard thought briefly about joining her, surprising her in the shower, but he knew she wasn't ready for that, that they weren't ready for that. But it was a very nice thought. Richard scanned TMZ and some other gossip websites and then tried to jot down some notes on the things that they had to discuss with Bruce and the public relations people, but his mind kept wandering back to Kori. He had no idea love could be like this. He was still tempted to propose, but didn't want the situation to force that. He smiled to himself when he thought about how nice proposing to Kori would be and resolved to start putting some thought into that once they got home.
God, she was so sweet and sexy and completed him in so many ways. He was happier than he had ever been, that he was certain about. If not an engagement ring, he would be giving her some piece of jewelry as a token of his affection, and he wanted to pull it off before the evening when they would be together for the last night of the horse show. With the press interested in them now, he felt the odd (or at least it seemed odd to him) urge to make sure everyone knew that she was his. He knew that was extremely caveman of him to think that way, but he also knew that he could never be anything but true to her, that it wasn't that she was his, it was that they were together, that they belonged to each other.
And Richard's thoughts also keep going back to their night together. He was relieved that after the night started to careen off course once the call came in about TMZ that they were able to get back on track and find strength and comfort in each other. They were no more intimate than they had been and as much as he wanted her, he was so satisfied by their connection that it was not nearly as difficult as he had imagined to wait. He let out a heavy sigh when it again occurred to him that by Monday, he would be back in Wayne Manor and Kori would be in the Tamaranian Embassy.
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True to his word, Bruce had lined up a publicist and by noon on that Saturday, they were all meeting in Kori's hotel suite. Along with Kori and Richard, Bruce and Selina joined the publicist and his assistant.
Bruce had the diplomatic savvy that would help with the issues concerning Kori's older sister. He also had been a long time target of not only the society and gossip pages but even the paparazzi himself .
Prior to the meeting, Kori made the difficult call to Galfore. Fortunately, he had been unaware of any of the press attention. Somewhat used to Washington's social scene, he knew the attention couples could get in the gossip columns. He voiced his concerns, and asked how he could speak to Richard directly. He was a bit taken aback when Kori told him that Richard was right there with her. When the two men spoke, their discussion was for the most part cordial. But Richard knew that his next face-to-face meeting with Galfore was most likely going to be less than pleasant' Galfore seeing the picture of Kori and Richard kissing was pretty much inevitable.
When it came to the 'outing' of her royal status, Galfore was not at all surprised. He had made the assumption that it would come out eventually, which surprised Kori because he never mentioned it. Since she had given it up as far as she was concerned, she never considered that the rest of the world would be that interested. There is no royalty in the US, although families like the Kennedy's got plenty of attention and were essentially a dynasty. But royalty? Sure there had been all the interest of Princess Di but Kori never saw that there was any comparison or analogy there. Although now that was proving naïve, although it had been almost 17 years since her parents and brother were killed and the royal family was considered wiped out, she began to realize that people would want to hear her story.
When the topic of Kori's sister Komand'r came up, Galfore pulled no punches.
"She betrayed her family and her country," he said in disgust. "She has no place in civilized society. After her involvement with the terrorists, her assumption of power was disastrous."
"I know there is none of the love lost between you and my sister," Kori interrupted, not having enough emotional energy to bare one of Galfore's tirades. "I am simply telling the press that she left the family to join with the Citadel Movement when I was only 11 and that I have no direct knowledge of her involvement with the bombings. I will tell them that I have not been in contact with her since I left Tamaran to move to Switzerland at 13 for the completion of my primary education, and then I moved to the US at 18 and am now an American citizen."
"I think that the less you say of Komand'r, the better," Galfore told her. "I will make sure that the Embassy will release a statement that although you are in residence here, that the Embassy only recognizes the current fledgling democracy of Tamaran and its prime minister and that we do not recognize Komand'r."
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They didn't want to be apart for a moment, but Kori and Richard knew they had to be. Selina stayed back at the hotel with Kori and Richard and Bruce left. Once in the car, Dick said, "Dad, I need to stop at a jeweler. Who do you recommend around here?"
Bruce raised as eyebrow as he looked at his son, "are you telling me you're getting engaged?"
Dick decided to see how this would play out, "why, don't you approve?"
Bruce took a breath in and considered this. "I do approve. You and Kori are great together. I've never seen you happier. But," somehow Dick knew there would be a 'but', "isn't it too soon? And do you think you should propose in the middle of all this press attention? It's not like you to cave to any pressure. Have you spoken with Galfore?"
Richard gave a look to him that Bruce found unreadable. "I'm not proposing to Kori, Dad," he paused and then clarified, "at least not yet. But I'd like to pick something up for her."
Bruce felt a bit relieved. Getting engaged while the press had newly discovered the couple would get things whipped up into a frenzy and add more stress to the situation. "I have a great place in mind. We can head over there now."
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Kori didn't like being cooped up in the hotel suite no matter how good Selina's company was. They decided to head out of the hotel and risk the press, hoping that no one would bother them if they went to Mass on that Saturday afternoon.
But it was too early for services and Selina thought they could head over to a friend's estate where they take care of neglected animals. It was excellent therapy for Kori, and Selina loved visiting all the felines, and the press was nowhere in site.
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When Kori got back to the hotel, there were two photogs their videotaping, but with Selina's support she was able to brush by them with little difficulty. It was nearly 6 o'clock and the press statement was about to be released.
"Dr. Richard Grayson, MD of Wolf Trap, Virginia, the son of philanthropist, diplomat and former US Ambassador to Tamaran Bruce Wayne, confirms he is involved in an exclusive romantic relationship with Dr. Kori Anders, PhD of Washington, DC.
"Dr. Anders was born Koriand'r, the princess of Tamaran. After the death of her parents, King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r, and brother Prince Ryand'r in during terrorist attacks in August 1992, Dr. Anders left Tamaran. She became a US citizen in 1999 while attending college in the United States.
"Dr. Anders' has remained estranged from her older sister, Princess Komand'r since 1990 when Komand'r left the Royal Family of Tamaran to join a terrorist organization known as the Citadel under the alias of Blackfire.
"While Dr. Anders appreciates the interest in her royal status and in her childhood in Tamaran, she has not returned to Tamaran since leaving in 1992 and has relinquished her crown. She asks for privacy and the freedom to live as a regular American citizen. She fully supports the democratic government of Tamaran and Prime Minister Dorian."
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Richard Grayson arrived at the Devon Hotel at 6:45 PM to pick up his date for the evening, Kori Anders. The press release had been out for not quite an hour, and he was not surprised that even though Harvey Levin had taken the picture of the couple down from the TMZ website, there would still be great interest. Wearing khakis and an oxford, his jacket folded over his arm and his tie tucked in a pocket, he braced himself for the photogs. With sunglasses to hide his eyes, he left his face impassive, but did wish everyone a good evening.
"Mr. Grayson, please! Are you here to pick up Princess Koriand'r?"
"It's Dr Grayson," the other photog hissed at his fellow celebrity stalker, and then shouted to Richard, his camera trailed on him, "are you here for Kori Anders? She is your girlfriend, right?"
He couldn't stop himself before he gave them a 'you're too dumb to live' look. Richard then smiled slightly, not that he was enjoying this very much and asked, "Where were you around Springsteen's daughter was riding a the horse show few days ago? He was here and I didn't see you around then." He was met with two blank stares. "Wait till I tell everybody I'm getting more press than the Boss!"
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He knocked at the door and Kori opened it immediately. She seemed happy, relaxed. She hugged him with her trademark enthusiasm.
He gave her a kiss and then studied her face.
"I am fine Richard," she assured him, not needing for him to pose the obvious question.
"I'm glad. We have a few minutes, c'mere" He smiled secretly when he noticed her neck remained unadorned. She had broken with wearing the barn colors of black and royal blue, instead wearing a soft purple simple cocktail dress with a fitted bodice and modest v-neckline.
"I have something for you." He pulled the black velvet flat box out of his pocket and Kori's eyes opened wide and she looked at him expectantly. He handed her the box, "Go ahead and open it Kori."
Kori blushed. She certainly wasn't expecting a gift, and from the shape of the box, it wasn't a ring. She was glad about this later. As much as she would have loved a ring from him, even if it wasn't an engagement ring, it would fuel the media attention. She opened the box and gasped at the contents. She ran a finger along the necklace, securely fastened to the satin lining of the box.
"Do you like it?" Richard said softly, expectantly, finding himself uncharacteristically nervous.
"It's beautiful," Kori said quietly, somewhat overwhelmed. It was an exquisite piece, an Art Deco Edwardian-inspired platinum filigree pin with an attached platinum chain so it could also be worn as a necklace. It was a lozenge shape, about one inch by two inches, and had in its center a 6 carat emerald cut amethyst within the filigree design. A small diamond sat in the center of the lavender stone and there were numerous one, two and three point diamonds throughout the intricate design. It was a perfect choice for her, she simply loved it.
"Thank you. Would you...?"
"Sure, Star," he replied as he removed the pin and chain from the elastic ties while she held the box open, trying not to tremble.
Once the necklace was free of the box, Kori set the box down.
"Over here," he motioned with his head in the direction of the mirror above the bathroom vanity.
Once in front of the mirror, she blushed as their eyes locked in the mirror's reflection. She lifted her hair for him and Richard broke her gaze to pay attention to clasping the chain in the back of her neck. Once the chain was secured, he dropped a kiss on her collar bone before their eyes met once more. Kori felt her heart race and wondered if Richard noticed.
"It looks so lovely on you."
"It is truly wonderful," she said as her eyebrows knitted for a moment. She wasn't sure why she had received the gift. "Is this an early birthday gift?"
"No, Kori, its not."
"Then, what is the occasion?"
"Does there have to be an occasion for me to give my girlfriend a small gift?" he said in the sexy, flirtatious manner that she hadn't seen a lot of that week. She was used to him being more playful and less suave. Not that it was a bad thing...
She raised an eyebrow in skepticism. "I believe this is not a small gift Richard."
The lopsided grin came to his face as his playful side broke through his playboy facade. "Kori, I just wanted to give you something to remember this week by. Do you really like it?" His vulnerability was also surfacing.
She blushed, a bit embarrassed by the extravagent gift. "I do... I love it... Its perfect... Thank you."
"And I love you. So very, very much. And that's the real reason why I wanted to get you something."
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They left the hotel without too much difficulty. A third person was there to videotape them along with two still photographers. They paused for a moment to give the members of the 'press' their shot, Kori giving them a small, shy smile. Richard has his hand on the small of Kori's back as they walked out of the hotel to Alfred waiting for them in the Town Car.
"Greetings, Alfred," Kori said with her trademark enthusiasm as he held the door for her.
"Thanks for coming, Al," Richard said sincerely. Due to the press attention, Bruce had called upon Alfred to come up as a driver and to assist as needed. This work came naturally to Alfred. The Pennyworth's were a long line of domestic staff that had served British Royalty and the Upper Crust of American Society, and Alfred knew all the protocols.
Richard and Kori were able to relax. Bruce made no changes in how the evening had been originally planned. There was a large dinner spread and the wine flowed. Babs and Red had begged off and returned to Washington, and Richard was very relieved, concerned that Kori might confront Babs.
Fortunately, while in their box at Devon, they were among the rich and snooty and for the most part, their privacy was respected. After all, a generation or so ago, Princess Grace of Monaco had been among the Philadelphia elite. Perhaps people were a bit more friendly toward Kori, but if anything, it seemed at least the women were actually nicer to her. She was used to feeling as though she was resented being on Richard's arm, by being his girlfriend. Now that she was known to be a princess, she was getting some respect. Although she resented that was the reason, its just how people are, and it was more comfortable for her than the eyes-as-daggers that she had often got.
The final Open Jumper Stake went fantastically for them as well. Nightwatch was 'on' again that night, the crowd fully behind him, and he did manage a win in an exciting jump off. As expected, Bruce, Selina, Richard and Kori joined Nightwatch and his rider, Olympian Greg Mansfield in the center ring to receive the championship.
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Both Kori and Richard felt sad as the show had its closing ceremony. It would be a year before they would be back and this week had changed their lives. Kori and Richard were already used to the photogs as they made it out to the parking lot and Alfred.
"Do you mind skipping Bruce's tonight?" Richard asked as they sat in the traffic leaving the show grounds. Heavily tinted windows prevented onlookers.
"Not at all," Kori replied. She realized they hadn't discussed their plans, "but we will..." she said shyly, as she looked up at Richard, who had a big smile, and added, "what?"
"I have a surprise for you," he said in a purposely husky tone.
"I love surprises," she said as she cocked a brow, wondering what that surprise might be.
"We aren't going back to your hotel suite tonight," Richard explained, "But I would like to spend the night with you. I hope you don't mind," he had a twinge of fear he might have over stepped his bounds.
She saw the moment of concern and gifted him with a seductive smile, "No, I don't mind." She added softly, "but I don't have anything with me."
"Taken care of," he said with a cocky smirk.
"Taken care of?"
"Yes"
They drove down the Schuylkill Expressway, Kori and Richard sharing kisses and cuddles as Alfred made his way toward Philadelphia.
"Look Richard, Boat House Row!" Kori exclaimed as they passed the cluster of crew houses that have white lights outlining them all year around, the lights twinkling on the river. "And the Art Museum! Is it not the most beautiful sight you have ever seen?"
Richard chuckled lightly at her enthusiasm, and said what he often had before, "Have I told you how adorable I think you are?"
This part of Philadelphia was lovely at night. The limited skyline - there were no building allowed to be taller than the hat of Billy Penn's statue on City Hall until a few decades ago, so there are relatively few skyscrapers for a city of its size – loomed ahead as Alfred turned off the expressway and toward their destination.
It didn't surprise her that he would take her to the Inn at Penn. It was where he had sent her flowers for the first time when she was staying there right after they had been 'introduced' by Galfore and Bruce at the Tamaranian embassy.
Fortunately, there were no photographers at their hotel and Richard wondered if their luck would hold. But at least for that night they would have their privacy.
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Yeah, fluff, and way too easy. Things will change soon, cause life is never that smooth.
Bruce Springsteen's daughter is currently a top junior rider. She's really talented.
Thank you for reading and please review!!!