XXXII

XXXII

"Shirley," I looked up at Clarissa, who walked toward me, holding some papers. I was fixing my things on my table in the office before I went down to my room to rest for the day. It was almost dinner but I did not feel hungry because all I could think was the monthly financial report tomorrow and the preparation for year-end financial report this coming December. "I told you to go to my office to get these," she said in irritation.

"Sorry," I responded instantly, "I thought I'll go there after dinner. It seems like you brought it to me."

"Yes," she put the papers in my hands, "I don't know why the soft copies of these transactions had gone in your computer. It's supposed to be there." She stared at the blank space, as if predicting the possibilities.

There was a problem with all Prince Alexander's financial reports, the month before I became his accountant. There was an account that was recorded, but no receipt, at least a piece of paper to support the transaction. It appeared in almost all the reports. I tried to recover in the computer, even the transactions, but it was deleted. Someone might delete it. I needed to compile and assured the financial statements of this year in the year-end report. Thank goodness, Clarissa found a copy somewhere.

I opened the folder, and scanned the document, "You said that the main accounting office have lost their copies, too."

In the corner of my eye, I saw she flinched. But she still answered, "Just thank me, Shirley, that I found one," she sounded defensive, "If not, you will repeat all the process. I doubt you'll have a correct report before this year ends."

"Well, thank you," I shrugged, "I'm bothered why these transactions were missing. There might someone who wants to sabotage His Highness." I concluded for the past days while thinking how the things written on these papers were missing.

She avoided eye contacts, but moved closer to me. She whispered, "Don't tell him that I still have these copies."

"Huh," was all I could say. I was confused in all odds of the past week.

She gazed at me, again, "Tell him that there is still a copy in your room," her stares were directly giving my eyes a warning, "And whatever you will see in that document, don't ask me about it. Even him. You should not tell it to anyone."

"Of course, I know the essence of confidentiality," I stated flatly.

"That is not what I mean," she lowered her voice more, "If you want to protect him, you'll do anything even forgetting your profession."

I laughed nervously, "I don't get it, Clarissa, what do you mean?"

She shook her head and said, "Never mind." Then, she left.

I followed her exiting the office through my gaze. I could not find a word to say. I wanted to ask her, but nothing formed in my unquestioning confused brain. Her statements were out of this world. Or, maybe, I could not understand what she meant.

I went to my room to take a rest. Since, I still had thirty minutes before dinner, I could review these papers in my sanctuary. Clarissa's alarming words kept on playing in my head. What did she want to say? Was she hiding something?

Once I was in my room, I switched on my laptop. My family or Lola might be online. It would make my feelings better, if I was going to chat with them.

It was satisfying to have my family moved out of that small apartment after I received my salary three days ago. My salary was enough to make them rent a better house, and bought the things they needed. They also bought a personal computer to easily connect with me. I was happy last night to see them again (in the video though) since I left for my work here. All of them were so happy, and I saw in the view how their new house was more comfortable than the former.

While scanning my email, the screen viewed the message of my youngest sister, Hana.

Ley! I'm happy you are fine there in England! Actually, we are all happy. I want to chat with you every day. I hope in our next chat, the king, or queen, or even the prince and princess are on your side! BTW, I won last week in our speech competition in school. And, my teacher said that I was top 1 in our class this year! Elena is also doing well in her school. She is still quiet, but I heard her classmate said that she is top 2. Chance loves playing, tell him to study. I miss you so much. I hope to get there soon. Love you! –Hana.

P.S. why you don't still have a British accent?

I laughed after reading her message. I imagined her very lively while typing this. I was quiet when I was at her age, like my two other siblings. Hana really got all the energies that supposed to be divided between us.

I replied.

So proud of you Hana. Tell Elena that I'm happy for her too. And, also, tell Chance that I won't buy him a toy car if he does not study. Be obedient to mom and dad. Miss you, too. Love you. –Ley.

About your P.S., British accent is hard, but I'm trying my best to have it.

After sending my reply, I started to scan the documents Clarissa gave to me. These were the transactions that might match the encoded data in the previous financial statements.

The first paper showed the 'miscellaneous expense' account for the month of January. The composition of this account was also printed on the same page. There were no receipt attached, but only Prince Alexander's notes and bank transactions. On the upper right side of the file, there was a symbol. A small red rectangle, with a white circle inside it and two lines intersected with the circle. All the papers pertaining the next months had it, with same notes and bank transactions.

I was confused. I remembered what Clarissa had said to me. I wondered why all these files were missing and, now it was in my hands, I felt something wrong.

I stopped thinking when my laptop slept and a screen saver viewed on the screen. It was a picture of Prince Alexander I got from the internet. He was talking to several African kids, maybe it was in the charity program, and he looked happy and satisfied. He was handsome all the way.

Only four days to go and I was going to see him again. I was excited, nervous and problematic at the same time. Why problematic? I needed to give him the answer. But I did not know how.

Yes, I already have the answer. However, I wanted it to tell him in a more special way. He was not an ordinary man who fell in love with someone like me. Duh, I was nothing compared to those women he used to date, even though they all looked prostitutes.

When I was alone, I was searching for his presence. I missed him. I wished he was always here to irritate me, to act like a pervert, and to say words that were not usual to him. I found everything good in him, and I found myself admiring him. Liking him.

I wanted to be certain of what I felt. I was scared that we might hurt each other if we became so fast, not thinking of the possibilities we might face in the future. He was the Prince of England, and everyone expected him to be with a woman who had a better status than mine.

To be honest, I was afraid that he would break my heart like he did three days ago. It was not exactly his fault, but I could not move on to the fact that his ex kissed him. All my dreams were to have a man who would be with me forever. He was still Prince Alexander, the Prince of Scandal. What if he was not content to me anymore? Was it possible to happen? Was he going to leave me someday for other women?

As if on cue, a notification of incoming video call rang in my laptop.

Lola's account invited me for a video chat. I clicked 'accept' immediately, and her face viewed on the screen. A small square on the corner of the screen was showing my face.

"Shirley!" she excitedly called my name while waving her hand enthusiastically, "I miss you so much, girl! You look more beautiful! What happened?"

I laughed, "Are you saying that I'm not beautiful when I was still there?"

"Nah," my best friend grinned, and leaned closer to her monitor, "Shirley, you don't know how I missed you. We should do this frequently."

"Yes, we should talk always because I'm missing your mouth and how you nag me," I joked.

"Hey, I'm not nagging you!" she protested.

"Really? I don't think so," I chuckled.

She rolled her eyes, "By the way, is that your room? Or are you in your office."

I looked over my shoulder, and back to her, "This is my room."

"Wow!" she was really amused, "Are you sure you're sleeping there?"

"Of course, Lola," I answered, laughing at her expression. She was like a kindergarten who went to the zoo for the first time. "The palace is more majestic when you see it personally. Those pictures are no match with the reality."

"Please tour me there once the management approves our business trip there in London," she batted her eyelashes. Lola was somewhat annoying, still gorgeous though.

"Seriously?" I was not believing, it might be a gag, but I felt excited to know that there was a possibility my best friend would go here. "Lola, that's... awesome if you're here."

"That will be great, but..." she frowned suddenly, "I need a best friend now here in Chicago." She dramatically sighed.

"Why? What's your problem?" I gave her a concern look. Lola would not act like this if she had no problem. And she had only one problem... her love life.

She took a deep breath again. "Remember the guy I made out with the bar that night."

Misperception lined on my face. "There is a lot. A lot of guys. And a lot of nights. Who? And which?" If I was not mistaken, I had already told that Lola had a great hobby of making out with random men in the bar while she was still a loyal girlfriend to her beloved Julian.

"Yeah, there a lot," she admitted, "That guy... remember when I told you about that personal accountant job in England. When you threatened me that you would tell Julian what happened the night before. That guy, the hottest guy I had ever laid my eyes, I made out with. Remember?"

"That guy," I repeated her redundant phrase, and nodded as if I solved a puzzle, "Oh, okay, you're right. Among the men you made out, he is the hottest and the most threatening to your relationship with Julian because of his smoking look."

"You got it!" she exclaimed, "How did you know?"

"What?" I wrinkled my forehead, "May you enlighten me?"

"Julian and I broke up," Lola stated without any hesitation.

"What?"

"I was the one who stopped our relationship," she continued.

"What?"

"Cricket. That is his name," she murmured, as if someone was listening to us.

"What?"

"Will you stop saying 'what' and say something else?" Lola said, irritated by what she heard from me.

"Sorry, let me rephrase it..." I paused, "...what kind of name is that?"

"Is that only your question? You won't shout on my face that I'm cheater?"

"Why will I do that?" I asked, no anger raged inside me.

"Shirley, I betrayed Julian, we were in a relationship for the past three years, and we broke up because I fell in love with someone else in just one night!" her tears suddenly flowed down on her cheeks.

"You fell in love with him after you made out?" I did not know how to comfort my friend–almost my sister–if we had thousands miles of gaps.

"No," she shook her head and brushed her cheek with the back of her hand, "You were busy that week that I forgot to tell you about it. I'm ashamed if I told you about it on the phone. I wanted to tell you when we had a face to face conversation. Shirley, that week while you are busy arranging your papers to go there, something happened between us and Julian caught us doing it in my house."

My jaw dropped in the core of the earth. "It?" was the only word I could say.

She laughed while still brushing her tears, "Oh my goodness, Shirley, you're still naïve."

Everyone was keeping on telling me that I was naïve when it was the topic. "Why haven't you told me? What happened after that?"

"I'm scared that I might bother you, so I decided to tell it to you when you're already settled there in England," she uttered, "He gave me one more chance. But I was confused about my feelings for him that time. I ended our relationship the week after you left."

"Where is he now? How about Cricket?"

"I don't know, but the last time I heard, he went back to Washington," she smiled, "And Cricket, we're living together now."

"That fast?" I questioned her, forgetting about my also lightning feelings.

"Shirley, when you found the half of your heart, it doesn't matter how long you know each other. More importantly, there is love between you and him," she explained. I felt like she was pointing out something in me.

"Are you sure he won't hurt you?" I did not want to see my friend cry because of a man.

She shook her head and raised the back of her right hand. There was a white gold band on her ring finger. "We're getting married soon."

"Lola," my eyes became wider, "You're really fast."

"Shirley, I love him. I never felt this way before, even with Julian. Cricket is different. He treats me like I'm an expensive stone. Every time he holds me, I feel safe, comfortable, as if I already found my home. I know you're looking at me right now like I'm a female dog. It's okay. I know it's all my mistake."

"No, Lola," I whispered, "Of course, I feel pity for Julian because I know how much..." I trailed off, but continued after I found the right words, "I won't get angry to you, but I won't tell you that what you've done is right. However, Lola, you love Cricket. Love can do everything, even hurting someone else. But everyone deserves to be loved, even the worst person in the history." I shrugged, "If I were you, I'm going to talk to Julian and settle all the things before I get married to Cricket. I think, that is better than you live in guilt when you supposed to be a happy new married gal."

She gave me a small smile. "Do you believe that everyone has a partner in life?"

"Yes," I answered.

"So, it means that Julian will find his partner someday," Lola said more to herself than to me, "I hope he finds her now because I don't want to see him living in misery."

"Lola, I'm just curious how Cricket knows that you like him?" I moved the topic in another direction, to make my best friend cheered up, and also, for my hidden agenda.

"I kissed him, and we ended up with, you know," she blushed and bit her lower lip.

"You're impossible," I said while imagining that I would do the same if I told him about what I felt. I felt my cheeks warmed. I thought, I could not do it.

"Hey, Shirley, are you hiding something to me?" I did not respond. My best friend really knew me, even in my small act, she could read me. "Aha, you're not a virgin anymore?"

"Oh my gosh, Lola!" she laughed out loud, "Hey," I said, "Stop having a dirty mind. I'm still. I'm not sleeping yet with..." I stopped, recalling the events of last week.

"See?" she continued to giggle, "Don't worry, Shirley, I won't tell it to your mom and dad."

"We slept together, but nothing happened, okay?" I clarified.

She stopped and looked at me with curious face, "You slept with whom? O.M.G, is it..."

"No," I interrupted her, I knew who she was talking about. "It's not Paulo. We will never get back together. It's someone different." I avoided her gazes.

"Who, Shirley? Who?" her voice exploded on the speaker of my laptop. I did not retort. I did not know what her reaction would be if she knew who it was. "Shirley, tell me, or I'll tell your parents that you had your first boyfriend when you're only fifteen," she sang her next words, "Your mom and dad did not know that."

I glared at her, or at the screen, whatever. "Are you threatening me?"

"No," she held her big smile, "I'm just trying to get an answer from you. But, I'll tell them about it if you won't tell me who it is." Her hazel eyes sparkled.

"Fine. It's Prince Alexander. I like him," I confessed before I could think when I did decide to tell her about that.

She covered her mouth, shock covered her face. It was like I told her a very bad news in the early morning. "You don't mean it."

"I don't know what possess me to have this feeling toward him. Like you, it's so quick, I almost did not see it happen. One day, I woke up and started to like him," I said, picturing our days together, "He likes me, Lola... no, scratch that. He loves me."

"He is Prince Alexander, the great playboy," she insisted, "How sure you are that he is not using his charm to you?"

"I think, he's saying the truth, he's serious to me," I explained, "Did you not notice he was out of the news for the past weeks? Except last week, because it was a misstatement. I ambitiously assume, it is because of me. He wants me to see how he can change because of what he felt for me."

There was still uncertainty in her appearance, but anyway, she nodded. She asked, "Are you sure you're not only carried away by what he did or told to you?"

"I make sure that this feeling is not because of other reasons. There is only one reason for this: I want to be with him for the rest of my life," once I said it, it became more real and my heart walloped in my ribs faster and faster.

Her face softened and she clasped her hands, "My Shirley is fully grown up now. Prince Alexander should not break your heart, otherwise, I will go there in England and declare an execution for him."

I crossed my arms on my chest, "Are you going to help me about my confession to him?"

"Sure," she replied in a more exaggerated way, "I'm your best friend even though I'm one of the haters of that prince, I'll still help and support you."

"Thank you," I beamed, "So, let's start my forever with him."

-----

The papers were now in the hands of His Highness' accountant. She was scared that the newly hired personal accountant would discover the deepest and darkest secret of Prince Alexander. They tried to delete and kept all the records of those transactions, but it seemed like the new accountant knew all the shortcuts of accounting. There was a great possibility that this accountant would find out about the hidden transactions on the financial record.

Even though, Shirley Woodman, was not that best accountant who applied for the position, she was still smart and could turn the wrong records into the right ones. For sure, before this year ended, Shirley Woodman would run away, like the former accountant did, when she would discover those things inside the statements.

She was the one who looked at the résumés of those who wanted to be Prince Alexander's personal accountant. At that time, all she wanted was to stop the prince from all his plans. She knew all his plans, and the time to perform it was near. As if from heaven, she saw the girl with the big blue eyes and dark brown hair in one of those who send their application form in her email address. She looks like her, was all she could think.

The only reason Shirley Woodman was the accountant of Prince Alexander: to stop him from all his plans. And it seemed like her conclusion was right. It looked like the prince really found a new life with that girl. However, she needed to protect the prince. Although the prince loved that girl, she must force the accountant to shut up and leave the palace right away if that girl would learn those things beyond Prince Alexander. Those things that only she, Prince Alexander and those people knew.

(A/N: Okay, as what you can read in this chapter, there is a point of view of the third person. It is a new feature I'll put in some of the next chapters. Also, I give credit to the real author of Lola and Cricket. They are original characters of 'Lola and the Boy Next Door'. It is a good story, you should read it. I just put them here, because of my fangirling. I told you before that this story had a little fanfiction when it comes to the minor characters.)