Royal Dilemma

Chapter Thirty-Two

(Charli's Point of View)

Caleb starts coming into the restaurant once a week. Usually just when the lunch rush is winding down. He has such an easy going vibe it freaks me out a bit, makes my alarm bells go off. CJ had the same vibe and that wound is still pretty fresh.

After two months of Caleb being a regular Piper starts to get suspicious.

The night of the first snow Piper and I are sitting at a sticky high-top table in a somewhat crowded bar. Piper finger combs her hair and then takes a sip of her drink.

"Maybe he likes you," she says over the noise.

I look to my left where she's giving me an expectant look and roll my eyes. "I really doubt that."

"Why?" She looks offended on my behalf. "You're cool, you're hot. Why wouldn't he be into you?"

"He's a prince Piper."

"So?"

"So if he's going to date anyone it's going to be a super model or something."

Piper narrows her eyes. "Colin asked me out almost every day for a year straight. I don't think they care about that."

I sigh and take a big gulp of my drink so I don't have to say anything.

Caleb is really nice and cool but after the whole CJ fiasco the last thing I want to do is date someone. I know it's not really fair to lump all men in with CJ because that was obviously a special situation, but I can't help but feel any relationship is going to end in disaster. I don't want to fall that hard again and have it end badly.

Piper perks up and waves her hand in the air. I look behind me and see a small group of her friends making their way towards our table. Kate is leading the way with her perfectly flattened chestnut hair, sporting a short but stylish dress, even though there's snow on the ground. Hannah is following behind her, dressed more sensibly with her auburn hair up in a pretty bun. Lily is bringing up the rear, looking small compared to everyone else at the bar with her five foot frame.

Piper's been convincing me to hang out with more people lately. She thinks I'm lonely. I'm not a huge fan of all the girls but they're alright and I manage to have a good time whenever they're around.

Hannah takes the seat across from me and Kate sits next to her. Lily plops down right next to me, giving me a sweet smile. They greet us and start complaining about the snow and the conversation takes off from there.

"Look at him," Hannah says a little while later.

All of our heads turn in the direction she's looking. There's a good looking man at the bar, the tall dark and handsome type. When he notices our entire table staring at him he smiles at us.

"I want a boyfriend so bad," Lily whines. "I just want to cuddle."

"Get a cat," I mutter.

"It's not the same."

"A boyfriend would be nice," Hannah agrees. "Maybe a rich one who wants to spoil me."

"I'll settle for someone with more emotional intelligence than a ten year old," Kate chimes in.

"Charli's right," Piper says. "We're better off getting a cat."

"You guys are a drag," Hannah says. "Have a little more positivity, no need to be such pessimists."

I've always been a pessimist but Piper historically has had a brighter outlook on relationships than I do. I study her, wondering what's changed.

"Okay, let's go around and describe our dream guy," Lily says, bouncing in her seat. "Kate go first."

Kate tilts her head. "Someone mature, who doesn't cheat on me, and has good hair."

"You have very low standards," Piper says, shaking her head.

Kate shrugs.

"I want a man who won't take my bullshit or anyone else's," Hannah says, raising her glass and taking a sip.

The girls turn to look at Piper so I do too. She shifts uncomfortably under our gaze.

"I don't have a dream man," she says.

"Everyone has things they look for," Lily argues. "Just list them off."

"I guess I'd want him to be funny... It'd be nice if we had some similar interests too." Piper tucks a lock of her fiery hair behind her ear. "I'd like it if he really valued my opinion or if I ranked really high in his life, you know what I mean?"

Everyone nods in understanding.

What would it be like to be someone's first priority? I can't imagine it.

They turn their eyes to me next.

"I want to be with someone I know I can trust." I look around at the other girls faces. "Someone who I know will always have my back, no matter what."

I don't miss the sympathetic look Piper sends my way.

"Trust is so important in a good relationship," Kate says, nodding.

"If you can't trust them, then what's even the point?" Hannah adds.

"My dream guy is someone who cares about my feelings," Lily says. "He doesn't have to be super in tune to them I just want him to care if I'm upset or angry."

"So many guys I date blow me off when I get angry about something," Hannah says.

"Exactly!" Lily exclaims, gesturing to her.

It strikes me that if not for his one fatal flaw CJ would be somewhat of a dream guy. My heart clenches at the thought of him and I mentally kick myself for letting him invade my thoughts again.

"Who needs men when we have each other?" Kate says.

"Right?" Lily holds her glass up in the middle of the table. "To friendship!"

We all clink glasses and raise a toast. "To friendship!"

We retract our arms.

"Rain, shine, night, or day, I have all of your backs," Lily says.

"I love you," Kate tells her, reaching out and squeezing her hand.

I can't help but wonder if Lily means it when she says she has our backs. When the chips are down would she really be there, rain or shine? We don't talk outside of the time we spend as a group so I find it hard to believe she'd have my back when I need her.

But then again Lily is sweet and she's been nothing but nice to me. I kind of like the idea of her at my side, geared up for a fight, like a chihuahua going to battle. I'm not sure if she's telling the truth or not but I'm going to choose to believe that she is, because I want to pretend that if I really needed something she'd be right there to help. Rain or shine.