His Royal Badness and the Mistress of Muscle -Vol. 2

Chapter 50: High School Sweetheart of the Bride

Prince Narrates:

As the tour goes on Penelope continues to leave occasionally for work and Marilyn continues to put on airs. Marilyn also likes to flirt with me. I tell her I'm not available. She pouts when I say that. Guess she's not used to being told no.

Penelope and I had stopped talking about children, well until last night. There was some bratty boy in a hotel we were checking into. "I'd have got my ass beat if I'd acted like that!" Penelope exclaimed to me. That got us talking about about how we were raised and what we thought should be done different. To my delight we have similar views! Perfect!

Together we leave briefly leave touring for Margaret's wedding in Minnesota. A couple days before Penelope called Margaret to wish her the best and got off the phone two hours later! "What were you talking about?" I ask.

"What didn't we talk about? She's a great person, I hope her and Oscar are married forever. It sounds as though she adores him" Penelope replies

Margaret's dad looks so surprised to see me at the wedding. Well, it is unorthodox to show up at your high school sweetheart's wedding with a hot babe on your arm. "She looks so breathtaking" whispers Penelope to me as Margaret walks down the aisle.

"Look at how her and Oscar look at each other." I smirk. We hold hands the whole ceremony. Penelope tears up during the vows. To me Margaret Charles at the altar, vowing to have and hold someone until death do they part, is funny because she used to say she'd never marry. However, I think she's a perfect choice for Oscar's old money, vineyard owning family. Margaret is smart, social, well mannered and kind. She also knows a thing or two about wine, even if her favorite one is muscatel.

Guilt makes me wonder if Penelope's tears aren't because she's touched, but because she is unmarried. And really, I should've manned up and asked her to marry me.

At the reception I run into people who knew me along time ago. When introduced, Penelope is as charming as can be. I think she comes off very well. Mr. Charles looks at me. "Life turned out different than you thought." he says with a snicker.

"Not really. I'm a musician, Margaret is a writer and we still care about each other." I reply before introducing Penelope and Mr. Charles.

"What do you do? Personal trainer?" he asks Penelope.

She giggles,"No! I'm a photographer. Thanks for the compliment though" Then she smiles that beautiful smile that always wins people over.

"That is interesting. I've never seen any photos that you took, but I've seen pictures of YOU plenty of times."

What the fuck? Is he implying that Penelope Smith is a nobody in photography and just my girlfriend?

"If you read the newspaper, you've seen my photography regularly . I get booked for lots of local advertising." Penelope politely informs him.

"Congratulations on finding your niche, young lady" Mr. Charles says.

Penelope Narrates:

What a stilted man! "Penelope, Margaret is going to throw the bouquet. Why don't you go over there?" smiles Prince.

"No, I'm alright. I don't need to be tackled by desperate women."I laugh,"Going to be first in line to catch the garter?"

He chuckles,"Margaret told me she wasn't letting Oscar throw her undergarments around."

Mr. Charles glares at Prince and hisses"Why the Hell did she tell YOU that?"

"I don't remember how it came up ."

"I'm going to get another glass of wine." With that, Mr.Charles departs.Prince seems embarrassed when a lovely older lady walks over to us. 

"I've been itching to speak with you!" she exclaims, "Prince, I'm soooo proud of everything you've done!"

"Penelope, this is Anne Jensen, Margaret's former boss in New York." Prince explains.

They catch up. He hasn't seen her over ten years. She talks about how he held his own at the Playboy Club with musicians who were more than twice his age. I'm not surprised to hear this. "Never thought I'd run into her again." Prince says as we head out to the dance floor, "I don't want to be reminded of my days at that place. "

"Why not? I think it's a big deal to be a teenager and good enough to play with the Playboy Club band."I reply

"If people knew, it would overshadow the rest of my backstory."

I leave it at that because I think I get where he's coming from. It's probably akin to me not admitting I was a janitor. He likely doesn't want people thinking he had to pay his dues in any other way than with local bands.

He notices his half sister, Sharon and waves her over for introduction. Prince tells her all about the hosiery ad I shot and the several assignments I have over the next couple months including the exercise video I'm shooting for Krista. My first video project. "She took a filmography course in college" Prince brags,"And Krista Kyle is one of the top fitness competitors in Minnesota but she's becoming more sought after as a trainer these days so a video makes perfect sense." 

The way he continues to talk it's as though he's trying to make me seem like more of a success than I am. Maybe he just wants her to not think I'm a gold digger. Sharon is nice enough towards me.

In bed Prince looks at me,"I'm so sorry about what Mr. Charles said about not being familiar with your work." He says.

"Oh, it's okay. Just haven't landed my big assignment that'll make me well known for me." I assure him.

 After the tour I have a meeting with someone to discuss the possibility of me photographing a Lancome ad! I'm so scared. This is a new level of fear and I haven't told Prince. My plan is to only say something if I get the ad. There is no way I can tell Prince and then have to tell him I wasn't chosen. If I was to get hired by Lancome, my life would change and I'd be living up to the potential Prince thinks I have. Prince would really have a prize for a girlfriend if only I could land this ad. Maybe he'd even see me as truly ambitious, someone accomplished and worthy of being Mrs. Prince Nelson. Mmm...that has a nice sound to it, I muse as I fall asleep