The Royal Trip

Three

Ainsley laid in her bed facing Mika their lips locked together and her body pressed against his. His hand slid down the side of her body. Something didn't feel right and Ainsley put her hand on top of Mika's keeping it from moving. He looked at her and before anything could be said a scream traveled through the apartment. They quickly got out of the bed running into the living room the same time the front door burst open and Ian came running through holding a baseball bat. They saw nothing but Katie sitting on the couch in front of her computer with her face in her hands. "What the hell was that?" Ian asked and Ainsley shrugged, throwing her hands in the air in defeat.

Ainsley sighed. "Katie, what is wrong?" Ainsley walked over to her.

"I didn't win." Katie cried through her hands and Ainsley sighed shaking her head.

"Really? You scream like someone is murdering you because you don't get to charm a prince?" Ainsley asked, unable to hide her frustration.

"Prince drama?" Ian asked and Ainsley nodded. "I need new neighbors." Ian tossed the bat over his shoulder as he turned around walking out of the apartment shutting the door behind him.

Mika walked over to Ainsley putting his hand on her lower back. "Should I assume she ruined our moment?" Mika asked and Ainsley looked back at him.

Ainsley pressed her lips together nodding. "Sorry."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Mika kissed her cheek before walking out of the apartment.

Ainsley sighed sitting down next to Katie. "You tell me that I need to get my mojo back and you ruin the closest we have gotten in weeks." Ainsley said, deciding to leave out her stopping it before Katie's meltdown and Katie sighed looking over at her.

"I'm sorry, but maybe I was wrong."

Ainsley looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"I was wrong about everything." Katie lightly shook her head. "Maybe I was wrong to tell you the best way to get your mojo back was to just jump into bed. Maybe you need to fall into it instead. I mean, the worst way to have a night together is when you regret it the next day." Katie paused for a moment. "Maybe it's not your mojo you need to fix. Maybe it's your heart."

"Wow," Ainsley wrapped her arms around Katie. "Now I know you're bummed. You are giving me sappy Nicholas Sparks movie vibes."

Katie nodded. "I had five people enter and none of them got in." Katie laid against Ainsley's shoulder. Ainsley was a little happy she wasn't going to be dragged off for a month for something she has no interest in. But sad Katie for weeks isn't what she wanted either.

~~~

Ainsley walked over to the kitchen putting in an order. She was walking over to the cash register when Callie walked over to her. "So, how are you and Mika?" Callie asked and Ainsley looked over her confused.

"What do you mean?" Ainsley asked. "We're fine."

"He looks a little gloom and doom." Callie said and Ainsley sighed. "Come on. Spill it."

Ainsley lightly shook her head. "We've been trying to make it to the next step and it isn't working out."

"He's not working?" Callie asked and Ainsley shook her head.

"I felt that. He's working fine."

Callie nodded, taking her order that got called up. "I can understand that." Callie said walking away leaving Ainsley confused.

Ainsley tried to ignore what she had to say. She tried to shake it off and move on. She worked on table after table unable to get the thought out of her head. When it came time for Ainsley to punch out, she stood by her locker taking off her coat. "Heading out?" Callie asked and Ainsley looked back at her.

"Yeah, you?" Ainsley asked and she shook her head.

"Just a break." Callie walked over to her locker reaching into her purse.

Ainsley shut her locker leaning against it. "Can I ask you something?" Callie nodded. "What did you mean when you said you could understand how I was feeling? When I told you about my problem?"

Callie sighed, pulling out a cigarette and shutting the locker. "Well, I know how tense it can be when it's been a while." Ainsley sighed looking down at the ground. "It doesn't get easier if you are pushing yourself into it. Sex is supposed to be natural with no pressure or why bother." Callie shrugged. "It's okay if it's not with Mika."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because we've known each other since high school and we've never had this conversation before." Callie stated walking out of the room.

Ainsley let out a deep breath slightly shaking her head. "I need new friends." Ainsley said to herself before she pushed off the locker and walked out of the room. It all made a lot of sense, but she didn't know how to get out of this slump.

Maybe her mojo wasn't her problem. Maybe her real problem was bigger than that. Ainsley just wanted to feel better about herself. She just wanted to feel like herself again. Nothing seemed to be working. Nothing made her feel whole again. Nothing made her truly happy. She needed someone to talk to. She needs some guiding wisdom and she knew where she had to go.

Ainsley found herself standing in the cemetery in front of the gravestone of Natalia Pierce. Ainsley bent down moving the leaves out of the way and running her hands against the writing. "Hi, mom. I know that it's been a long time." Ainsley said softly. "I'm sorry. It shouldn't take me having a life crisis to come see you." Ainsley let out a deep breath feeling a tear run down her cheek. "I don't know what i'm doing anymore." Ainsley scoffed. "I don't think I ever knew what I was doing. I have a great guy that actually likes me and it doesn't feel right. Nothing feels right. I just,,,I don't want to do." Ainsley put her head in her hands starting to sob. Ainsley took a deep breath trying everything she could to get the words she wanted to say out of her mouth. "Just, if you can...send me a way to find myself back." Ainsley struggled to hold herself together as she looked at the stone in front of her.