The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

It had been three days since Boss made his proposition: either I sleep with him or I get fired.

I needed one more day’s pay to cover Elva’s most recent bill. Once I had that, I could resign and hopefully find something else.

Boss trailed his eyes down the length of my body. Staring openly at my breasts, he licked his lips. “Don’t think I won’t, Piper. I’ll be waiting for you.”

In the restaurant, all of the female patrons talked excitedly about the selection. To cater to them, Boss turned all of the televisions on the walls to the royal consort ceremony broadcast.

“Which one do you think is the most handsome?” asked one patron to her friends.

They’d ordered a plate of loaded nachos to share. I carefully placed it in the center of their table.

Another girl spoke quickly. “Are you kidding? The others are cute, sure, but Nicholas is obviously the hottest.”

The other girls quickly agreed.

Startled, I hovered at their table. They were right, of course. Nicholas was the most objectively attractive, but to hear people talk about him so casually still surprised me.

For three days, I’d tried to reconcile in my mind that the Nicholas I had known was also the eldest prince of the kingdom. But I still couldn’t quite manage it.

Nicholas had always been proper. But a prince?

“Piper, is it?” one of the girls at the table asked me. I jumped, realizing I was still standing there. Yet before I could apologize, she asked me, “Which one do you think is the most handsome?”

“Nicholas,” came my automatic answer. “Excuse me.”

Embarrassed at having been caught daydreaming, I forced myself to focus on work. And I succeeded – until I heard Nicholas’ voice come from the speakers.

“The kind of woman I’d prefer?” Nicholas said. “Someone loyal. Strong. Even tempered. And she has to like to children.”

“Check, check, and check,” came a voice from the table of girls. “He’s describing me! It’s meant to be.”

“Dream on. He’s clearly describing me.”

“You don’t even like kids!”

we’ll see which of us make

Does that mean we can expect you to have

a small smile, but his eyes were guarded. “It’s my duty as a prince to continue the

girls squealed in delight. “He’d make

a moment, it seemed as if he was

My heart ached.

again, looking at the interviewer, and immediately,

probably hadn’t thought of me at all

hand over my heart, hoping to soothe away the touch of pain

on him. Sure, I hadn’t dated anyone else since, but that didn’t mean anything.

wasn’t lonely. I had Elva, and I had Anna. I didn’t need

kitchen, signaling a meal was ready. I went back to retrieve it. When I returned to the

seriousness. This illegal trade of wolves and their

the plate of

restaurant silenced at once, all

weakens the whole pack. We cannot

other waitresses hissed at me, waking me from

food. “I’m sorry.” I quickly set to cleaning it. As I did, I cursed myself so loudly in

my accident, I pushed

lift my eyes to the television again, not even when the table

on the

until closing, scrubbing dishes in the sink. After washing away a particularly stubborn clump of food from a plate, I noticed

to clean the stove, or prep for tomorrow. Almost always, he was

the other waitresses, who had said they would clean the dining

I was alone.

of my exposed neck. The stench of alcohol

been cleaning, I immediately swung around, ready to

a moment too late. Boss had

knocked the plate onto the floor, where

hard to mine, wedging me against the lip

I was trapped.

of my shirt, revealing my lacey white bra. He pressed

him. He only held tighter, rougher, fingers biting into

I didn’t have the strength

felt him smile