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!”

make it through the preliminary selection.

the interviewer. “Children, hm? Does that mean we can expect

his eyes were guarded. “It’s my duty as a

in delight. “He’d

and for a moment, it seemed as if he was staring straight through it. I froze in place, like

My heart ached.

side again, looking at the interviewer, and immediately, I felt foolish. Of

thought of me at all

heart, hoping to soothe away the touch of pain

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

I had Anna. I didn’t need romance

was ready. I went back to retrieve it. When I returned to the dining room, Nicholas

family is investigating with the utmost seriousness. This illegal trade of wolves and their gifts is

the plate of

once, all eyes on

wolf, weakens the whole pack. We cannot let that go

hissed at me, waking me

sorry.” I quickly set to cleaning it. As I did,

my accident, I pushed myself as hard as I could, focusing solely on work and forgetting

again, not even when the table of

on the list. Why even bother

scrubbing dishes in the sink. After washing away a particularly stubborn clump of food from a plate, I noticed how quiet it was around

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

were the other waitresses, who had said they would clean the dining room.

I was alone.

the back of my exposed neck. The stench of alcohol

immediately swung around, ready to knock Boss over the head with

was a moment too late. Boss had

the

arm circling around my waist, he pressed his hips hard to mine, wedging me against the lip of

I was trapped.

the buttons of my shirt, revealing my lacey white bra. He pressed his palm against

me, I struggled against him. He only held tighter, rougher, fingers biting into my hip

have the strength to

his nose to my cheek. I felt him smile against my jaw. “You have a