Love For Hire

Nicholas sat at the table watching Kinsley enjoy the French toast the cook had prepared for breakfast. It was two thick fried
toasts with powdered sugar, syrup, hand-whipped cream and fresh-cut berries. Along with the French toast were a few sausage
links, some bacon, and a tall glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Kinsley was devouring her meal, having worked up a mighty
hunger from their earlier encounter. On the table in front of him the same meal, but as always, his remained untouched.
Everything except the full glass of fine expensive cognac in his hand that he had been sipping since they sat down.
Kinsley swallowed the food in her mouth and then looked at Nicholas, who smiled at her. “Still not going to eat?”
“Not hungry,” he said.
“You know I have known you a few days now, and I have never seen you eat so much as a single bite. How are you not dead?”
“The human body can go days without food,” he told her.
“True, but that does not mean they should,” he just smiled and sipped his drink. “That is another thing. “It is not even ten in the
morning, and you are drinking liquor straight up.”
“Yes, well, I am an alcoholic.”
“Seriously, or are you just teasing?”
“Drinking is one of the very few pleasures I have left in life.”
“It is not healthy.”
He laughed at her comment. “I am dying, darling; trust me, the booze is the least of my problems,” she paused and watched him
without a word. “What?” He asked with an awkward grin. “Why are you here?”
“I am watching you enjoy your breakfast,” he said.
“No, not in this room. I mean, why are you here in America and not back in Kustium doing whatever it is Crowned Princes do?”
He drained his glass and placed it on the table, then shifted in his seat. “There is a doctor here in LA that is the leading authority
on Batten Disease. He is running a clinical study, trying to find a cure,” he scoffed. He had little faith in him living long enough to
find a cure. “My father insisted I come here so the doctor could treat me and monitor my condition. I also allow him to test his
theories. On top of all that, my father funds his research.”

“So, you are here for treatment?”
“Correct.”
“So, the medical system in Kustium is not as good as here?”
“Actually, we have an excellent medical system. It is just that the top doctor in this particular field happens to be here.”
“How long are you here then?”
“Until I am either cured, which is unlikely, or I am dead... which is far more likely,” he did not want to sit around and discuss his
mortality. “What would you like to do today?” He asked, changing the focus of the conversation.
“I do not know,” suddenly, her lips curved in a sly smile. “I’d like to go out,” he frowned. “Now I know you said you do not like to
go out. But we can only do so much cooped up in this huge house. It is a nice house, do not get me wrong, but it would be nice
to get out,” she reached across the table and took his hand in hers and smiled. “Come on, let’s go out for just a little while.”
He thought about it. He wanted to say no, but the pleading hopeful look in her eyes was hard to say no to. “Where would you like
to go?”
“Every summer, there is a carnival at the Pier. Why don’t we go? It will be fun.”
He considered her request and sighed as he gave in. “Alright. But if we are going out in public, I will have to clean myself up,” he
said, running his hand along his jaw, feeling the short hair he had allowed to go unaddressed for almost two weeks now. He
could not be seen so unkempt in public. “Just let me wash up and groom a little, then we will go,” he stood up, and she did the
same. “No, please, sit, finish your breakfast. I will be back down later,” he promised and then made his way up to his room.
On his way to the stairs, he ran into Octavius. “Octavius.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Please have men get ready. Kinsley and I are going to the Sana Monica Pier.”
Octavius' jaw dropped as his eyes lit up. “You are going out?” Nicholas understood his surprise. He had not set foot outside this
house in over six weeks, and even that had only been to see the doctor and return home. Octavius' smile faded. “Do you feel up
to being out?” He was asking how Nicholas felt. In truth, he felt a little nauseated, but that was a common feeling. He was tired
because he did not sleep often, but he supposed he could deal with walking around the Pier for a few hours.

“I will manage.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Then men will be ready in an hour,” Octavius promised.
With that settled, Nicholas went up to his room. He walked into the washroom and stripped his shirt off, flinching as muscles
began to ache. He should take some OxyContin to stave off the pain before going out. He opened the cabinet and looked at the
countless bottles of various pills. He took down the bottle and dumped two pills into his palm. He tossed the pills into his mouth
and washed them down with a glass of water he took from the sink. He then removed his pants and stepped into the shower. He
turned on the water and stood under the hot water. He ran his hands over his face and hair before reaching for the soap.
Nicholas washed up and then turned off the water. Stepping out, he grabbed a towel and dried his face and hair, then wrapped
the towel around his waist and stood in front of the mirror, wiping the steam off the glass. He looked at his reflection and ran his
hand over the hair on his jaw. Suddenly he doubled over from a sharp pain behind his eyes.
He cringed his hands, braced on the edge of the counter while he closed his eyes tight, trying to will the pain to leave. His teeth
clenched, he groaned in pain. It took a few minutes, but the pain eventually subsided. Taking a moment to catch his breath,
Nicholas opened his eyes and looked at himself in the mirror. He still had a faint throbbing, but it was bearable.
Nicholas reached for his shaving cream. His hand closed around the can when he heard Kinsley call to him from the other room.
She appeared in the doorway of the bathroom and smiled. “I hope you do not mind; I let myself in,” she said teasingly. “Do not
you look tempting in nothing but a towel.
He chuckled as he sprayed some shaving cream into his palm. “I just need a few more... ugh,” he groaned as the sharp pain
returned stronger than the last time. His vision blurred, and the room started to spin. The canister fell from his hand and hit the
edge of the counter before falling to the floor and rolling behind the toilet. Nicholas lost his balance. She reached out, trying to
stabilize himself with the counter, but the shaving cream in his hand prevented him from getting a grip, and he fell to the floor,
hitting the back of his head against the glass of the shower door. Kinsley was at his side calling to him, but her voice was distant
and fading quickly.