nicolette-stclair

[nicolette-stclair]

philip-windsor:

Head resting against the back of the car seat, Philip let his eyes close finding it soothing from the slight ache they carried. His day consisted of one function after another. It wasn’t always the long hours or the jumping to one thing from the next that left the man exhausted. It was the fakeness of it all. Faking the smiles and interest in the conversation. Faking the sincerity in having whatever cause he was supposed to be supporting matter. His parents called it grooming him for the throne. Philip wasn’t all that sure that it just wasn’t some kind of punishment. For as good of an image, he could be there were times he could damage it just as much.

Growing up he had been sheltered leaving college as an open book of exploration to the fun that he had been missing. That didn’t necessarily stop once he had a degree in his hand. His intentions were never ones of rebellion from the life he led. Philip just no longer liked having his fun restricted. For every tabloid that had him on the cover for the organizations he was partnering up with there was guaranteed to be one of his late night adventures. There was scolding from his advisors and his parents, where he would slip out a weak promise with no intentions to change. His future was already written for him, he deserved the freedom to write a little off the script along the way.  

“We’re here, your highness.” Philip’s eyes fluttered open as the black car pulled into the hotel parking garage, knowing that access to the back door was their safest bet for the evening.  He didn’t bother to wait as he opened his own door, getting out. “Let’s give me some room to breathe. Don’t want my date running away thinking I have the Men In Black on my tail.” He gave the two security guards going in with him a cheeky smile and a pat. There were only a few stares from hotel guests as he walked in the back way, finding the lounge bar. He glanced at his watch seeing he was running later than the planned time, and as his eyes caught the bar he saw the young woman sitting at the end. Presumably, his date for the evening based on the description, Philip knew he had to yell at his friend that set him up for downplaying such a beautiful woman. “Nicolette?” He approached her with his princely charm of a smile. “I’m sorry I’m late. That damn monarchy.”

The brunette’s ears perked up at the formal moniker and it caused her to quickly close out of the social media app and scramble to tuck her phone back into her clutch. Her mother had always told her it was rude to play on the device while enjoying any sort of company, leading Nikki to write an entire article on what she called “phubbing” - or phone snubbing - and she could feel her cheeks growing pink at the hypocrisy of the scenario. It was only a moment after he made his presence known that she finally tilted her head up to take him in for the first time and when she did, she could feel her breath catch in her throat at how handsome he was. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, drinking in his familiar features and trying to rack her brain for who he might be. She could tell by the stares from the other two men in the bar that he was someone important; Why else would two middle-aged men stare at him for so long? But she was embarrassed to admit that she couldn’t place him, so she didn’t. “Please, call me Nikki. The only people who call me Nicolette are strangers and my mother.” She finished her sentence with a gentle laugh since she was aware of the two extremes of the spectrum, but her mother had always hated the nickname and refused to use it. The monarchy comment was lost on her but she nodded anyway to let him know that she understood. “You’ll have to excuse me but Jenna didn’t give me your name. Do you have a name you’d prefer to be called?”

001.

[nicolette-stclair]

001.

The clicking sound of Nikki’s classic black Manolo pumps echoed through the marble lobby of the posh hotel as she breezed past the front desk and into the dimly lit bar on the other side. “Evening, Jimmy,” she called out as she passed, offering the concierge small wave before disappearing.  She had gotten to know the older gentleman during her two-week stint in London for Fashion Week back in the fall and was now back for another extended stay at The Dorchester. Her mother had chided her for booking outside of Claridge’s but Nikki preferred the more low-key establishment which was tucked away a little more and garnered less attention while still having that luxurious five-star feel. While the brunette had grown up eating off of nothing but the finest silver spoons, she didn’t need all of the grandeur that seemed to follow her around. She felt more herself in a pair of boyfriend jeans and a soft cotton tee cheering on her favorite team every Sunday but it couldn’t always be that way. She was obligated to don the gowns for galas and make appearances alongside her mother at the various high-fashion events throughout the year, but that was Nicolette and it only made her appreciate being just Nikki even more.

The bar was fairly empty, but it was a Tuesday evening and precisely why she had chosen that spot. She had been on blind dates before and she usually would have chosen a more populated spot, just to be on the safe side, but the friend who had been coordinating the set-up had informed Nikki that the man of her choosing was fairly high-profile. Nikki felt her internal eyes rolling at the warning. She had dated a few guys in her social circle before and they had all been too prissy for her. However, her friend assured her that they were the perfect match. “Just give him a chance,” she said. And Nikki caved. She had no name and no phone number, just the instruction to meet him at nine-thirty pm and the hope that he’d show.

The brunette scanned the bar but neither of the two men sitting alone seemed to be her date. She was a little early - she always was - so she picked a seat toward the end of the bar to allow them a little privacy once he arrived. The bartender came over as she was setting her black leather YSL clutch on the mahogany bar top and she ordered herself a glass of merlot before pulling out her phone to scroll through Instagram while she waited.