The interior of the restaurant was filled with pizza goodness that tickled his senses and enticed him to order everything on the menu. It must be his stomach doing the thinking, because it didn’t matter that it was not his type of restaurant, he just needed food to be served as soon as possible. The sensation of hunger was not commonly felt by the members of the nobility. Food was plentiful and always available for those who were in position. He can order for whatever he craves, and the royal kitchen will make it for him. 

That he was asked to wait in line and now wait for the waiter to take their order was getting to him. Therefore, when a man in white button-up shirt and black pants, wearing an apron around his waist approached, the prince very nearly snapped. He told the waiter his choice of pizza, appetizer, and two glasses of wine then promptly asked how long it would take for their food to be served. “About twenty minutes, your highness,” replied the waiter before he was dismissed. 

Twenty minutes was not a long time to wait given the right company. Good thing there was the internet to keep him busy, because his companion, despite her earlier objection against his plan to not to speak to her, was being quiet. Not wanting to waste his time faking smiles and engaging in small talks, he started browsing through that morning’s electronic correspondences about the work he had left behind just to indulge the whims of the queen. One subject that came about was the consolidated monthly report on the status of the agriculture sector. He paused remembering what he was talking to Rhiane about before the hostess came to fetch them.

The prince opened his mouth as if to say something, only to shake his head and looked back down to what he was doing. What was he thinking? To start a conversation would be to admit defeat. He was winning thus far, she was not forcing him to discuss menial matters like the name of the pigs she had at home, or the number of eggs that a chicken can lay in a month. He was at peace, being able to conform to the queen’s order and being compelled to act interested. Although he was interested. He stole a quick glance at his date wondering how she could be nice to strangers and not to her future husband, and more importantly, her future king.

The thought was interrupted when the food arrived. Unlike the restaurants he frequented where the course was served one at a time to maximize the guests’ eating pleasure, everything was served all at once. Caprese, pasta, and pizza, plus the two glasses of wine. Everything came together at the same time and was left on the table for them to enjoy.

Luke served two slices of the tomato and its toppings to Rhiane’s plate without a word, then took two more for himself before retreating to his seat and eating in silence. It was neither bad nor good but was filling, which was what he was looking for that morning. His second serving had less impact than the first, and the third even lesser. He turned his attention to the pizza next and accidentally met her green gaze. “You are being quiet for someone who insists on us talking to make this more believable,” he said, breaking the silence as he served a slice of pizza on her plate. “Was it something I said about GenCo?” He took a slice for his own consumption and used it as distraction as he contemplated whether he would admit to her something that she had no business knowing. “I lost four percent of equity on that trade six months ago when the stock prices sharply declined due to poor performance of the company. Had I known how bad their most-hyped soybeans were, I would have sold everything before the launch of the product, not after. But I’m telling you, the shares are selling at a bargain price right now. It’s tempting, but one never knows how low the prices can go.”

Luke smiled at her, a genuine smile that time, and a playful wink too. It happened before Luke can check himself. Like a comet though, it blinked out of sight only to be replaced by the cool polite smile of somebody who had just remembered who he was talking to. Until that too vanished.