Scoring One Night (Blue Ridge Mountain Hockey #4)

Melanie

I sipped my latte and glanced at Sophia, who was slouched in her chair. A mischievous grin was plastered across her face, so I knew she had some tea to spill.

"How's the wedding planning going?" Sophia asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"It's not really going anywhere. I just got engaged a week ago. Why? You looking to snag the maid-of-honor spot?" I asked, wondering if that was why she was acting amused.

Sophia shrugged. "If you want, but that's not why I ask. Just wondering what it was like, you know, being serious with a guy."

I had never known Sophia to take any relationship seriously. She had boyfriends in the past but nothing lasted longer than a month. Perhaps all her friends settling down was making her question her carefree life.

"We plan to move in together at the end of the month, so I can tell you more then. As it is right now, everything is just the same as it was before the ring." I held my hand to show her my diamond.

"I have something to tell you, but…" Sophia said, lowering her voice conspiratorially, "you have to keep it a secret."

"Of course. I owe you big time for not telling anyone about Aspen and me back in the spring," I said, leaning forward with interest as I took a sip of my latte. The frothy milk left a temporary mustache on my upper lip, which Sophia found amusing.

"Okay, so you know how I've been helping my dad with the limo business and chauffeuring the royals recently, right?" Sophia's eyes sparkled with mischief as she glanced around the bustling coffee shop, making sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Uh huh," I mumbled through my drink.

"Well, there's this... problem." She paused dramatically, relishing the moment. "Apparently, the family found a long-lost relative, and they're all a little butt-hurt."

I wiped the foam from my lip with my thumb. "Here?"

"Can't give you all the details," Sophia replied, leaning in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's some strict confidentiality agreement because, you know, they’re royal, but let's just say, it involves a certain member of the royal family and a secret life."

"What kind of secret life are we talking about here?"

"Ah, that's the million-dollar question," Sophia teased, smirking at my obvious curiosity. "But like I said, I can't share too much. Let's just say, if word got out, it'd be a scandal big enough to rock the monarchy."

"Wow, are you sure you can't just drop a hint at what is happening?" I asked because I was dying to know. I knew Sophia wouldn't jeopardize her dad's company by revealing sensitive information, but even a kernel would be something.

"What if…" Sophia said, nibbled on her lower lip. "Uh, since I can't tell you the details of the situation, how about I entertain you with a little fairy tale instead?"

I arched an eyebrow. "A fairy tale, Soph? Really? You know I'm not twelve anymore, right?"

"Trust me." Her green eyes glinted with mischief. "This one ain't your average bedtime story."

"Alright," I winked, "if that's all you can do."

"Once upon a time," she began dramatically, leaning forward and lowering her voice as if sharing a secret, "in a far-off kingdom, there lived a charming prince who had it all: wealth, power, and a stunning body that caused women to drool, like, a lot. And the accent, uh... super hot. But despite his many blessings, he was deeply unhappy."

"Of course," I added, taking a quick sip of my latte. "No self-respecting fairytale prince would be content with his lot in life."

"Exactly," Sophia agreed, grinning. "You see, our prince longed for something more. He wanted to experience life outside his gilded cage, to be like everyone else and find his own path in the world. So, one day, he decided to leave his kingdom behind and journey to a foreign land. He never told his family where he was going, and he left without a trace."

"Adventurous. That's hot," I commented, leaning back in my chair.

"Indeed, it is, uh… was," Sophia continued as she waved her hands in the air to animate the story. "But the prince soon discovered that life in this strange new world was nothing like he'd expected. He struggled to find his footing, faced with challenges and hardships he'd never known before. Instead of being revered and admired, he was just another face in the crowd, forced to fend for himself, which he wasn’t used to."

"Okay," I murmured, realizing that Sophia was really good at storytelling. "That sounds... tough."

"Absolutely," Sophia agreed, her tone taking on a note of seriousness. "But our prince was nothing if not determined. He embraced the challenges that came his way, learning and growing with each passing day. And eventually," she paused for effect, her eyes dancing, "he found he had discovered his true love."

"Love?" I echoed, leaning forward on the table. "Oh, my god, who?"

Sophia leaned in, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "You see, our prince discovered a passion for football. He took to the sport like a fish to water and found it was the perfect way to blend in with the ordinary folk. He fell in love with it."

I frowned. "Football? Damn, I thought he fell for a woman."

"This has nothing to do with a relationship, Mel. You know me. Why would I tell a tale like that?" Sophia shook her head. "Anyway, the prince was thrilled to be part of a team and felt more alive than ever before. But he couldn't shake the constant fear that his family would discover his new life, and the team would find out his true identity."

"Yikes," I muttered, imagining the pressure of constantly living a double life.

"But he became so good at football that he was soon offered a spot on an, uh… an international team. It was both his greatest dream and his worst nightmare come true—playing in a world game where his family might actually see him."

"International?" I tilted my head. "This sounds a lot like the International Games—"

"It's a fairytale, Mel. Just a fairytale," Sophia quickly cut me off.

"Okay," I said as my eyes widened at her tone. "Did they find him?"

"Yes and no."

I narrowed my eyes. "What does that even mean?"

"Let's just say…" Sophia began, her expression a mix of amusement and intrigue, "that our prince devised a rather... creative solution to his problem."

"Creative?" I echoed, trying to wrap my head around what that could possibly mean. "Like a disguise or something?"

"Something like that," Sophia replied coyly, clearly enjoying the storytelling process. "Anyway, the story is still ongoing, so that's all I can tell you at the moment."

My mind raced as I tried to connect the dots between Sophia's fairytale and her problem with the royals. "Alright, Soph," I said, my curiosity getting the best of me. "Why are you telling me this story? What does it have to do with your royal dilemma?"

Sophia smirked and leaned in closer, lowering her voice as if divulging a secret. "Maybe there's more to this tale than it seems, Mel. Maybe it's not really a fairytale at all."

I furrowed my brow, trying to decipher her cryptic response. "Tell me!"

"One day I’ll tell you everything," she replied with a mysterious smile, taking another sip of her coffee.

"I love you, Sophia, but you're evil."

Sophia smirked, sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee. For a moment, I wondered if that prince existed. Had she slept with him yet?

Because that woman loved messy, and that fairytale sounded supper messy.

***