The Glass Slipper by Alice Gaines

Author:Alice Gaines
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: humor, fairy tale, series, contemporary series
Publisher: Alice Gaines

Chapter Eight

Kurt had expected anger. He hadn't expected his father to vibrate with it, so full of energy he couldn't sit in a chair and calmly discuss the issues. Dev sat beside Kurt on the sofa and watched their father pace. Ulrich lounged with his elbow on the mantle over the fireplace. He, at least, seemed to be enjoying himself.

“What were you thinking?” Friedrich demanded as he crossed from the window toward the center of the room. “How could you pose for something as lurid as that cover?”

“It wasn't that bad, father,” Dev said.

“He was half-naked,” Friedrich said.

“If a reporter caught one of us at the beach, he'd get a lot more flesh than that,” Dev said.

Friedrich stopped in his tracks. “So, we pose for reporters in our swim trunks now, do we?”

“Of course, not,” Dev said.

“Then what value does that explanation add to this conversation?” Friedrich said.

“Nothing,” Dev said. “It just wasn't that bad.”

“Not bad? Not bad?” Friedrich's voice rose. “Vaclav called me to tell me about it.”

Kurt groaned inwardly. “Dev told me that’s how you found out.”

“It seems my cousin Vaclav is a fan of this Joe Stark detective. That ought to tell you what kind of books they are.”

Friedrich had a point there. The two men had despised each other for decades because Vaclav really was a lecherous, smarmy worm, and anything he enjoyed became immediately suspect.

“I'm sorry Vaclav saw it,” Kurt said.

“All of Europe saw it.” Friedrich gestured as if his left hand hovered over London and his right embraced Moscow.

“The European covers won't show my face,” Kurt said.

“It's on the internet,” Friedrich said. “People outside the United States have computers, you know. We're not mired in the nineteenth century.”

“It's not a catastrophe,” Dev said. “It hasn't even been picked up by the press.”

“I'm not the Crown Prince. I'm not nearly the celebrity Dev is,” Kurt said. In fact, no one outside of Danislova would recognize him on the street. He'd managed to remain obscure, at least until he'd met Casey. Anyone in another country who got a copy of the book with his face on it would assume he was a model and not think any further.

Friedrich turned to face Kurt directly. “How did this happen?”

“I did a favor for...someone.”

“That young woman you were just with?”

“Casey...Miss Vaughn. She needed a model for the book cover, and I happened to be nearby.” He didn’t add that she’d plucked him off the street. A complete stranger she’d brought into her employer’s apartment. He also left out all the other juicy tidbits he’d told Dev, who in turn had told Felice and Ulrich. Dev would have had the good sense to keep all that from their father.

“How could you allow such a thing?” Friedrich said.

“I didn’t. I got her to agree not to use my face. There was a mix-up with the publisher and the author. It’s all been straightened out now. Only my chest will show.”

“Why should any part of you be on display? You’re a prince of Danislova, for the love of God.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.