“What?! He wants what?!” Logan didn’t know whether to be alarmed or flabbergasted.
Alex had invited him to lunch in his quarters in the guards’ barracks. They had steak, grilled vegetables and a fine old red wine. Alex maintained a calm, careful, military demeanor. “He wants to meet you. Strictly between us, I think he is a bit smitten. Not that I blame him.”
“He—he—he can’t be gay. He can’t be. I mean, look at him.”
Alex was serene. “I look at him and see the king.”
“Alex, you’re not serious. I’ve been cavorting with the most gorgeous men in Bulvania. Your men. Raymond would be—well, let’s just say he wouldn’t be at all what I’m used to.”
“You haven’t gotten to know him the way I have, Logan. He’s actually kind of attractive, in his nerdy, monkish way.”
Logan’s head was spinning. This was the last thing he expected. Or wanted. “Attractive? Alex, I know he’s your king, and I know you’re loyal to him. But he looks like something the cat had in the alley.”
Alex bristled. His tone turned serious, and he put on his best command voice. “He is the king. We do not speak about him like that.”
“Sorry. But, Alex—”
“All I’m asking is that you meet him. Privately. For dinner, one on one. It wouldn’t be so very different from what we’re doing right now.”
Logan sipped his wine and said nothing.
“Look, if nothing else, it would help your father swing his tin deal. Even a newly-crowned king has a lot of influence.” He couldn’t resist adding. “And so do I.”
There had to be a way to change the subject. “This is excellent steak. Is it imported?”
“No, it is local. We grow good, hearty stock here.” He took a drink. “If you get my drift.”
Logan’s shoulders slumped. If there was a way out of this, he couldn’t think of it. He’d just have to keep telling himself he was doing it for Zinc, Inc., grit his teeth and do it. “But… but I don’t even know what I could talk about with him.”
“He’s smart, Logan. He’s had scientific papers published in respected journals.”
“‘Hello, your highness. Did you know that E=MC2?’”
“You’re being ridiculous. Look, no one expects you to sleep with him. Or even become close friends. Just meet him, that’s all. Have dinner with him. Get to know him and let him get to know you. It’s not as if you’re going to become his lover.”
He wrinkled his nose. “You’d have to have him dry-cleaned.”
“Logan, please.”
“Well… I want you to be there, too. I don’t want to be alone with him. I’ve known too many toxic closet cases to—”
“He is not ‘a closet case.’ He simply doesn’t know who he is yet. The world he’s in now is completely new to him.” He finished his steak and put the fork down. “Give him a chance.”
“A chance to do what?”
“Logan, please. If you want me to be there, I’ll be there. I’ll tell him you’re nervous or something.”
“You wouldn’t be far wrong.”
“I wish you wouldn’t sound so put-upon. Having dinner with a king isn’t exactly a social disgrace. Neither is having a king for a friend. Not everyone will feel sorry for you.”
Logan was deflated. “Well… all right, then. But I definitely want you there too. I mean that. This is bound to be awkward, to say the least.”
“I’ll be there. So, we have a bargain?”
“I guess so.”
“Good. How is the day after tomorrow?”
“Why not?”
“Excellent. I’ll make the arrangements.”
* * *
And so just like that Logan had a dinner date. It was so unexpected, and he found Raymond so unattractive, he had no idea what to expect or how to react to the situation.
P.T., on the other hand, was completely gung-ho for it. “Good work. I knew I could count on you to make some useful connections here.”
“So, you didn’t bring me along out of fatherly devotion?”
“Don’t be absurd, Logan. Business is business. Just don’t push the deal too hard, all right? I’m working on some other angles, and everything will have to come together just right.”
“Give me a bit of credit, will you? What would I say? ‘Good evening, your majesty. I hope you’re well. Why not sell my father some tin?’”
“Stop being silly. I know your social skills. You never say the wrong thing. But this deal is important.”
Constantine, in his turn, couldn’t have been more excited when he heard about the dinner. “Excellent! Then you must invite him here, in turn. When word gets out in the service that I’ve arranged an event for the king… ”
“We should have left you in Athens.”
Marge was the only one who responded to the news calmly. “So, the king likes you, does he? I always knew you’d marry well.”
“Don’t be repulsive, Margery. This is just dinner, nothing more. And Alex Borodenko will be there the whole time.”
“You need a nanny?”
“Stop it, Marge. I really don’t want to be alone with a closeted dweeb, that’s all. There could be too many unpleasant developments.”
“Poor, poor Logan. He’s dining with the king. How much trouble can one man bear?”
“I know, I know. It’s just that… well, you’ve seen him. Can you really picture me with him?”
“I can picture you snagging a rich, powerful lover.”
Logan sighed and left her in her office. His head was spinning. He went to his room, crawled into bed and slept for hours.