Chapter 106 - Washington DC

Jasmine

It was quiet on the other side of the line.

"Hey." I said breaking the silence. "Jasmine?!" Benjamin said my name as if it was a question. "Yes." I said a little awkwardly.

"Oh… Hey…" He said repeating me. He did not speak for a while and I walked to the glass wall, which gave a panorama view over Boston. The sight was absolutely beautiful.

"What can I do for you?" Benjamin asked in a tight voice. "It has been weeks, like six now, right?" I questioned. "Six and a half." He corrected me. "Right." I said.

"So tell me…" Benjamin prompted. "Tell you what?" I asked a little dazed. "What can I do for you?" He gulped.

"It's about university…" I started to say. "I have heard you are every lecturer's darling." He mused. "Ah… you have spied on me." I teasingly accused him. "Of course I have." He said and I heard a smile coloring his tone.

"I did not expect anything less." I said and we both chuckled.

"You seem to be excelling in each and every class you take." He boasted about me. "Well…" I trailed off… "I am not all that great." I said downplaying his statement. "Sure you are, I am very proud of you Jasmine." He said in a kind voice.

It was strange hearing him say my name. He normally called me anything but.

"I actually have tests coming up and I am a bit insecure about them. I think I have got the material down, although I am not really certain about how they will fraise the questions and how I am about to answer them." I rushed through my words.

"Ah okay." Benjamin said guarded. I expected him to offer me to help me study, but he didn't.  "Can we maybe have a videocall about that." I asked a little insecure.

"Uhm… " He started to say. "I think that is not the best of plans." He said in a strange voice. Why not?! "I have appointed several tutors to you, that are always there to guide you." He told me. "I think it would be best if you make use of those." He said in a strained voice.

That was weird. He would never say no to a request like that. "I'd rather have you help me, if that is okay…" I admitted.

"I think it would definitely be best if you ask one of the tutors." Benjamin held his ground. "What are you doing right now?" I asked. Maybe he was really busy, or something.

"I am on my way to see the president of the United States." Benjamin said hesitantly. "Where are you right now?" I urged him.

"I am flying from Malibu to Washington." He flatly told me. "How long have you been in the States?" I said accusingly. "A few days." He admitted. "Oh… I see." I frowned.

"Were you planning to come see me?" I asked him as I looked at Naïma who was rubbing her fat belly. "Uhm.. well that was not the original plan though." He said sheepishly. Would that be his new plan?

"Oh… okay." I said feeling disappointed for some strange reason.

"Will you come home this summer?" Benjamin suddenly asked me. "I haven't really thought about that." I said honestly. Coming to the palace, would mean, according to his rules, that I had to sleep in his bed. I did not think that would be the best of ideas, like he had put it.

"I want you to come home this summer." He stated. "Do I have a say in the matter?" I asked as I walked to the kitchen.

"Well… no." He simply said. "And what if I don't want to?" I said as I picked up an apple and took a bite. I was so hungry all the time.

"Well then Jasmine, if you don't want to." He shrieked. "Then for the love of God please stay away." He said and hung up the phone.

"If you keep on behaving like that, you might lose him." Naïma lectured me with her mouth full of chips.

"I have already lost him." I said as I kept trying to call him back, without any result. "We have broken up for almost two months." I stated.  I took a bite of my apple

"But you are still his wife." Naïma said chewing on her chips. "Yes you are Jazz…" Daniel said as he kissed my sister's cheek. "I will be heading out today. I will see you ladies at supper." He greeted us.

I sat down next to Naïma on the couch and let my head back. "Ugh… I can't concentrate on studying." I muttered. "I am so tired all the time." I said as I closed my eyes for a second.

I ate my apple in just a few bites and then grabbed a hand full of Naïma's chips. "You eat like a pig." She said. "You should stop eating this much, you have been gaining weight since the moment you got here." She bluntly said. "Your bum looks like the moon and you don't even have the excuse of being pregnant." She said sounding mean.

I shrugged.

"It is not like I need to seduce anyone with my body anyway, who cares." I said and stuck out my tongue. Naïma just shook her head.

"Did I just hear you say that Benjamin was in this country?" My sister asked me. "Yes and he did not even contact me about that." I said a little hurt.

Naïma seemed to ponder something. "What is it?" I asked. "Can't you surprise him by visiting him instead?" She smiled.

I thought about that. I rubbed my eyes. "I don't know if that would be the brightest idea, besides I am really too tired. I think I will take a nap." I said.

"A nap on the middle of the day?" Naïma said as if to say I was lazy. I really was tired though.

"See you in a bit." I said as I walked to my bedroom. It was our bedroom really, or his to begin with. All his stuff was still here. I walked to his walk-in closet and looked at his suits.

For no apparent reason, I started to cry. I had been so emotional lately, it was stupid. I missed him. I missed his smell and his touch. I missed the safety his arms held. I tried to call him again, but no response.

I touched the fabric of his clothes and imagined him to be here.

"Maybe I should go to see him." I said as I entered the huge space of the main living area again. "Really? Oh, good!" Naïma said not expecting me back.

I picked up my phone. "Who should I call without tipping him off?" I asked Naïma. She held up her shoulders. "Raina." I murmured.

I dialed her number. "This is princess Rain's assistant, how may I help you?" A voice I did not recognize said. "Good…" What time was it there?  "Can I speak to Raina please, I am princess Jasmine." I spoke.

"Your highness." She greeted me. "Here is princess Raina." She said and I heard Raina's voice. "I though you forgot all about me now that you are an ivy league student." Raina chuckled.

"Of course I would never forget you." I said sheepishly, knowing I wasn't calling to hear about her, but about her cousin.

"How are you?" I asked. Raina went on and on about this prince she met, but I was barely listing to a single word she said.

"Do you know where Benjamin is?" I finally managed to come between her sentences. "I think he was meeting the president." She spoke carefully.

"Yes.. I know… but do you know for how long he will be there and where he is about to stay the night?" I shrieked.

"I don't know really, but I can find out." She finally said. "Yes please." I urged.

I paced up and down the enormous space of the penthouse, until I was too tired and sat down on Benjamin's grand piano chair, that was sitting on a platform. I gently stroke my fingers across the keys, imagining how his fingers had touched it before.

I was going mad.

My phone rang. "He rented a suite in a hotel called the four seasons or something." Raina said. "It is supposedly in George town. Or something." She added.

"Thank you so much!" I said. "Sure." Raina said. "Let me know how it was." She urged me. "I will!" I said.

It took me a little over one and a half hour to fly to Boston. I instructed his staff that this was a surprise and they should not let him know I was coming. I also instructed the hotel, to not let him know I was already up in his suit.

I waited for hours. The room was gorgeous, it reminded me of the palace. That wasn't really strange at all, as the suite was called 'Royal Geneve suite'.

I heard the door open and my heart almost popped out of my chest.