"Zipporah, warum warst du mit Prinz Basil? [Why were you with Prince Basil?]" Cirila probes, entering shortly after Basil leaves. I gulp and brush back a loose curl.

"Ich ging mit ihm zum Mittagessen. [I went with him to lunch.]" Better to tell the truth now than have it come out at the wrong time. Cirila gawks and hurriedly shuts the office door. Her face reads panic. As she stumbles over to her office chair and yanks it up beside mine, I massage my sore hands.

"Du darfst nicht! Es ist schlecht! Sehr, sehr schlecht! Weisst du, was passieren koennte? [You're not allowed to! It is bad! Very, very bad! Do you know what could happen?]"

"Prinz Basil bat mich, ihn zu begleiten. [Prince Basil asked me to accompany him]" I explain. She translates into English, eyes sparking with fear.

"Zipporah, you are aware that his serene highness is expected to be seen only with Miss Fritzi Rask. You are American! You could lose your job!"

"Cirila, I honestly do not know how it got this far. We met at the ball and then he asked me out to lunch last week, today, and he requested lunch again tomorrow. What am I supposed to do? I don't want to get in trouble on any level, but..."

"So, Prince Basil has been asking you to lunch?"

"Yes, ma'am." Cirila sighs and rests her head on her left palm.

"His highness has been the one engaging you."

"Yes he has."

"Oh, Zipporah, I hope you know the consequences of this."

"I know it could cause an international incident and that I could very well lose my job. I have tried to stay away. I know now that you are aware that you could tell our superiors and in essence get me deported back home. I do not want to lose this job, but please believe me when I tell you that I am not trying to cause trouble and that I am trying not to become deeply involved." I plead. Cirila groans, massaging her temples as she stares at me in thought.

"Zipporah, you are a very hard worker and I do not want to lose you. As your mentor, I should have you fired, but as your friend... I will keep this between us. You deserve this job."

"Oh thank you, Cirila! Thank you!" I cry out in gratitude.

"Just, please, be careful."

"I will." We shake hands.

"Now, we should get back to work."

"Indeed." With that we focus on the banker box full of paperwork, though I continue to think about Basil every now and then. Why is he so excited about me anyways? This could prove to be a very big dilemma for each of us if I cannot figure this out. I can't afford to lose this job.

The Next Afternoon...

"Guten Tag, Zipporah." I clench my pen as I turn around to face Basil, who is leaning on the door jam with his hands in his pockets and a slightly giddy grin gracing his lips.

"Tschau, Basil." I reply and stand up, setting my pen down. He steps forward and reaches for my hand. Before I can react, he plants a tender kiss on my knuckles. I blush and move to curtsy, but he raises his hand to stop me.

"Nein, nein, Zipporah. There is no need," He bows. I bite my lip and run my hand through my hair, "Are you ready? I thought you might enjoy authentic German cuisine."

"I would love some."

"Wonderful! Let's go!" He chirps and eagerly takes my hand to lead me to the parking garage. I barely manage to shut the office door behind me on the way out. My heart begins to pitter-patter and I blush even more. His hand is very warm and I admit I like that he's holding mine. It feels nice. I inhale and quell the butterflies in my stomach once we get to his BMW and decide to let him act the way he is. He helps me into the passenger side and then walks with a certain bounce in his step to he driver's side, smiling all the way, and gets in just as I finish buckling, "Here you go." He hands me the pair of sunglasses I've used the two other times and dons his own. I put mine on and straighten my hair.

"German cuisine, you said?"

"Yes. I actually made a reservation at Adalberta's- one of the best German restaurants here."

"I told you I don't require posh meals."

"Well, I felt it might be nice for you to get a more formal experience. It is my pleasure." I can't help but smile.

"Basil, is there anything that is not your pleasure to do?" He chuckles heartily, "Never mind, you do not have to answer that."

"I am glad to see you becoming more comfortable with me, Zipporah. Are you coming out of your shell at last?"

"Perhaps." I mentally slap myself. He's onto me. Yes, I'm more relaxed around him than before. But I don't want him to think the wrong thing. At the same time I don't want to jump to conclusions about him and his behavior. Why does this have to be so hard?!

Thanks for reading! Please comment below and vote! If you have any ideas for next chapter, please PM me.

~Uilosris