allowed to thrive here. It’s a lot like St. Matthew’s, in a way. Whatever you are outside these walls, once you step inside, it all falls away.”
A jet takes off outside as we continue down the corridor. Pippa looks around, taking it all in. “I expected that the Royal Air Force would have done more remodeling. It basically looks in here as I imagine it looked a thousand years ago. There’s absolutely zero soundproofing in here. Plus it is so…” Her mouth twists. “Well, it’s a bit dank.”
I smile at her. “That it is, Pippa. We like it like this.” I turn a corner, pulling her to a stop. There is a line of uniformed men slowly filing into the fortress’s big auditorium.
I pull her along, going with the flow as we squeeze through the double doors. The space we step into is truly awe inspiring, with a very high ceiling and smooth concrete underfoot, reminiscent of an airplane hangar. There is a ton of light in here from skylights cut into the ceiling; at the far end of the room, a stage has been assembled, a microphone stand the only decoration.
Pippa takes it all in with wide eyes. “What a space,” she breathes.
“Come on,” I say, taking her by the hand. “Let’s get a place up front. We will be accepting some award or the other on behalf of the palace, but I assume that will be after the main show.”
As I lead her forward, elbowing my way through the crowd toward the stage, a uniformed officer taps the microphone. “Good afternoon, Royal Air Force Base Karup!”
There is an immediate wave of loud applause and wolf whistles. The officer refers to a piece of paper. “Please welcome the Dusseldorf Dance Troupe!”
Loud rap music starts booming over the sound system. I manage to squeeze myself and Pippa up near the left side of the stage. Ten people parade out wearing a very bastardized, hot pants version of the same dress blues the Royal Air Force is known for. There are seven women and five men dancing. My eyebrows rise as I watch the spectacle. They separate into two rows, one moving forward and going down to their knees. They move quite deftly to the rap music, as I suppose you would expect a dance troupe to move.
I am deciding whether or not to be offended by their take on our uniforms. Everyone around me whistles and cheers, though. They don’t seem to mind.
I frown.
Pippa leans in close with a secretive grin. “What do you think?”
I shoot her a glare and lean my head closer. “I think they are very close to mocking us with those uniforms—“ I stop mid sentence, because several of the dancers shed their uniforms for bikinis or speedos. My jaw drops.
One of the dancers edges near the area of the stage where I stand. She casts her gaze around and makes eye contact with me. All the while, she gyrates and grinds, shooting me naughty expressions.
I tilt my head, trying to decide if the blonde is sexy or if I’m still offended. Pippa squeezes my arm.
I glance at her. She doesn’t look entirely pleased with me.
“What?” I ask.
Pippa leans her head in close. “At least act like you’re in public with your fiancée,” she hisses. “That is part of the deal. No making me look bad.”
I roll my eyes. “Calm down. I’m not doing anything but looking.”
Her cheeks flush. She pulls away from me and gives her head a little shake. Then she turns and starts threading her way through the crowd, heading toward the exit.
Fuck. I didn’t mean to make her mad.
I glance back at the stage, guessing that I have plenty of time before I have to be onstage. Elbowing my way through the crowd, I heave a sigh.
If I wanted to deal with stuff like this, I would’ve just proposed to the minister’s granddaughter. I push open the heavy double doors, spotting Pippa as she hurries down the hallway.
“Pippa!” I call.
She stops, turning with a frown. “What?”
“You’re being ridiculous,” I say, walking over to her. It’s only when I get up close that I can smell her rose perfume and see the unshed tears in her eyes.
“You promised me that you wouldn’t sleep with anyone else while I am pretending to be your fiancée,” she whispers. “You could at least try to hide it a little better.”
I reach out for her arm, tugging her closer. “I didn’t do anything, Pippa. I was just