The Single Dad's Royal Pursuit

Chapter 4- My mind

“Do you think this would be enough?” Axi asked Lexi as she showed her the new passport she was able to obtain for her. The lady she befriended ever since Lexi saved her daughter from imminent death. Lexi ran and asked for help, for she wanted to escape the trouble her royal dad was setting for her. Axi had every right to feel it since she also belonged to a royal family.

Lexi took and checked the passport. “Yes, well, I still bear my name except for the last name, so I reckon it's alright,” she calmly answered. The tiny document Lexi was holding would be the passage to the new life she had been yearning for quite some time. Axi’s dad had power in some agency in town, and even though they knew it was unlawful to acquire such identification, she couldn't care less.

Soon, her new life would begin, and no one could stop her.

“I am happy but at the same time scared for you, Lexi,” Axi said. “They’ve been looking for you, and they know you are here in Africa.”

Lexi smacked her lips before looking at Axi. “Soon, I won't be here,” she smiled. “I know with this document, I would be able to buy some time for myself. I will live the life I always wanted. To explore the world. Make a difference. I can’t be just a consort and do whatever those royals wanted me to do,” she snorted.

Axi chuckled. “If only you could seep your royal blood out of your body, you would've done it already,” she said. “I know we have responsibilities, duties, and names we have to keep, but I agree with you. Be who you want to be,” she added.

Lexi inhaled a deep breath. “Thank you, my lady,” she mumbled as she stood up from the couch. “I owe you my life,” hugging the lovely lady.

“Enjoy your freedom, my lady,” Axi rubbed Lexi’s back. “But just enough, okay? Make sure you don’t end up pregnant,” she kiddingly scoffed.

Lexi poked Axi’s hand. “Of course, you know how prude I am,” she snorted.

Axi broke the hug as she giggled. “No, you are not! You are just a busy person who dedicates her time to children and her job. Soon you’ll find your prince charming. Someone who will make your world happy and worth living in,” she stated.

“We shall see, my lady,” Lexi winked. “I’ll enjoy my last two days here before flying to Thailand,” she smiled. Lexi had already contacted one of the medical doctors Lexi had worked with on one of the missions she attended last year. Doctor Yan had no idea about her identity, so she knew she was safe to stay and work there at one of the charity orphanages she planned to help.

“Well, another kingdom this time,” Axi scoffed.

“Yes, hun,” Lexi wiggled her brows. Of all the places she could go and hide, she chose a country where she knew she could freely live. She wasn’t maybe sure how safe the city was, but she was confident it would secure her plans in the meantime.

~

The days quickly rolled by, and Lexi was already on her way to Asia. Axi and her daughter sent her to the airport, where they bade goodbye and good luck to each other.

“Thank you so much, Axi…I’ll keep in touch with you,” Lexi hugged her friend.

“Sure you will, Lexi. Let me know once you arrive,” Axi replied.

“Yes,”

Lexi was thankful enough to have Axi at her side. She would be lost and perhaps found by her father’s men without her. Even her sister Aly had no idea where she was going. She believed it was better not to connect with her than be caught and sent back to their castle.

“Sawasdee! Ms. Alexandria, welcome to Thailand!” The lady at the immigration booth smiled at Lexi as she handed her passport.

“Thank you!” Lexi smiled, leaving the booth. She headed to the carousel to get her belongings. She didn’t have much, but just enough to use while settling in the warm and sunny country. After taking her stuff, she walked to the arrival area to meet the service she requested from her hotel.

‘Ms. A. G. Lewis’

Lexi saw a man holding a placard with her initials written on it. She smiled at him, and the driver beamed and spoke. “Sawasdee! Please follow me, ma'am.”

“Sweet,” Lexi mumbled as the guy took her belongings and dragged them outside the airport. Her accommodation would be an hour's drive from where she was. She chose Pattaya city over Bangkok since the latter was already crowded and packed.

Pattaya city had its unique beauty, and it was near the beach zone. According to her research, it was a tourist spot area and safe to live in for backpackers and ex-pats. And not only that, the orphanage was in the city, near the apartment she wanted to move to within the week.

“The breakfast will be ready soon, Ms. Lewis,” The receptionist told Lexi after giving her the card key to her room. Her travel time was quick, and she arrived just before sunrise.

“Thank you!” Lexi smiled before heading toward the elevator. Her bedroom was on the tenth floor. She put her bag inside the car with her before pressing the button. It didn’t take much time for her to reach the floor.

Soon as Lexi opened her room, her eyes gaped wide in astonishment. The clear view of the sea was screaming in front of her. The eternal shades of the blue and orangey sky on the horizon were inviting her. “Bloody great!” she mumbled, entering and leaving her bag as she headed towards the glass window. “This is perfect!” she smiled.

Lexi spent some time sightseeing at the excellent view. She was delighted to have her dreams entirely happening according to her design. Sitting down on her bed, Lexi then laid on her back and looked at the ceiling. She widely smiled while brushing her arms up and down on the soft mattress like a snow angel. “I should celebrate,” she told herself. “I need a drink…but not now… later, tonight! You, Lexi, are going to celebrate!”

Lexi got up and started fixing her stuff. She would stay for a week in the hotel, so she arranged it according to what she had done before. She loved everything neat and organized. She didn’t have OCD but just a way to see things to her liking.

Once she was done, she took a long bath in the massive bathroom and relaxed her tired body. Seventeen hours was no joke for her since the layover was the hardest and most tedious one. After slipping on her simple blue shirt and dark leggings, she headed downstairs for breakfast. Eating was her first plan before sleeping to catch up with time and jetlag.

“Blimey… This is superb….” Lexi mumbled as she ate the food she took from the buffet counter. “This is life,” she whispered to herself. After devouring her heavy breakfast meal, Lexi decided to walk around the hotel’s vicinity, where the back entrance area was beachfront.

She sat on the beach chair and enjoyed herself watching and observing people walking by the shore. Looking at the horizon, Lexi found some huts and restaurants miles away from her spot. She took a mental note to visit the area tonight before going back to her room to rest.

“You look pretty, woman,” Lexi said at her reflection in the mirror, batting her long eyelashes. Her eyeliner and eye-shadow were just enough to give life to her light blue eyes, giving a smokey look.

After sleeping for hours and skipping her lunch, she finally decided to act on her plan for tonight. She put on light make-up and dressed in the casual clothes she chose to wear this evening. Her overall dress over her tank-top was just enough for the humid weather of the year. She also wore comfy flat shoes, perfect for her five-foot-six-inch height. She then tied her long brown hair in a half-up half-down style.

Lexi left her room with her phone, cards, and cash she needed to exchange at the convenience store. “Anything you want to buy?” the lady at the counter asked after giving her money.

Lexi smiled and shook her head. “Maybe later,” she answered.

“Okay,”

“Khob Khun ka,” she replied in the first Thai language she had learned.

Lexi left the store and decided to go back to her hotel area. She headed straight towards the huts and restaurants she saw earlier this morning. There were a couple of open bars for the tourist, and since she already felt famished, she went to the restaurant near the shore and ordered herself some food.

The seashore was long and well-lit, so she didn’t worry much about walking at night, plus the road was busy and full of people. While eating, Lexi noticed a neon sign three restaurants away from her location. “Open-mic session tonight. Drag show tomorrow,” she read. “Oh, interesting,” she mumbled.

Lexi spent the next hour eating and reading some articles back home. So far, the news about her was over, and it seemed the search party had toned down. “Good for me,” she whispered, being nonchalant about it. After eating, Lexi decided to continue her ambling around. And soon as she stopped in front of the bar where there was an open mic session, her jaw dropped in amazement.

Someone was singing a Tennessee waltz in an acoustic version of a man. She was familiar with that song since her mom loved it and enjoyed singing it when she was a kid. It was such an old classical song that she never forgot.

Curiosity engulfed her. She went inside and checked who the owner of that fabulous and charming voice was. Getting in, her eyes were stuck on a handsome man on the stage, holding a guitar, giving his best while singing her mom’s favorite. She stood at the door for some time. Her eyes were fixed on him while she listened.

“Ms. Do you want a seat?” She heard someone ask her, breaking her thoughts.

Lexi nodded and smiled. “Yes, but I’ll just sit at the bar,” she answered before looking around. There weren’t many people, but some were all chilling while listening to the singing man on the stage.

“Sure, please follow me,” The waiter said to her. Lexi followed him, and he gave her a special seat near the stage.

“One margarita, please,” She ordered before planting her attention once more on the man. His voice was indeed so remarkable that she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Soon as he finished the song, she clapped her hands with the audience.

She was in awe that it was too late to realize that she was the only person left clapping for him. “Thank you, my lady,” the man said before smiling at her. Lexi was so embarrassed that she thanked the lights were dimmed, hiding her red and blushed face. She thought of leaving, but she stopped herself as she didn’t want to end up looking like a loser.

“Ahm… since we have a lovely and beautiful lady here who enjoyed my song, I hope you wouldn’t mind me singing another one again…” The man suddenly announced, staring at Lexi.

Lexi didn’t know whether she would feel flattered or humiliated again. She broke eye contact and turned her stool to face the bar. She took her margarita and sipped it more than twice to calm her thoughts and racing heart. For some reason, she found the man fascinating, especially the glow in his mesmerizing eyes.

“This is for you, my lady,” Lexi heard before hearing another strum of the guitar.

She couldn’t help but turn again as she heard the acoustic version of Elvis Presley- Always on my mind. Another classic she remembered her dad singing to her mom when she was alive. Lexi was in awe as the man sang it full of emotions and perfect justice to his version of the song. She wasn’t into oldies, but this time, she felt like wanting to listen to them again, mainly if the man on the stage would sing them for her.

“Did you like it?” Lexi suddenly heard someone ask her. She was startled that the man she had watched a while ago was now standing in front of her, smiling.

“H…hey….yeah…” she stuttered. “It was bloody awesome…” she added, composing herself.

The man nodded before extending his hand to her. “Andrew… The name is Andrew,” he introduced himself.

Lexi looked at the man named Andrew before staring back at his face. He was closer to her, and she could finally see his enigmatic grayish eyes behind those glasses. For some reason, his smiles seemed to hypnotize her.

“Lexi…” She finally spoke, shaking his warm and sizeable hand.

~

Just found time to update this xx. I'm sorry for the overlooked errors.