Taken for a Ride

"Thank Seigfried for me," David said, turning to Heinrich. Heinrich gave the musician a lopsided smile and nodded his head. David took that as a suggestion that the chauffer come up to his room with him before returning to Luxembourg. Taking the hint, David said, so those at the reception desk could hear him, "Could you carry my suitcase and violin upstairs for me, Heinrich?"

He could and he did, and he stayed long enough to fuck David again up against the wall next to the door. He hung around for dinner before he left. Neither one of them wanted to part from the other.

The next day, April 1st, was the first day of practice at the cathedral for Gustav Holst's The Planets. David passed a newspaper kiosk while he was walking to the cathedral. A photo the young man saw there on the cover of an English-language Luxembourg newspaper made him pause, do a double take, smile, and mutter, "Well Shit. April Fools."

The photo on the cover was of Prince Heinrich Hollenzollern von Mecklenburg presenting the keys to a Luxembourg City homeless shelter that was just opening thanks to his generous contribution. The photo wasn't of Seigfried. Siegfried might be a Hapsburg but he wasn't the prince in Luxembourg who had hosted David for three days as his luxurious villa. For whatever reason he had to fool the young musician, the real prince was the man who pretended to be the chauffeur, Heinrich.

David took out his cellphone, found the contact number for Heinrich, and called him.

"You fooled me," David said. "Why didn't you tell me you, not Seigfried, were the prince?"

"I didn't do anything special to deceive you," Heinrich answered. "Siegfried and Egbert are my permanent guests and I prefer living simpler in the cottage. And I already told you that I liked driving cars. But as far as not telling you I was the prince, if you were going to let me have you, I wanted it to be because you were physically attracted to me rather than you thought I was a rich prince. And how did that work out? I'm sorry if you saw it as a tasteless April Fools joke?"

"How did it work out?" David said. "If your invitation still holds, rather than going on from Cologne, you can pick me up here and take me back to Luxembourg with you."

"Done. The Bentley can use the exercise," Heinrich said.