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Heaving the heavy wooden signs to the front gates, I noticed a lone man standing next to a horse at the other end of the parking lot. Hadn’t Sharon mentioned two unicorns? Maybe one had lost its horn.
With the sun behind him, their silhouettes were dark against the morning light, looking almost magical. I pulled out my phone and took a quick picture, then quickly set up the signs before I forgot.
The guy stayed in place, waiting for me to approach. His horse was huge, towering above him. I knew nothing about horses, but this one seemed exceedingly tall. Maybe they’d chosen it especially for the unicorn gig, since that would make it even more imposing when surrounded by small children.
Up close, the horse was even larger. I’d underestimated how tall the man next to it was. I wasn’t small, but next to him, I felt tiny. His shoulders were broad, his black t-shirt too tight for his muscular arms. He either had a job other than chaperoning fake unicorns or worked out every day. I blinked against the sun, trying to make out his features. He was bald; not a look I usually liked, but it only made him seem more attractive.
I chastised myself for letting my thoughts stray that way. I was here in a professional capacity. Maybe I was about to get my period. That always messed with my hormones and turned me into a cat in heat.
“Are you here for the photoshoot?” I asked. “Wait, don’t answer that. I don’t think we’re going to get any other unicorns visiting us today.”
My mouth was running away from me. Think before you speak, Tara. But he was making me nervous. He was intimidating and attractive and looking at me way too intensely. His gaze swept over me from top to bottom, as if he was ingraining every detail into memory. I felt strangely naked under his gaze.
I forced myself to focus on the horse. It was safer than to risk meeting his eyes and get drawn into their depths.
“That horn looks really realistic,” I blurted. “I assumed it would be a cardboard roll or something silly like that, but this is beautiful. How do you make it shimmer that way?”
The horse snorted, hot steam rising from its nostrils. Its fur was a silvery white all over, reflecting the morning sun. Its large eyes were a stunning turquoise framed with silver lashes. The mane looked freshly brushed and a few golden ribbons had been tied into it. I wondered if the guy had done that or someone else. He didn’t look the type to care much about ribbons.
The horn was a curved spire of silver and gold. I couldn’t quite determine what material it was made from. Definitely not plastic. It reminded me of mother-of-pearl, but that couldn’t be right. How was it even attached? I couldn’t see any cords. Surely they hadn’t glued it on? That would be cruel.
I wanted to reach out and touch the horn, but the huge horse was intimidating. It stared at me just like I’d stared at the fake unicorn. Its eyes sparked with intelligence. I’d never been around horses much, but I was starting to feel like this horse was special.
“You can touch her,” the man answered my unspoken question. He had a slight accent, but it was barely noticeable.
“Sure she won’t bite?”
“She won’t bite you.”
I faked a smile, not sure if he was making a joke.
“Does she bite other people?”
“Sometimes. She stabbed me once. I almost died.”
Alright, he had to be joking. That horn was fake and couldn’t be hard enough to stab someone.
I turned to look at him and realised his intense gaze was still fixed on me. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Never.”
He said it with such conviction that I didn’t doubt him in the slightest. Everything about him was intense. His huge body, his dark eyes that seemed almost black, every word that came from his perfectly shaped lips. Lips that looked very kissable indeed.
I took a step back to get some distance between us. This situation was becoming ever stranger. I should take them into the castle and start taking some pictures. For some reason, I didn’t want to stay alone with him any longer. Not because he was making me uncomfortable. Because he was making me feel too comfortable.
“Follow me,” I said and turned around before I could change my mind. “There’s a great spot in the Queen Anne Garden where you can see the castle looming up above. And after that, we can go into the inner courtyard for some pictures in front of the Royal Palace.”
The horse’s hooves click-clacked over the cobblestone, but the man’s steps were silent. I was tempted to look over my shoulder to make sure he was following me.
The security guard by the gate stared at us, his eyes wide. “That unicorn looks very real,” he muttered to me. “I didn’t know horses could be that big.”
I shrugged and waited until he lifted the barrier that prevented cars from driving into the castle complex. Something warm touched my shoulder, followed by a burst of hot air against the side of my face.
“Turn very slowly,” the stranger said, his voice calm. “No sudden movements.”
I did as instructed, coming face to face with the unicorn. She kept her muzzle on my shoulder. Something akin to humour twinkled in her turquoise eyes, but I had to imagine that.
“Reach up and stroke her cheek. She likes that.”
