by JA Huss
“I don’t want this life, Chen. I don’t want to live in Hong Kong. I don’t want to run a mob. I don’t want power.”
“Since when?” he asks. “Because everything was fine before you went to Colorado to see Rory.”
“I went to Colorado to put out a fire. Rory never factored into that.”
“But she was there and you saw her. And now things have changed.”
“Well,” I say, taking a sip of my drink, “as you well know, that fire didn’t get put out. I just left it smoldering. But it’s got a lot more fuel now. And I think we both know I’m not the man for this job.”
“With me by your side, you could be.”
Right.
“Do not make a deal with Wen. They will kill you if they find out you were even discussing it. You will say he came to offer condolences. That you gave him permission to meet you here. Had him smuggled in. And I will threaten some gardener to lie for you. Do you understand?”
“Sure,” I say, turning my back to him. “As I said, it’s not even my deal to make. And I made that clear to Wen before he left.”
I don’t look back at Chen, but I hear him let out a breath. Like he was holding it. Like he’s relieved.
“So what’s next?” I ask. “We have a plane to catch? Or what?”
Chen sets his drink down on a table and straightens his tie. It’s a habit of his. Something I noticed way back when I was a kid. A signal that we are transitioning from one topic to another. “Yes, let’s go.”
I follow him out, through many corridors, until we’re back out front where the car is waiting to begin our long trek back around the world. What a monumental waste of time this was. It’s almost like… like someone wants me busy while other things are happening.
Chapter Twenty-Two - Rory
“We’re going to do great things together, Rory.”
“Mmmhmmm,” I say, smiling up at Frank. He gives me a questioning look, but then the music stops and everyone claps for the quartet on the far side of the room.
“Should we take advantage of the break to start discussions?” Frank asks.
“Discussions?” I do my best to act nonchalant.
“Sorry.” Frank smiles and I realize something I never noticed before. It’s not a charming smile. At all. “I forgot, they don’t tell the women anything beforehand. Everyone loves a mystery, right?” He chuckles, like this is all big fun. “Come on, there’s tables set up for this. And even though we have all night, it’s better to get it out of the way so we can concentrate on enjoying ourselves.”
Before I can answer—and I think he does this on purpose—he has my hand and he’s leading me over towards a doorway where two men with earpieces stand guard in front of the double doors leading to the senior study rooms.
Frank stops to speak to them. “Fulbright party,” he whispers.
I inhale a steadying breath and talk myself up with encouraging thoughts. This is it, Rory. This is why you’re here.
One of them turns his head, whispers into a nearly invisible microphone that wraps around his cheek, and then waits for an answer.
“You’re in room one, Mr. Fulbright. Enjoy your evening.”
A private room does not a table make. Which ramps up my nerves. I glance around, quickly, trying to find Tera in the crowd, but she’s not there. Has she been whisked away to a private room as well?
I’ve never been down this hallway. Everything in the eating houses at Princeton is segregated by class. Only upperclassmen can join an eating club, and only seniors are given full privileges of each house. So the private study rooms were never an option for me last year.
It’s nothing but a long row of closed doors, and you’d think that since we were assigned room number one we’d be first, but it’s the exact opposite. We are last. All the way down at the end where the light from the sconces on the walls is dim and the music from the dining hall just a fading memory.
“Come in, Rory.”
It’s not what I was expecting. I was expecting a… study room. A table, some chairs. You know, study room stuff.
But this is…
“This is my private meeting room. Do you like it?”
Do I like it? Well, maybe. If I wasn’t here under the pretense of arranged marriage and absolutely no idea what will happen next, I might like it.
“We’re not given much latitude in decor.” Frank laughs. “Most of this is standard. But the refreshments were my idea.”
It’s one couch, a love seat really. Upholstered in silver velvet. And a round brushed metal table set in front of it. There’s a tea service on the table. Silver, of course. With two white china tea cups and steam coming from the teapot spout. The three-tier serving tray is also silver. I’m beginning to hate this color. But the pastries meticulously placed on each tray are quite exquisite and look like they were made for a wedding reception, which totally seals the deal. I will not be eating or drinking anything in this room.
“Sure,” I say, forcing a smile as I look up at him.
“I get it,” he says, taking my hand and rubbing it. “You’re nervous.”
“Not everyone likes a mystery,” I say, trying to pull my hand from his as gingerly as I can. I officially have the creeps.
“Have a seat, Rory. Nothing bad is going to happen tonight.”
No, that’s for next week, I guess.
“We’re just going to go over the ground rules. And”—he brushes the back of his knuckles down my cheek, sending a shiver of chills up my spine. Not the good kind—“and make sure we’re all on the same page.”
“OK,” I say. I mean, what else can I say? So I walk over to the love seat, relieved to stop his creepy touching, sit in the middle and arrange the skirts of my dress so that they fan out around me. Maybe he’ll take the hint and stand for this… discussion.
But he doesn’t. He sits right next to me. Very close to me. And that’s when I notice that slit up both sides of my dress is baring my thighs.
His hand wanders, slipping in under the many layers of chiffon.
“OK,” I say, swatting his hand off and standing up. “I don’t know you, Frank. I mean, we’re acquaintances, I guess. We’ve had a bunch of classes together and stuff. But if you brought me in here to—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he says, putting his hands up. “No, Rory. Sorry. You’re just so pretty. I lost my head for a moment.”
He’s lying. He was probably told to do this. To see how I’d react. I bet Mia is getting fucked in a room just like this one at this very moment. Kallie too. Hell, probably every girl out there tonight except me is happy to be here.
And Tera, I remind myself. I don’t think she wants to be here either.
“You can stand if you want. I don’t mind.”
“I don’t really care if you mind, Frank. I don’t need your permission to stand, OK?”
He just smiles at me. It comes off as an indulgent smile. Which means I totally do need his permission. “Rory,” he says. With the practiced patience of a well-privileged man used to getting his way. “I’m getting the impression that you’re… here against your will?”
I do something that’s halfway between a snort and a laugh. “No, of course not.”
“Of course not,” he echoes. “You’re the one who asked to be part of Palladium House. You ran for office, became secretary—the third highest-ranking female official. You’re here tonight, dressed up for… what? Exactly?” He lets the question hang there in the air between us.
“I don’t know. It was a secret, Frank. None of us knew except Kallie,” I huff. “And she never told us anything. I don’t understand what’s going on.”
Frank gives me another one of those infuriating smug smiles. “Yes, you do. You know exactly what’s going on. You let me put that ring on your finger, right?”
“So this is an arranged marriage?”
“Did you hear anyone talk of marriage out there?”
“No, but—”
“It’s called a pairing
, Rory.”
“So we’re not getting married?” I’m so confused.
“Of course we are.” He chuckles, taking my hands in his. “You just said yes.” I open my mouth to object, since he’s talking in circles, but he cuts me off. “How could we ever be paired if we’re not legally bound to one another? That makes no sense. You’re going to get all my secrets. I need to trust you, and one way we ensure that trust is to use the legal act of marriage to make sure you can never betray me.”
“Because a wife can’t be forced to testify against her husband,” I say, catching on. “So this is just… a legal partnership. A business transaction.”
“Yes,” Frank says. But then he leans into my ear, and whispers, “But that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy you.”
Jesus Christ. I’m officially on the train to Crazytown.
“If you want me that way,” he adds.
I throw him a suspicious look.
“I’m not here to force you, Rory. And come on, let’s relax and have tea while we discuss this. That is why we’re in here.” He pans his hand towards the lone love seat and I just stare at it for a moment, running all my options through my head.
I could leave. Walk out of the ceremony and then keep going. Walk right out of Palladium House. But then I wouldn’t ever learn the secrets that come after. The secrets that will be divulged during Eat Meet next weekend.
So… I let out a long breath of frustration and comply. “I’ll stay. But don’t think this gives you permission to slip your hand under my dress again, Frank.”
He just laughs at me.
“I’m fucking serious,” I say. “I will take you out, buddy.”
“OK,” he says, still chuckling. “Deal. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“Now explain everything. I need to know just exactly what I’m getting into.”
Frank Fulbright takes a deep breath, convinced I’m gonna be rational, and starts talking on the exhale.
“Well, I can’t tell you everything until we seal the deal.” This elicits another chuckle. I control my eye roll because this is why I’m here. All of this has something to do with why Five was in Denver this summer. I just know it. “But what this is, Rory, is a global… fraternity.” He smiles, like this is the most perfect explanation ever. “Just like any fraternity we have our secrets, and just like any fraternity, we help each other out. I, for instance, am going to be a supreme court justice in twenty years. The time between then and now will be spent preparing for that eventuality. And if you don’t get cold feet, you’ll be there by my side. Our children will go to the best boarding schools on the East Coast, they will excel in everything they do, get into Ivy League schools, just like we did, and the cycle will repeat itself. It’s self-perpetuating, Rory. That’s why we’re so few people.”
“Hmmm,” I say. “So the meritocracy is a myth.”
This time he guffaws so loud, I’m pretty sure whoever’s in the room next door just heard him. “Was there ever a doubt?”
“Well, yeah,” I say. “My parents didn’t go to an Ivy League school, and I did OK. Hell, they did OK too, and my family is pretty much nothing but bikers and tattoo artists.”
He frowns. “I know. I was leery of that, I have to be honest. I should’ve chosen Kallie. And I know she’s probably upset that I didn’t—”
“You chose me?” I ask, cutting him off. That… might be the most off-putting thing he’s said so far. As if I’m nothing but chattel to be bought and sold.
“Let me finish,” he says, more sternly than he should. “I had my pick of all the women in this house and I chose you, yes. Because you’re beautiful, and smart, and talented. Plus, I find your family interesting. I think Christmas at the Shrike house is something I’d like to participate in.”
“I think my father would beat the living shit out of you if he was here right now.”
“I don’t doubt it. But I don’t have to worry about that. Because you said yes, Rory. And if you show up next Saturday to take the vow, then that means you’ve accepted this pairing. Which subsequently means you will build me up and never tear me down. So if your father ever does have an urge to ‘beat the living shit out of me,’ as you so eloquently put it, it will be your fault.”
My mouth has dropped open. And there it remains as I process all the bullshit he just spewed.
Frank gives me all the time I need to process. I’m fuming mad. About to explode like the Bomb I take after. But my adult role models include lots of other people besides my parents. They include the best liars. The best hackers. The best killers too.
So I channel them all in this moment. Shut my mouth, smile sweetly at him and say, “OK.”
“OK?” he asks, raising one eyebrow. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say about this?”
I shrug. “What should I say? You chose me, I took this ring as my pledge to you, and next week we’ll be legally paired for the good of both of us. We’re a…” I close my eyes in order to spit the word out. “We’re a team, then. Right? I know what it means to be a team player, Frank.”
He leans back into the couch cushions and smiles. “I have to admit, I expected a little more fight from a girl who comes from an infamously rough family.”
“Welp,” I say, letting my bubbly princess personality take over as I reach for the tea pot and start pouring us a drink. “I’m sold, how’s that? I mean, what kind of girl doesn’t want to be taken care of? I get the feeling you’re more than capable in that department, am I right, Frank? Do you like sugar and milk?”
He nods. Smug. Smiling. Satisfied that he’s put me firmly in my place. “Please.”
I add one cube of sugar to each of our cups, pour a splash of milk, and stir. “Here you are, see if that’s to your taste.”
He sits up, takes his tea, sips, and gives me a nod of approval. “Very nice, Rory. We’re going to be happy together, just wait.”
“Oh, I have no doubt, Frank.”
“Really?” He raises that eyebrow again as his hand wanders.
I slap it off. “I’m a virgin, Frank. And I didn’t stay a virgin until senior year of college just to give it up a week before my wedding night.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “So that rumor is true, huh? You’re really… pure?”
“Like the driven fucking snow.”
“I hope you use that dirty mouth in bed next week.”
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see. Should we drink more tea? Or should we go back out and join the party?”
“I don’t even drink tea.” He laughs, standing up and bringing me with him. “It’s just high-society pretenses. Let’s fucking party.”
My heart is racing. My face is hot—hell, my whole body is hot. And there’s no way to get a grip on it unless I deal.
So I deal.
Frank leads me out to the group, which is sparse, but I see Tera. And Mia, so she’s not getting fucked back in her man’s study room, but no Kallie in sight.
I glance at Tera and she’s got a tight smile plastered on her face. “Hey,” she says as we approach the group. “Would you like to go to the ladies’ with me? I drank too much punch in there.” She nods her head to the ominous double doors.
I look up at Frank, who is waiting to hear what I’ll say. “Do you mind?” I ask, like a good little demure… whatever the hell he thinks I am to him.
“Go right ahead.” And then he looks at his buddies and they laugh out the word, “Women.”
Yeah. Women. We’re so fucking predictable.
Tera grabs my hand tight and doesn’t let go, even when we get to the dining room bathroom. She checks each stall, kicking open the doors with her fancy shoes.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking for spies, of course,” she hisses. When she’s satisfied we’re alone, she drops her pretenses and frowns. “What. The fuck. Was. That?”
“Um,” I say, unsure how to handle this. Do I trust Tera? I mean, up until recently that was a big, giant, emphatic yes. But n
ow? I dunno. “I think it was a marriage proposal.”
“Right?” Tera says, nearing hysterics. “I had no fucking idea. Did you? I mean…” She looks down at the ostentatious diamond on her finger and shakes her head. “What the fuck?”
“You really had no idea?”
“Did you?”
“Shhh,” I say, glancing at the door. Because she’s being way too loud. “Someone will hear you.”
“Should I be scared? I mean, really, Rory. What just happened?”
I shrug and let out a long breath of air. “We made a pledge, Tera. I mean, no, I didn’t know anything about this. Not at all. But… that’s what just happened. Did you say no?”
I cannot imagine Tera saying no. But she nods her head. “I did. But he told me to think about it this week and let him know on Friday night. Did I make a mistake? Did you say no? Please, Rory. Do not tell me you’ve agreed to this… this… insane bullshit? Did Frank tell you the part about your place at his side? Because Brian told me. He basically said my purpose was to build him up.”
“Well, yeah. He said that.”
“And you’re just gonna go along with this? Jesus Christ, I bet they wanted Cliff in Palladium House and then he told them no, so they figured they’d get the Middletons through me! They must think I’m the easy one, right? Get me, get him. And my parents. Holy shit, do you think they’ll do something to my family if I say no next weekend?”
“Tera,” I say, looking at the door again. I don’t like this either, but my dad is the most paranoid motherfucker on the planet. So I know better than to discuss things like this on someone else’s home turf. “Just calm down. That part of tonight is over. When we’re done here we’ll go for a walk and have another talk, OK?”
“How can you be so calm? Brian just told me we’re part of some secret society! Like… we’re like… in a cult, Rory! Palladium House is a cult!”
She has the good sense to whisper that last part, but still. “Shhh,” I say. “Stop talking, for fuck’s sake. Just be cool and meet me at the quad at one AM, OK? The party will be over, we can go back to our rooms and change and slip out without anyone knowing.”
