by Cassie James
“I have to go,” I mutter, picking up the backpack I dropped at some point during our exchange. Jax doesn’t say anything, and he doesn’t try to stop me, but I can feel his eyes on me as I scurry down the hall. My heart doesn’t start to return to a normal rate until I turn the corner into the main stairwell.
Enough time has passed that other students are passing through in a steady stream. I duck to the side of the stairs, facing the wall as I use trembling fingers to re-button my shirt. How have I still not learned my lesson? Someone dumps extra doses of hormones in the water here or something, that’s the only logical explanation. Of everyone in this town, Jax should be the easiest of them all to resist. Especially considering he interrupted me having a moment with his best friend this morning. And what’s up with that, anyway? Don’t these dudes have some kind of bro code or something? It sure as heck doesn’t seem like it—or maybe Smith just lets Jax have a pass on that like he does everything else.
I run my hands over the front of my shirt, smoothing the material back into place. My bad luck streak isn’t over yet. When I turn to go up the stairs, I nearly run smack into Ace, catching myself at the last minute just before we collide. He’s back.
I guess I knew he’d be back eventually, but I’m still not ready to face him. I tuck tail and run, bolting up the stairs ahead of him even as I hear him call after me. He doesn’t deserve anything from me, and I’m not about to listen to whatever bullshit excuse he has for what he did. Jax might be the worst person I know, but Ace is now a close second. Fuck both of them.
There’s still plenty of time before class actually starts, but I head to Dr. Knight’s classroom anyway. I could use a moment of quiet before I’m stuck facing Jax again. He always shows up at the last minute, so I’m counting on those few precious minutes without him. When I walk in, two distinct female heads turn my direction. Kathryn leans close to say something to Cece, who nods in response. As I sit down they both turn their chairs to face my desk, giving me their full attention even though I don’t even remotely want it.
Cece offers a concerned smile as she glances at my hair. “Do you want to borrow a comb?” There’s no telling what it looks like after my hallway rendezvous with Jax. Kathryn’s checking out my hair too, but she looks far more calculated about it.
“Uh, no. Thanks.” I smooth my hair down the best I can with my hands. I never borrow anyone’s brushes or combs. A lesson I grew up with from trying to avoid getting the lice that ran rampant around the neighborhood back home. Getting lice meant a buzz cut, whether you were a boy or girl, and regardless of how much you screamed while the adults were doing it. I can’t imagine they have much of a problem with that here, but the thought still gives me major heebie-jeebies.
“So, listen, it was super cool of you to help Cece out at Brent’s party.” Cece nods like a bobble-head in agreement. “Why don’t you come hangout with us this weekend? We’re going to The Club on Saturday night.” I’m pretty sure she means The Patience Club—the country club that Sadie’s talked about a few times. Kathryn leans closer and lowers her voice like she’s letting me in on her most prized secret. “That’s when all the Patience dads are there drinking. If you play your cards right, they’ll buy you anything you want.” The way she says it, I’m not sure she’s just talking about drinks.
I force a smile on my face because I think they’re being nice to me. I don’t know, it’s hard to tell with rich girls. They’re not nearly as upfront with conflicts as the boys are. “That’s nice of you all, but I don’t actually like to drink. That was just a fluke at the party.”
Kathryn shrugs one elegant shoulder like she’s not the least bit bothered. “They have soda water. Not everyone in this town is a total lush.” She breaks out into a catlike grin that’s every bit as cruel as a Jax Woods smirk as she adds, “We can’t all be Sadie Harrington.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” My shoulders tense defensively. I assumed Kathryn trusted me not to say anything about what I saw at the party since it hadn’t come up for this long, but now she’s playing with fire. She’s also got some nerve making swipes at someone’s she’s hooking up with. Sadie wouldn’t say whether it’s a regular thing the one time we awkwardly talked about it, but I have my suspicions. They didn’t look like unfamiliar lovers when I caught them together in the bathroom.
Cece’s voice is uncomfortably loud as she blurts out, “Sadie’s a total alcoholic. She went to rehab last year and everything.” Several of our classmates turn to look at us, but no one looks surprised by the content of her outburst.
I feel like I should defend Sadie but I don’t know how. These people all know her better than I do. With all the drama I’ve been dealing with, it’s entirely possible I overlooked something this major about the one real friend I have here. I did question her attitude about drinking the first night we met. I can’t say anything without potentially making things worse, so I keep my mouth shut instead. Not that it matters, Kathryn and Cece are obviously the stars of this show, and I’m only a secondary character they’re using to keep things interesting.
“Anyway, give me your number and I’ll send you the details.” Kathryn sets her phone face up on my desk. Nevermind that we’re not supposed to have our phones out in the classroom or that it should be glaringly obvious that I don’t want to go to a country club with the two of them. Grudgingly, I give Kathryn my number, the new one from the phone Pearl gave me. She takes her phone back and manages to put it away just in time for Dr. Knight to take his place at the front of the room. Jax never shows up for class.
Chapter 12
I don’t know how I got here, but I’m in Kathryn Lassiter’s sports car. I mean, I do know how I got here; I walked out of the house, opened the door, and climbed into the passenger seat. The elusive part is why. I wanted to say no when she texted me about joining her at the club. I already had an excuse at the ready and everything, because I don’t have a car so I didn’t have a ride. But then Kathryn offered to pick me up, and something deep down told me to accept the offer. Maybe that’s the masochist in me turning up again, because this already feels like a bad idea.
“I know you saw me with Sadie at Brent Forrester’s party.” Those are Kathryn’s first words to me. “Why haven’t you told everyone?” I feel my eyebrows shoot straight up my forehead. Is she for real? She doesn’t even sound grateful that I’ve kept my mouth shut.
I study her. The hair that looks like she’s trying too hard to look like a natural redhead. Her nails, short, but painted with straight lines that were obviously done in a salon. Her clothes. Her dress glitters, and it looks more suited for a nightclub than a country club. Kathryn is flashy. She doesn’t make it any secret that she wants attention. She’s practically foaming at the mouth for it. Finally, I tell her, “It’s not my secret to tell.” I’ve got plenty of my own secrets I’m keeping, so what’s keeping one more for someone else.
Kathryn levels me with a hard look. “Secrets are power, Juliet. Use yours wisely.” She pulls up to a gated parking lot and flashes some kind of card for the security guard, who waves us through. It seems like overkill for a place that’s basically the town-sized version of a gated community, but I guess bad things can happen anywhere.
The club is pretty much exactly what I was expecting. The outside might have the same stone exterior that most of the buildings around town share, but the inside is fully modernized. A woman in a slim black dress greets us the second we step foot through the front door. I admire decades worth of portraits on the walls, trailing behind as she leads us to a dim booth in the crowded bar. I’m a little surprised Kathryn goes along with being hidden away in a dark corner considering she’s dressed so flashy for the evening. I quickly get a lesson in country club etiquette when we’re seated for less than two minutes before men start glancing our way. Being in a dark corner apparently isn’t as much of a disadvantage here as I expected it to be.
Two men get brave and approach us. They’re both dressed in suits with their
hair so slicked back it looks almost greasy. They’re also both at least three times our age. One of them slides into the booth next to me, not even bothering to wait for an invitation. “Can I buy you a drink?” He leans in way too close for comfort and I can tell from his breath that he’s already had more than a few himself.
“Not interested.” He tries to protest but I shake my head. “The answer is no.” I’m not gonna sit here listening to him try every trick in the book to change my mind. It’s gross and pathetic and I hate it. Also, I’m more than a little skeeved out by this guy and his friend. They’ve got a bad vibe. Like when men would show up during my shift at Mango’s and then stick around trying to follow me home afterward. These guys are those guys, just with more money.
I’m expecting Kathryn to veto me, but she snorts and waves the guys away dismissively. “You heard the lady. Scram.” They grumble as they go, but I’m relieved when they don’t get confrontational about it. Kathryn leans across the table with bright eyes. “Those guys are scrubs. Their tell is so obvious.” She rolls her eyes dramatically, then looks at me. I think maybe she’s waiting for me to ask questions so she can flaunt her expertise, but I’m too busy regretting agreeing to this in the first place. She continues anyway, “The guys with real money dress down. They don’t have anything to prove because they’re already confident they can walk in here and pick up any woman they like. Those are the guys we want.”
“I don’t want any guys.” Dammit, coming here was such a bad idea. And Kathryn’s not listening to me at all. She’s too busy scanning the room while still trying to appear sexy and aloof.
“Here comes Cece!” Kathryn finger waves to get her blonde friend’s attention. Cece comes bounding over with more enthusiasm than seems appropriate for a place like this. She’s dressed in a flashy dress that compliments the one Kathryn has on. It makes me feel so out of place in my own simple navy dress with the sweetheart neckline and modest hem. I’d thought about asking Sadie for fashion advice before I came, but I ended up deciding not to because I couldn’t even begin to come up with an explanation for why I’d agreed to come out with these girls.
Cece plops down on my side of the booth, much to my relief. If she’s sitting there, I won’t have to deal with any more creeps sliding up next to me. “Sorry I’m late. It took forever to get back from my audition.”
“What were you auditioning for?” I know Cece’s the reigning queen of the school theatre program, but that’s about the extent of what I know about her. People around school talk about Kathryn plenty, but I never really hear anyone talk about Cece. It’s clear who the sidekick is here.
Cece lays her hand over her chest, turning wide eyes on me as the thespian in her comes fully out to play. “Broadway, darling. My agent is positive I’ll get a callback on this one. I was positively perfect for the role.”
“That would be a first.” Kathryn says it low enough that I almost think I imagined it until I watch Cece’s face fall. I’m starting to learn so much about the dynamic here, and I’m not that into it. Kathryn seems to take a lot of pleasure in knocking her friend down a few pegs every chance she gets. She’s the quintessential mean girl, which makes me all the more suspicious about tonight’s invitation. “I was just teaching Juliet here how to spot a real whale.”
“Whale?” What the hell is she talking about?
“Yes. Because some men are only small fish, but some,” she casually nods towards a man who’s just walked in alone wearing khakis and a golf shirt, “are whales.” She gives the guy an appreciative glance, but he’s not even looking our direction. “It’s all in the outfit, ladies.”
“That’s totally true with women, too,” Cece chimes in. Kathryn’s hair flies wildly around her shoulders as she whips her head to glare at Cece. I’m not sure if Cece realizes what she just gave away, because her and Kathryn? They’re both wearing clothes that say they’re trying too hard. “What?”
Kathryn huffs, but I already know she’s not going to call Cece out in front of me. That would mean acknowledging what Cece’s words say about her, and I know she won’t do that until I’m well out of earshot. Without another word, Kathryn slips out of the booth and makes her way over to the bar without us. I watch with only vague interest as she chats up Khakis.
Cece juts out her bottom lip in a childlike pout as she watches her friend leave her behind. It’s kind of sad, really. This was why I never had a lot of girl friends back home. The few I did have, we never acted like this with each other. I don’t know if it was just because our friendships were more casual, or if we just didn’t suck as bad as these people. I like to think it was the latter. I feel pretty bad for Cece. It seems to me like she’s trying too hard to earn everyone’s approval. That’s probably how she got roped into doing shots with Jax even though it was obvious the girl couldn’t hold her liquor. Not that I was any better.
Whatever Kathryn’s trying to do with Khakis must not work out in her favor, because a few minutes of small talk with Cece later, she shows back up with three tall glasses of clear liquid that I’m sure isn’t water. She sets them down on the table much harder than necessary, but she forces a huge smile on her face as she does it.
“He’s waiting for someone.” It’s funny how she thinks she has to justify herself to us. “But he said he might stop by our table in a few.” Her mouth is still smiling, but there’s anger simmering in her eyes when she looks at me. I keep my face passive because her hustle has nothing to do with me. I don’t want to drink and I don’t want to pick up men. It’s not that hard a concept to understand. Something catches her eye a few tables over. “Look, I bet this guy’ll come over. Maybe a little healthy dose of jealousy will be good for Brock. Let him see what he could be missing.” She bats her eyelashes at the new guy even though he’s dressed in exactly the kind of suit she said to watch out for.
I can’t stop trying to figure out Kathryn’s deal. She was clearly enjoying herself at the party with Sadie, but now she’s so desperate for a man that it’s bordering on embarrassing. I’m all for letting your freak flag fly or whatever, but I keep wondering if Sadie knows about all of this. It’s not like Sadie’s made any declarations of love or anything, but I have a gut feeling that things aren’t nearly as casual as they both seem to want me to believe.
Kathryn’s new plaything does make his way over, bringing yet another sleazy guy along with him. The friend tries to make eye contact with me, but I pointedly look away. Cece doesn’t seem to notice, leaning in to playfully introduce herself to the guy. He’s pretty quick to see he should take what he can get. Now that both of the girls have their attention elsewhere, I’m able to excuse myself to the bathroom. I take my time in there, too, washing my hands three full times before I have to accept that I can’t hide in there any longer. I dry my hands and step out, only to run right into someone.
“Sorry.” I try to step around, not even bothering to look at who I bumped into. Mostly because I don’t really care. All I see is the guy’s khaki pants as he sidesteps with me, blocking me from going around. I glance up in surprise, coming face to face with the same guy that Kathryn struck out with at the bar.
He grins, showing off rows of too-perfect, too-white teeth. “I noticed you here with your friends.” I wouldn’t exactly call Kathryn or Cece my friends, but I don’t figure it’s in my best interest to let a strange man know that. Let him think we’re besties and they’ll come looking for me any minute now. An uncomfortable feeling swirls in the pit of my stomach. The guy must notice, because he holds his hands out like he’s trying to make himself seem like less of a threat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ambush you. I just thought this might be my only chance to get a moment alone with you. Your friend made it obvious she’s interested, but I only had eyes for you from the moment I walked in.”
“That’s a great line, but I’m not interested.” His smile slips only a little. “Excuse me.” He doesn’t push it any further, surprising me by stepping aside and gesturing for me to go ahead. I
honestly wasn’t expecting the rejection to go over that easily.
I’m planning to rejoin the girls in our booth, but they’ve both moved when I get back. Cece has bailed to go sit with the two guys they were talking to when I left for the bathroom. Kathryn is sitting at the bar with another guy in khakis. I don’t want to interrupt either of them, but I’m really ready to go. I send Sadie a text briefly explaining where I am and asking if there’s any chance she can rescue me. I’m not so sure I can rely on Kathryn giving me a ride home at this point.
I start to walk back towards the booth alone, but then I realize maybe that’s not the best idea. That dark booth seemed like it was signaling men to come right up to us, and I don’t want to get stuck dealing with that without any backup. Instead, I change direction and make my way over to the far side of the bar so I can sit with my back against the wall. At least that way I know the bartender is close by. Of course, the second I sit down the bartender’s asking if I need anything.
“Could I just have a water?” Maybe if there’s a drink in front of me no one else will feel the need to offer to get me one. A girl can dream, can’t she?
My new spot gives me an advantage because now I can see the whole bar area. For a few minutes, I watch Kathryn practically climb into Other Khakis Guy’s lap. The whole thing is so baffling to me. She’s obviously underage. In fact, I would bet half the people in here have kids that go to school with us. Still, she’s practically groping this guy right out here in the open where anyone could see.
