by Anita Oh
Audrey had at least a million questions, none of them relating to the contract in front of her.
“Why you, right?” the president said, pouting sympathetically. “You’re just an ordinary girl. You just wanted to live a normal life. You never asked for any of this. Yeah, yeah. You can save it. I’ve heard it all before.” She paused for a moment, watching Audrey. “You know, I never realized before how nice it is when people don’t talk to me. I might need to add that to the contracts in the future.”
She waved her hand for Audrey to give the contract back, but Audrey clutched it closer to herself. Just because she didn’t talk didn’t mean she might not want to sometime in the future.
“Anyway, I don’t know ‘why you’. You say you have no special powers, but how do you know? You’ve got no memories. You could be the love child of a vampire and a Chupacabra, for all you know. I don’t have any answers for you. Only a contract.” She tapped a long pink glitter fingernail on the top page.
Audrey glanced down at it. The words in it were tiny and spaced closely together. Just looking at it made her eyes swim. She brought it up to her face to read it, but she hadn’t gotten much past “I _________, hereby known as Sparkling Gems talent, acknowledge and accept that they shall forego all…” when the president spoke again.
“I can summarize, if you like.”
Audrey realized it would be a very stupid thing indeed to let the person who had drafted the contract explain it to her rather than reading it herself. She could be agreeing to anything. Something immoral or illegal or degrading. On the other hand, her personal safety was at risk, and potentially the fate of the world. And that contract had to be at least 2000 pages long.
She nodded.
The president grinned at her. “No sex or dating, no drugs, no drinking, no smoking,” she said. “No social media, no photos or autographs, no unsolicited or unapproved public statements, no unapproved eating, no unapproved clothing, no work that isn’t assigned by the agency, no unapproved personal projects, no accepting gifts from fans, no discussion of politics or religion…”
As the president kept talking, listing all the things she couldn’t do, Audrey started to tune out. She figured it was better to assume that anything she wasn’t directly told to do was banned. She was fine with that. There was nothing in particular she wanted to do, anyway. She was a little curious about what sort of employment the president had in mind for her, though, but she figured someone would tell her at some point. There weren’t a lot of things she was qualified to do, but she’d be good in security, maybe. That mob of fans had taken her by surprise, but if she had been prepared and had some riot gear, it would have been different. Or she could courier documents. She knew the city pretty well, and she was fast. Maybe she could learn to drive and be Eli’s chauffeur and spend the day driving him around and protecting him.
She twisted the ring he’d given her around on her finger. It was still a little warm but not hot now, and when her finger touched the gemstone, she could feel that he was safe – and a little amused. It was a strange sensation, radiating from the fingertip that touched the ring, not strong enough to feel past her knuckle. She’d never felt amused in just part of her hand before. It was weird.
“…On the third of every month… Are you listening to me?”
Audrey looked up at the president, nodding.
“And what do you think?”
Audrey shrugged and held out her hand for a pen. They both knew she was going to sign the contract, so she didn’t see any point in playing coy about it. Even if the cult hadn’t been after her, it wasn’t as if her life was full of other options, and this came with employment and a place to live. Maybe once she was on her feet, she could even do something to help out Patty.
“One more thing,” the president said with a sharp note in her voice. “You are not to seek out or spend time with Eli Gale, unless it’s in a professional capacity and specifically approved by me. I work very hard to make sure my employees have spotless reputations, especially Eli Gale. I won’t be caught unaware again like I was this morning.”
Audrey hesitated, even though she knew it was stupid. She should just sign. It wasn’t as if she meant anything special to Eli, and he’d said himself that he wouldn’t be able to see her for a long time. If she didn’t sign, she’d have no chance of seeing him ever again, probably.
She knew all that logically. Still, she couldn’t force herself to put that pen to the paper.
The president sighed. “He’s not even that great, you know. You’ve just been caught by his charms.”
Even if that was true, Audrey still couldn’t do it. She wanted to be free to be near him, to see him smile. To feel that warm blanket being wrapped around her.
She touched the ring again, smiling when she sensed him.
“Well, then,” the president said as the car pulled to a stop. “It looks like you need some more persuasion. Come along, then, Audrey. You’ve wasted enough of my time already.”
Chapter Six
Audrey thought the president was booting her out onto the street. She had just enough time to be pleased that she hadn’t let Eli talk her out of wearing her army coat before the president got out of the car as well.
They were in front of a restaurant in the fancy part of town. There was a line of people waiting to enter, but the president swept past them as if they weren’t even there. When she got to the doorway, she turned back.
“Come along, Audrey,” she said. “Don’t tell me you’re slow-witted as well as mute.”
A few of the people in line gave Audrey the side-eye as she walked past them. The maître d’ looked Audrey over, then mumbled something to the president. The president’s back was to Audrey, so she couldn’t be sure of the president’s response, but a moment later, the maître d’ apologized and signaled for a waiter to show them to their table.
Although it was early, the place was full. The room was dimly lit, and in the corner, a man was playing a grand piano. The tables were small and spaced far apart, and each had a large flower arrangement in the middle. Audrey’s stomach rumbled as the smell of food hit her.
They were shown to a private room toward the back of the restaurant, where people were already seated at the table.
Audrey recognized them at once.
Supernova.
She looked to the president for an explanation, but the president was greeting the other three and didn’t notice.
“New recruit?” asked the tall guy — Pegasus, Audrey remembered. His majestic air was almost tangible in person. He stood up to shake her hand and didn’t seem offended when she flinched away. “Take a seat.” He pulled out the chair between his and the president’s, giving her a friendly smile.
He didn’t seem evil, so Audrey sat down.
“Are you staying at the house?” he asked.
“Audrey prefers not to speak,” the president told them. “Now, are we ready to order?”
The waiter, who had been standing beside the door, approached the table at her signal. The president ordered for the five of them, and when the others didn’t say anything, Audrey figured that must be the way it was around here. It was probably for the best, since she didn’t even know what anything on the menu meant. She kept holding it up in front of herself, though, even when the waiter tried to take it away. She remembered quite well what Thomas Thorne was capable of, and she was determined not to get caught in his sunshine beam again.
“I don’t need to eat salad for every meal,” Koko said to the president after the waiter had left. “I could eat a steak sometimes. Steak’s healthy.” There was no trace of her Japanese accent.
Audrey lowered the menu a little to peek over the top. Koko was dressed much more casually than she had been in the video Audrey had seen. She wore a floppy black hat and a leather jacket, making it hard to believe it was the same cutesy girl. Audrey thought this look suited her much better.
The expression on her face wasn’t cute, either. She looked a
nnoyed.
“If you can’t do as you’re told now, perhaps we should review your position in the group before we go ahead with the launch of your debut single.”
The president raised her eyebrows at Koko, and Koko slumped down in her chair, folding her arms over her chest. Audrey wondered why the president was still wearing her sunglasses, even in the dim light. It made the president seem shifty, somehow.
“All the food here is very good,” said Pegasus. “My father used to come here all the time.”
“We know, Peg,” Thorne said, exchanging a look with Koko that made Koko smile.
Audrey thought maybe it was safe to look at him if he didn’t catch her directly in his beam, so she took the chance while he was looking at Koko. He definitely wasn’t human, made out of flesh and blood. There was nothing earthy about him, only light and flame.
He smiled softly at Koko, not his sunshine beam, but something more personal. It crinkled up his eyes and made dimples appear deep in his cheeks. Audrey was pleased that that smile wasn’t directed at her, because she thought it might be even more dangerous than the sunshine beam. He obviously loved Koko a lot. Audrey wondered what the president thought of that, if the two of them had special clauses in their contracts limiting their interaction.
“That’s actually the reason I called this meeting,” said the president.
Audrey lowered her menu a bit more. She hadn’t heard anything about a meeting. She’d just thought it was a free dinner. The president was definitely a tricksy type. Audrey would need to be on her toes.
“You’re kicking me out of the group?” Koko said, sitting bolt upright. “You can’t!”
“I can,” the president said. “I don’t intend to, but if you keep on with this attitude, I might change my mind. But, no, I meant your debut single.”
Koko relaxed a little, but Audrey noticed she’d picked up her fork and was gripping it tightly, as if she wanted to stab something.
“I know there have been no formal announcements as of yet, but there’s a lot less buzz than I’d expected.”
The president said it casually, but her words obviously meant a lot to the other three, because their faces fell. Audrey glanced at the door, wondering how long it would be until the food arrived. She didn’t like this private room. There was only the one door and no window. Because of the angle of the doorway, she could only see the piano player. She couldn’t see the main exit of the building or whether anyone was approaching through the restaurant. They were vulnerable here. Sitting ducks.
“You’re putting us off?” asked Thorne.
“I’m reassessing our options,” said the president. “Hence, this meeting.”
Audrey thought the meeting was pretty boring. There was no reason to sit around waiting to be attacked. She shifted her chair a little to try to get a better view out the door. Did this place even have security? She hadn’t noticed any guards when they came in, only that pompous guy, and she doubted he’d be able to fight off a breadstick. She jiggled her leg up and down as she itched to leave.
“What kind of options?” asked Thorne.
The president grinned at him. Her teeth looked sharp. “Have you met Audrey?”
“No!” said Thorne.
Which was an obvious lie, Audrey thought, because the president had just introduced her.
“President, she’s a complete Neanderthal!” said Koko. “Look at her! Look at that coat!”
“You said she can’t speak,” said Peg. “I don’t mean any offense, but won’t that make it difficult to sing?”
“I said she ‘prefers not to’,” the president corrected him. “At any rate, it’s a minor obstacle. The public are used to seeing the three of you. You’ve lost that sense of freshness that’s so important for a group when they debut. You’re too slick, like used car salesmen. It’s not relatable. You’re the most talented three of your generation, but that won’t sell if you don’t capture the interest of the people.”
“And you think setting us up for failure will be interesting?” Thorne asked. All the softness had gone from his voice. “We’ve worked hard for this.”
“I know that better than anyone,” said the president. “That’s why I want to ensure your success.”
“Well, what does Audrey think?” asked Peg.
The four of them turned to her, and Audrey stared back at them. She hadn’t really been following their conversation. She’d only really caught that Koko didn’t like her and the president wasn’t happy; she’d been distracted from all the details by the lack of security. Luckily, at that moment, the door opened and the waiter brought in the food.
The steak was medium-rare and smelled amazing. Audrey reached to pick it up with her fingers, but the president stopped her with a hand on her wrist, nodding at the cutlery. Audrey sighed and picked up her knife and fork.
The steak was perfect and made every other thought fly out of her head.
When she finished eating, the others were all staring at her. She didn’t know why. She’d properly cut the steak into pieces and everything.
“Wipe your face, Audrey,” said the president. “And eat your vegetables.”
Audrey looked down at her plate and wrinkled up her nose at the green beans and the lump of mashed orange stuff, then speared a bean with her fork, unimpressed.
After they’d finished eating and the waiter had cleared their plates, the four of them again turned to Audrey, as if they were waiting for something. She blinked at them.
“Well, what do you think about this?” asked Thorne. “Do you even want to join Supernova?”
Audrey thought about it. So that was why they’d brought her here. It was obviously a ridiculous idea. She wasn’t one of these shiny, beautiful people. She’d never be able to make someone’s heart stop just by smiling at them. How could she create a dream world in someone’s head when she didn’t even know how to live in this world?
The answer seemed self-evident, but Thorne’s gaze burrowed into her, as if he was trying to mine out actual words. The intensity of that gaze held her captive in a different way than his smile had. Although it was uncomfortable, she felt that as long as he was looking at her like that, as long as she was the center of his focus, her existence had some meaning. It grounded her, made her feel as if she had a purpose. Like moonlight on the water, leading in a direct path from where it shone. If she could follow that moonlight beam, she could find her place.
For the first time in longer than she could remember, she felt words rising up in her throat.
“Bad idea,” she said. Her voice was soft, broken, barely audible. It was harder than she’d expected to get words out after all this time.
Thorne turned away from her, raising a triumphant eyebrow at the president.
Audrey sagged in her seat, released from the beam. Speaking was exhausting. She’d definitely been right to avoid it all this time.
There was a red glow behind the president’s sunglasses, and her voice was cold when she spoke. “Each of you want something from me, and I have agreed to give it to you. I will make you famous.” She gave a little nod to Peg, then turned to Koko. “I will make you rich.” She gave Thorne a toothy smile. “I will make the entire world adore you above anything else. And if Audrey signs her contract, will protect her from anyone who would harm her. But this is a business, and I don’t do those things for free. I have control over every aspect of your lives. Over your comfort and happiness. So, if I tell you to do something, that is what you will do.”
She grinned at the four of them and signaled the waiter for a dessert menu.
“Trust me,” she said. “You won’t like what happens if you go against me. Crème brulee?”
Chapter Seven
After dinner, the president sent Audrey back to the academy with Supernova. Nobody spoke in the car. When they got to the academy, the three of them headed into the living area.
“You’re welcome to join us,” said Peg.
Koko snorted.
Thorne pushed open the doors and went in without looking back.
The room was noisy, full of people. Audrey shook her head but smiled at Peg to show him she was grateful for the offer. She normally spent her time alone. She’d had enough of people for the day. And there were a lot of things to think about.
Back in her room, she lay on the bed, twisting the empathy ring around her finger. She couldn’t feel Eli as strongly as before. Maybe he was asleep. She wished he were there to give a voice to her thoughts. Maybe that way, she’d be able to figure out the best thing to do. If she left, she’d never see Eli again. If she stayed, she’d never see him, plus they’d make her perform like a dancing monkey. But she’d be safe. The world would be safe. She sighed. It was an impossible choice.
There was only one thing she could do, one option that was realistic.
She had to run.
She’d wait until everyone was asleep and then leave. She’d get far, far away. If the cult believed she was still in town, protected, they’d stick around waiting for her. She just had to get to the docks, then she could hide on a freight ship and be in the middle of the ocean before the cult decided to go looking for her. The president wouldn’t find her either, and nobody would force her to do anything she didn’t want to do.
There was no way she could stay there and do what the president wanted. It was unimaginable. She had no voice; how could they expect her to sing? She couldn’t jump around and be cute like Koko in that video she’d seen. She couldn’t sell dreams. She had nothing to give.
And she had no guarantee the president could protect her. The cult might find her, and then she’d be putting everyone at risk – the president and Supernova, even Eli. It wasn’t worth it.
Running was definitely the best option.
Feeling better now that she’d made a decision, and with a full belly after a long day, Audrey had a little nap.
When she woke up, it was dark and quiet. The perfect time to get out of there. After patting down her pockets to make sure she had everything, she slipped out of the room. It had only been hers for a day, but it was a nice room, and she was sorry she couldn’t spend more time there. As she tiptoed down the hall, her heart felt a little heavy. It would’ve been nice to stay, just for a while. If only that were possible.
