No one was in the house when I breezed out except Mousteff. He poked his head out, saw my appearance and wolf whistled. I flicked him the middle finger, but he laughed as he went back to the kitchen.
When I pulled into the parking lot, it was full of brand new BMWs, Rolls Royces, and whatever other rich cars there were. I thought I spied a Lamborghini too. And then I straightened out my top as I started towards the door. With a text sent to Becky, I figured she'd meet me in the front foyer, but when I got there I drew up short.
Two guys in black suits stared at me with no welcoming smile.
Uh…
A different guy emerged from behind them with a headset attached to his ear. He was dressed in a white suit and he gave me a fake smile. "Your name, miss?"
"I'm here with friends." My hands itched to spread out my top again or readjust my pants. It was as if slugs had appeared over my body from how they were staring at me.
"Their names?" The guy was cold.
"Uh…" My mind blanked. "The Quinns. I'm friends with Adam Quinn."
"He already arrived with a guest." He gave me that same cold smile. "You'll have to leave."
"No, no, no." Becky rushed around them and linked elbows with mine. She was breathless when she hurried out, "My mom paid for her."
He didn't blink. "Her name, ma'am?"
Becky couldn't stop a giggle behind her hand. "Samantha Strattan."
"David Strattan?"
My head snapped up. "What?"
"Your name is listed underneath a member's name. He listed you as a guest." The polite chill from him emanated everywhere. His lips moved to form a smile, but it didn't fit with his features. "Your mother will be refunded her money."
He extended his hand for us to enter the club, but both of us were still surprised.
"You may go inside? Please."
We jumped forward at his slight bark. Then Becky bent over laughing when we rounded the corner. "Holy Hannah! I can't believe that happened. What is with that guy? I bet he'd never had an erection in his life."
I glanced over my shoulder and knew he could hear every word we said. "Nah. He bats for the other team."
Her laughter raised a notch and I pulled her away before he kicked us both out. I patted her on the arm. "I had no idea my dad was a member here."
Becky wiped at her mouth and I knew she was trying to stop laughing. "I know. Me neither."
When she seemed to have accepted my statement, I relaxed again. She might've known about the divorce, but she didn't know the other stuff. I hoped no one knew. Then we weaved our way through a fancy looking dining room with chandeliers and glass tables. I made sure not to bump into anything. If I broke even a fork, I was sure I couldn't afford to replace it. And Becky pulled me the last bit before I blinked back the sudden brightness. The sun was blinding when we went outside and I heard splashing, glasses clanking, and children's laughter. Conversation buzzed around us and when my vision grew clear again I saw the back patio was enormous. It was gorgeous with three waterfalls and two fountains.
She led me to a back patio where I recognized Laura and Becky's little brothers. Adam sat at a back table with the pepgirl from last weekend's party. His smile slipped a little when he saw me, but by the time we got to the table it looked natural.
"Hey, Sam." He sounded normal when he welcomed me.
"Hi, Sam!" His friend beamed at me.
"Tanya." He nodded at her.
"I remembered. Hi, Tanya. Your cousin's not coming, is she?" I sat across from them in a similar wicker chair when Becky sat beside me and gestured for a waiter.
She laughed and pulled up her skinny legs in the chair. As she hugged them to her chest, she rested her head on them and smiled at Adam.
He shared the intimate look before he replied for her. "No, she's not."
Then Tanya lifted her head and looked over her knees. "Tate went home this morning after last night."
"Last night?" I stiffened and glanced sideways.
Becky gave me an excited look. "I have to tell you all about that."
Oh no.
A waiter appeared and placed a champagne flute of orange juice in front of me. A plate full of breakfast food was next with bacon, waffles, French toast, and sausage. A bowl of fruit was put to the side.
I caught the waiter's sleeve before he left. "Can I have coffee?"
"Of course, ma'am."
Ma'am. What's with the ma'am stuff?
"Sam!" Becky snapped her fingers in front of my face.
"What?" I jerked around.
Adam laughed and the sound of it calmed me a little. Somehow, somewhere I had started to care for him as a friend. Who would've thought? The idea of it made me grin, but I tuned into my other friend. She wanted center stage.
"…and then her cousin showed up last night."
"Wait. What are you talking about?" I glanced at Adam.
Becky rushed out, breathless, "Why aren't you listening to me? I just told you that Adam was with the Academy Elite last night."
"What's the Academy Elite?" I looked around. Was I the only one clueless?
Adam reached for his water. "It's her term for the top circle. Miranda Stewart had some people over last night."
Becky sneered at him. "It's not just my term. Everyone uses it." She turned to me and her eyes were beaming. "Anyway, so Miranda had the Academy Elite over. You know, her, Emily, Amelia, and Cassandra. They're the top four girls in school, right?"
"Sure."
"Then Adam was invited—"
"I brought Tanya last night." He lifted their entwined hands.
They were an item now?
Becky poked me in the arm. "And Peter was there, so was Mark Decraw."
I nodded. They were the other two captains of the football team. This was the Academy Elite?
"And then—"
I interrupted her. "Were you there?"
She closed her mouth and flashed me a look. "No, but I heard all this from Adam."
He wiggled his eyebrows and kissed Tanya's hand.
I frowned at the display of affection.
Becky clapped her hands in front of me again. "Seriously, Sam! Pay attention."
"Okay, okay."
"So Jeff and Jill showed up. Miranda let them stay for an hour, since Jill's on the cheerleading squad and Jeff's third string. But then they kicked them out after an hour, only an hour. Can you believe that? And then Jessica and Lydia tried to get in too, but I guess they were turned away at the door. Peter Glasburg wouldn't even let them inside Miranda's house. Did you know those two were dating? I had no idea."
When I pulled into the parking lot, it was full of brand new BMWs, Rolls Royces, and whatever other rich cars there were. I thought I spied a Lamborghini too. And then I straightened out my top as I started towards the door. With a text sent to Becky, I figured she'd meet me in the front foyer, but when I got there I drew up short.
Two guys in black suits stared at me with no welcoming smile.
Uh…
A different guy emerged from behind them with a headset attached to his ear. He was dressed in a white suit and he gave me a fake smile. "Your name, miss?"
"I'm here with friends." My hands itched to spread out my top again or readjust my pants. It was as if slugs had appeared over my body from how they were staring at me.
"Their names?" The guy was cold.
"Uh…" My mind blanked. "The Quinns. I'm friends with Adam Quinn."
"He already arrived with a guest." He gave me that same cold smile. "You'll have to leave."
"No, no, no." Becky rushed around them and linked elbows with mine. She was breathless when she hurried out, "My mom paid for her."
He didn't blink. "Her name, ma'am?"
Becky couldn't stop a giggle behind her hand. "Samantha Strattan."
"David Strattan?"
My head snapped up. "What?"
"Your name is listed underneath a member's name. He listed you as a guest." The polite chill from him emanated everywhere. His lips moved to form a smile, but it didn't fit with his features. "Your mother will be refunded her money."
He extended his hand for us to enter the club, but both of us were still surprised.
"You may go inside? Please."
We jumped forward at his slight bark. Then Becky bent over laughing when we rounded the corner. "Holy Hannah! I can't believe that happened. What is with that guy? I bet he'd never had an erection in his life."
I glanced over my shoulder and knew he could hear every word we said. "Nah. He bats for the other team."
Her laughter raised a notch and I pulled her away before he kicked us both out. I patted her on the arm. "I had no idea my dad was a member here."
Becky wiped at her mouth and I knew she was trying to stop laughing. "I know. Me neither."
When she seemed to have accepted my statement, I relaxed again. She might've known about the divorce, but she didn't know the other stuff. I hoped no one knew. Then we weaved our way through a fancy looking dining room with chandeliers and glass tables. I made sure not to bump into anything. If I broke even a fork, I was sure I couldn't afford to replace it. And Becky pulled me the last bit before I blinked back the sudden brightness. The sun was blinding when we went outside and I heard splashing, glasses clanking, and children's laughter. Conversation buzzed around us and when my vision grew clear again I saw the back patio was enormous. It was gorgeous with three waterfalls and two fountains.
She led me to a back patio where I recognized Laura and Becky's little brothers. Adam sat at a back table with the pepgirl from last weekend's party. His smile slipped a little when he saw me, but by the time we got to the table it looked natural.
"Hey, Sam." He sounded normal when he welcomed me.
"Hi, Sam!" His friend beamed at me.
"Tanya." He nodded at her.
"I remembered. Hi, Tanya. Your cousin's not coming, is she?" I sat across from them in a similar wicker chair when Becky sat beside me and gestured for a waiter.
She laughed and pulled up her skinny legs in the chair. As she hugged them to her chest, she rested her head on them and smiled at Adam.
He shared the intimate look before he replied for her. "No, she's not."
Then Tanya lifted her head and looked over her knees. "Tate went home this morning after last night."
"Last night?" I stiffened and glanced sideways.
Becky gave me an excited look. "I have to tell you all about that."
Oh no.
A waiter appeared and placed a champagne flute of orange juice in front of me. A plate full of breakfast food was next with bacon, waffles, French toast, and sausage. A bowl of fruit was put to the side.
I caught the waiter's sleeve before he left. "Can I have coffee?"
"Of course, ma'am."
Ma'am. What's with the ma'am stuff?
"Sam!" Becky snapped her fingers in front of my face.
"What?" I jerked around.
Adam laughed and the sound of it calmed me a little. Somehow, somewhere I had started to care for him as a friend. Who would've thought? The idea of it made me grin, but I tuned into my other friend. She wanted center stage.
"…and then her cousin showed up last night."
"Wait. What are you talking about?" I glanced at Adam.
Becky rushed out, breathless, "Why aren't you listening to me? I just told you that Adam was with the Academy Elite last night."
"What's the Academy Elite?" I looked around. Was I the only one clueless?
Adam reached for his water. "It's her term for the top circle. Miranda Stewart had some people over last night."
Becky sneered at him. "It's not just my term. Everyone uses it." She turned to me and her eyes were beaming. "Anyway, so Miranda had the Academy Elite over. You know, her, Emily, Amelia, and Cassandra. They're the top four girls in school, right?"
"Sure."
"Then Adam was invited—"
"I brought Tanya last night." He lifted their entwined hands.
They were an item now?
Becky poked me in the arm. "And Peter was there, so was Mark Decraw."
I nodded. They were the other two captains of the football team. This was the Academy Elite?
"And then—"
I interrupted her. "Were you there?"
She closed her mouth and flashed me a look. "No, but I heard all this from Adam."
He wiggled his eyebrows and kissed Tanya's hand.
I frowned at the display of affection.
Becky clapped her hands in front of me again. "Seriously, Sam! Pay attention."
"Okay, okay."
"So Jeff and Jill showed up. Miranda let them stay for an hour, since Jill's on the cheerleading squad and Jeff's third string. But then they kicked them out after an hour, only an hour. Can you believe that? And then Jessica and Lydia tried to get in too, but I guess they were turned away at the door. Peter Glasburg wouldn't even let them inside Miranda's house. Did you know those two were dating? I had no idea."
