Secrets of the Sisterhood (The Cinderella Society, Episode 1) by Kay Cassidy Page A

becoming a franchising phenom, her home base. The public part of the Grind was now just a small section in the front corner of the massive building she’d built behind it to house her headquarters.
    I’d read an article where she’d talked about her best friend being some big professor at Montgomery University where they’d been college roommates. That was less than twenty minutes from the Grind. But still, settling in a small town like Mt. Sterling instead of kicking it in New York or Milan or her native Sydney?  
    Naturally, I thought that was mental. But then, I’d never had a best friend, so what did I know?
    Audrey liked to stay visible, so it wasn’t unusual to see her behind the counter talking to customers. Which was part of what made the Grind the see-and-be-seen place for the entire MSH student body.
    But when she asked about Sarah Jane’s boyfriend by name and how she did on her French final, my celeb-o-meter went on overload. I suffer from one of the worst cases of celebrity fright. I’m as much of a watcher as the next girl, but to actually be in the presence of one? Totally different story.
    I got tongue-tied when it was my turn. After stuttering out my order, I played mute and listened to Sarah Jane finish her story as a counter guy handed Sarah Jane’s latte to Audrey. Aside from making the best pumpkin muffin tops in the world—according to Seventeen magazine—one of the Grind’s claims to fame was the picture they sprinkled on the tops of their to-die-for drinks. They held a cool shaker thing over the cup, gave it a quick tap, and you had a perfect image on the top of your designer coffee. I’d gotten everything from a butterfly to a megaphone to a heart on mine.
    Audrey picked up a purple shaker I hadn’t noticed before and gave Sarah Jane’s coffee a topper. My extra-tall caramel latte came up next, and Audrey picked up the bright pink shaker I recognized as the dragonfly. She paused with the shaker in her hand and looked at Sarah Jane. “She’s with you?”
    “This is Jess Parker,” Sarah Jane said. “We’re hanging out today.”
    Audrey extended her free hand across the counter to shake mine. “Nice to meet you, Jess. I’ve seen you in here with Rosemary.”
    Whoa. She even knew Nan’s name. “Hi, Miss London. It’s nice to meet you.” And I only stuttered once. M-meet you.
    “Call me Audrey. We’re among friends, right?”
    I nodded uncertainly, struck mute by my celeb fright, while Audrey switched shakers and popped a quick picture from the purple one. She snapped on a clear lid and handed me the cup as I pulled out my money.
    Audrey shook her head. “It’s on the house. Welcome to town, Jess Parker.”
    I thanked her profusely, still amazed that she’d said my name not once, but twice. As I looked down at my free latte, I saw a picture I hadn’t gotten before. It was starting to disintegrate into the steamy mixture, but it looked distinctly like a shoe. A high heel, to be exact. Like a . . .
    “No way,” I whispered.
    “Way,” Sarah Jane whispered back, as Audrey gave me a wink before turning to help the next person in line.
    A lump formed in my throat. One moonlight initiation and I was already rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. I watched as the picture dissolved away into nothing. But my first glimpse at how the other half lived was imprinted on my brain. Fame, fortune, and a latte topper in the shape of a glass slipper.  
    I hoped the clock would never strike midnight.
    We grabbed a booth along the front as some girls I recognized from gym were leaving. Audrey came over with a cute red bistro towel and did a quick wipe of the table. She slowed her last swipe and lowered her voice. “Rumor has it there were fourteen at the Range last night.”
    Sarah Jane’s eyes widened. “Fourteen?”
    “Fourteen what?” I asked, forgetting I was the tagalong.
    “People.” Sarah Jane glanced at Audrey. “They doubled?”
    Audrey nodded, finishing the wipe-down