table.
I tried to look casual and cool, but there was no escaping reality. For someone who was totally at ease with adults—thanks to years of working with them on volunteer stuff—I was pretty awkward with people my own age. Especially guys. I might be a Sister, but I had miles to go before I’d ever blend with Sarah Jane’s crowd.
When the guys finally stood to go, Mark gave Sarah Jane a quick peck on the cheek. “What’s your plan today?”
“Hanging out with the girls,” she said. “Maybe working on some cheers.”
What?! Noooo! Sarah Jane had promised we’d spend the afternoon working on makeover stuff, not test-drive new material for …
Oh .
So discretion meant no boyfriends either. Interesting.
Ben gave Kyra a peck—earning both couples brownie points for low-key PDA—and the guys headed toward the door. It wasn’t until Sarah Jane stifled a laugh that I realizedI was wearing the most blatant puppy-dog expression.
“Ryan?” she asked.
My face went from pasty to scarlet in two seconds flat. “I didn’t know he’d be here.”
“They travel in herds, but that’s a story for another day.” She looked around the table, a glint in her eye. “Right now, we’ve got work to do.”
* * *
When you’re about to enter the mysterious world of a secret society, back toward the café bathrooms and through the employee-entrance door probably isn’t the first place you’d expect to go.
Sarah Jane paused to make a call from the pay phone in the employee hall, but she didn’t actually talk to anyone, as far as I could tell. She swiped a credit card–looking thing and punched in some numbers before we heard a buzz and click from the door marked MANAGEMENT ONLY . We followed her through that door into another hallway … and another … burrowing deeper into the heart of the building. The Grind must’ve been built around a maze.
I wondered if I should leave a trail of bread crumbs. Which made me hungry, since between Audrey’s presence, the number fourteen, and three very distracting hotties, we’d forgotten to order lunch.
We finally stopped in front of a door with a keypad and waited while Sarah Jane punched in more numbers. The butterflies were busy in my chest, tapping out Morse code for Are you sure you’re ready for this?
Sarah Jane pushed the door open and held it wide as Kyra and Mel stepped inside. I followed suit, stepping into the secret hideaway of The Cinderella Society.
The ritzy setup looked like a huge, posh boardroom. Butinstead of catering to corporate-y types in suits, it was just the four of us and Gaby, who was busy laying binders around the giant table.
Warm, shiny wood and big, comfy rolling chairs in gorgeous deep purple suede gave the room a high-class feel while still making the huge space feel homey. Homey or not, the fears from the night before crept in, reminding me I was out of my league. I laid my hand on top of a chair, nervously stroking the soft leather.
“Faux, of course,” Sarah Jane said. “Soft and animal-friendly.”
Vanilla candles burned on a crystal platter down the center of the table, and ornately framed pictures lined the walls. The walls themselves were a soft shade of lavender and, upon closer inspection, were covered with photographs of celebrities: classy actresses and pro athletes and Grammy winners. Exactly the kind of women you’d expect The Cinderella Society to consider role models. All positive, all powerful, all dazzling.
Yep. Light-years out of my league. A different galaxy, even.
I stepped closer to peer at a collection of silver-framed group photos near the door, some of which included Sarah Jane or Kyra or Paige surrounded by other girls. Everyone looked luminous and happy. With some framed Asian graphics for joy, wisdom, prosperity, and harmony, the room was a tribute to girl power.
Gaby waved us around the table, where thick binders awaited us. Sarah Jane led me over to one by her, and Kyra led Mel to
I tried to look casual and cool, but there was no escaping reality. For someone who was totally at ease with adults—thanks to years of working with them on volunteer stuff—I was pretty awkward with people my own age. Especially guys. I might be a Sister, but I had miles to go before I’d ever blend with Sarah Jane’s crowd.
When the guys finally stood to go, Mark gave Sarah Jane a quick peck on the cheek. “What’s your plan today?”
“Hanging out with the girls,” she said. “Maybe working on some cheers.”
What?! Noooo! Sarah Jane had promised we’d spend the afternoon working on makeover stuff, not test-drive new material for …
Oh .
So discretion meant no boyfriends either. Interesting.
Ben gave Kyra a peck—earning both couples brownie points for low-key PDA—and the guys headed toward the door. It wasn’t until Sarah Jane stifled a laugh that I realizedI was wearing the most blatant puppy-dog expression.
“Ryan?” she asked.
My face went from pasty to scarlet in two seconds flat. “I didn’t know he’d be here.”
“They travel in herds, but that’s a story for another day.” She looked around the table, a glint in her eye. “Right now, we’ve got work to do.”
* * *
When you’re about to enter the mysterious world of a secret society, back toward the café bathrooms and through the employee-entrance door probably isn’t the first place you’d expect to go.
Sarah Jane paused to make a call from the pay phone in the employee hall, but she didn’t actually talk to anyone, as far as I could tell. She swiped a credit card–looking thing and punched in some numbers before we heard a buzz and click from the door marked MANAGEMENT ONLY . We followed her through that door into another hallway … and another … burrowing deeper into the heart of the building. The Grind must’ve been built around a maze.
I wondered if I should leave a trail of bread crumbs. Which made me hungry, since between Audrey’s presence, the number fourteen, and three very distracting hotties, we’d forgotten to order lunch.
We finally stopped in front of a door with a keypad and waited while Sarah Jane punched in more numbers. The butterflies were busy in my chest, tapping out Morse code for Are you sure you’re ready for this?
Sarah Jane pushed the door open and held it wide as Kyra and Mel stepped inside. I followed suit, stepping into the secret hideaway of The Cinderella Society.
The ritzy setup looked like a huge, posh boardroom. Butinstead of catering to corporate-y types in suits, it was just the four of us and Gaby, who was busy laying binders around the giant table.
Warm, shiny wood and big, comfy rolling chairs in gorgeous deep purple suede gave the room a high-class feel while still making the huge space feel homey. Homey or not, the fears from the night before crept in, reminding me I was out of my league. I laid my hand on top of a chair, nervously stroking the soft leather.
“Faux, of course,” Sarah Jane said. “Soft and animal-friendly.”
Vanilla candles burned on a crystal platter down the center of the table, and ornately framed pictures lined the walls. The walls themselves were a soft shade of lavender and, upon closer inspection, were covered with photographs of celebrities: classy actresses and pro athletes and Grammy winners. Exactly the kind of women you’d expect The Cinderella Society to consider role models. All positive, all powerful, all dazzling.
Yep. Light-years out of my league. A different galaxy, even.
I stepped closer to peer at a collection of silver-framed group photos near the door, some of which included Sarah Jane or Kyra or Paige surrounded by other girls. Everyone looked luminous and happy. With some framed Asian graphics for joy, wisdom, prosperity, and harmony, the room was a tribute to girl power.
Gaby waved us around the table, where thick binders awaited us. Sarah Jane led me over to one by her, and Kyra led Mel to
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