Fast-Tracked Page 11

  Two yellow circles stared up at me from my plate. I knew there was no way I could put them in my mouth without losing the contents of my stomach. So I did my best to hide them under my toast and handed my plate to the next passing server.

  Autumn gave me a devilish wink, but no one else seemed to notice.

  After our morning-long breakfast, Autumn and I gracefully said our goodbyes and headed out shopping. Autumn found a new dress for herself at almost every store we visited. But she was dissatisfied with everything she tossed at me to try on. So far the only thing I had managed to purchase was some sports bras. Lacy and delicate just wouldn’t cut it at the gym. Finally we arrived at a store I recognized from my shopping trip with Mrs. Glabough. It was the store where she had discovered the perfect shade of black rose for me.

  While Autumn scrutinized the dresses, I located the saleswoman from the other day. “Are any of the black rose commissions ready yet?” I inquired.

  “Actually I have several pieces ready, but I was told not to send them out until they were all prepared,” she explained nervously.

  “That’s fine,” I reassured her. “But if any of the completed pieces are dresses, I’d like to try them on now.”

  The saleswomen gave me a bow-like nod and disappeared into the back. Autumn was throwing a few dresses my way when the saleswoman reappeared with two dresses. One was a short playful cocktail dress, the other a long, low-cut evening gown.

  “It’s an afternoon banquet, so the cocktail dress is the best bet, but I simply have to see the gown on you first,” Autumn demanded as she inspected each dress appreciatively.

  Autumn remained sitting comfortably by the three-way mirror while the saleswoman assisted me with the gown. As soon as I glanced in the small changing room mirror I knew Mrs. Glabough was right. This had to be my signature color. Before revealing myself to Autumn, I instructed the sales girl to increase my commission order. I made it clear that there was no rush, but I wanted shoes, scarves, belts, hair bands and any other accessory they had made just for me in black rose. Then I told her to make sure I had every basic cut of clothing in the same color. When the order was done, it would easily fill a quarter of my closet. But I considered it a necessary expense to make sure I always stood out in a crowd – something that would be necessary for my recently chosen career.

  I had no regrets the moment I stepped out in front of Autumn. For the first time since I met her she seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally she managed to say, “Too bad it’s not an evening event.”

  The cocktail dress wasn’t nearly as stunning as the gown, but still looked great on me. Especially with the matching sling back heels the saleswomen found for me.

  “Well, we’re done shopping,” Autumn announced as soon as she saw me. “Just in time too: the banquet will be starting soon.” I offered to stay in the dress while she changed into one of hers, but she just laughed and said, “It’s not starting that soon.”

  With Autumn’s clothes back on me, I followed her out of the store and back to her house. On the way she complained how horrible it was that she still had to live with her parents. “I already knew what I wanted and had even secured Grayson’s architect and contractor to commission the house the moment they finished with his. But nooooo. My parents are so old-fashioned. They don’t think it’s appropriate for an unmarried young girl to have a house of her own.” She crossed her arms and jutted her bottom lip out, pouting just like a little girl would.

  I had a hard time understanding what her problem was when I caught a glimpse of her parents’ home. It made Grayson’s house look like a tiny little run-down shack. As we raced through the entrance she pointed to the left and explained the east wing was where her parents lived. The south wing belonged to her younger brother and she stayed in the west wing. It was a bit mind boggling to think of ever living in a place large enough to be divided into wings.

  I had to admit, I liked her parents’ décor much better than I did Grayson’s. From what I could see it looked like most of the house was designed with an Italian influence. Everywhere I looked there seemed to be varying shades and colors of marble.

  Autumn’s room definitely did not match the style of the rest of the house. Instead of marble walls she had lilac painted walls with a delicate white crown molding. The floor was covered in an impossibly white shag carpet, and most of the furniture came in varying shades of lilac and white.

  The room was very pretty but had a childish feel to it. “I absolutely hate being stuck in a baby’s room,” Autumn grumbled when she noticed me appraising the room.

  “Won’t your parents let you remodel?” I asked innocently.

  “Yes, but neither my parents nor my brother will let me stay in their wing during the construction. They seriously expect me to endure the noise and the fumes of it all. They’re just so inconsiderate.”

  Without thinking I blurted, “I have a spare bedroom; you could always stay with me.” I wished I could take it back before it’d even fully left my mouth.

  “Really, you’d do that for me?” she gushed. “Well it would certainly cut down on my commute time to school. It is much closer to Grayson’s and everyone else’s flats – not to mention the best clubs and shops. I’m sure I could get daddy to agree to it. I’m sure Mrs. Glabough could talk to him if he waffles on it.” She clearly wasn’t talking to me. I got the feeling she liked hearing her own voice so much that she even thought aloud.

  “Well before you rush into anything I should point out that the guest room is rather small.” I hoped that would be enough to dissuade her.

  “Well I’d stay in your room, of course, and you’d take the guest room,” she instantly responded. “Even with your bigger room it would be a hardship. I’m going to need to really think about this before I make any final decisions.” From the way she said it she sounded as though she’d be doing me a favor by accepting.

  Autumn didn’t bring the apartment offer back up as we showered and changed. I hoped that meant she had already forgotten about or dismissed the idea entirely.

  She insisted on doing my hair for me. Not wanting to offend her I accepted, but I was frightened to see what the end result would be. I was pleasantly surprised to discover she had a knack for styling hair.

  First she quickly secured her hair in a half French twist that allowed the ends of her curls to cascade down. Then she focused her attention on me, repeatedly twisting strands of hair back three to four inches and then securing it with a ruby clip. Fortunately the blue dye that had been used on my hair had been temporary: now it was barely visible. So the end result was a cute style that perfectly copied the playfulness of my dress.

  At the banquet, Autumn assumed the role of my benefactor and escorted me around the room whispering in my ear detailed accounts of who was who. I had no idea who her daddy was, but he must be someone important because everyone Autumn introduced me to was the owner of several large companies, a powerful politician, or both.

  She adeptly skated over the subject of my newbie status by introducing me as a fast-tracker from a young family, but then boasting that I was a girl who should be watched because soon everyone would be taking notice of me.

  I was even more amazed by how easily everyone took her word at face value. Her few words instantaneously brought me acceptance from everyone regardless of how powerful they seemed. In the first half-hour alone I had been invited to three more banquets. I looked to Autumn for guidance and then accepted each once graciously, even though I had no idea how I would manage to attend them all and still manage school.

  Shortly after the invitations Autumn saw fit to leave me by myself. I continued to pleasantly interact with all the powerful adults as if I belonged there, as if I had grown up among them and hadn’t been a lowly blue level less than a week ago.

  I was talking to a portly Senator from Illinois when I felt a warm hand caress the small of my back. Warm breath brushed my neck as Avery whispered in my ear, “I thought Autumn would never leave you alo
ne.”

  I politely excused myself from the Senator and turned around to face Avery. “Are you mad at me?” I asked sheepishly, remembering my abandonment of him last night.

  “Like I seriously think you had a choice in the matter?” He chuckled. “Whatever Autumn wants Autumn gets. I’m just thrilled for you that she decided to take you under her wing instead of crushing you. The latter tends to happen much more often,” he explained as he led me to the dance floor.

  “Well you’re at least partially responsible for that.” Seeing the confused look I expected, I continued, “I’m pretty sure she had her heart set on crushing me until I dropped your name. For some reason she figured if I could hold your attention I was worth knowing.” I pulled a playful smile and waited for his explanation.

  Instead he surprised me by pulling me closer to him and burying his face in my neck. “Mmm, you smell good. I can’t tell you how relieved I was to see you here this afternoon. I was so worried when you didn’t answer my calls. Then when I got your email some of the most diabolical plots started racing through my head.” I must have looked perplexed because he explained, “Autumn is known for crushing people in very creative ways.”

  “I’m sorry I worried you,” I said, gently placing my fingers under his chin and unburying his face so that he was looking at me and not nuzzling. Unfortunately that wasn’t much of an improvement. The way he intensely stared into my eyes was unnerving. I had his rapt attention and I didn’t want it – at least not to such a degree. I needed his help to navigate my way through fast-tracker society, but I also needed to keep him at arm’s length. The look on his face made me doubt just how possible that would be. It was as if nothing in the world existed beyond me.

  “Don’t be. And don’t apologize. Befriending Autumn is the best possible move you could have hoped to make.” He breathed in the scent of my hair again. His hand dropped from my waist to my butt and squeezed.

  Alarm and guilt filled me as my body involuntarily responded and quickened my breathing and pulse. What was I getting myself into? If it wasn’t for Avery I’d still be a nobody back at the college. Maybe I could distance myself from him and still maintain my status and Autumn’s friendship? No, I knew I couldn’t chance that just yet. If it backfired I’d be worse off than just a nobody. I needed to play hard to get for as long as I could.

  Gently I guided his hands back up to my waist. His eyes gave me a pained, sad look. “I’m sorry, Avery. I hope you can understand how I’m feeling right now. Overnight, everything in my life has changed so drastically. I’m away from my family and my home for the first time in my life. I’m living with a group of girls that hate me, and I’m trying to navigate my way through unfamiliar waters that according to your information is teeming with sharks ready to devour me at the first sign of weakness.” I grabbed and gently squeezed his once-again wandering hand and implored him with my eyes to understand what I was saying.

  “Don’t you understand I want to help you? I’ve been doing everything I can to help you to succeed,” he tried to plead. His free hand snaked up my back.

  Stepping away I grabbed both his hands in mine. “I know that. And believe me, I appreciate you and all you’ve been doing for me more than I can explain. But I need you to listen to me. Right now it’s important that I keep my wits about me and stay focused on my goals. Jumping into a romantic relationship, no matter how genuine your intentions are, is the exact thing that will derail me before I even know what’s happening.” I hoped my appeal would work and keep him at bay.

  “So you’re not saying no, but wait,” he asked as he drew me back into his arms and began dancing with me again.

  I looked up at him and smiled. “Yes please, a little patient waiting is all I’m asking for,” I lied.

  He smiled back and ran a hand through my hair. I expected him to agree, but instead, his grip around my waist tightened. He pulled me closer and with his other hand gently held my head as he brought his lips down upon mine. I should have yelled and pushed him away, but my body took over. My lips parted and I tasted the sweet minty warmth of his tongue. His lips were gentle and demanding all at once. I felt my pulse leap into a frenzy and my breath came out as uneven pants. It was only when a strange warmth started spreading from my stomach through my body that my mind finally regained control and I pushed him away.

  “Avery,” I snapped with a shock that was more directed at myself than him.

  “Hey, you can’t blame a guy for trying.” He shrugged. When I just glared back he sighed and said, “Okay, for now, I’ll wait.”

  “Thank you. I’ll see you Monday at school,” I managed to say before slowly walking away.

  I’m not exactly sure how I managed not to break into a run. My emotions had surged into a full blown turmoil. I barely knew Avery, and much of what I’d found out about him I didn’t like. How could I have reacted like that to him? How could I so easily betray my feelings for Byron? What was the point in becoming the perfect fast-tracker if I’d have to lose myself and everything that was important to me?

  No. I won’t let it happen. I’m stronger than any of these fast-trackers could ever hope to be. What happened between Avery and I was simply a physical reaction – the heightened hormones of a teenager temporarily taking over and responding on their own, completely independent of any real feelings. I loathe him and every other fast-tracker around me and that isn’t about to change.

  “Damn, you’re good,” Autumn whispered to me in a sultry voice. “You keep that up and you’ll have a marriage proposal before you’ve even picked a career.”

  I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and prayed she was wrong.

  Chapter 10

  Even though it was only early evening when I finally got back to the college, I was completely exhausted. I suspected the cause was more emotional than physical and forced myself to head to the library instead of my bed. I didn’t even bother to change out of my dress.

  Unfortunately, the information I wanted was restricted to library use only. So I couldn’t just tap it onto my tablet and read through it at my leisure. So I passed the main kiosk, and headed to one of the red viewing screens that lined the far wall. I quickly located and dove into the database Mrs. Glabough had mentioned. It had a great search engine and allowed me to easily navigate through all the different fast-trackers and the history of how they got to where they are today.

  I was right about Autumn’s father. Laurence Xavier Eggleston and his wife Marana Joyce Eggleston owned most of the farmlands and food processing centers in the east. According to an article I found, their union had caused a big stir among fast-trackers because it had instantaneously propelled the two of them to the top of fast-tracker rank, second only to Theodore and Marisa Winthrop

  The list also confirmed my career path for me. The most powerful fast-trackers that weren’t unbelievably rich were politicians. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a single successful newbie fast-tracker politician that hadn’t first been a successful business owner. And that could pose quite a problem for me. Most fast-trackers became owners of businesses in one of two ways; they inherited them or married into them. Neither way was possible for me.

  That left me with an impossibly difficult third option. I would need to find a business still owned by a silver level citizen or lower. As a fast-tracker I could simply pluck that business right out of their hands and there was nothing they could do about it. They would automatically become the company’s CEO and be rewarded with a generous salary. But if their business was already successful, it might only be a fraction of what they used to receive.

  The hurdles that I faced were daunting. First of all, any business worth owning had already been snatched up by other fast-trackers. Any remaining businesses were guaranteed to be barely getting by or tiny little family-run businesses that nobody really cared about. My only chance of success would be finding a start-up business that hadn’t yet been noticed, but had the potential of being insanely profitable. Then I’d have to push my
morals to the side and snatch it from them.

  There was a fourth option. It would placate my morals, but it wasn’t very practical. I could somehow build capital on my own and start up my own business – but until the business started making money, I would be without income. The allowance I received ended as soon as I entered the workforce, whether or not I made money in it. Sure, there were plenty of fast-trackers willing to lend capital to other fast-trackers. But as a newbie I had about as much chance of that happening as I had of becoming a politician without first being a successful business owner. I sighed in frustration and banged my head against the table.

  Of course that was the very moment Mrs. Glabough decided to walk into the room. “Should I be worried about you?” she asked in a casual tone.

  “No,” I responded adamantly.

  She gave me a doubtful look. “You left with Avery Huntington – need I point out that he’s not a girl? And now, over a day later, here you are in the library sitting in a dress from a commissioned order that hasn’t even been filled yet? Just what am I supposed to think?” she said scornfully. “You wouldn’t be the first newbie to try sleeping their way into the folds of real fast-trackers. Let me assure you, it never ends well.” I automatically cringed back from the look of disappointment on her face.

  “I was afraid you’d think something like that when I sent the email, but I didn’t want you to worry,” I explained. “Yes, I went to the party with Avery Huntington, but we got separated and I ran into Autumn Rayne Eggleston.” Her brow furrowed with worry, so I quickly said, “Don’t worry. Against all odds she decided to take me under her wing. I was out with her shopping for a dress to wear to her father’s benefit when I decided to check on the commission.” I gestured to the cocktail dress.