“You two are quite the attraction,” Damien leaned in and whispered.
“Tell me about it. And here Headmistress is, trying to go through the school announcements. Does no one value the announcements anymore?”
“Tell me one thing she’s said and I’ll get on board with that observation.”
A little growl escaped past my lips and I looked away from him, annoyed, which made him chuckle. “Yah, that’s what I thought.”
~*~ TT ~*~
“You know, without Jaxson you don’t stand a chance.” I knew the voice that spoke from behind me. Finishing with touching up my jet-black eyeliner, I looked up into the bathroom mirror and verified it was her, along with a couple of her minions that I recognized but didn’t know the names of. Why couldn’t Trina just curl up into a ball and disappear—do us all a favor. “It’s sad really, how you’re just fawning over him like a lost puppy. It’s only making you look pathetic.”
Well, our little ploy was working so I guess there should have been a little bit of satisfaction to go along with that. I just hated the look of pure triumph in Trina’s eyes as our gazes locked in the mirror. Placing my make-up back into my bag, I tossed it onto my shoulder and spun around to face her.
“Well, Trina. What a pleasure. A trip to the bathroom wouldn’t be complete without you.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I raised a brow up at her and waited, leaning against the marble countertop.
Her eyes narrowed at me. “Yes, well, I assure you I like being near you about as much as you like being near me.”
“Then why are you here? Enlighten me.”
She smiled, a tight little smile that pulled at the edges of her lips. “I’m just here to say that for your own peace of mind, perhaps you should just leave Greisbach Academy and be on your way.”
That comment immediately got my hackles up. “Are you seriously going to try and pull the whole ‘This school isn’t big enough for the two of us’ nonsense?” I raised a brow at her. “Seriously?”
“I’m just saying that you don’t fit in here, lottery girl, and never will. Jaxson doesn’t even want you anymore. You have nothing left holding you here.” She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder as if to accent her point.
I had to force myself to refrain from rolling my eyes at her. “Look, you’re going to have to try harder than some sort of threat to get rid of me. Besides, if I’m so insignificant then why are you in my face right now with threats? How about we just let the students decide who they want as president?”
Trina looked over her shoulder at her two back-ups. Did she go anywhere alone? Or did they have to go into the bathroom stall with her to wipe her ass? I was dying to ask, but the knowledge that she once again had leverage over me kept my tongue in check.
“Look. Keira. I’m just trying to be a friend and help you out. You just might be better suited elsewhere. Just saying.”
“Hmm.” Pushing myself away from the counter, I stepped up to her. Reaching into my bag I pulled out three invitations to my party. She wouldn’t go and would no doubt throw it in the trash the moment I exited the room—if not sooner—but I didn’t care. “If you want to pull that stick out of your ass, I’ve got a kick-ass party you’re welcome to attend.” I passed an invitation to each of them. I think they were simply too surprised to reject my offering straight away.
Placing a hand on Trina’s shoulder, I looked deep into her eyes. She didn’t step back, but I did see a very slight flinch when I approached—it was good that she remembered our little altercations. “Thanks for the advice, friend, but I think I’ll be okay. It’s a big school and I kinda like it here.” Giving her shoulder another pat, I stepped past her and slammed my shoulder into the arm of one of her groupies. Why in the hell did they all have to be taller than me for fuck’s sakes? As I exited the bathroom, I heard one of the girls call after me, but I refused to turn. I couldn’t show weakness, or they’d eat me alive.
Chapter 16
“This has been so hard,” I groaned, lacing my hands behind Jaxson’s neck and placing a kiss on his lips. I was thankful that we were standing on my doorstep so I could make use of the first step, giving me enough height to kiss him without him leaning down.
“There’s been a number of hard things going on lately,” he muttered, kissing his way along my jawline and to my neck.
My knees immediately turned to jelly and I wished I didn’t have to end the delicious sensations he was sending through my body, but I knew I had to. The last thing I needed was someone seeing us before the party and putting Trina on alert. She could put the video of me and our texts on blast to the school in a fraction of a second.
“You know what I mean,” I groaned, pushing against his chest and taking a step back from him. “We went over a week not speaking and now I have to see you on the sly.”
He chuckled. “Just until tonight, and then it’ll be all over. Tomorrow you’ll win the election and will have exactly what you want, to be the undisputed queen of Greisbach Academy.”
I crinkled my nose up at him as I turned and walked up the rest of the stairs to my front door. I wasn’t so sure that I liked him thinking the main reason I wanted to win was to be the undisputed queen. “That’s not the only reason I ran you know?”
As I pressed the combination into the lock, it beeped green and the door lock clicked open. Opening the door, I walked inside with Jaxson hot on my heels.
“Is that a fact?” He closed the door behind us. “Because forgive me for saying, it sure seems to be the case. I’m not debating it or judging you on it. I can see why you want it; Trina has been a conniving bitch that cost me twenty-five grand because of her stunt. I’m just saying that I know you enough to know your real reason why you’re doing it.”
My jaw clenched. “Then maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” Hanging my jacket up in the closet, I bent and unzipped my boots, pulling them off and leaving them by the door. Once the ice began to form on the sidewalks I’d have to say goodbye to the heeled boots. If I were to be honest with myself I wouldn’t miss how they still hurt my feet.
Wrapping his arms around me, he nipped at my ear before spinning me around, so I was facing him. “Don’t get mad. I’m not criticizing. I understand, really I do.”
Taking a deep breath in, I released it along with the annoyance at him pinning me with the truth. “Maybe it started that way, but I really think I can make a difference in that school. There’s a lot of outsiders. If I hadn’t met you then I’d still be an outsider.”
His dark eyes stared into my blue eyes and slowly he nodded. “Okay. I see where you’re coming from and either way I support you, babes.”
“Good.” I ran my index finger along his jaw and smiled. Stepping away from him, I took his hand in mine and led him up the staircase.
“It’s five floors, babes. Can’t we take the elevator from time to time?”
I looked over my shoulder at him and gave him a wink. “We could, but we’re not. Consider this me helping you train for your next big fight.”
He stopped climbing the stairs, making me stop with him. Spinning around, I frowned. “What’s going on?”
“Hey, umm. I have a fight on Sunday. I was wondering if you wanted to come watch.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he placed his index finger over my lips, hushing me. “But there are some rules if you want to go.”
“Okay.” I clucked my tongue off the roof of my mouth. Was he kidding? I had to fight to contain my excitement until I heard his conditions. “What are your conditions?”
“First, no charging the ring.”
I could feel the heat burning my cheeks. “Sorry for that.”
“Also, if I get punched or hurt, no screaming my name or causing a scene. It’s what I do; being a fighter means I get hit and sometimes hurt, you need to be able to accept that.”
“It’ll be hard, I won’t lie, but I can live with those conditions.” Excitement rushed through me; I was going to see him fight. “Who are yo
u fighting?”
“I managed to get a rematch with the guy I got my ass kicked by a couple weeks ago.”
I cringed. “The one I screwed up for you?”
“Yes.” He nodded, raising his eyebrows. “Just so you know I might get my ass kicked.”
Laughing, I gave him a quick hug. “I’ve got faith in you.”
~*~ TT ~*~
“You really think I look good enough to blow everyone away? Be honest, because tomorrow is the election and if I don’t then we can still go back home and I can change.” I looked over at Jaxson, waiting for his reply.
“You look amazing. Better than amazing. In fact, if this wasn’t so important to you, I’d be suggesting we ditch the club and go back to your place. You still have tonight before your mother comes home don’t you?”
A wicked grin spread across my lips as I reached across the seat and placed my hand on his inner thigh just below his groin. “There’s always after the party.”
Leaning into me, he placed a delicate kiss on my lips. When he pulled back from me there was a faint shimmer of my frosted pink lipstick on his lips. Giggling, I swiped at the lipstick trace, removing it as best as I could. Wiggling my eyebrows at him, I replied, “It’ll give me something to look forward to.”
“That’ll be two of us.”
“As long as we’re not up too late. I have an election to win tomorrow.”
Laughing, he leaned in and kissed me again.
“You’re going to get to the club with you looking and smelling like me.”
“Nothing wrong with that. Besides”—he pointed out the window as we rolled up to the club—“we’re already here.”
The car pulled up to the curb and came to a stop. There was someone assigned to open the doors of the guests’ cars as they pulled up. There were a number of students milling about outside the club vaping various substances. The school had a strict ban on vapes, drugs and liquor so it was rare to see anyone even vaping on school property, but here it was open season and everything went.
Getting out of the car, I noticed that it didn’t take long for people to know it was me. As I straightened, I pulled at the bottom of my form-fitting black bandage dress that seemed way too short for my liking, but Damien insisted Herve Leger was where it was at for sexy dresses. The problem was that when I pulled the skirt down, the bodice of the dress also dipped lower on my cleavage.
While there was a slight stirring and murmuring between the students who were outside watching me, the real ruckus came when Jaxson stepped out of the car behind me. Some people even pulled out their phones and took pictures as Jaxson slung his arm over my shoulders and walked me to the front door of the club. Jaxson looked sexy as sin tonight, wearing a pair of destroyed blue jeans and a fitted black dress shirt and a pair of black Italian leather loafers. I could practically see the drool coming from the lips of the girls watching us.
Slipping my arm around his waist, I cuddled tight to him, placing my head against his chest. The feeling of being protected and safe around him never got old. He’d ruined me for any other man. Guess that meant we’d never be able to break up. The idea of spending the rest of my life with him made a smile break out on my lips.
“What’s so funny?” Jaxson asked leaning into me.
“Just thinking. Good things.”
We didn’t have to give the doorman our names; we’d been to the club numerous times over the past two days, setting up so it looked fucking amazing. This was going to be the party of the decade, hell, the century. After tonight there would be no option but to vote for me.
The doorman stepped aside and we walked in. The party was supposed to begin at 9pm and we’d arrived on the dot. Stepping inside, I could barely contain my excitement to see how many people were already here. In fact, it appeared as though the majority of the school had shown up. Everyone in the school had been invited, with a plus one if they so chose to invite them—even Trina and her crew.
“Don’t get yourself too excited. Many are just here for the free booze and to party,” Jaxson warned me.
“I know. I know. But at least they showed up, that’s what matters, you know. Once I get on stage and start talking, telling them everything I want to accomplish they’ll be putty.”
“You think so?” There was a teasing in his tone that made my grin widen as my heart did a little flip-flop in my chest.
Forcing the smile from my lips, I gave him a hard stare. “I got you, didn’t I?”
“You did.” Stopping, he pulled me into his arms. Slipping a hand to the back of my head, he lowered his lips to mine.
A sigh escaped me as I closed my eyes and melted into him, clutching onto the front of his shirt as if it were a lifeline. Oh God, my knees went weak, but his strong arms kept me upright. The world around us seemed to disappear and it was just him and me and the feelings of desire the he evoked within me. I parted my lips, allowing him in, deepening the kiss.
Time seemed to stand still as I became carried away with him. It wasn’t until the cheers and whoops around us from the spectators that overpoured the thumping of the music that reality came crashing around us, demanding we acknowledge it.
Breathless, I opened my eyes and stepped back from him, looking around us. Most eyes were on us. Some were surprised, some were excited and there was a mix of jealousy from many of the girls in the audience that we’d gathered.
“The king and queen are back together!” I heard someone in the darkness scream out, followed by a round of rowdy applause and whistles.
“King and queen,” I mouthed to Jaxson.
“Welcome back, my queen,” he said, leaning down so I could hear him.
I gave him a wink. “Didn’t realize I went anywhere.”
Preston and Selena stepped out from the crowd and passed me a martini and Jaxson a beer. As we clanged glassed it occurred to me that I was beginning to develop quite a habit for drinking. We used to drink at the trailer park, but it wasn’t because it was to appear sophisticated, it was to get loaded. Funnily enough, even the supposedly sophisticated drinking scene here eventually turned into drunken stumbling about, puking in the toilet and occasionally passing out—just like in the trailer park. No matter how much things change, things stay the same.
Tonight however wasn’t about getting wasted, it was about being social and convincing everyone in the room that I was the only person that would make sense for president.
“Where’s Damien and Olivia?” I asked, looking around us.
“Don’t know. Out back, I would imagine.” Selena shrugged. She looked extremely pretty tonight, her hair tied back in a ponytail at the crown of her head and falling down in long, large strawberry-colored curls. “Someone must be directing the staff with the food and drinks. This place is running like clockwork, people are super impressed.”
Looking around me, I began to take notice of the staff. They were milling about with trays, ensuring everyone had food and drinks in hand. Looking up at the stage, I saw there was a band playing alternative rock. I personally didn’t know who they were, but apparently the lead singer was a friend of Olivia’s and she claimed they were an up-and-comer in the music scene, just recently scoring a major recording deal. Wouldn’t it be cool if my political party was one of the last places they played before they became massive stars in the music biz, selling out coliseums? Giving them a listen I had to admit they were amazing and an excellent call on Olivia’s part.
“When are you going to make your speech, babes?” Jaxson asked, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“You should do it sooner rather than later,” Preston jumped in. “If you wait too long everyone will be so loaded they won’t remember a single word you say.”
Pulling my lower lip between my teeth I surveyed the crowd and then looked back at the door. People were still coming in, but not as rapidly as they had been.
“Maybe I should get myself ready to talk now?”
Jaxson nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. You’ve go
t the majority of the school here already.”
I waited another fifteen minutes, mingling with the guests and keeping my eye on the front door. When the people coming in slowed to a trickle I knew it was time. “Let’s go.” Taking Jaxson’s hand, I led him to the stage.
“Why exactly am I coming up with you? Didn’t realize I was part of this deal.”
“We’re a package. That’s how people see us.”
He looked hesitant, slowing his step as we neared the stage.
“Seriously, it’s like all political speeches, the spouse always accompanies the candidate.”
“So I’m just the eye candy then.” He grinned and regained his brisk pace, walking at my side.
Grinning, I shrugged a shoulder. “Something like that. Don’t worry, I’ll do all the talking.”
We waited at the side of the stage until the band finished their song. Noticing us, the lead singer announced they were taking a break and the band vacated the stage, leaving it for me and Jaxson. Hand in hand, we walked across the stage and stopped at the center.
Grabbing the microphone that the lead singer had left in the mic stand, I brought it to my lips, the nerves beginning to rattle me slightly and momentarily making me forget the speech I’d rehearsed for anyone who’d listen at least a dozen times during the week.
“Good evening everyone! If you don’t know us, I’m Keira Rigby and this is my wonderfully sexy man, Jaxson Weiss. I’m running for president of Greisbach Academy and am grateful that you’ve all shown up and hope you’re enjoying yourselves.”
There was a massive wave of cheers, clapping and foot stomping. The exuberance of the crowd gave me the confidence to jump into my prepared speech. I had their attention and kept it throughout the majority of what I had to say. I was about to wrap it up when I spotted Trina.
She was toward the back of the room and she was hard to see, but I spotted her along with several of her horde. Clearing my throat, I refused to allow her to shake me. I had invited her, so I had known there’d be a possibility she’d show up.
Power Play: Upper East Side (Greisbach Academy #2) Page 11