by Shel Stone
“Just getting to know people.”
“You look great.”
“So do you.” He really did. The dark hair and dark eyes, the dark material of his suit. Certainly didn’t look bad out of his school uniform. Not that he strictly looked bad in his uniform either. It just made him look a little younger than he did now. And now she had no idea what to say and was feeling awkward.
“What are you drinking?”
“Uhm, I thought I would try an aviator,” she said.
“An aviator,” Adrian said to the bartender that had been hired in for the party. “We’ll be on the balcony.”
The young woman nodded and Adrian led Cecily over to the balcony. The lights of the city were bright, almost like a galaxy.
“I miss the stars,” Cecily said. “In Switzerland, we were quite remote and on a clear day, the stars were just insane.”
“Too much light here. A bit of a star gazer?”
“Not really. It’s just that things were different there.”
“Yeah? How?”
“I don’t know. They sat down on a couple of sun loungers. “I guess like here, the scene isn’t that large when you come down to it. You get to know everyone, but it can be quite nuanced. Less school based as it seems here. Well, in some parts.”
“Yeah, there are some different schools here.”
“I guess in Europe, the ties are deeper and older.”
Her drink came in a martini glass, the subtle purple liquid was clear. Cecily took a sip. It really did taste like violets—and alcohol. Wouldn’t be a good idea to have too many of those. It was loaded with vodka. As opposed to bars, the bartender here didn’t water the drinks down.
“Particularly if you’re part of the aristocracy.”
The comment made her blush, but she wasn’t sure why.
“So you’re family has some English estate somewhere.”
“Yes, in Northumberland, but I rarely go. Only family events and stuff. Weddings, christenings. My uncle is running the estate. The title will be his eventually. Has your family always been New York based?”
“Yeah. As long as New York has existed, I would guess. Definitely the kind that came here to reject your kind. Puritan’s basically.”
Cecily laughed. “I can’t see it.”
“My puritanical roots?” he said with a smile. “You’re not looking hard enough.”
Okay, he was really cute when he smiled.
“Then again, you have something that will drive some people here nuts, because whatever they do, they can’t claim to be aristocratic. You wouldn’t think it, but that sense of unfairness still grates in some quarters.”
“Even if they are the most privileged people in the world?”
“They are the ones particularly incensed if a privilege cannot be claimed for them. Selectively this is still a meritocracy, although very little of it is based on merit as no one in this whole apartment is here because they’ve earned it. Except maybe the bartender.”
“Then they wouldn’t like Europe at all, because it’s full of exclusivity that is based on anything but merit.”
“And what crowd were you apart of?”
“It was kind of a mixed crowd. Some British, German and French. One of my friends was Egyptian. It changed a little over time.”
“Very eclectic. So this crowd will be there when you get back.”
“More or less.”
“So where would you live?”
“Probably Paris.”
“How quaint. No boyfriend you left behind?”
“There was one, but we broke up.”
“And what if you end up with a boyfriend here? You going to love them and leave them?”
Truthfully, she didn’t have an answer. It hadn’t even occurred to her. “Assuming a relationship that lasts through high school and then college.”
“Who knows, you could meet the love of your life next week.”
“Unlikely.”
“I don’t know. It’s going to happen sometime.”
“You’re a bit of a romantic.”
He chuckled. “Hardly. That person tends to be the one that gets under your skin and drives you nuts. Probably the worst possible person for you, but you just can’t walk away. Romantic, isn’t it?”
“Sounds like you have some experience with it.”
“Luckily, no.”
“Never been in love, then?”
“Have you?”
“I thought I was,” Cecily said, thoughts of the last month of her relationship with Jasper returning, with his accusation of lying about her trying to screw him over and get with someone else. It had been hell. There had been tears, but when it finally ended, it had been a relief. “In the aftermath, I’m not sure.”
For a moment, he was looking at her and she felt the pressure of his attention. Those dark eyes could just draw her in and make her feel self-conscious—and she hated it. Feeling self-conscious was something she had battled against and she had made a lot of headway. Moving to a new school was a challenge, though.
“Ended badly, huh? Relationships always do, or don’t you believe that? Disney princesses, wasn’t it?”
A blush stained her cheeks. It had been a throwaway comment at the time. She’d never really considered that he would remember it. “Nothing wrong with a little Disney magic, particularly when real boys can be such shits.”
“Ouch.”
“Not you, of course. I’m sure you’re the perfect boyfriend in every respect. Except it seems you don’t have girlfriends. Why is that?”
With a chuckle, he took out a packet of cigarettes and lit one. Not Cecily’s favorite habit in a guy, she had to admit. Luckily, her last boyfriend hadn’t smoked, and she couldn’t imagine kissing a smoker. But she also knew that smokers didn’t exactly listen to what other people thought about the habit. Like many things about him, it seemed a subversive act.
“Who knows. Maybe that perfect girl will come along and change everything.”
“No one’s perfect,” she said.
“Yet so many people think they are.”
Well, Jasper had certainly thought he was. “Heaven save us from perfect people.”
Shifting his head, he considered her again.
“So have you got a dress yet?” he asked and for a moment, Cecily had to wonder what he was referring to.
Oh, the ball. “No, not yet.”
“You’ll have to let me know what color you’re wearing. We’ll go to dinner first. There is, of course, an after party. Or are you Cinderella and have to be home by midnight?”
“I don’t typically have a curfew.” At least it wasn’t a discussion they’d had. Her dad had never really given her a curfew—mostly because she’d never really pushed it that much. Maybe it was his guilt that made her father give her so much leeway.
“Good,” he said. “Then you’ll get to see how this city parties when it dresses up.”
Biting her lip, Cecily looked back at him. Truthfully, she was looking forward to it. It had been a while since she’d dress up properly.
Chapter 11
ADRIAN LIKED CECILY’S smile and he made her smile every morning in English class. It was how he imagined her when he texted her in the evenings—sometimes even when he was out with the boys. Cecily wasn’t quite as flighty as he’d first imagined. She wasn’t as clueless as she’d first come across either.
Sure enough, she was being sucked into the social scene of Manhattan. Mostly around the school, where she was being woven into the material of the place. There were more and more pictures of her on social media, doing things after school. She seemed to particularly be friends with Morgan. They clicked more than she did with her cousin, Audrina—who was always present, but increasingly outshone by Cecily. That had to burn, your cousin coming in and just being preferred over you.
That was how things were, though. The world wasn’t fair and in never had been. Some didn’t take learning that lesson well.
Lying in bed, Ad
rian watched the rain patter on the patio outside his bedroom window. Fall had truly set in and things were turning cold. The weather made it unnaturally dark, the sun unable to reach through the clouds.
His father was out for the evening, probably dining with his latest mistress. At least he had the sense not to parade them all of them through his home. It spared Adrian having to be part of it, smiling at these pointless girls who’d thought they’d hit the big time. They seemed to never see it coming when his father grew bored of them.
At times, Adrian had to wonder if he needed to check his own bitterness, particularly with girls. Alright, he knew he was jaded. Maybe even skirting loathing.
A message pinged on his phone and he expected it to be Cecily and he reached for it, but it was Abby. It had been a couple of weeks since he’d spoken to her.
How’s it going with the new girl?
Being Abby, it was a different tone and meaning from a guy asking—who would essentially be asking if he’d slept with her yet. Maybe Abby was asking that too, but for a different reason, because Abby was trying to understand what his interest was with Cecily.
Good, he replied, not really wanting to talk to Abby about it.
Taking her to the Fall Ball?
Yes.
Nothing came through for a while. Don’t be a dick. She’s a nice girl.
Glad she has your approval. Glad was perhaps not the right word. It was interesting that Cecily had Abby’s approval. Why did she have Abby’s approval? Because Abby wanted him to have a girlfriend.
What are you doing for dinner?
Going out with my parents. Gotta go. Laters.
With a sigh, Adrian put the phone away. He wasn’t in the mood to eat alone tonight. The whole apartment was eerily silent. Obviously, he could put on some music, but music wasn’t going to cut it.
Picking up his phone again, he texted Cecily. Come out with me.
I have to study, she wrote back. Clearly she had learnt that going out with him and his friend resulted in coming home really late.
To dinner. Just you and me.
Like a date? She did that little winking face emoji. Fuck he hated emojis.
Whatever. I’m hungry. I know the best Japanese in town.
His phone was annoyingly silent for a while, until her message finally came through. Alright, I’ll meet you there. Send me the address.
Relief or elation soared in him for a moment. This was the first time they’d really spent time together away from the group, and he was feeling… Ah, fuck feelings. He was just glad he had company for dinner, because he was feeling morose tonight.
Changing out of his uniform, he dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. This wasn’t a date date where he dressed up like a nervous teen and met her with flowers. It was just dinner because he didn’t feel like being alone. It was definitely coat weather and he pulled out his grey camel hair coat. And really, the best Japanese in town wasn’t at a fancy restaurant, it was this small hole in the wall, run by a family who barely spoke English. But the food was fantastic.
Ringing down, he had the driver get the car ready and it stood in front of the building as he emerged into the cold blast of rainy wind. Truthfully, he loved Manhattan in this weather. The streets were slicked and shiny, the atmosphere muted. People were in less of a hurry because they knew they weren’t going anywhere fast. Everyone just wanted to get home to where they belonged.
Getting there, he saw her waiting, rugged up in a coat, holding her phone. Her hair shone like gold in the muted light. “Hey,” she said. “I see you’ve brought me to another alley.”
“It’s where the best stuff is. Come,” he said, urging her to walk with him to the door covered by a navy clothe with a picture of a samurai in white. The place was tiny, scattered with small wooden tables and benches.
“Interesting,” Cecily said as she took the seat opposite him at one of the small tables. “I’ve actually never been to Japan.”
The waitress came over and they ordered their boxes. His salmon and Cecily ordered a teriyaki chicken box after perusing the plastic covered menu with endless typos.
“It’s a cool place to hang for a weekend. Nothing takes you out of your comfort zone like Tokyo.”
“How often have you gone?”
“Only a few times. Good place to go if you want to get away from everything.”
“Most of my travel has been around Europe. And South East Asia a few times. My mother lives in Australia, so I go once a year. She’s talking about me going for Christmas. It’s a negotiation.”
“Honestly, my parents have given up. And to be frank, I don’t really want to spend Christmas with either of them.”
“Well, that’s not an option for me. It’s the one time of year they make extra effort.”
“Ah, they’re still pretending they’re great parents,” he said with sarcasm.
“Something like that.”
From the beginning, he had sensed a rift there, but then that wasn’t unusual. Out of everyone he knew, few actually had a good relationship with their parents. Generations of privilege and self-importance didn’t make for great parenting skills. No, the closed door of New York’s finest society bore the fruit of generations of child mismanagement and parental failures. None of it mattered as long as you were high functioning. This town was merciless on weakness.
“Well, it could be worse,” he said. “Seb’s mom is a heroine addict. Shoots up before putting on her ballgown.”
The deep creases in her brow showed how shocked she was. “Really?”
“Ask him. He’s pretty open about it.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Round here, take care of you and yours. It’s not worth getting involved in other people’s business.”
“That’s pretty harsh.”
“Welcome to New York,” he said with a smile. “Things seem to be going okay for you, though.”
“Yeah, they’re alright. The girls are nice.”
“No, they’re not.”
“Don’t be so mean,” she said with a smile. “It’s unbecoming.”
“Are you telling me off, Miss Chambers?”
The food arrived and its smelled beautifully. Nice chunks of morsels covered in thick and sticky sauce, made with real honey, he was sure. The rice perfect.
“This is gorgeous,” she said, using the black lacquered chopsticks. It wasn’t second nature to her, but she did alright.
“So now you know my best Japanese in town secret.”
“I feel exceedingly privileged.” At times when she spoke, the Europeanness of her shone through. They ate in silence for a while.
“So if you were to take me to Europe, where would you take me?” He watched her as the thought about it.
“I don’t know. Depends on what you want to do.”
“What would you want to do?”
“Paris, of course.”
“The city of lovers.”
Color rose up her cheeks. An urge to kiss her struck him that moment, but the table was between them.
“Obviously, St. Tropez is spectacular. Maybe even Santorini.”
“I’ve been.”
“Have you?”
“It was a while ago. When we were still pretending to do family vacations. Mother was disturbingly bright and my father was annoyed he had to be there the entire time. It was great.”
“Parents are great, aren’t they?” Well, from the sounds of it, her family wasn’t much better. And her dad was a greedy bastard who took whatever he pleased, no matter the harm it did to anyone else. Was it any wonder that the notion of a moral compass was largely missing out of their entire school? Because the world wasn’t about doing what was right; it was about doing what one could get away with. And truthfully, there wasn’t much they couldn’t get away with. Except Jeffrey Chambers had gotten his dad, and there was no denying it.
Another exception would be Maria, his former nanny, who he was pretty sure still prayed for his soul. They exchanged cards at
Christmas.
Saying that, she was probably the only person for whom he’d drop anything and come running if she seriously needed him. Not that she did. She had her real family—her husband and her kids, who all lived in New Jersey. Not far away, but in a world that never converged.
Shaking the thought off, he paid attention to his date again, who was talking about wanting to see Egypt, which was somewhere neither of them were probably allowed to go. Security would be an issue. One of the off-limit areas along with most of South America, Africa, Russia and China.
“I’d love to see the pyramids,” she finished.
“You done eating?”
She nodded and they rose as he threw down a fifty on the table and gave the serving girl a nod. The rain had stopped when they got outside. Adrian lit up a cigarette. Cecily crinkled her nose. She didn’t like it.
“I love the dirty parts of New York,” he said. “The old, rundown places that still exist. They disappear more every year. I love the true New Yorkers too, but they hardly exist anymore either. It feels a little like it’s slipping away.”
She listened as they walked aimlessly down the street with no particular aim in mind. Both of their cars were probably within calling distance, but it seemed she wasn’t rushing to leave, which pleased him.
“Hey,” he said and she looked over, just as he stepped in and claimed her lips. The kiss took her by surprise, but she didn’t shy away. Soft lips met his and he savored the taste of her. She smelled like lilacs and something else. Not too sweet. Moving closer to her, he deepened the kiss and she let him. His tongue slipped into her mouth and teased hers. His whole body responded, from his scalp down to his toes. “Umm,” he groaned as he pulled away. Their heavy breaths mingled for a moment.
That had been inordinately nice, and right now, she looked confused and tussled. Her lips were fuller and her cheeks flushed. “Flushed is a good look on you.” In fact, her flush was something they would explore more, but not tonight. She cleared her throat and didn’t know where to look. “Well,” he said, stepping back from her. “You’d better go and study, Miss Chambers, or I might lead you astray again.”