The Golden Couple (The Samantha Project Series, # 2)

by Karpinske, Stephanie

  I wouldn’t have even cared about mastering the stupid dance, but Erik and I had decided that we had to impress people at Saturday’s gala. Putting on a good performance on Saturday night might win us privileges, like the ability to walk the halls without an escort.

  Soon after we got back from our dance lesson, Walter came by to take us to the dining room for another dinner. He explained that our etiquette coach would be observing us as he did the previous night and would also be awarding us a grade. Anything other than an A would mean additional hours of training.

  “Erik, take my cue on which fork to use,” I thought to him as we walked to the dining room. “You keep using the wrong one. So just watch me, okay? I don’t wanna be stuck in that class again. We have better things to do.”

  “This is so dumb. Who cares what fork or spoon you use? Or what glass goes with what—”

  Erik’s thoughts ended abruptly. I looked over to see that he’d spotted Owens and Rachel in the hallway outside the dining room.

  “Hey, guys!” Rachel said when she saw us approaching. Walter rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. He didn’t approve of Rachel and didn’t think she belonged at GlobalLife.

  “Samantha. Erik. How nice to run into you,” Owens said. “I was just going over some last-minute details with Rachel regarding the gala on Saturday. Are you prepared for your unveiling?”

  “Yes. Absolutely.” I heard Walter muttering again in the background—this time something about my statement being an exaggeration.

  “Glad to hear it,” Owens said. “So your week has been going well?”

  “Yes, very well.” I smiled as I contacted Erik’s mind. “Erik, talk about something so I can hear Owens’ thoughts.

  Erik rambled on about how much we had learned on the tour, likely hoping to impress Rachel. Then he described our success with the waltz. While he talked, I listened to Owens.

  “Did you locate the DNA yet? Smile if you did.”

  I kept a straight face to indicate that I hadn’t.

  “Then I’ve got a plan. On Saturday night, all the attendees are required to wear the brain wave scrambling device so that you and Erik can’t hear their thoughts. But I’ll be wearing the device that disables it. The same one I have on now. The device also works for people I’m next to. So I’ll strategically place myself around people who might know where the genes are. You and Erik will need to stay close and listen to what they’re thinking. Have you had any luck figuring out the biometric? Smile for yes.”

  I smiled to indicate my answer. Erik was starting to run out of things to say, so Owens sped up his thoughts.

  “Good. Very good. One more thing. Your sister. Brittany. I know what they did with her.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Champagne Toast

  I was sure Owens would say that GlobalLife had killed Brittany.

  “Is something wrong, Samantha?” Rachel asked. “You look like you might be sick.”

  “No. I’m just tired from all the dancing. Erik, tell them about the Viennese waltz we did today.”

  Erik gave me a funny look because he’d already described it. Then he picked up on my clue. “Oh, you mean about the history of it? Okay, yeah, so anyway …”

  As Erik talked, Owens continued. “They moved Brittany to a different GlobalLife facility but she’s still in Iceland. Chamberlin knows your telepathy is back to normal and he didn’t want you trying to connect with Brittany. Given that you’re her sister, he was worried that you might be able to hear her thoughts despite the brain wave scrambling device. But I have people working on getting Brittany free. So I need you and Erik to stop worrying about rescuing her. You need to focus on getting yourselves out.”

  “ … and that’s pretty much it.” Erik ended his story, smiling nervously over at me because he had no clue what else to say.

  “Well, it sounds like you’ve been very busy these past few days,” Owens said. “Rachel and I need to get back to work but I’ll see you both on Saturday. Enjoy your dinner.”

  Erik and I endured the formal dinner. We definitely didn’t enjoy it. During the meal, I was so distracted I almost used the wrong utensil twice.

  “What are you doing?” Erik yelled at me in this thoughts. “You said you knew this stuff!”

  “Okay, okay. I won’t screw up again.”

  We ended up getting a B plus, which was bad enough to earn us an hour more of class. Erik couldn’t complain because without my help, he would have flunked, getting us stuck with at least five or six more hours of class.

  When we were back in our room, I went through everything Owens had told me. Erik was as concerned as I was about Brittany’s safety. “Where would they take her? Why not just let her go?” he thought to me.

  “Exactly. What do they need her for now? They have us. You don’t think it’s because of what your dad said about—”

  Erik had the same thought. “Organ donation? It could be. Who knows what they’ll do to us next week in the lab. Maybe something they haven’t tried before. Something that could damage us. And they need Brittany, in case, well, in case something happens.”

  “So if my heart stops for whatever reason, they’ll just give her heart to me and let her die? No! They can’t do that! She’s a person. A human being! Not some device that stores organs. We’ve gotta save her, Erik!”

  “I don’t know how we can help her, Sam. If Owens said he has a plan to get her free, then we have to count on him to do that. And if he screws it up, then we need to put all our effort into getting out of here so we can go find her.”

  “We need to work harder, Erik. We can’t be stuck in here for weeks or months. We’ve gotta get out faster than that. And we can’t leave without getting the alien genes.”

  “I’m working on it. I’ve got the first part of that cipher figured out. I think I can finish it by next week. You should start studying that map of the building Owens gave us. Look for any weak spots. Memorize how the cameras move. When the guards change.”

  Finally, Erik was getting on board. Up until then, Erik was convinced we had no chance of escaping. I wasn’t sure what changed his mind, but knowing he was all in boosted my confidence that we could get out.

  The next couple days, Erik and I continued going to classes. We spent several hours learning greetings in different languages in order to welcome our foreign visitors. We also had more dance and conversation lessons.

  In between classes, we used every spare moment to brainstorm where the alien genes might be stored and who, besides Chamberlin, might have access to them. When Erik took breaks to work on the cipher, I studied the building maps in my head. Every time I walked the halls, I paid attention to see which guards seemed least attentive. Unfortunately, they were all attentive, constantly watching our every move.

  On Friday, we tried copying each other’s brain waves. It was a skill we were now convinced we would need to access the genes. With Chamberlin in charge, the brain wave fingerprint technology had to be the biometric being used to secure the genetic material. Our first attempts at this skill went nowhere, so we decided to try again after the gala.

  By Saturday, we were both exhausted. Our captors must have realized they’d overworked us because breakfast didn’t arrive until late morning. But right after breakfast, the day of preparation began.

  First there was a review of acceptable topics of conversation. Next was a last-minute quiz on table etiquette. Then came one final practice of every type of waltz we had learned. And last, was the actual getting-ready phase, which meant Natalie and Kendall were back.

  Natalie began with my hair, straightening it, then pinning it up so it was off my neck. She wove in tiny strands of sparkly beads so that when she was done, you couldn’t even see the strands. You just saw the sparkle from the beads.

  My dress for the evening was delivered early in the day. It was all-white satin that was covered in tiny crystal beads that shimmered from every angle. The dress was sleeveless, held up by delica
te, almost invisible straps. It was fitted except for the bottom third, which flared out a little. It was just long enough to lightly sweep the floor when I walked. The neckline dipped to a V in front without being too revealing. Once I was dressed, Natalie added the finishing touch. Diamond earrings and a matching diamond necklace.

  By 6:30 that evening, I was finally ready. I came out of the bathroom to find Erik standing around looking bored and restless.

  “Okay, she’s ready,” Natalie announced as she gathered her things to leave.

  Erik looked up. “Sam, is that you?”

  “Funny, Erik.”

  “No, really. You look like a model or something.”

  I spun around to give him the full effect. “Well, it better look good because it took long enough to get ready.”

  Erik smiled. “Yeah. You definitely look—Wow! I don’t even know what to say.”

  I checked out Erik as well. He was wearing a tuxedo with a white shirt and black bow tie. The tuxedo didn’t look like the old man tuxedo that Walter wore. It had a modern, clean cut that fit Erik well.

  “Wow to you, too, Erik. You look really nice. I love the tuxedo.”

  “Thanks, but I feel like I’m going to a wedding or something.”

  “I know. Same here. This is almost like a wedding dress. I guess we’ll all look like we’re getting married with this black and white theme.”

  There was a knock on the door. Walter entered followed by Rachel. She was wearing a long, fitted white strapless gown. She also had her hair up, showing off huge diamond earrings.

  Rachel ran up to me. “Oh my goodness,” she gushed. “You’re so pretty, Samantha! They’re going to love the dress. I picked it out, but it looks even better on you than I thought it would. Don’t you love how it sparkles like that?”

  Before I could answer she ran over to Erik. “You’re so handsome, Erik!” He blushed as she turned back to me. “But I love most any guy in a tux. I think it’s so sexy!” Erik looked disappointed; her compliment was now meaningless.

  “Well, now that I know you two are ready, I’ll head back to the dining room. There’s a cocktail hour going on now. Dinner will start shortly. Walter will bring you to the dining room, but you’ll wait outside. Drew will make a short speech and then announce you. And that’s when I’ll come out and get you, okay? And then after dinner, when we get to the ballroom, he’ll announce you again and you’ll do the first dance. I told you this a hundred times, I know, but I just wanted to go over it once more.”

  I smiled at her. “Yes. We’ve got it, Rachel. We won’t screw it up.”

  “Oh, I know you won’t. Ignore me. I’m just nervous. This is a big event. Drew’s counting on me to make sure everything goes perfectly. See you soon!” She raced back out the door, leaving us with Walter.

  “You both look,” he paused, “appropriately dressed this evening.” It was the one and only compliment we would ever get from Walter. “Shall we go?”

  We walked down the hall past the front entrance. The guards were still there, but even they wore tuxedos rather than their usual dark suits. The entire entrance area was decorated with large white trees covered in sparkly white lights. The regular lights were dimmed to allow the soft glow coming from the trees to fill the room.

  We got to the dining room and waited outside as Rachel instructed. I could hear Drew’s speech. Most of it was stuff about how great GlobalLife was, curing illness, feeding the hungry, and other lies. Finally, he paused to introduced us.

  Rachel came out the door. “Ready?” she whispered to us.

  “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” Drew announced. “The arrival of our stars for the evening. Prototypes of the future. May I introduce for the very first time, Samantha and Erik. The golden couple.”

  The golden couple? I glanced at Erik, who seemed just as confused. Rachel pushed Erik toward me, reminding him to take my arm as we walked out onto a small stage that had been set up. Bright lights shined down on us and people stood up and clapped. I peered through the light to see the room of onlookers. There were people of all nationalities. I could hear different languages and accents in the crowd.

  “They are simply amazing,” I heard one woman say.

  “What a gorgeous couple,” another woman said.

  I noticed two ladies near the stage staring up at us. “Oh, can you imagine?” the one lady said to her friend.

  “They’ll be even more gorgeous. And perfect in every way,” her friend responded.

  I looked back to see a large banner hanging behind us. On it were the words “Celebrate The Golden Couple” along with the Greek letter phi. Just like the one on the necklace Allie gave me.

  “Samantha, turn around,” Drew scolded as he smiled at the crowd.

  The clapping got louder as everyone stood up. The room gradually quieted. Drew went to the microphone again. “Thank you. I can see you’re all as excited as I am about these two. And I encourage you to express your enthusiasm for the project by continuing to invest in the research that will bring this technology to life in all of us.” He gave them a huge salesman grin. Then he came over next to us and said loudly and forcefully, “This is the future, my friends! Let us celebrate it!”

  Everyone clapped again. Drew made us stand there for a minute, then led us off the stage. Rachel was waiting to take us to the head table that was set up in the front of the room. We were stuck sitting next to Drew and some foreign investors. Owens sat at the far end of the table. His device didn’t work from a distance, so we couldn’t listen to anyone’s thoughts.

  People stared at Erik and me as we ate. Apparently, they weren’t allowed to talk to us until later at the dance. And even then, they were only allowed a few minutes of our time.

  With the bright lights off us, I could see better. I scanned the room to get a look at everyone. There was a sea of sparkle from the diamonds and other jewels the women were wearing. All the ladies wore white gowns and the men wore tuxedos, like a room full of brides and grooms. I spotted Allie’s mom flittering from table to table, trying to gauge how much money she would get out of the night.

  When we got to the ballroom, Erik and I had to wait outside while everyone filed in. I could see inside as people entered. The ballroom was filled with huge floral arrangements made out of black and white flowers. There were also trees adorned in white lights like the ones in the lobby. An orchestra was set up somewhere near the back of the ballroom. I could hear the music but couldn’t see the musicians.

  After everyone was in the ballroom, Rachel came out with Terrance.

  “You must make this your very best waltz,” Terrance instructed. “The best one yet! Remember, you must feel the connection between you. Feel the passion! The love!”

  Erik and I tried not to laugh as we watched him almost act out each word.

  Sensing we weren’t quite feeling the connection, Terrance nudged Erik toward me. “Give her a kiss for luck,” Terrance ordered. Erik hesitated. “What’s wrong with you? She’s beautiful. Kiss her!”

  I gave Erik a look to let him know it was okay. Anything to get Terrance to shut up.

  Erik leaned in and softly kissed me on the lips. It was only the second time we’d kissed. The first time, back in Texas, was incredible. But this kiss topped even that! It ignited that intense chemistry between us that I’d been trying so hard to ignore.

  “Okay, there’s the music,” I heard Rachel say.

  Erik pulled away. I could see from his face that the kiss was just as intense for him.

  “Good luck!” Rachel said as she guided us to the doors.

  “You’ll do wonderful! I know you will!” Terrance called out from behind us.

  We walked into the ballroom. People were hovering above us watching from the balcony. Others were lined up along the outside of the dance floor. Erik got in position, putting his hand firmly around my waist. We stood tall and kept our eyes locked on each other. And then we began. I could feel it after our first step. We were c
ompletely in sync. Even more than during practice. Erik guided us across the floor, turning and stepping as if he’d been doing this his whole life. I followed his lead, not even thinking about my footwork.

  The music eventually stopped and the room was silent. Did we screw something up? I thought. It seemed like we did everything right. And then the applause began. Louder than it had been in the dining room. I could hear words coming from the crowd. “Absolutely magnificent!” “Such talent for people so young!” “The future indeed!”

  The music began again and people joined us on the dance floor. “Great job, Erik,” I said, as we continued to dance, “especially since that was your first real dance in public.”

  “Thanks. I’m just glad it’s over. I hate having people stare at me.”

  “So are you gonna ask Rachel to dance?”

  “Maybe later. But I don’t know. You look even hotter than she does tonight. I might just stick with you.”

  “Was that supposed to be a compliment? Because that last part kind of—”

  Erik smiled. “It’s a compliment.”

  When the next waltz started, we took a break and stood off to the side of the dance floor. People stopped by to say hello and tell us how much they enjoyed watching our dance. I attempted to use some of the greetings I’d learned for the foreign guests, but I kept getting strange looks followed by polite smiles. I’m sure my pronunciation was off.

  The night continued with more smiling, meeting, shaking of hands, and dancing. Occasionally, Rachel or Drew would make Erik or me dance with someone. Rachel later explained that these people had made a large investment in the project, earning them a dance.

  Midway through the evening, Owens approached me, asking me to dance. I agreed, of course, and he updated me on the plan.

  “Act natural and pretend we’re talking,” he thought. “Did Erik figure out the cipher yet? Does he have the password?”