Waking Rory

by Elizabeth Jeannel

  I ran and did a flip into the deep end. Doing flips into a pool was possibly the most acrobatic I’d ever been. Maybe if I’d learned a little parkour, I’d be better at getting away from the cops. But as Rory smiled when she joined me outside, something told me I might not be doing that anymore. Getting in trouble now meant I’d be running from her.

  “Come on,” I called, treading in the water. “The water is the perfect temperature.”

  “I might just say out here.” She shrugged, hugging the towel I’d given her.

  “You don’t know how to swim, do you?”

  She looked down and shook her head.

  I inched my way to the shallow end of the pool.

  “Do you trust me?” I grinned.

  “Even, it’s—”

  “Do you trust me?”

  She nodded.

  “Jump in.”

  “But I can’t—”

  “Just do it.” I laughed. “Trust me. I’ve got you.”

  Her eyes met mine for a second, contemplating, then she dropped the towel and jumped in, a tiny squeal escaping her lips as she splashed next to me. She sank for a second, touching the bottom before she stood up all on her own. She hit me on the shoulder.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you could touch the bottom?” She rubbed her eyes and glared at me.

  “Where would the fun have been in that?” I laughed. “Besides, I said you could trust me, didn’t I?”

  She leaned in and kissed me, the taste of chlorine mixing with the taste of her. I was glad Nash was still at work, because I absolutely did not want to have to pull away.

  We spent most of the day in the pool. I taught Rory the stupid games I’d learned as a kid. Between those and small make-out sessions, we stayed distracted enough that we managed to reapply sunscreen about two times less than we should have. Laughing and smiling with her made me feel like laughing and smiling was a good thing again, not just something I did when I felt sarcastic.

  She followed me inside for lunch, both of us dripping on the floor a tad from the front door to the kitchen. I pulled out stuff for sandwiches, and she wrapped her arms around my waist from behind.

  As I pieced together our lunch, she planted kisses all over my back, right where my scars were. It made it hard to focus on the task at hand, but no one had ever done anything like that before. No one had ever made me feel like my scars weren’t something to gawk or laugh at.

  When I turned around, her expectant blue eyes stared up at me. I inched toward her, slowly, my face just inches from hers. Then I took a huge bite of my sandwich and took off toward the patio, Rory in tow.

  When evening descended, we traded our damp towels for one of the blankets from inside. The house sat just far enough from the nature reserve to see sunset from the pool deck, and we sat there, in silence, waiting as the dark took over the city. The stars began poking through the darkness, tiny twinkles of hope.

  “It looks different,” Rory whispered after a few moments.

  “What does?” I asked, still staring up at the sky.

  It was weird being able to see the stars again. I was so used to a constant cover of clouds and rain, and I’d forgotten there could be so many. Tiny twinkling diamonds shining back at me. They were all so beautiful. It made me miss the meteor showers my parents had taken me to see as a kid.

  “The stars. I remember more of them.”

  I nodded, pulling her closer. We were curled up together on a single pool chair, wrapped in the blanket for warmth. The temperature had dropped tremendously, and I was regretting having not changed out of this swim suit, but no way was I getting up when she was so close to me.

  “If I’m honest,” I sighed, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen so many. I hear there are some amazing places to see stars in Seattle, but…” I scoffed. “My friends are lame.”

  Rory took a deep breath and let it out.

  “What’s Seattle like?”

  “Oh,” I sucked in a breath. “It’s um… rainy, mostly. Busy, lots of traffic. Everyone’s always drinking coffee with somewhere to be. And there’s graffiti everywhere. But when the weather clears, it’s really beautiful. There’s a lot of art, and there’s some amazing food.”

  Rory nodded. “You like it?”

  I shrugged. “It’s home.”

  Saying the words put a sour taste in my mouth. Seattle wasn’t really home to me. Sure, I lived there, and I had found some amazing things about it, but Portland was home. Portland was where I’d always hoped to return. Even so, sitting with Rory in my arms, Lyon was feeling more and more like home every day.

  “Well don’t you look cozy,” I heard Nash laugh from the gate. “You girls hungry?”

  Rory nodded, rising from the chair before I could even think of a response.

  Chapter 29

  The irony of the gala was increasingly humorous to me. A Renaissance ball, which Rory had grown incredibly excited about. When the night finally came, I was, too.

  Nash had arranged for our hair and makeup to be done at a local salon, along with Autumn’s. I think he wanted us to bond, but she didn’t say much, and she was rushing out before they’d even finished the complicated updo they’d decided on for Rory. She had to get back to her hotel and get dressed before Nash came calling.

  We, however, got dressed at the house like any normal day. I felt absolutely ridiculous wearing such a big bulky dress as I looked in the mirror. I looked like a princess. I scoffed at myself. Princess of mischief, maybe.

  “Even, the car is here,” Nash called to me. Why was he waiting on us? He still had to pick up Autumn.

  “Coming,” I called back.

  Rory was still in her room.

  “Rory, everything okay?” I asked through the door.

  “Yes, I’m almost finished,” she called through the door. It was labored, but I wasn’t about to press. If she needed help, she was more than capable of asking for it.

  “Well, don’t you look stunning.” Nash smiled as I stepped into the living room from the hall.

  I felt my cheeks grow hot. “Thanks, Nash.”

  “Everything okay with Rory?”

  I nodded. “She should be out in a minute.”

  Just then, I heard a creak of the wood floors, and turned.

  I felt my breath hitch. Her hair had slipped out of the pins in all the right ways while she’d changed. The dress was a perfect baby blue, and hugged her curves just like I’d hoped it would. The lace was as delicate as she was. God, she was the epitome of a princess, and I most definitely did not look good enough to call her my date.

  “You look beautiful,” I breathed.

  Her cheeks flushed, and she grinned.

  “Alright, well.” Nash looked awkwardly between the two of us. “I’ll meet you there, then.”

  “What?” I asked. “I thought you said car was here.”

  “I thought you might like your own.”

  I nodded, and he led the way outside to where Gordon was waiting next to a limo. I let out a gasp before rushing into his arms. I didn’t care if Nash saw me do it. I had really missed this man.

  “Alright, alright, don’t go messing up your hair.” Gordon laughed. “You look beautiful, Even.”

  “Thanks, G.” I grinned, turning to where Rory was standing. “Gordon, this is Rory. Rory, this is Gordon, the best driver/Mario Kart racer to ever live.”

  “Mario…?” Rory began.

  “Never mind.”

  “Take care of them, Gordon.” Nash smiled, putting a hand on Gordon’s shoulder before getting into the other limo out front.

  “Always do, sir.” Gordon smiled, outstretching his arm for us to climb in.

  I’d tried to warn Rory about what would happen when she and I showed up, arm in arm. I’d tried to explain paparazzi to her. The flashing of the cameras, how you’re supposed to pose and answer questions. But there isn’t really any preparing you for how chaotic and invasive it is without seeing it first-hand.

  Which is wh
y all the flashing lights terrified her as Henry pulled up.

  “Hey, it’s okay,” I said, taking her hand. “Remember, we do this together?”

  Rory nodded, squeezing my hand twice.

  Henry opened the door, and I stepped out. When I reached back for Rory, a wave of voices called my name. I was used to that. I’d dealt with that. Rory had not. She smiled anyway, and squeezed my hand twice again as we made our way to where a photo backdrop had been set up.

  It was blindingly bright, each flash making it ten times worse. Every time I looked at Rory to make sure she was okay, she just squeezed my hand twice again, letting me know she was okay. Turns out, she was better at this than I was.

  “Even!” I heard several shouts. “Even, is this your girlfriend? Are you confirming that you are part of the community? Do you have any response to the allegations that you were arrested before coming to France? Do you have any response to the allegations you were arrested in France? Are you attending boarding school in the fall?”

  Both of us smiled. It wasn’t normal for me to answer questions, even at the events. Sometimes I didn’t even pose for the photos. Actually, I normally only posed for photos if Nash made me, but if the photo was of me and Rory, I’d pose for a thousand.

  I was almost afraid the questions and photos would never stop when Nash’s limo arrived. Marcus opened the door for him. There was a dramatic flare as he buttoned his suit jacket, then reached back into the car. For a moment, it was like the entire crowd held their breath until Autumn stepped out.

  Oh, holy damn.

  Autumn had always been pretty. But that night, she looked every bit as much like a princess as Rory. Her dark red hair was up, and the emerald green dress she’d donned made her look at least six inches taller. Wait, that was probably the heels.

  Suddenly the wave of questions came toward Nash. Were they a couple? How did he know she was the one? Was there a ring? Were they expecting?

  Rory and I tried making our way past the last few cameras when Nash called me.

  “Need one of us together.” He shrugged.

  I nodded. They always did.

  I stood next to Nash and put on my happy face. I was fine. This was fine. We were almost done. It was almost over.

  “Even! Has your time in France prepared you for taking over the company?”

  I felt my face fall. I looked up at Nash who had gone pale.

  “What changes will you make as CEO?”

  I was going to be sick.

  “When were you going to tell me that the entire company would be mine at eighteen?” I shrieked in the hallway. “Nash, I’m not ready for this!”

  “I’m sorry, Even.” He sighed. “Listen, I was trying to get things sorted out for you. And I was trying to keep you out of the papers. That’s why… that’s why I brought you to France. I…”

  “That’s what you meant about him protecting me.” I looked at Autumn.

  She nodded slowly.

  “It’s not as scary as you’re making it.” Nash sighed. “It’s going to be as simple as hiring a CEO.”

  “Oh, so I get to hire a CEO? I thought you were the CEO!”

  “Your dad talked down his part in the company a lot, Ev. It was to protect you. He wanted you to have a normal life.”

  “What, so you’re saying my dad was the company head, not you?” I couldn’t believe this. My dad was home way too much for that to be true.

  Nash sighed. “Yeah, he was, but the company was smaller then, and… he was a lot better at it than I am. I’ve been doing my best here, but the truth is that I was much better in IT than management. I’m a computers guy, not a CEO.”

  “And you think I’m going to be top-notch at management?”

  “That’s why I brought you in for the internship. I wanted to see what you could do with the work given to you—if you could connect with the mission of the company like your dad did. I thought maybe…”

  “Maybe what? That I’d somehow move on faster because I was walking in my dad’s shoes or something? Nash, I’m a musician. I draw and paint. I don’t even know how to manage my mental health. I don’t know the first thing about IT, much less running a company for it.”

  I felt my breath quicken. Oh, God. Not here.

  “Hey,” Rory said from behind me, her arm slid around my waist in that familiar way. “Let’s go dance, hmm?”

  Rory put her hand in mine, and I squeezed twice, nodding.

  “Maybe all of us could use a dance,” Autumn said, suddenly pulling Nash’s attention away from me and Rory.

  I wasn’t ready to have this conversation. I wasn’t ready to talk about the company. I just wanted to dance with my not-girlfriend and have one night out at the ball. Call me Cindereven, I didn’t care.

  When we finally made it into the ballroom, it was like a dream. The normal large meeting area had been completely transformed per our vision. Soft pink chiffon draped the ceiling, where vintage chandeliers hung across the room, and the dance floor had been brought in, a demask gold and white.

  Rory gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Yeah, it is,” I whispered, but I was looking at her when I said it.

  She blushed as we made our way toward the dance floor. There was still dinner, speeches, and the auction, but for now, I just wanted to dance with Rory.

  We caught some eyes as we started dancing that weird two or three step dance she’d shown me, but this was much slower. Compared to the other couples already there, we were dancing much more formally than their casual sway. People didn’t dance like they had once upon a time.

  It didn’t stop us though. We kept dancing like that until the band stopped, which meant it was time to take our seats. The business part of the evening was about to begin.

  I led Rory to the table, a part of the seating chart I’d set up myself. Rory was seated next to me, I was next to Nash, and Autumn next to him. I should have put Autumn between us. I hadn’t thought about it. But, after the talk in the hall, I didn’t think I was ready to sit next to him for the next hour. Nash stiffened as we took our seats. He apparently wasn’t ready to talk, either.

  Dinner was served as a woman I’d never met stepped up to the stage and began giving a layout for the night’s events. She called Nash up to the stage to give a few words about, whatever Nash talked about. He was the CEO, after all. Correction; acting CEO.

  He adjusted the buttons on his tuxedo as he stood and gracefully made his way to the stage. Nash was built for this sort of thing. He was suave. He was sophisticated. He had the swagger of a business man. How would I, a reckless teenager, ever amount to… that?

  Nash was the right person to run this company. Just look at him. He was giving an amazing speech. He was talking about the company and our goals. He was calling me up to the stage.

  He was calling me up to the stage?

  There were eyes on me. Literally hundreds of eyes on me. I felt the blood drain from my face. I locked eyes with Nash, who was still looking at me expectantly.

  “Even, will you come join me, please?” he repeated.

  I let out a shaky breath, instinctively shaking my head. But I rose from my seat, nearly toppling it over with the poof of my dress. I couldn’t just not go, that would cause a scene. I barely remember the walk to the stage, putting one foot in front of the other, avoiding the gazing eyes of those around us, trying not to pass out.

  The light cast on the stage as I made my way to Nash was absolutely blinding. In an odd way, that was a relief, because I couldn’t see the large crowd. The hard part was that it also meant I couldn’t see Rory. I had a feeling seeing her would have helped me not want to puke.

  “Many of you know of my charming niece.” Nash smiled, placing an arm around my shoulders.

  I offered a meek wave and swallowed hard. I wanted to stomp on Nash’s toes and run as far away from here as possible. That would show him just how charming I could be. But I stayed put as he continued.

  “Some of you are lucky enough
to remember her father.” Nash sighed, giving my shoulder a soft squeeze. “And others have only the chance to remember his memory. Even, who knew him probably the best of anyone, has taken this summer out of her busy schedule in Seattle to study as an intern with McCoy Enterprises.”

  I struggled to grin at the statement, which I’m sure was more of a grimace than anything else. It wasn’t like I’d had a choice in the matter. Nash had forced the internship. Why was I up here?

  “And she’s spent most of her summer helping plan tonight’s festivities, so the honor of host for this evening belongs to her and our esteemed new Public Relations head, Elaine Autry, here at the Lyon branch.”

  There was a bit of applause before the crowd quieted again. Nash clearly wasn’t finished, as he hadn’t taken his arm off my shoulder or made any motion to move. Shit, I wish he would. This was awkward for me.

  “There has been talk with her upcoming age,” Nash began, and I felt my heart begin to pound. What part of our literal screaming match in the hall made him think this was okay? “And with recent topics in the media, that our company might have a rocky future. Rest assured, McCoy Enterprises is in good hands.”

  Another spout of applause. Nash turned to me.

  “Even, would you like to say anything?”

  I felt my eyes go wide. His arm finally slipped off my shoulders as he stepped away from the microphone, gently pushing me toward it. I swallowed hard.

  “But I—” I breathed, turning back toward the microphone.

  I was grateful it wasn’t making one of those awful ringing noises as I stood in front of it, looking out at the crowd. All I could really see was light shining back at me. I guess that was best.

  “I’m not much for speeches,” I nearly choked out, and there was a tiny gust of laughter. “Um… and I… I didn’t prepare anything. So, um. Thank you… all for coming, and… um. I hope you enjoy the party, but don’t forget the cause—the real reason we are here.”