“No, look!” Summer was hopping up and down like a little kid who had to pee. “Check out the latest entry. It’s about this party!”
“What?” Zara took a closer look. Sure enough, the mystery blogger had posted something new just a few minutes ago. There was a brief blurb about the “party of the millennium,” along with several photos showing the crowded ballroom, the band, even the ridiculous ice sculpture.
“Isn’t that cool?” Summer said. “Whoever’s doing the blog must be right here at the party!” She giggled. “Not that that narrows it down much if you’re trying to guess who it is. Half the A circuit is here!”
“Yeah.” Zara stared at the phone as the meaning of that sank in.
“Ooh!” Summer squeaked. “There’s my aunt and cousin from Michigan. I should go say hi.” She plucked the phone out of Zara’s hand and took off toward the door.
Zara just stood there for a moment, too stunned to move. Because she’d just realized something. Summer was right—whoever was behind HorseShowSecrets must be at this party. That was the only way he or she could have posted those photos.
But that meant there was one person who couldn’t be behind the blog. Or the photos. Or, most likely, all the stuff about Zara that had appeared earlier.
“Marcus,” she whispered.
Her heart sank. Oh God. She’d just totally screwed things up with a really cool guy. Maybe the coolest guy she’d ever met.
“Hey!” Alex hurried over with two glasses in his hands. “Check it out, the guy barely even glanced at my fake ID. Hope you like gin and tonic.”
“Yeah.” Zara took the glass and gulped down about half the drink, savoring the feel of the alcohol burning her throat. “It’s cool. I’m not hard to please.”
Alex chugged part of his drink, too. His foot was tapping as the band played some lame-ass hit from earlier in the summer.
“This is a good tune,” he said, glancing out at the dance floor. “Want to get back out there?”
Zara didn’t really feel like dancing. Especially with Alex. Now that he and Tommi had broken up, she didn’t have to be nice to him anymore, right?
“Nope,” she said. “Thanks for the drink, though.”
She hurried off and lost herself in the crowd before he could respond.
Kate sneaked a look at her watch. It was only a little after eight, but she was already tired. Morning came early on show days, and she had to get up and do it all again tomorrow.
She glanced at Tommi, who was standing nearby chatting with some people Kate vaguely recognized as junior riders from another big show barn. Tommi’s face was flushed, and she was smiling almost nonstop. Kate was happy for her, even if she wasn’t exactly in a party mood herself.
What was she still doing here, anyway? She didn’t fit in, and it wasn’t as if Summer would miss her if she left. Or Tommi, for that matter—she was in a good mood now and didn’t really need her anymore.
Kate checked the time again, mentally calculating how many hours’ sleep she could get if she left right now. When she looked up again, she froze. Fitz had just walked in.
He didn’t see her yet; his eyes swept the room, settling on the platform where the band was playing a jazzy version of “Happy Birthday.” Kate’s heart thumped, and she shot a look at the door. If she made a run for it, she could escape before he even realized she was here.
“Fitz!” a high-pitched voice cried out with a giggle.
Kate turned her head and saw Hannah making a beeline for Fitz. He glanced at her, but barely paused to speak to her before continuing to weave his way through the crowd. Hannah stayed where she was, looking slightly confused.
Kate’s eyes followed Fitz. She knew she should go. Why torture herself? But her body seemed to be as frozen in place as that ice sculpture over at the buffet.
Fitz stopped in front of the stage and gestured to the lead singer, who stepped forward and leaned toward him. The two of them spoke briefly, though Kate was too far away to hear anything they said.
A moment later Fitz stepped back and the singer took the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “we have a request.” He glanced back at his bandmates. “Hit it, guys.”
They launched into a different song. Kate was so distracted by watching Fitz that it took her a moment to recognize it.
“Oh, man,” one of the girls over by Tommi said loudly, glancing toward the band. “Seriously, someone actually requested ‘Forgive Me’? That song is so over!”
Kate hardly heard her. Fitz had just spotted her; his eyes locked on to hers as he walked toward her.
“Hey,” he said softly when he reached her. For the first time, Kate noticed that he was holding a flower, a single perfect daisy. He held it out to her. “Here, I wanted to give you this. And to say I’m sorry.”
“I—what?” Kate stammered.
His eyes were serious as he gazed into hers. “Yeah. No grand gesture this time,” he said. “Just the honest truth. The thing is, I don’t really know how to do this relationship thing, you know?”
Kate nodded, though she wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tommi watching from nearby, a look of concern on her face. But Kate ignored her, staying focused on Fitz. Trying to figure out what he was saying.
Fitz sighed and ran his hand through his reddish-blond hair. “So when things got hard,” he went on, “I wasn’t sure what else to do but give up. Move on. Business as usual.”
“Oh.” Kate felt more confused than ever.
“Then you hugged me earlier—you know, after Flame totally ruled the eq ring.” A ghost of his usual smile flitted across his face; a second later he went serious again. “And that’s when I realized the truth. You’ve got a hold on me, Kate.” He reached for her hand, swallowing hard. “Way more than any other girl I’ve ever met.”
“R-really?” Kate glanced down at her hand, which looked small and pale clutched in his.
“I realized you’re more than worth getting through the hard times.” His voice was almost a whisper now. He took a step closer. “And the wait.”
She blushed, flashing back to that night in his guest bedroom. But she quickly pushed that aside. She got what he was saying now. He wanted her forgiveness; wanted to get back together. Try again. But could she trust him, especially after he’d been so quick to move on?
“What about the other girls?” she blurted out, feeling her face go redder than ever. “You know, Hannah—”
“Yeah, I was an idiot.” Fitz squeezed her hand. “Seriously, Hannah means nothing to me. I only hung out with her to make you jealous.” His mouth twisted into a wry half smile. “Real mature, right? But I swear, nothing happened between us. Just, you know, the Flame stuff.”
“Oh.” Kate felt a stab of hope, then remembered something else. “And Sharon? What about her?”
“Sharon?” He looked confused for a second, then his face cleared and he laughed. “Oh my God, I almost forgot about that! Kate, Sharon lives in my building. She’s like eighty, and she’s a total Broadway freak.” He shrugged, his eyes regaining some of their usual twinkle. “And yeah, I have to admit you’ve got me there. Sharon and I did have a really good time on our ‘date’ that night.”
Kate didn’t say anything for a second. What could she say? He’d put her through a lot these past few days, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to get over it just like that. But the way her knees went all wobbly when he looked at her …
“Forgive me,” he sang softly along with the band. “I know I done wrong. Forgive me, girl, ’cause I’m weak and you’re strong …” He stopped singing and shot her a hopeful smile. “What do you say, Kate? I’ll do better from now on, I swear. No matter what my reputation says.”
Kate hesitated, still not sure. “I don’t know …,” she began.
“What do I have to do, beg?” He waggled his eyebrows. “Because you know I’ll do it.”
He dropped to his knees, wrapping both arms around her wai
st. “Fitz!” Kate hissed, blushing again. “Stop!”
“Please, Kate!” he wailed loudly. “You have to forgive me! Pleeeease!”
Kate glanced around sheepishly. Tommi was still watching, and now she wasn’t the only one. People were turning to stare, giggling and pointing. How many of the girls watching them right now had Fitz been with in the past? Did it matter?
Fitz threw his head back. “Waaaah!” he cried. “I’m soooooo lonely!”
More people were laughing by now. This time Kate couldn’t help joining in. Who cared about the past? He was here right now, wanting—actually begging—to be with her. Wasn’t that what really mattered?
“Fine, I forgive you,” she said, tugging on his hair. “Just get up and stop making a fool of yourself, okay?”
He grinned, hopped to his feet, and stared at her hopefully. “Does that mean you’ll give me another shot?”
This time she only hesitated for a split second. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ll give you one more chance if you give me one.”
“Deal.” He pulled her toward him.
Kate felt her whole body relax into his kiss. She didn’t pull away even when she heard a few cheers and someone—Zara?—called out “Get a room!”
They only came up for air when the band started a new song, a popular current dance hit. People started streaming toward the dance floor.
“Shall we?” Fitz took her hand.
She smiled and nodded, and they ran out to join their friends. Tommi was dancing with Dani and Marissa and some other people. When she saw Kate coming, Tommi leaned toward her.
“You okay?” she whispered in Kate’s ear.
Kate glanced at her and smiled. “Yeah,” she replied. “More than okay, actually.”
She let out a little shriek of surprise as Fitz grabbed her and spun her around into his arms. Then she laughed and stood on tiptoes to kiss him again, suddenly so overwhelmed with warmth, relief, and joy that she hoped this night would never end.
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge all my teachers at New York University who were supportive of my riding career. I never had to pick between school and riding, and I was able to take classes that would help me become the person I chose, not who anyone else wished to mold me into. As someone who never wanted to go to college, you taught me that learning can be something to embrace and have fun with, not to rebel against. Thank you for trusting me and believing in my dreams and me.
I have to give a special thank-you to Steve Hutkins, who also gave me the freedom to become the person I am today. Without your confidence in my career and me, I never would have seen graduation day, let alone come away from college with such an amazing experience. Thank you for letting me find myself.
Christian Oh
GEORGINA BLOOMBERG is the younger daughter of New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. An accomplished equestrian, Georgina is on the board of directors of the Equestrian Aid Foundation, the United States Equestrian Federation, the Hampton Classic Horse Show, and both the Bloomberg Family and Bloomberg Sisters foundations. She is an Equine Welfare Ambassador for the ASPCA and a member of Friends of Finn for the Humane Society of the United States, as well as the chairwoman of the HSUS Horse Council. In 2006, she founded the charity The Rider’s Closet, which collects used riding clothes for those who are unable to afford them. Now run by Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, the program has enabled thousands of riders to stay in the sport and have the proper apparel and equipment. She is a graduate of New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
Georgina is donating a portion of her proceeds from this book to Friends of Finn.
Catherine Hapka has published many books for children and young adults, including several about horses. A lifelong horse lover, she rides several times per week and keeps three horses on her small farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania. In addition to writing and riding, she enjoys animals of all kinds, reading, gardening, music, and travel.
Find out what’s next for Tommi, Kate, and Zara in
Only the best of the best qualify for an exclusive series of fall horse shows. And, of course, Tommi, Kate, and Zara are the best. Still, it’s not exactly convenient that this show series starts up just as school is back in session. Can they handle the pressure of elite competition and high school?
www.bloomsburyteens.com
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Also by Georgina Bloomberg & Catherine Hapka
The A Circuit
My Favorite Mistake
Copyright © 2012 by Georgina Bloomberg
All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce, or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
First published in the United States of America in November 2012
by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
E-book edition published in November 2012
www.bloomsburyteens.com
For information about permission to reproduce selections from his book, write to
Permissions, Walker BFYR, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bloomberg, Georgina.
Off course : an A circuit novel / by Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka.
p. cm.
Summary: Tommi, Kate, and Zara, teen equestrians on horseback riding’s elite A circuit, should be preparing for the biggest show of the season, but boyfriend problems, a road trip, and a gossip blog interfere with their training.
[1. Horse shows—Fiction. 2. Horsemanship—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Wealth—Fiction.]
I. Hapka, Catherine. II. Title.
PZ7.B62345Of2012 [Fic]— dc23 2012009587
ISBN 978-1-6196-3050-5 (e-book)
Off Course Page 20