I fist my injured palm at my side and shoot Ryan a bright smile. “No, I’m okay. I don’t know what happened last night. Stress, maybe. But I’m feeling awesome right now.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he says, smiling warmly.
“Okay, I’m gonna go. Can’t piss off Mrs. S twice in a row.”
I’m already moving past him when he stops me.
“Cleo, I, uh.” He scratches his forehead. “I was wondering if you’d like to, uh, go on a date with me.”
“What?” I squeak.
“Date. With me? If you’d like to go?”
Did he just ask me out on a date?
Me?
Cleopatra Paige? The blue-haired, weird, goth girl.
It’s happened only one other time, with Neal, and I was the one who asked him out on a date. And well, we all know how that turned out.
“Cleo?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I just, um, you want to go on a date with me?”
He chuckles self-consciously. “Well, yeah. If you don’t, then –”
“No. I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to. I’ve always thought you’re hot and –” I widen my eyes because holy fuck, what am I saying?
It’s not that I’m lying, though.
If I’m being honest, I’ve always had a little crush on him. Especially while we were growing up. Tina and me, we both did. We’d take turns marrying him when we played together. He was just so cute and his smile used to make me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Ryan chuckles again but the sound has lost its embarrassed quality. “And?”
“I just…” I shake my head, feeling flushed. “I never realized that you wanted to. Go on a date, that is.”
Shrugging, he runs his hands along his hair. “I’ve always wanted to but I never had the courage to ask you before. And with everything that happened last year, I didn’t want to put any pressure on you.”
What happened last year is a weight I always carry around. And even though I’m heavier for it, people treat me like I’m the most fragile, delicate thing ever.
Blinking my eyes, I clear my throat. “Yeah. I don’t think I can. I like you, but I can’t. It’s just that… I don’t think I’m ready. And with all the work and you know, I can’t.”
“I understand,” Ryan nods and there’s a slight twinge in my heart.
He reaches out and runs a thumb over my jaw.
“I won’t give up though,” he says with a twinkle in his eyes. “Now that I know you think I’m hot.”
With that promise, he leaves and all I can do is watch him go.
And then, I smile.
His thumb was soft and smooth. The only place I felt it was where he touched me, on my jaw.
Ryan’s touch was exactly what a touch should be: warm and fleeting. It didn’t radiate out to any other part of my body. It wasn’t consuming.
Not like his touch, scorching and electric. Something I’ll think about for days to come.
Still smiling, I walk inside the staff room and take a seat beside Tina. Mrs. S is yet to come and so everyone’s talking. Well, mostly gossiping, and of course, the topic of conversation is Zach.
Leslie, one of the maids, is extremely happy that he’s back. “I can’t believe how hot he’s become. Did you see that body?” She waves a hand over her face. “Man, oh man. I want him.”
Tina shushes her. “Keep your voice down, would you? If Mrs. S hears you, you’ll be on toilet scrubbing duty for the rest of the month.”
So Mrs. S has a rule: no sleeping with the masters of the mansion or the people they fraternize with. She says it’s bad for her reputation. We won’t be a clichéd house, where maids have affairs and end up pregnant.
I’ve only worked here for a few months but one of the girls got fired for sleeping with a guest who was here on the tour. I wasn’t there but rumor has it that Mrs. S caught them red-handed, doing it in one of the guest rooms in tower three.
Leslie waves her hand. “She isn’t here. Besides, there are ways to get around her. You don’t think everyone follows the rules, do you?”
Leslie is loud and fun and even though she’s a terrible gossip, I’ve always liked her. I just don’t believe everything that comes out of her mouth. But seeing that she’s talking about the guy who more or less ruined my entire education experience, I come up with a plan.
Nothing diabolical, just something fun. And I’m going to save Leslie a lot of heartbreak in the process.
“You don’t want to break the rules for him, trust me,” I tell her, leaning over so only she and Tina can hear me.
“What do you mean?” Leslie asks, interest written all over her pretty face.
I look left then right before focusing on her. “So, last night, at the party? There was this girl talking to one of her friends. And she was saying that when she tried to hook up with Zach earlier, he had a little problem.”
“No way,” Leslie breathes.
I nod and hold my finger up before folding it down. “And you know what, I don’t think that was the first time either.”
Leslie’s eyes go wide. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I went to school with that guy.” Unfortunately. “I know things.”
Tina snorts. “Really?”
She knows I’m lying.
Leslie grabs my hand in excitement. “Are you serious? What things?”
I smirk. “Look, it could be just gossip. But back in school, I heard a rumor that he, you know, couldn’t perform, per se. So he had to take like, a pill or something.”
Leslie gasps.
Tina snorts again.
“I mean, listen, I don’t believe that blue pill thing. I think it was an exaggeration but… the not-performing thing could be true. But who knows? Gossip is gossip.”
Leslie nods. “Makes sense. Gossip is gossip. Such a shame though, if it’s true. That guy is fine.”
I sit back in my seat, satisfied and smiling. “Oh yeah, definitely.”
Tina shakes her head at me and I shrug. By the end of the day, everyone on the staff will know of Zach’s little problem. Whether they believe it or not, they’re going to wonder and that’s all I care about.
Fuck you, Zach.
We all go quiet when Mrs. S enters and starts firing off instructions like always. One of the girls is sick so I volunteer to take up her duties. It’s good. The more I work, the better. They’ll compensate me for the extra time and I’ll be that much closer to my goal.
But ten minutes later when the meeting is dismissed and we’re supposed to go about our duties, my triumphant smile courtesy of my little revenge and extra work melts off my face.
Because one of the duties that I so enthusiastically took over is to clean the room of my former bully.
The prince of The Pleiades lives in tower two.
I’ve been to his room before, of course. My first time in there, I went a little crazy. I snooped inside his closet and all his drawers. Not that I found anything interesting. He’d been gone for a couple of years by then and his room was empty besides the furniture. Except for dust bunnies, there wasn’t anything interesting in there.
I wonder what I’ll find now that he’s back. Not that I care but still.
It’s nearly lunchtime; I’m done cleaning the other rooms in the tower. Except his. I’ve been avoiding it so far but I can’t. Not anymore. I have to do it.
I push the cart with all my cleaning supplies and laundry bag, along with fresh towels and sheets, and go to his door. His room is located at the end of a gleaming corridor made of Italian marble and adorned with paintings made by expensive, foreign hands. There’s a tall window – which is a pain in the ass to clean – tucked away in the corner, overlooking a courtyard with a water fountain.
I press my ear to the door but don’t hear any sounds.
Actually, I’m kind of hoping that he isn’t here. Maybe after last night’s party, he met up with his minions and got trashed, and is now sleeping off his high somewhere. He’s been known to do that. Every Monday he used to either cut school or come to his classes after lunch, all hungover and sleepy.
Whatever the case, I’m not going to know unless I knock.
Grimacing, I raise my fist and do it.
Nothing.
Puffing out a breath, I knock again. No response.
Oh my God. Could it be? Could I be so lucky that he isn’t in there?
I can’t control the grin that overcomes my face. Fist-pumping the air, I get out my key and slide it into the lock. The lock gives easily and I push the door open. Maybe I’ll be done before he returns and I won’t have to see his handsome but cruel face.
The first thing I notice when I step inside is that it’s bright. Glaring bright. I have to put up my hand to avoid the sunrays blasting through the windows.
Zach’s room has the biggest ones of all the rooms in this place. They go from floor to ceiling and take up an entire wall.
The first time I was here, I was astounded by the sheer size of them. It’s almost like a glass wall. You can see the woods spanning the property. You can see the entire sky through it.
And the best part? There’s an alcove extending into the window, sticking out separate from the architecture of the room. The sides and the bottom of the alcove are glass, as well. So when you step into it, it’s like walking on air.
As much as I hate him, I love the room he grew up in.
I step out of the glare of the sun and slowly, the bright spots behind my eyes go away. I’d be relieved that I can see but I’m not.
Because as soon as my eyes adjust, they fall on the giant bed. Which is currently occupied.
By a sleeping Zach.
I press a fist over my mouth to keep myself from shrieking out. I even lock my knees so I don’t make any sudden moves and wake him up.
Why didn’t I think of this before? Why didn’t it occur to me that he might be sleeping?
I’m an idiot. That’s why.