Page 4 of Grace of Spades
"Afraid so. It's a good school. Snobby though, so you may end up liking the uniforms after all."
"Great," I mutter. "Oh well, at least I'll get into a better college." I say more to assure myself than him.
"College? I thought you were on your own." He says brows pulling down in confusion.
"I'm good at school. I'm not going to get anywhere without it so I made it a priority. I've been applying for scholarships." I shrug. Here's hoping anyway, I'm probably bound for a community college one class at a time but one can dream.
"Good. That's a good way to think." He commends guiding me down another hall and into a bedroom. I almost pass out.
It's all lavender and cream with matching furniture and needless pillows. Again, like a magazine. HGTV, eat your heart out! And it's huge! It's got a couchanda bed. Rich people, man, I tell you. Andras shows me to a private bathroom through a door off to the side. It's huge too.
All white tiles and lavender accents. The bathroom matches the bedroom. What the hell? He starts laughing at me.
"You look almost disgusted," he laughs.
"Not disgusted just... bewildered?" I admit.
"What is bewildering you?" He asks still smiling. Always glad to be amusing.
"It's just a big change. Why is there a couch and a bed? Why are there so many pillows? Why does the bed have curtains?" I ask causing him to laugh harder and wave at me to stop. "You laugh but I'm serious!" I grin at his red face. We both turn at a knock on the door.
A handsome man in his early twenties in a grey suit and black framed glasses stands at the door looking a bit scared. I raise an eyebrow at Andras who straightens and puts his professional stoic mask back on.
"Ah, Christian, this is my niece, Gracelyn," Andras says stiffly. I can't help the smirk that crosses my face. I step forward so Andras can't see it.
"It's Grace. Nice to meet you." I say offering a handshake. He takes it in his large calloused hands and his coffee-brown eyes widen a fraction as I shake his hand. I notice the edge of black ink under his shirt collar. File that away. Youknow, for science.
"Nice to meet you too. I assume these are for you then." He says handing me a dry cleaning bag.
"Oh, thank you." I smile as I take them from him and set them in the closet which is also huge. I shake my head as I hang it up.
"What's wrong with the closet?" Christian asks.
"Nothing. I'm justwaaayout of my comfort zone here, that's all." I shrug. He nods with a gentle smile. He turns to Andras with a hard look that completely changes his face. He looked so cute with his dark hair flopping in his eyes. Now he looks like he's ready to kill someone if Andras says so. Another little something for my file. Also, on a completely unrelated note, kind of hot.
"Anything else, sir?" He asks.
"No Christian, that will be all. Have a good evening." Andras nods firmly. Christian nods and turns to leave with a small crooked smile at me before closing the door. Oh my damn. I hope I don't have to spend much time with him. I may not make it.
"So, I take it you don't have much with you?" Andras asks back to his normal self. Or at least what he was like before Christian came in.
"I have my bag." I shrug.
"Okay. Then you'll need clothes and a school bag." He looks me over and I find myself curling in on myself. "New shoes, jacket. Oh hell, I might as well just get someone to help." He says exasperated by the monumental task of making me presentable in his world. And just when I was starting to like him. Pity.
"I'll be fine," I say harshly. I see the realization of his words cross his face.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just meant that you deserve nice things. And you need new shoes and a jacket. Your shoes are covered in duct tape." He winces. Now I feel bad. What I thought was judgment was only concern. I’m not used to that.
"Okay. You have a point about the shoes. But I'm not taking your money. God knows I already feel like a charity case just beinghere." I mutter.
"You're not. You're family. Oh god! Mom and Dad!" He shouts raking his hands through his hair. "They're going to kill me if I don't tell them about you! They've been bugging me for years for grand-kids!" He cries.
"I have grandparents?" I blurt making him laugh.
"Oh yeah! I'll invite them over for dinner tomorrow." He smiles. "Okay! Let's go get you some clothes and we'll go out for dinner. Sound good?" I'm being ignored about the whole clothing thing. I sigh but follow him out to the driveway. I’m met with a sleek and shiny black Challenger. It’s such a sexy car and the seats feel like heaven when I get in. I want to steal it so bad.
We make it to the guard station where the guard who took my fake ID grins at me but opens the gate without a word.
