The Awakening, page 39
part #1 of Eve Series
“Where exactly are we going?” she asked, skeptically.
“To see my mom, duh.”
“I know that, but where is she?”
He smiled. “Home.”
“We were just at your home.”
“No, she’s home home.”
“What do you mean she’s home home?”
“She’s at our condo—in Manhattan.”
“WHAT?” Eve shrieked. “We’re going to NEW YORK? ”
“Yeah. Where did you think we were going?”
“I don’t know, not across the entire country, that’s for damn sure.”
“Relax,” he answered, trying to stifle his spreading grin. “We’re taking my
mom’s private jet. It’s not like you have to fly commercial or anything.”
“It’s not the flight accommodations that I’m worried about, Percy.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“What’s the problem?” she snapped. “We’re flying to the east coast, and the party is tomorrow.”
“We’ll fly in, snag a dress, stay the night, and fly back tomorrow morning.
With the time difference, we’ll be back way before the party even starts.”
Eve sucked in a deep breath and watched as a small private airport appeared
in the distance. She cursed to herself and picked at her cuticles.
“I don’t have anything. No toothpaste, no change of clothes…”
“My mom has toothpaste and clothes,” he scoffed. “Where do you think I’m
taking you? A desert island?”
“This is crazy.”
“Live a little, Eve.” He punched her in the shoulder. “The plan is foolproof.
What’s there to worry about?”
Eve stared at the rows of jets; they were sleek, lined up like prized ponies on
display.
“I’ve never even been on a plane before.”
“What? Are you serious? Where are you from, the nineteen hundreds? Does your car run on gasoline, too?”
Percy hauled Eve from her seat and dragged her through the lot like a parent
with a stubborn child. His plan was completely absurd, but for whatever
reason, be it desperation or the hint of elation buzzing inside of her, Eve decided to surrender to his will. She boarded the private jet behind Percy, admiring the luxury of the plush leather seats and ruby-red floors. The cabin was lit with a faint glow, the walls and ceiling the color of champagne and lined with a gold trim. She sat down in the seat across from Percy, who had already made himself comfortable, and just as she was getting acclimated to her surroundings, a well-groomed steward squatted beside her.
“Good afternoon, Mr. LaFleur, Miss Kingston,” he began, his words breathy
and cool. “Can I interest you in a beverage?”
“Scotch on the rocks for me,” Percy chimed in. “And a hot towel, please.”
The steward looked at Eve, his eyes warm and almost hypnotic. “For you,
Miss Kingston?”
“Um,” she stuttered, “water is fine.”
“Seltzer, flavored, mountain, holy, or spring water?”
Eve hesitated. “The regular kind?”
Percy laughed, leaning back in his chair like a proud king. “Enjoy the ride,
my dear. You’ll thank me for this later.”
Despite her apprehensions, Eve quickly adjusted to the comfort and opulence
of the LaFleur private jet. The flight was smooth, and time seemed to pass in an
instant, as there were plenty of entertainments to occupy their time. A large HV
and gaming system adorned one of the cabin walls, and at Percy’s insistence, Eve allowed herself to partake in the frivolous hologames. They battled ninjas,
zombies, and ninja zombies, and they cheered and laughed until they were tired
and out of breath. For that short period of time, Eve was free from any hint of
anxiety—she and Percy were just friends engaged in a foolish, thoughtless
adventure.
Upon landing, Eve followed Percy through the airport, trying to catch quick
glimpses of the city through the windows. It was hard to believe she was
actually in New York, and while she wasn’t typically easily excitable, she felt a
rush of childish delight within her. Before she could relish in the moment, Percy stopped just short of the exit and beckoned her to his side.
“You ready?”
“Ready for what?”
“Two things: one, it’s going to be colder than shit out there.”
Eve looked down at her light hooded sweatshirt and frowned. “Thanks for
the warning.”
“Two,” Percy continued, “be prepared for bright lights. Lots of bright lights.”
“Is this some type of metaphor for the lights of New York?” she quipped.
“Cute, Percy. Really cute.”
He laughed. “Actually, forget that last part. I think I’m going to enjoy this.”
Without another word, Percy led her outside, exposing them to a frenzy of
flashing lights and incoherent shouting. Eve gasped, her eyes practically blinded by the incessant blinking of the shining, white lights.
Percy smirked. “Having fun yet?”
Eve squinted, straining to discern the chaos in front of her. A horde of
photographers surrounded the duo, snapping pictures and barking the most
inane, mindless questions she had ever heard.
“PERCY! WHERE’S YOUR MOTHER?”
“PERCY, IS THAT YOUR GIRLFRIEND?”
“OVER HERE, PERCY! LOOK OVER HERE!”
Eve clung to Percy, who appeared confident and poised, completely unfazed
by the mob of paparazzi. She looked past the crowd, deep into the darkness of
the street, and saw a stretch limo waiting only a few yards away.
Percy elbowed her in the ribs. “Let’s keep it moving, lady.”
He grabbed at Eve’s wrist and tugged her through the crowd, and the
flashing lights and witless shouting surged around them. Eve thought the
mayhem felt vaguely familiar, as if she had been there many times before, and
then she remembered the angry protesters at Billington, with their painted
signs and deranged chanting. The paparazzi, though equally unyielding,
seemed innocent in comparison; they smiled as Percy passed, almost
completely uninterested, for once, in the chimera at his side.
Percy shoved Eve into the limousine and slammed the door behind him,
quickly repositioning his hair and adjusting his leather coat at the seams. Eve shook her tousled locks from her face and wrapped her arms around her
shivering body, trying her best to shield herself from the blistering cold. Amid
all of the insanity, she almost didn’t notice the woman sitting across from her.
“Oh, dear, you’re shaking like a leaf,” the woman cooed. She turned toward
a small speaker in her headrest. “Aleksander, please turn on the heater
immediately.”
A rush of heat pulsed through the vents, and Eve sighed with relief. Settling
into her seat, she took a good look at the strange woman in front of her.
Her face was beautiful and oddly youthful with rosy cheeks and plump, pink
lips to match. She had shoulder-length, silky brown hair that shimmered like gold under the faint light of the limo. Her emerald-green eyes were sparkly and bright, offset by the rich ebony wrap that hung over her milky shoulders.
Eve could see hints of Percy in her features—they had the same almond-shaped
eyes, the same pointed chin and high cheekbones—and she knew immediately
that this stunning woman was his mother.
“Thank you,” Eve muttered shyly. “Not just for the heat, but for picking us
up—for everything.”
Percy smiled. “Eve, this is my mother, Alicia. Mom, this is Eve.”
“Ah, yes, the one you’ve told me so much about. Well, let me tell you,
darling, any friend of Percy is a friend of mine.” She giggled to herself and glided her fingers through her hair, exposing several jeweled bracelets that hung around her wrist. “So, tell me about this party you’re attending. I hear
you’re in a bit of a pickle, yes?”
Eve glanced back and forth between Percy and her hostess before
continuing. “Well, Jason Valentine is having his twenty-first birthday party
tomorrow, and I’m supposed to be his date, except I don’t have a dress.”
“Oh, you two are absolute dolls. I remember what it was like to be your age
—so young, so full of adventure. Flying across the country on a whim, just for
a simple gown.” She sighed, her eyes distant as she reminisced. “When I look
at you, Eve, I see so much of myself in you. I mean, really, Percy,” she turned
toward her son and pointed at Eve, “don’t we look alike? I swear, people could
mistake us for sisters.”
Percy chuckled, glancing at Eve as if to say I told you so.
Alicia scanned Eve, studying her appearance. “You’re a vision, darling. Very
statuesque, and such elegant features.” Her eyes lowered, landing on Eve’s
simple grey and blue wardrobe. “Love the ensemble, by the by. Minimalism is
so in right now. Tell me, what inspired you?”
Eve hesitated. “Poverty?”
“Poverty is on fire this season. Way to be on point with the trends, darling.”
The limo glided through Manhattan, swerving past bustling New Yorkers
and yellow taxicabs. It was just as it appeared in the movies, the buildings stretching like giants into the night sky, looming overhead in a way that made
Eve feel small. It was as if she had been transported to another time and dimension, away from Billington and its theatrics. Just hours ago she had been
firing guns in Calabasas, and now she was sitting in a limousine with Alicia LaFleur, a simple woman with not-so-simple taste, discussing a passion for
fashion that Eve wasn’t entirely sure she had in the first place.
The driver pulled over to the side of the street, parking the car in front of the
double doors of a massive tower. The building reminded her of Rutherford
Hall, though it was at least three times as tall and far more luxurious. The grounds were lit with spotlights that flickered against the large black windows,
making the building sparkle like a beautiful gem in the heart of Manhattan.
Before Eve could admire the architecture any longer, her window was
blocked, the view covered by a very strange sight—a crotch, or rather the
zippered fly of a pair of jeans, worn by yet another nagging paparazzo. In moments, the entire car was surrounded. Eve glanced at Percy, who was
fiddling with his sunglasses, unconcerned with the situation.
Alicia wrinkled her nose and pouted. “It looks like they’ve cornered us
again, haven’t they?” She turned to Eve and nodded her head at the blocked door. “Go ahead and open it, darling. They’ll make room for you—eventually.
And if they don’t, well”—she winked—“feel free to be a bit aggressive.”
“Oh, okay,” Eve stuttered. She reached for the handle and gave it a forceful
push, knocking it against the photographers that crowded around the
limousine.
“ALICIA!” they shouted. “ALICIA, LOOK OVER HERE!”
Alicia stepped onto the pavement and flashed a gorgeous, toothy smile at the
cameras. Eve reluctantly stumbled out after her, followed by a much more
graceful Percy, and Alicia eagerly grabbed both of their hands before steering them toward the high-rise.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING TONIGHT, ALICIA?”
Mrs. LaFleur giggled. “Spending time with my handsome son and his
delightful friend.”
“ALICIA, WHAT IS YOUR FRIEND WEARING?”
“Poverty,” she smiled, wrapping her arm around Eve and squeezing her
tightly. “She’s wearing poverty.”
The threesome shuffled into the lobby of the building, sauntering past
uniformed workers and wealthy residents, and all the while Eve gawked at the
lavish conditions. They filed into a glass elevator that shot up like a bullet to the LaFleur family condo on the thirty-first floor, and when the doors opened,
her eyes lit up with awe. The entryway was amazing: vanilla-colored marble
floors reflected the lights of the colossal chandelier hanging overhead, and beyond that, ivory staircases sat along either side of a single hallway, itself lined with a crimson rug intricately stitched with flecks of gold and bronze. A
massive, hand-painted family portrait adorned one of the walls, and beneath it
stood a line of tuxedoed servants.
Alicia scampered toward one of the servants and plopped her wrap onto his
outstretched arms. “Follow me, darlings,” she trilled before heading up one of
the staircases, leaving Eve standing in the middle of the entryway, still
awestruck.
Percy nudged her shoulder. “What are you waiting for? We’ve got dresses to
sort through.”
Eve and Percy scurried up the staircase and down the hallway, following
Alicia to a large, open room lined with rows and rows of the most beautiful shoes, purses, and jewelry Eve had ever seen.
“What is this?” she asked, strolling past a tier of glittering necklaces. “Is this your bedroom?”
Alicia chuckled. “Don’t be silly, darling. This is a closet.”
“Your closet is bigger than the apartment I lived in for three years.”
Alicia’s chortle turned into an uproar. “Percy, you’re right, she is hilarious.”
Just as the heiress’s laughter began to ebb, three more servants came
barging through the doorway, pushing racks stuffed with more gowns than Eve
could have possibly imagined, all perfectly color-coordinated and
overflowing with glittering appliqués, voluminous skirts, and rich fabrics.
Alicia delicately ran her hand across the dresses, admiring her collection.
“So, where would you like to start? You have such a lovely skin tone—
eggplant or coral would look absolutely remarkable on you.”
“It’s a black-and-white ball, Mom,” Percy muttered. “I think you can gather
from that what her color options are.”
Alicia turned to Eve and frowned. “What a shame. Cherry red would really
suit you.” She turned to her servants. “Gentlemen, please remove the colored gowns.”
The workers scuttled through the room, reorganizing the racks with the
speed and efficiency of an assembly line. Finally, only one rack remained, displaying the finest black and white chiffon, satin, and lace that money could
buy. Alicia flipped through the gowns like they were pages of a book, trying to
find the perfect look for her protégé.
“So, my dear, how would you like to look?” She pulled out a white ball
gown with a fluffy tulle skirt. “Belle of the ball? The princess alongside Prince
Valentine?”
“God no,” Eve blurted out. She blushed. “I mean, I’m not exactly the
‘princess’ type.”
“Hm.” Alicia continued to search through the selections, landing on a sexy
number with panels of black sequins and a plunging neckline. “How about the
dark, seductive temptress?”
Percy rolled his eyes. “Eve needs all the likeability points she can get.
Parading around as a villainous femme fatale will hardly help her cause.”
“Oh, I’ve got it,” Alicia chirped, grabbing a long, lace gown in ivory. “A delicate pearl—a damsel in distress, yes?”
“Mom, please,” Percy moaned. “A damsel in distress? The girl’s a chimera ; she’s genetically programmed to be an ass-kicking machine.”
Eve winced, as if Percy’s words were daggers piercing her skin. Alicia
looked up, her eyes suddenly bright with astonishment and intrigue, and Eve felt a pang of dread in her gut.
“You’re a chimera, dear?”
“Not just any chimera, Mom. She’s the strongest chimera in the world, which makes her a mega, über, super chimera—”
“Percy,” Eve grumbled, “I can speak for myself.”
“Sorry. Told you it was a bad habit.”
Alicia was silent, still staring at Eve with the gentlest eyes Eve had ever seen.
Eve held her breath, anticipating the storm to come, waiting for Alicia to snarl
with disgust, or to banish her from her home never to return again. The quiet
felt endless, and with clenched fists and a straightened back, Eve braced herself
for the verbal assassination she was sure would take place.
“The strongest chimera in the entire world,” Alicia repeated. “Well now, that
changes everything, doesn’t it?”
With one fluid motion, Alicia reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind
Eve’s ear. She smiled.
“A woman with such power needs a powerful dress—a statement piece.”
Eve’s eyes widened; she opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the
words.
“The strongest chimera in the world should command attention and
admiration. And I know just the dress.” Alicia beamed with delight and dashed toward the rack, pulling out a strapless gown in jet black with a heart-shaped neckline. “It’s a vintage piece from the twenties—twenty-twenty-seven, I
