The Cinderella Society (7 page)

I got tongue-tied when it was my turn. After stuttering out my order, I played mute and listened to Sarah Jane finish her story as a counter guy handed Sarah Jane’s latte to Audrey. Aside from making the best pumpkin muffin tops in the world—according to
Seventeen
magazine—one of The Grind’s claims to fame was the picture they sprinkled on the tops of their to-die-for drinks. They held a cool shaker thing over the cup, gave it a quick tap, and you had a perfect image on the top of your designer coffee. I’d gotten everything from a butterfly to a megaphone to a heart on mine.

Audrey picked up a purple shaker I hadn’t noticed before and gave Sarah Jane’s coffee a topper. My extra-tall caramel latte came up next, and Audrey picked up the bright pink shaker I recognized as the dragonfly. She paused with
the shaker in her hand and looked at Sarah Jane. “She’s with you?”

“This is Jess Parker,” Sarah Jane said. “We’re hanging out today.”

Audrey extended her free hand across the counter to shake mine. “Nice to meet you, Jess. I’ve seen you in here with Rosemary.”

Whoa
. She even knew Nan’s name. “Hi, Miss London. It’s nice to meet you.” And I only stuttered once.
M-meet you
.

“Call me Audrey. We’re among friends, right?”

I nodded uncertainly, struck mute by my celeb fright, while Audrey switched shakers and popped a quick picture from the purple one. She snapped on a clear lid and handed me the cup as I pulled out my money.

Audrey shook her head. “It’s on the house. Welcome to town, Jess Parker.”

I thanked her profusely, still amazed that she’d said my name not once, but twice. As I looked down at my free latte, I saw a picture I hadn’t gotten before. It was starting to disintegrate into the steamy mixture, but it looked distinctly like a shoe. A high heel, to be exact. Like a …

“No way,” I whispered.

“Way,” Sarah Jane whispered back, as Audrey gave me a wink before turning to help the next person in line.

A lump formed in my throat. One moonlight initiation and I was already rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. I watched as the picture dissolved away into nothing. But my first glimpse at how the other half lived was imprinted on my brain. Fame, fortune, and a latte topper in the shape of a glass slipper.

I hoped the clock would never strike midnight.

We grabbed a booth along the front as some girls I
recognized from gym were leaving. Audrey came over with a cute red bistro towel and did a quick wipe of the table. She slowed her last swipe and lowered her voice. “Rumor has it there were fourteen at The Range last night.”

Sarah Jane’s eyes widened. “Fourteen?”

“Fourteen what?” I asked, forgetting I was the tagalong.

“People.” Sarah Jane glanced at Audrey. “They doubled?”

Audrey nodded, finishing the wipe-down with a flourish. “Strength in numbers, honey,” she said before moving back to the counter.

Sarah Jane sat motionless, still in shock over the number fourteen. Kyra and Mel came in, and Sarah Jane waved them over. Kyra motioned toward the counter first, and she and Mel went to grab drinks of their own.

By the time they got to our table, Kyra’s expression matched Sarah Jane’s.

“Fourteen?” she asked Sarah Jane quietly. “How did we miss that?”

Sarah Jane shook her head. “I don’t know, but we’ll have to pass it along.”

I was about to ask, “Fourteen what?” again, figuring Sarah Jane would realize it was rude to keep talking in cryptics, when two hunky seniors arrived on the scene. Mark Evans and Ben Harper came strolling in, looking divine in polos and cargo shorts. Just like that, the mood went from dark to sparkling.

They pulled up chairs next to their respective girlfriends, Mark by Sarah Jane and Ben by Kyra. Sarah Jane made introductions for Mel and me, and the conversation shifted to finals-week war stories. I listened quietly and tried to pretend I belonged there. Until Ben looked over at the door and yelled, “Steele!”

We all turned, and there in the flesh—very
fine
flesh—was fantasy boy himself. Ryan lifted his chin in greeting and headed our way. The guys exchanged a fancy testosterone handshake before turning to the girls. My heart stopped as I saw recognition dawn on his face.

“So you made it?” A smile lit his eyes. “I thought that might be the last we saw of Jess Parker.”

“Yeah,” I said, trying to think of a witty comeback. Instead, all I could think was how he actually knew my full name and how white his teeth were up close, so nothing else came out. Just “yeah.”

He turned his attention back to the rest of the group and joined in the conversation about the party at Nick Case’s last night. I refrained from kicking myself under the table.

I tried to look casual and cool, but there was no escaping reality. For someone who was totally at ease with adults—thanks to years of working with them on volunteer stuff—I was pretty awkward with people my own age. Especially guys. I might be a Sister, but I had miles to go before I’d ever blend with Sarah Jane’s crowd.

When the guys finally stood to go, Mark gave Sarah Jane a quick peck on the cheek. “What’s your plan today?”

“Hanging out with the girls,” she said. “Maybe working on some cheers.”

What?!
Noooo!
Sarah Jane had promised we’d spend the afternoon working on makeover stuff, not test-drive new material for …

Oh
.

So
discretion
meant no boyfriends either. Interesting.

Ben gave Kyra a peck—earning both couples brownie points for low-key PDA—and the guys headed toward the door. It wasn’t until Sarah Jane stifled a laugh that I realized
I was wearing the most blatant puppy-dog expression.

“Ryan?” she asked.

My face went from pasty to scarlet in two seconds flat. “I didn’t know he’d be here.”

“They travel in herds, but that’s a story for another day.” She looked around the table, a glint in her eye. “Right now, we’ve got work to do.”

*   *   *

When you’re about to enter the mysterious world of a secret society, back toward the café bathrooms and through the employee-entrance door probably isn’t the first place you’d expect to go.

Sarah Jane paused to make a call from the pay phone in the employee hall, but she didn’t actually talk to anyone, as far as I could tell. She swiped a credit card–looking thing and punched in some numbers before we heard a buzz and click from the door marked
MANAGEMENT ONLY
. We followed her through that door into another hallway … and another … burrowing deeper into the heart of the building. The Grind must’ve been built around a maze.

I wondered if I should leave a trail of bread crumbs. Which made me hungry, since between Audrey’s presence, the number fourteen, and three very distracting hotties, we’d forgotten to order lunch.

We finally stopped in front of a door with a keypad and waited while Sarah Jane punched in more numbers. The butterflies were busy in my chest, tapping out Morse code for
Are you sure you’re ready for this?

Sarah Jane pushed the door open and held it wide as Kyra and Mel stepped inside. I followed suit, stepping into the secret hideaway of The Cinderella Society.

The ritzy setup looked like a huge, posh boardroom. But
instead of catering to corporate-y types in suits, it was just the four of us and Gaby, who was busy laying binders around the giant table.

Warm, shiny wood and big, comfy rolling chairs in gorgeous deep purple suede gave the room a high-class feel while still making the huge space feel homey. Homey or not, the fears from the night before crept in, reminding me I was out of my league. I laid my hand on top of a chair, nervously stroking the soft leather.

“Faux, of course,” Sarah Jane said. “Soft and animal-friendly.”

Vanilla candles burned on a crystal platter down the center of the table, and ornately framed pictures lined the walls. The walls themselves were a soft shade of lavender and, upon closer inspection, were covered with photographs of celebrities: classy actresses and pro athletes and Grammy winners. Exactly the kind of women you’d expect The Cinderella Society to consider role models. All positive, all powerful, all dazzling.

Yep. Light-years out of my league. A different galaxy, even.

I stepped closer to peer at a collection of silver-framed group photos near the door, some of which included Sarah Jane or Kyra or Paige surrounded by other girls. Everyone looked luminous and happy. With some framed Asian graphics for joy, wisdom, prosperity, and harmony, the room was a tribute to girl power.

Gaby waved us around the table, where thick binders awaited us. Sarah Jane led me over to one by her, and Kyra led Mel to another. I reached for the binder.

Sarah Jane stilled my wrist. “Gab?”

“Hang on,” she said, still bustling around the room, lighting candles, pulling supplies from shelves, and grabbing
bowls for snacks. “We have to wait for everyone else.”

“No worries.” Sarah Jane leaned toward me. “This is Gaby’s first time as Alpha Chair. She’s gonna be great.”

“Alpha Chair?” I asked.

“Sit tight, J.” She looked up at Gaby, who was pouring trail mix into jewel-toned glass bowls. “Did Audrey tell you about the number spike?”

Gaby glanced up, losing her concentration and pouring trail mix on the table. “She has news already?”

“Fourteen,” Kyra said.

Gaby set the bag down with a thump. “That’s double.”

Sarah Jane, Kyra, and Gaby looked at each other, each mulling over the magic number fourteen, while Mel and I exchanged looks of cluelessness.

I cleared my throat. “What does fourteen mean?”

Gaby shook her head to clear it, bending to scoop up the trail-mix mess. “I guess I’ll have to include that.” She steadied her hands on the table. “As Gwen would say,
Game on.”

“Game on,” Sarah Jane agreed.

*   *   *

The other girls from the initiation ceremony began to arrive, and Sarah Jane and Kyra retreated to a row of chairs against the wall behind us. When everyone was seated, Gaby moved to the head of the table and opened a large leather book with a lock on the side like a diary.

“As you all know, my name is Gaby Winston. I’ll be your Alpha Chair for the next year. My job is to lead your Alpha-level meetings and get you ready to take the next step in the Sisterhood.

“Since this is your first time back to the Club, here’s the lowdown. This is our meeting place for Cindys only. No one else knows it exists. There are security locks on the outer
management entrance and on the door to the Club. You’ll each be given your own code, and the security system will log every time you enter the facility. You’re free to come back here whenever you want during business hours to study and work on your projects.”

She stretched out her arms to encompass the room. “This is what we call Study Hall. Through that door”—she pointed to her left—“is the Alpha office. That’s where I’ll be when I’m on duty this summer. If I’m not on duty, you can leave me a note in my mailbox.”

Gaby gestured to the other doors farther down on her left. “The next door is the leader’s office, Paige Ellis. She’s a camp counselor this summer, so she’ll be MIA for the next week or so during counselor training. The last door is the Gamma office. It has its own keyed access and is off-limits unless you’ve got Gamma security clearance.”

She pointed a thumb over her shoulder. “Behind me is the Cindy lounge. We’ve got a great setup in there: a kitchenette with a couple of tables, two laptops, a TV, and a bathroom. Audrey keeps us well stocked, so have at it if you get the munchies. If you want a sandwich or something from the front while Audrey’s here, instructions for ordering are next to the laptops. Audrey will bring it back.”

Security clearance and a supermodel waiting on us? Who
were
we?

“From now on, you only hang in the front if you’re here to socialize. If you’re here for the Society, you enter through the outside door near the bathrooms and come straight back through the employee entrance. You leave the same way you came in. No one should see you enter or exit if you can help it. If anyone questions you, just tell them you’re doing some work for Audrey.”

“Audrey hires students for a lot of things around the store,” Kyra explained. “That helps us with the cover.”

They weren’t kidding about secrecy. I wondered if fingerprinting was far behind.

“The binders in front of you,” Gaby continued, “are your Sisterhood training manuals. The
CMM
on the cover stands for
Cinderella Makeover Manual
. The
CMM
is one of the most top secret documents in the Society and does
not
leave the Club. There are lockers in the lounge for you to lock them up when you leave.”

Since when did makeovers require training? My fantasies about simple before-and-after photos were looking more and more like a pipe dream.

Gaby consulted the book in front of her, leaving her finger on the page to mark her spot. “It goes without saying that nothing you see, hear, or do in the Club goes beyond the Club. You’re not to mention the
CMM
or anything about The Cinderella Society to non-Cindys.”

“What about Audrey?” I asked. “Doesn’t she know?”

Gaby smiled. “You’re quick. A group like ours can’t function without help, so we have a dedicated support system for what we do. Audrey has a lucrative contract with us for the space, so that works for both of us.”

I couldn’t imagine what
lucrative
meant to a millionaire supermodel, but the Cindys had to be seriously well funded. I made a mental note to get the scoop from Sarah Jane on who was financing our little group. She’d sworn it was strictly a “no dues” thing. Which was good, because my allowance couldn’t support a hamster, much less a supermodel.

“She’s also our eyes and ears,” Sarah Jane added. “That’s part of why she’s so chummy out front. She’s like that anyway, but she picks up a lot from people who come into the store.
If it’s detrimental to us or to”—she paused—“other people, Audrey lets us know.”

“And those other people are exactly why you’re here,” Gaby said. “The Cinderella Society’s creed is simple but powerful: Celebrate your strength, embrace your future, and be extraordinary. Every Cindy, no matter what level, has the same creed. It’s what drives everything the Sisterhood is about.”