EruditeAbnegationMockingjay- Thanks so much!
legeorge02- I can't wait to write what happens between Celeste and Josh as well!
Kiren- Agreed!
4Love4Love4- Hmmm, maybe, read the chapter and find out!
blondfangirl777- Oooh! I can't wait either!
miaforevez- Here's a new chapter! Don't forgot about Celeste! And I think I'm going to re read the whole series before the heir comes out to refresh my memory! :) Hope you like the chapter!
True to my word, I meet up in Josh's room before the reception. I dressed to impress. During the few days since our last meeting, I thought about his words to me, and got my hopes up by thinking that he liked me.
Focus Celeste. I was here for Maxon. I could crush on Josh, but that's all it could be, a frivolous daydream of a crush that could go absolutely no where.
My dress was a very creamy white. Natalie, slacking off on her job, couldn't find out which colors we were supposed to wear, and so I wore the prettiest dress in my closet.
When I arrive, Josh's eyes rake up and down my body, the dress hitting my curves just right. I will myself not to blush, like a true model must do, and escort Josh down to the reception.
The room is empty, Natalie and Elise are still getting ready, but everything is set up. Natalie and Elise are supposed to meet up with me in about 10 minutes, giving Josh time to familiarize himself with the piano.
I go around to all of the tables, making sure nothing is out of place.
Josh gently strokes the pianos chords, emitting a pleasant and slow tune.
I turn around to face him and smile coyly, then spin back around and mentally scold myself for it.
When I finish inspecting, taking a much longer time doing it than necessary, I take a seat next to Josh's left side on the piano seat and brush his expert fingers aside.
Steeling up my courage, I grin at him. "I'm an expert pianist." I say sassily.
I play twinkle twinkle, an old childhood song from America that has been passed down over the years, with my right hand.
Josh reaches his arm around my back, and plays the left handed notes, while I play the right.
His arm is touching my bare back, and I will myself not to shiver.
This boy made me forget all of the rules of modeling and etiquette!
Josh raises both eyebrows at me when we finish the elementary tune, and lets his hand drop.
"Um, Natalie and Elise are going to be here any second now." I say, adding in mentally 'so behave.'
Josh looks like he gets the picture.
I leave the room and take a peak out in the hallway, seeing Natalie and Elise making their way towards me...in dark blue dresses.
I sigh inwardly. Now we weren't going to match! But at least I'd stand out.
Natalie looks hurt. "Celeste, I thought I told you to wear a blue dress." She says confused.
"What? No, you never said anything about our dress colors." I say crossly.
Elise and Natalie look at me, crossing their arms; but I'm saved from having to answer because Silvia enters the room.
"Ladies. Mr. Cohen." She says nodding at each of us in turn.
She goes around, inspecting out work, clucking when she comes to Natalie's choice of flowers.
"Ladies! Lilies are used at funerals, not receptions!" Silvia hisses at us, glancing at Josh, who feigns disinterest.
It doesn't help that America and Kriss wander in then, full witnesses to our mistake, well, Natalie's mistake.
Silvia quickly rushes out of the room, and returns with some servants, who hastily remove all of the lilies from the room.
I glare at Natalie, but don't say anything. Elise and I were going to give it to her later, that's for sure!
Our first guests, Queen Amberly, King Clarkson, and Prince Maxon, glide in then, and I motion for Josh to start playing.
Josh nods, smoothly brushing his fingers over the keys, effortlessly sending a gentle tune throughout the room.
Queen Amberly smiles, recognizing the tune, and takes King Clarkson's hand, swaying a little.
The rest of our guests arrive soon after, and we entertain them for the rest of the evening. Our food is on point, our music, excellent choices! The seating could have been different, and the decorations could have been better. Overall though, I'd say our night was a success, and I was hoping that Kriss and America would not beat us.
After all of the guests leave, and the German Federation leaves us with remarks of what a wonderful time they had, Silvia, Natalie, Elise and I are left in the room.
Servants rush in to help clean up, and Silvia thanks us for a great job.
"It wasn't an easy job girls, and despite the flowers mess up, I think that you girls did a great job, worth being proud of." Silvia says golf clapping for us.
We stammer out our thanks, and Silvia, followed by Elise and Natalie exit.
Cursing myself on not walking out with them, Josh is left to escort me to my room, being a gentlemen and all, he won't budge when I tell him I could walk myself.
He tries to strike up a conversation with me as we walk, and I try to cooperate, without fully enjoying myself though.
"I'd say you did great, despite that mishap with the lilies." Josh says grimacing good naturedly.
"Oh shush, I saw you smiling that entire time! And i'll have you know that I wasn't in charge of that, I did the food, which came out quite delicious." I say putting my hands on my hips as a reflex.
Josh's eyes follow my hands, and I hurriedly look away.
"I'm leaving tomorrow." Josh finally says.
That makes me look at him.
"What? So soon? Are you ever coming back?" The questions flood out of my mouth.
Josh looks at me sadly. "I don't know." He says sadly.
I stand frozen, looking at him.
It's not until Josh's arm slides into the crook made by my hands on my hips that begin moving again. Linked together, he escorts me to my room, bowing to me at my door.
It's not until I'm in my room that I realize that I don't know if i'll have a chance to say goodbye tomorrow, and that I should have done it outside.
I flop on my bed, Bridge, Jodi and Sarah leaping up.
Jodi was stitching something on the sewing machine, while Sarah and Bridge were discussing something intently.
I'm eased out of my dress, and then I just go right to bed, no nonsense.
My thoughts are all jumbled up when my maids leave me for the night, and I'm thinking that my life, despite it being really awesome, sucks.
Not being able to sleep, I decide to write a letter to Liz and Angie. I would find a way to send it later. I tell them all about what's been happening in the letter, and then after thinking very carefully about what would happen if someone read my letter, I decide to throw caution to the wind for once and tell them about Josh anyway.
I nearly fall asleep writing, remembering at the last second to fall asleep onto a soft pillow, rather than a hard desk.
In the morning, Bridge wakes me up.
"What?" I mutter groggily.
"Celeste. I'd like you to meet someone." She says earnestly.
I sit up.
"Wait, ohmygodisityourhusband?" I ask eyes wide.
"Huh? Slow down girl." Bridge says laughing lightly.
"Your husband got drafted to the palace?" I squeak.
Bridge beams. "Yup! Now get dressed so you can meet him! He's on duty right now, but only guarding the garden doors, so I'm sure we can sneak by and say hello." She says.
"What, how, when did this happen?" I ask bemused.
"His first day is today." She says. "Look, can I tell you something Celeste?" She asks me.
"Yeah, sure, anything." I say.
"I'm kind of conflicted. On one end, he's here, with me at the palace! But on the other hand, he's a guard, and they can get injured at any given moment." Bridge says eyes wide.
"All true. But at least he's not in New Asia." I remind her, and Bridge smiles largely.
"Ah, you're right." She says taking the covers off of my body and helping me into a day dress.
It was still early in the morning, before breakfast time even. I didn't know what time Josh was leaving, although I shouldn't have really cared.
Bridge practically skips with me to the entrance to the gardens, slowing down when we round the corner.
Standing guard were two men, one had very young features, he was no older than me! The other looked a little older, early twenties maybe, and had a set face.
Which one was Bridge's husband?
Bridge launches herself into the older ones arms, and his stern looking face breaks out into a smile, so that it didn't look so stern at all.
The younger guard looks uncomfortable, once Bridge, and from what his nametag says, Officer Johnson start full on kissing.
I sidle up to the young guard, and he looks taken aback by my appearance.
"Don't worry, they'll stop in a few seconds." I say confidently.
The guard looks at me, and then nervously looks at the couple.
Poor boy.
True to my word, Bridge and Officer Johnson stop kissing after a few seconds, and then Bridge introduces me to him. His name Elliot, Eli for short, and Bridge was blissfully in love with him.
After a few minutes of talking, the younger guard coughs loudly, our cue to leave them before they get in trouble, and Bridge drops me off in the dining room for breakfast.
The girls are very distant at breakfast, and we all gather in the Women's Room directly after it.
The queen was missing, and we all speculated over why.
Personally, I was tired from being awoken early, and then even more cranky because Josh was leaving today, and I didn't even say goodbye.
"I bet she's helping Silvia write up the final report." Elise says confidently.
"I don't think she's supposed to have much of a say." Kriss counters.
"Maybe she's hung over." Natalie says pressing her fingers to her temples.
"Just because you are doesn't mean she is." I say all snarky like.
"She just might not be feeling well." America says pointedly. "She tends to get sick a lot."
Right, like America knew exactly what was happening with Queen Amberly.
A maid steps into the room then, with a note for America. Of course.
"Is it from Maxon?" Kriss asks eagerly.
"Yes." America says without looking up.
"What's it say." Kriss probs.
"That he needs to see me for a moment."
Ugh! He probably just wants to make out with her!
"Guess there's only one way to find out." America says standing up and leaving the room.
"Maybe he's finally kicking her out." I whisper to Kriss.
America's shoulders twitch, but to her credit, she doesn't turn around.
After she's gone, we all disband. Kriss and Elise stays in the room while Natalie goes to sleep of her hangover.
As for me? I nearly run in my haste to get to Josh's room before he leaves. I knock breathlessly at his door, and he, thank god! Answers it right away.
Peering into his room, I could see that he's all packed and ready to go.
"Are you leaving now?" I ask, hating how desperate I sounded.
Josh looks at my face closely, "Yes, I am, what is it to you?" He asks indifferently.
That stabs a knife into my stomach.
"Oh? Oh nothing." I say schooling my features to match his indifference.
"Celeste, nothing happened between us, and nothing will." Josh says.
We're in his room by now, door closed.
The knife in my stomach turns, and my blood spills everywhere.
"Of course, I know that." I say laughing it off while my blood pours out.
Josh's face twinges for a second, and I see a wistful and regretting expression, before it smooth's out into one of boredom.
"Ok." He says.
"Ok." I say swallowing.
I rip the knife out myself. "Because it was just a business thing right?" I challenge.
The knife goes into Josh now.
He looks pained for a second. Before the knife could cause any damage, he yanks it out. "Of course it was, um, I should be going now Celeste, thank you for your time." He says.
"Wait, can you please send this when you have a chance, in the mail, as I favor to me?" I ask Josh handing him the letter I wrote to Liz and Angie.
"Sure." Josh says.
He tucks it inside his suitcase, and with one last glance at me, he leaves.
"Bye Celeste." He says.
"Bye." I whisper to an empty room.
The knife falls to the floor, I don't dare to touch it as he leaves me standing in his room, alone, like I always really am.
Hello everyone! Long time no see! Hope you liked the chapter. Can you guess what's coming in the next one? I'm going a little out of order than The Elite. I'm going to skip around with the events in the middle of the book, because i think it's appropriate now rather than later.
So, can you guess what's coming next? It's the long awaited-. Can you guess it? Thanks for reading and remember to review!