Contractor (37 page)

my bullshit. The depression, the insomnia,

the whatever. Sometimes I feel like I’ve got

all this baggage, a huge chip on my shoulder.

I…don’t want it anymore."

"If you don’t want to carry all that

baggage, the answer is simple." Jack nudged

his backpack with his foot. "Just take it off."

"Heh. No shit."

"By the way," Jack said, "you’re my best friend too."

"Life partners it is," Daniel said.

Jack laughed. "Right. Well, I got two

chapters of this crap, so I’ll probably just get

a sub later or something."

Daniel glanced at the clock. He hadn’t

realized it was so late. "I’ll see if anyone

else wants to go eat then. Later."

"Later."

Chapter Eight

Birthday Party

Several weeks after his confrontation

with Eleanor, Daniel was sitting with Rachel

in the common room. The blue couch in front

of the TV had become their standard meeting

ground. As a couple, they’d become as much

a fixture as the carpet and the wood paneling.

When anyone was looking for them, they

always checked the common room first, their

actual rooms second.

She’d gotten to the point where she

didn’t need his help in calculus any more, but

it made a good excuse to cuddle, so she kept

asking, and he kept helping. Rachel seemed

to have a thing about showing him off in

public. He enjoyed it more than he cared to

admit.

Eleanor marched in from the stairwell

hallway and started toward them with a

purposeful look in her eye. Daniel hadn’t

seen much of her lately, but he knew it

couldn’t last forever. She had to be plotting

something.

"Rachel." She looked at him. "…

Daniel."

Daniel was so surprised that she’d used

his first name that he came up blank. Rachel

answered first. "Hi Elly. What’s up?"

"Father’s decided to come to Boston,"

she said.

"Really? Why?"

"There’s going to be a party to celebrate

that recent victory in Washington. Morale,

you know. And it is my birthday, after all. He

thought he’d combine the two."

"This is going to be big, then."

"We need something to rally the troops,"

Eleanor agreed. "And it’s me, after all. I

expect attendance will be high."

"Right, right," Daniel said. "It’s you, after all."

Eleanor’s lips thinned, but she sighed

and cleared her throat. "I lack a date. I was

hoping you’d let me borrow Daniel."

Daniel’s jaw dropped. "…excuse me?"

Rachel looked surprised, but not

surprised enough to make Daniel feel better.

"That sounds like it might be a little

awkward, Elly."

"I’ll take care of him, I promise."

Eleanor brushed a bit of hair that had slipped

from her bun behind her ear. "We’ve been

distant, Rachel. I want to heal the breach. If

that means getting to know your significant

other, I suppose I had better do that."

"Oh, Elly." Rachel leapt from the couch

and wrapped Eleanor in a hug. "I’m so glad."

Eleanor patted her on the head.

"Wait, wait, wait," Daniel said. "If I’m with you, then who’s Rachel’s date?"

"I’ll be busy," Rachel said. "It’s fine. I think Elly’s absolutely right. You two just

need to get to know each other. I think you’d

make great friends. This is the perfect

opportunity."

"What will you be so busy with that you

can’t go to her birthday party?"

"It’s…my relationship with Eleanor,"

Rachel said, "it’s…I’m in her employ."

"Say what?"

"I’m her attendant. And her bodyguard.

I’ll be on duty during the party."

Daniel rubbed his forehead. "…was that

the secret?"

"Um. Part of it."

Daniel stopped. He slowly nodded. "So

that’s why you stuck on like glue. I guess the

Astors are just that big." He narrowed his

eyes. That also confirmed that Eleanor had

been using not only Rachel’s friendship to

control her, but her livelihood.

"What have you told him, exactly?"

Eleanor asked.

"Just what you heard."

"I see." Eleanor sighed. "…I would

appreciate your company, Mr. Fitzgerald.

That is, Daniel. If you would."

Daniel blinked. "Why me?"

Eleanor looked away. She said nothing.

Rachel took Daniel’s hand and got that look

in her eye that made him bend every time.

"Daniel."

He fought the urge to give in. "…not

until I hear the reason from Miss Astor."

Eleanor shielded her face with a hand.

"I am expected to have a date…from my peer

group. My father expects it. And I do want to

make amends." She let her hand fall. "There will be names from across the world at this

dinner. People would kill to make my

father’s acquaintance alone. It’s a good

opportunity for you."

As much as it seemed to make sense on

the surface, he didn’t trust Eleanor as far as

he could throw her. At best, it would be a

hassle, and at worst, it was a trap. But there

was always the chance she was serious.

If she was serious…then what Eleanor

was saying is that she didn’t have anyone

else to ask. Well, you reap what you sow,

duchess.

But it would make Rachel happy.

"I guess it would be rude to refuse,"

Daniel said. "Let’s do it."

Rachel bounded over and kissed his

cheek. "Thanks, Daniel."

"The dress code is black tie," Eleanor

said.

Daniel sighed. "Guess I’m renting a

suit."

"Rent?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow.

"I’ll just buy you one."

"Well then. Can’t turn down a free

bowtie."

Eleanor eyed him up and down,

fingering her chin like a fashion designer

sizing up a mannequin. If Eleanor considered

Rachel her Barbie, that meant Daniel was

Ken. He began the process of mentally

bracing himself.

****

Daniel failed at tying his tie five times

before relenting and looking it up on the

internet. It was a struggle to convince himself

that his loser quotient hadn’t just gone up a

couple of points. He took solace in the fact

that, if it was online, plenty of other people

had the same problem. After some trial and

error, he was able to get it in presentable

condition.

Jack opened the door to their room. He

looked Daniel up and down. "The hell are

you doing?"

Daniel brushed his jacket’s sleeves

straight. "I look good, right?"

"Are you trying to get inside their heads

or something?"

"Huh?"

"I knew it," Jack said. "We’re playing those faggots from B wing tonight. Wing

Blade Commander tournament? Hello?"

Daniel drew in a breath and slumped

against his dresser. "…shit. Well, you’ll be

fine."

"Come on, man! I can’t carry Mark and

Jensen by myself!"

"I’m sorry I forgot," Daniel said, "but this is kind of a big deal. I can’t cancel."

"What’s going on?"

It didn’t take long for Daniel to explain.

Jack was the only person besides Rachel to

whom he entrusted Eleanor’s earlier

escapades.

When he was done, Jack folded his arms

with a sour look on his face. "I told you to

keep your guard up, not fall for her head over

heels."

"What, Rachel?"

"Who else would I be talking about?

Ever since Eleanor tried to break you up, you

guys have been together literally every night.

You think you’d take a break at some point."

Daniel rubbed his neck. "I like her, a lot.

So what?"

"On top of everything, you’re agreeing

to be Eleanor’s date," Jack said. "Eleanor

Astor’s date. Duchess. Hello? You’re the

one that came up with the nickname! How the

hell did you get wheedled into that?!"

"…Rachel asked me," Daniel mumbled.

"And she might mean it, right?"

"Eleanor has serious issues. And it’s not

much of a stretch to say that Rachel’s

damaged goods."

"Rachel is not—what the hell is your

problem, Jack? Seriously?"

"What the hell is yours?! You just

ignored the fact that we had plans, and she’s

not even worth it. I’m trying to watch your

back here."

"I’m definitely sorry I messed this one

up," Daniel said, "but don’t talk about her like that. Rachel’s worth all of it and then

some."

Jack slumped into his chair. "…you’re

hopeless."

"What exactly about Rachel is it that

pisses you off so much?"

Jack shrugged. "I told you. She puts on a

show. She’s hiding something. Did you ask

her about that yet?"

"…no."

"Alright, well besides that, she clings to

you like a puppy dog. You never hang out

with us anymore."

"Us?" Daniel asked. "Or you?"

Jack looked down. He ran a hand

through his hair. He looked back at Daniel.

"Can I say something?"

"Go ahead."

"Eleanor’s insane. She won’t ever leave

you alone while you’re with Rachel. You

want that on your shoulders?"

"If it’s for Rachel, then yes."

Jack’s face darkened. It was gone so

quickly that Daniel wasn’t even sure he’d

seen it, but his sense of unease remained.

"Fine. Enjoy the caviar." He grabbed his

game controller and walked out of the room.

Daniel worked a finger through his hair.

He’d never seen Jack this worked up. Maybe

he’d been blowing off his friend more than

he realized. He’d have to seriously

apologize later.

****

Rachel straightened her suit. She looked

as professional as any of Eleanor’s

bodyguards. Eleanor herself was in a blood-

red cocktail dress. Her jewelry and makeup

was as perfected as Rachel had ever seen it;

she glowed and sparkled whenever the light

hit her. Rachel looked down at her shoes and

quietly wished she was just a bit taller.

Eleanor was seated in front of her desk,

making slight adjustments to her hair. Her

bun was an intricate stack of blonde threads.

"What do you think?"

"Gorgeous," Rachel said.

"Good."

"Elly?"

"Yes?"

"Um…" Rachel walked up behind her

friend. "Daniel’s stubborn. He won’t be

looking to play nice."

Eleanor sighed. She started working her

hands into long, elbow-length gloves. "I’d

expect nothing less. Fear not. I’m spiritually

fortified even for his level of caustic wit."

"Thank you for doing this."

Eleanor looked into the mirror. "He said

something to me. That if I’m your friend, I

should act like it. That I was ignoring what

you wanted in favor of what I approved. That

I had confused my approval with your

happiness." She stood. "If you felt that way, why didn’t you say anything?"

Rachel swallowed. "I did. You never

listened. I gave up."

"…I’m always your friend, Rachel.

Even if I got carried away." She sighed. "If Daniel can withstand the atmosphere at the

party, even I have to approve of him."

"...well, it’s not only the blood. Plenty

of mundanes. He’ll fit in fine."

"I seriously doubt it."

Rachel’s cell phone buzzed with a text

message. She brought it out of her pocket.

"He’s in the common room. And wondering

what’s taking so long. Why do men always

say that?"

"One of those mysteries," Eleanor said.

"We take personal satisfaction in the act of

preparation for public appearance. For them,

it’s an inane ritual." Eleanor snorted. "I

doubt Daniel would mind going in pajamas."

Rachel grinned as she closed the door

behind them. "He might do it just to piss

people off."

"Certainly one of those entertaining

constants, isn’t he?"

They reached the common room. Daniel

turned, hands in his pockets. "About time."

His eyes widened. "Wow. Guess it was

worth the wait."

Eleanor eased a hand onto her hip,

knowing every bit exactly how good she

looked. "Too much?" she asked softly.

Daniel made a face. "I was talking to

Rachel. She looks like she could kick my

ass. That is totally hot."

Rachel smiled at him. Somehow, even

when she was in a plain grey suit, Daniel

made her feel pretty. Eleanor looked like she

was straining not to bite back. "Daniel,"

Rachel said. "You should compliment your

date."

Daniel thought for a moment. He met

Eleanor’s eyes. "You’re a red rose bloomed

late, pressing boldly through a carpet of

browning leaves. The folds of that flower

are dusted with the frost of the first autumn

chill, glowing as though encased in a shell of

glass, an instant of elusive beauty, frozen in

time."

"…is that from a poem?" Eleanor asked.

"I just made it up." He jerked a thumb

over his head. "Let’s get the hell out, I’m

starving."

He opened the door for them. They

walked just ahead of him and the rest of the