The Column Racer (33 page)

“There you two are!” screeched Aquilina, “I’ve been looking for you two everywhere.” Areli and Fides could only look at her, as Aquilina had told them she went to each of their houses. Fides parents weren’t home, and Areli’s mother told her she could find them here. “Remember when were on one of the Columns of Abhi?” They nodded their heads. “Well . . . I need your help.” They followed her quickly while she told them she had met someone a couple of months ago. And that she liked him very much. “And then he asked me if I wanted to have dinner,” said Aquilina, “and then I was like sure, and then he was like how about tonight. And then I’m like I would love to. Oh – help me . . . I don’t know the first thing about men!”

“You must know something?”

“Nothing!” said Aquilina, “I’ve spent my whole life avoiding men. Afraid that if I got involved with anyone I wouldn’t have as much time with Gad.”

“A life avoiding men,” said Fides, “what in the stars did you do with all your time?”

“I trained,” said Aquilina, “from morning to night. I know. Pathetic. But now I have you two. You girls can help me, right?”

“Of course we can,” said Areli, “we just need to start with the outfit . . . we’ll work from there.”

The first question they asked her was where she was going to have her date. Aquilina told them it was at some fancy restaurant she had never been to before. They hurried her into a boutique and quickly came away with a beautiful dress, which Fides had chosen because it had accentuated Aquilina’s eyes, as well as other aspects of her body she knew Aquilina’s date would appreciate.

“Now, do you always have your hair in a ponytail?” asked Fides.

“Why?” asked Aquilina, “is something wrong with my ponytail?”

“No it’s fine – if you’re competing in a race,” said Fides, “but – here.” She loosened Aquilina’s hair band that was gathering her hair and then let her hair fall down around her. “There – much better . . . have a look if you like.”

Fides grabbed Aquilina by the wrist and dragged her in front of a mirror. Aquilina stared at herself and ran her fingers through her dark golden blonde hair as if she had never looked at herself before.

“What about make-up?” asked Fides.

“I have servants that do my make-up,” said Aquilina.

“Well, not tonight,” said Fides with relish. Areli followed Fides and Aquilina from shop to shop, complimenting or shaking her head to the things Aquilina would try or pick out. And afterwards . . . Aquilina brought them to the Professional Riding Community. Areli wanted to scream with excitement when Aquilina told them where they were going. She could tell Fides wanted to as well. When they entered into Aquilina’s home there seemed like it had a million servants that were each busy doing something. Areli couldn’t believe how many rooms it had. The home must have had a million of them and each one they entered seemed larger than the last.

When they got into Aquilina’s bedroom, Areli couldn’t control the drop of her jaw. It was about fifty times the size of her own. Everything was either gold or marble, and multiple chandeliers hung down from the ceiling. Areli found herself gravitating towards the balcony over-looking the lake, with a view towards the homes of the Hall riders, and tried to find her house while looking through the floor to ceiling windows, until Fides hastily called her over.

“Areli!” said Fides, “we have
work
to do here!” Areli rushed over to them. Fides called for the servants to start Aquilina a bath. The two of them accompanied her, not into the actual tub, but stood answering the stream of questions that poured out of Aquilina’s mouth as she sat in a mountain of bubbles and suds.

“What do I eat? Should I pay? Oh, how do I know he likes-me-likes-me?” The questions continued to roll off her tongue, and Areli and Fides answered each in turn. “Am I supposed to kiss him on the first date?” Areli and Fides looked at each other and then back at Aquilina, who was then clothed in a thick robe and brought over to the marble vanity for make-up.

“You can kiss,” said Fides, “but you can’t make-out.” Aquilina looked into the mirror and then looked down into her hands that were resting in her lap. She grabbed them to keep them from shaking.

“You
do
know how to kiss don’t you?” asked Fides.

“I’ve kissed Gad plenty of times,” said Aquilina, “I assume it’s much the same.”

“Only – it’s not,” said Fides, “Aquilina, are you being serious with us? Never in your life, not even once, you’ve kissed a boy – or a man?” Aquilina buried her face into her hands.

“I’m a complete disaster!” said Aquilina.

“You’re not a disaster,” said Fides, “just inexperienced.” She pried Aquilina’s face from her hands, giving a light shake of her head. “I’m going to have to completely redo this . . . Areli, can you tell Aquilina how to give a proper first kiss . . . I’m just going to have to wash this away.” Aquilina directed her gaze to Areli, who stood as an assistant to Fides.

“Well . . . you pucker your lips like this,” said Areli. Aquilina mimicked Areli’s lips, “perfect. And then you tilt your head like this . . . and you close your eyes, and then you lean in . . . touch lips – and there you go – your first kiss.” Aquilina’s face lighted up.

“It seems easy,” said Aquilina.

“In a way,” said Areli, “it is.”

“Can you tell me your first kiss?” asked Aquilina addressing Areli, “was it – was it easy.”

“Well,” said Areli, as she thought about that night in the stadium, looking up at the stars, her stomach full of the wonderful meal Fides had ordered for them, “it was incredible.” Thoughts of Talon came back to her.
Stop it, Areli. Please. You’re with Yats
.

“Yes – but tell me about it. How did it come about?”

“Well, we were just sitting next to one another, watching the stars, and then it – it just happened.” Areli didn’t mention the part involving Talon. She couldn’t believe herself, thinking back on it. It was her first kiss from a boy . . . and she was thinking of somebody else.

“And it was perfect?”

“It was better than perfect,” said Areli, lying and feeling guilty, “it – it felt a lot like flying. The whole world slips away, and all you have left is the one you’re with, and it seems like everything around you has frozen, respecting the moment.”

“I hope my first kiss is like that,” said Aquilina, smiling, “can I ask another question?”

“Sure,” said Areli, begging desperately to forget about Talon and that first kiss, “you can ask as many as you want.”

“So, I’m supposed to let the kiss happen?” asked Aquilina, “there is no – like – signal to give or anything?”

“All you have to do is enjoy yourself,” said Areli, “and if he kisses you tonight, that’s great, but if he doesn’t kiss you, it’s not the end of the world. You don’t want to hurry the first. Just let it come about. And when you do – when it happens – it will take your breath away.”
Just don’t think about someone else,
thought Areli,
never think of someone else
. Aquilina smiled and looked in the mirror as Fides finished with a fresh new layer blush.

Aquilina seemed to be lost into her own world as Areli and Fides called servants to slip the dress over Aquilina’s body. Areli couldn’t help the pangs of jealousy as she saw how fabulous Aquilina looked in front of the mirror. Her own heart longed for Yats, and the fast approaching spring dance, which would give her reason to dress up in similar fashion. She wanted to kiss him desperately, and she wanted to think only of him as she did.

Aquilina looked as radiant as a newly bloomed flower, and Areli and Fides escorted her out of her room and down the steps to the foyer. There was a unified gasp, and then nothing but silence in a room that appeared to hold over a million people. Aquilina’s servants were awe-struck, as she was more than gorgeous. The straps of her dress were covered entirely in diamonds, and dragons were formed on its red silk, accompanied by more diamonds and precious stones on the body. Her shoes glistened like the night sky. And Fides applied the make-up with a masterful hand.

Aquilina was given compliments by everyone, and her estate manager and almost all her female servants were in tears. Aquilina thanked both Areli and Fides as she waited in anticipation for the knock on the door.

“Can you two do me one more favor?” asked Aquilina, who continually shifted pressure from one heel to the other while constantly massaging her fingers.

“Anything,” said Fides and Areli simultaneously.

“Can you wait here for me?” asked Aquilina, “no matter how this date goes . . .
I want
. . . I need you two here when I get back.” The two gave Aquilina their word that they wouldn’t even dream about leaving before her return.

“You’re going to do wonderful,” said Areli, in which Aquilina just nodded her head.

“Do you have any questions?” asked Fides. Aquilina shook her head. Her chef came from the kitchen, followed by his staff, each carrying a gold tray filled to the edges with flutes of dragon’s drink. They handed one to everyone, including Areli and Fides, even though they were underage.

They toasted to a new door opening in Aquilina’s life. Aquilina tipped her glass above her lips, not letting it return level until all the fire-colored liquid had disappeared. Areli sipped hers, fighting off a gross expression from entering onto her face. Fides tried to match Aquilina’s take and wound up coughing and gasping. As the flutes went back on the gold trays, Areli’s was the only one that looked untouched. Aquilina drank that one too, and she was reprimanded by Fides afterwards.

When the knock on the door came, everyone’s attention was split between the door and Aquilina. Her estate manager moved to answer it but was stopped as Aquilina grabbed her arm. Aquilina had her eyes closed as her estate manager clasped her hand over hers, squeezing it like a mother’s, silently trying to give her strength. Aquilina let her arm go and grabbed Areli’s hand instead.

The estate manger went to the door, and then looked back at Aquilina. Areli tried not to wince as Aquilina gripped her hand as if the floor beneath her was going to disappear. Areli’s own heart was pounding as anticipation continued to build. She felt as if this man was coming for her as well. And when the door opened, Areli couldn’t help but take notice to how gorgeous Aquilina’s date was.

He had sandy blonde hair, kind eyes, and a pleasant demeanor.

“Go to him,” said Fides under her breath. Areli looked at Aquilina, wondering if she was ever going to let go of her hand or if she just planned on taking her on the date with them. “Aquilina.”

Aquilina looked at Fides, who was gesturing with her head to walk to the door where the man stood, his eyes appearing to exist only to look at her. Areli gently wrenched her hand from Aquilina’s grip and with a smile, told her to walk over to him, and to remember . . . the most important rule in the search for love . . . to always be yourself. The people in the foyer all watched as Aquilina made her way over to him, her heels striking marble, the only sounds to be heard.

He took her hand into his and kissed the tops of her knuckles before escorting her out. Before the door closed behind them, Aquilina took one last look over her shoulder, and then she was gone. As the carriage headed back down the drive, every window facing it had a face pressed against it, and it seemed like for the rest of the night, all anyone could talk about was how handsome the man was and how great they looked together.

“Is this really the first date Aquilina has ever been on?” asked Fides to the estate manager.

“She’s been very busy,” said the estate manager, “but I’m so proud of her. I never thought I would see the day. She needs this. I was starting to get so worried for her, because . . . because – well, you know. She’s such a lovely girl. A girl like that doesn’t deserve to be alone.” Areli and Fides could only nod their heads. “Well, you two must be starving.”

Areli and Fides looked at each other. Both had smiles crawling onto their faces, and then they looked back at the estate manager. Their expressions were the only answer she needed.

While Areli and Fides ate delicate dishes of pork, beef, and a hundred different varieties of sweets, they discussed how well they thought the date was going.

“So – do you think they’re going to kiss tonight?” asked Fides, sticking another chocolate morsel onto her tongue.

“I don’t know,” said Areli, “I hope so. He’s cute enough.”

“Cute?” said Fides exasperated, “he was absolutely gorgeous! I mean, he’s definitely not my taste, but beauty is beauty, and he . . . was beautiful.”

“I guess,” said Areli, looking around the table, feeling too full to force another delicacy into her mouth, but she let her eyes make the decision, not her stomach, and her eyes said eat.

“You guess!” exclaimed Fides, “come on Areli, you have to admit that he was up there on the sexy scale.” Areli wanted to admit it, to give into Fides pleas, but her loyalty to Yats was as firm as stone, and as far as she was concerned, no man – no matter how beautiful or gorgeous – was sexier than Yats, not even Talon. She was with Yats, she reminded herself. Talon meant nothing to her anymore.

After the girls finished eating, the estate manager asked them what they would like to do next. Both Fides and Areli looked at each other, and as if they read each other’s minds, they told the estate manager that they wanted a tour of the house.