The Selection

Chapter 14: The Report

For the next week Gabe didn't attend meal times mostly because he was on dates. The first Report us girls were going to attend was tomorrow and my guess was, Gabriel was supposed to have one on one with each of us and he needed something to say therefore he had to go on dates with everyone. It surprised me how annoyed I was when he knocked on a girl's door to ask her to brunch or to go horseback riding. I'd glance at him in the halls and if we made eye contact, I'd look away trying my hardest not to look like I was gawking.

Tonight at dinner was the first time he'd attended since the day I had dinner with him on the roof. I idly wondered if he'd taken anyone else up there...

"Kendall is gone," Heidi whispered to me taking her seat. Kendall was actually a sweet girl, I'd hung out with often over the past week of my dateless nights. She went on a date with Gabriel last night for her first time, obviously it didn't work out. I stared at the the table and it actually looked significantly less but I couldn't tell who else wasn't here.

"He eliminated six," Farrah said to Opal whom also had her first date yesterday.

He'd eliminated six but still kept them two. Unbelievable. Heidi, on the other hand, had her first date this morning and she's been beaming ever since waiting for me to ask her details. As much as I so didn't want to, I did for her benefit.

She was explaining how they walked through the garden arm in arm and how he asked her about her home town when the Royal family, including Gabe, entered the room.

We all stood and knelt into a curtsy when the King dismissed it. We sat again in unison and it was so quiet, you could almost hear my knees knocking together from being so nervous. You could tell over the past few weeks Laurie's classes had really gotten to us. Not a single girl made a noise, we all knew which spoon to use for our chowder and not once would my elbow lean on the table.

The dinner felt weird and it took me till dessert to realize Gabriel's parents were watching us. It was a test. A test to see who was polite and worthy of royalty.

Gabriel caught my eye and turned my attention away from the Queen. We stared at each other a good moment before he winked. I blushed fiercely looking down into my lap and smiling. I wondered if that meant I'd see him off my balcony tonight for the first time in a week.

It was off how much we hadn't talked since the night we spent chasing dawn. I'd replayed that night in my head over and over again, trying to come to terms with what had happened. I'd written Madden a letter the day after, explaining me and Gabriel's date leaving out the entire fair and kiss part. I only included our dinner on the roof. That alone would probably drive Madden up a wall but at least he wouldn't leave me over it. Would he?

After the Royal family excused themselves and bid us goodnight, we left on our own terms. Heidi and I walked back upstairs and she continued explaining her date with Gabe. I nodded and pretended to be excited when she did. Then I sluggishly made my way to my room. It honestly got on my nerves how annoyed I was with myself by getting jealous over Gabriel's dates. It shouldn't even matter.

My three maids were in my room, laying out my nightgown and preparing my bath.

"Good evening, Miss," Alice said, folding a towel and dropping it on my bed.
"This came for you today."

She handed me a white envelope and I suddenly wondered if they sent my paycheck home or gave it to me here. I sincerely hope it went to my house. Turning the envelope over, I read my name in Madden's handwriting.

"No way!" I exclaimed with glee, tearing it open as fast as my hands would allow. His sloppy cursive only covered a very, very small portion of the paper. I read it with confusion.