[~~Posted Mar. 4, '21
A/N, So the guy who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies—that's who's in my mind. ]
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Once more, Kai checked the address Barry'd sent her. The place she was supposed to meet his brother.
200 Crown Street.
She stood face to face with a black door with brass trim. In cursive font, a brass plaque on the door read:
CROWN CLUB
With a push, she swung the door open. Inside, her eyes adjusted to the light. She was in a swanky bar of some sort.
What is this?
It looked like the lobby of a small but upscale hotel. Marble floors. Polished brass fixtures. Dim, warm lighting. Up on a mezzanine, sunlight streamed through an arched, stained-glass window flanked by bookcases.
A staircase led upward to the mezzanine, then curved around to the floor above.
Footsteps, down the stairs.
And then...
A blonde man with a diamond-like stare appeared before her. He wore a dress shirt and black pants. Something about his vibe matched the decadent space.
"Kaia?" he asked.
She nodded. "Are you— are you Barry's brother?"
"No. Barry's my brother." He smiled at his weird joke. Which Kai didn't find funny.
Tom was a junior. But he looked older. More....
...more hardened, somehow.
The man gestured for Kai to come with him. They walked up the mezzanine and around to a second floor full of dark-blue, velvet armchairs.
Tom brought over a tray of with glasses next to a decanter that held amber-colored liquid.
"Woolford reserve," he explained, and poured himself a glass.
He started to pour her one too, until she gestured to stop him.
What WAS this place?
Seeing her confusion, Tom said, "We're starting a new members-only club. Select students will be members. Students going on to do bigger and better things after they graduate." He grinned. "It's a family business."
Family business? Kai's eyes widened. "Barry's doing this too?"
Tom shook his head. "No. It's my project. Our dad's an investor. But Barry—he's not into this stuff. All Barry does is live in made-up worlds—"
"—The rest of his family—we shape the real world."
Looking down at her overalls and sweatshirt, Kai felt out of place. Tom crossed his legs.
"Anyway," he continued. "My little bro—
—he told me you saved him from some childish orientation activity. Getting hit by eggs."
"It wasn't a big deal."
Without saying anything, Tom looked at her from head to toe. Took a slow sip of his drink.
Then out of the blue, he said, "I should thank you. Here—"
She realized he was holding a metallic-gold box with silver ribbon on it. Pushing it toward her.
Kai shook her head. "You really don't have to—"
"It's going to spoil if you don't take it." He shrugged. "I'll just have to throw it out."
Kai could tell he wasn't going to let her leave without it.
And she sighed inwardly: That day at Freshman Olympics... it was heartbreaking enough to watch those 200 cartons of eggs tossed onto the grass! This college--is full of people who waste food without a second thought!
So Kai took the shiny present from, him with both hands.
Tom watched her through half-closed eyes... for a moment she thought he was asleep...
But out of the blue, he said: "You should come out for dinner with me. My treat—
"—I have a feeling... we're a good fit"
A good fit...?
Was he talking about ... a date?
Tom stood up and moved behind her chair.
And then, without warning, he bent down, so his head was just three inches away from hers. Like a hunting cat sinking its head into tall grass. In a low voice right next to her ear, he said—
"What do you think of this place...?"
Kai could feel his breath. She leaned aside. Put more space between them.
There are no plants.... she thought.... Then she scolded herself, Why does that matter!?
Still, the place would feel a lot better... if it had just a single green leafy friend of some kind!
"It's very, um, striking," she managed.
Abruptly, Tom stood up. Walked over to adjust a part of the chandelier overhead. "We had an Italian architect do customized millwork. Floors downstairs are Carrera marble."
Kai stared at him dazed. I understand about 20% of what's coming out of this man's mouth.
Tom continued, "It's going to be a special club. For networking. Kingmaking..."
"...In twenty years, we're going to have a Crown Club member in the cabinet of every developed nation and on the board of every major international company."
This strange, ambitious student with the gleaming eyes watched her. Then he smiled, and stood up. Adjusted his jacket. Looked at his Rolex.
"Anyway, I think we'd be a good match," he said. "Barry's said good things about you. You're a diamond in the rough, but you just need some polish on the outside."
"—and you can trust me, I'm a good jeweler," he added.
Everything felt surreal.
Then Kai shook her head. Realizing she needed to address things head-on, she said, firmly—
"I don't think I'm looking for polish right now." Then she added, "But good luck with your venture."
"You can be a part of this venture," he smiled. "We'll want girls like you as members too."
Girls like me..? What the heck!? ... What does that even mean?
He added: "And think about dinner. I'll follow up next week."
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The evening was chilly. Lilly wasn't in the dorm when she got home. Instead, Kai found a post-it note:
>>>Kai! I'm studying late at the library tonight! -L.
Kai opened the box Tom gave her.
Inside were twelve chocolate-covered strawberries. For some reason, they didn't seem appetizing, at all. They looked too perfect—like display-window food. I'll leave them for Lilly, Kai thought. She'll like them.
This brother of Barry's, Tom...
He'd been nice to her. Thanked her. Given her a gift. Even invited her to dinner.
So... why did our conversation leave me feeling so cold? Kai wondered, going over to the plants on her desk.
"Hello," she whispered to her plant friends. "How are you?" Imagining their cheerful replies re-filling the warmth in her body, she smiled.
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🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱
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