Chapter Twenty Three
Valentine’s day arrived, with a dance at school and several clubs selling flowers for fundraisers.
Aralyn gave a sarcastic quote for the Valentine’s Day special report, “Manufactured romance for the inept male to get laid. How Sweet.” Cam didn’t run it.
“So does that mean you don’t want flowers and chocolates and all that?” Cam grinned, catching her for a quick hug.
“All the time,” she smiled mischievously with a quick batting of her eyes.
Cam just shook his head and laughed.
Tiffany’s quote was along the same tone. “If I have to wait for Valentine’s Day for a ‘romantic’ evening, I’ll stay single, thanks.”
Tiffany stayed home from school on Valentine’s Day. She knew if she had to witness all the fake romance and love themed gifts she’d either throw up or kill somebody.
***
Aralyn glanced up when the door opened and girl walked in. Slender, five foot eight, Aralyn guessed, platinum blond hair swept into an elegant twist, and square shaped black glasses. She was dressed in a chic charcoal gray pencil skirt and a pale pink angora sweater, and almost glided in her walk. Aralyn wasn’t sure if she was wearing hose but you didn’t grow up with Tiffany Duke and not be able to recognize high end expensive pumps and designer clothes.
Walking to the homeroom teacher, she handed her a slip of paper as the students checked out the new girl.
“Class, this is Ellen Murdock. Ellen, take a seat near the Duke girls.”
Aralyn waved her over.
Shyly, Ellen approached, gracefully taking the seat and setting her shoulder bag on the floor. Aralyn noticed she had the same polished movement as Tiffany and Honey, Tiffany’s mother, and she’d bet the sweater was real angora. No doubt Tiffany could identify the designer.
“Hi,” she said cheerfully. “I’m Aralyn Duke, this is my cousin Tiffany.”
“Hello,” Ellen smiled warmly.
Tiffany smiled, studying the girl closely. Her makeup was too perfect, Tiffany thought. This was a girl who spent at least an hour primping in the morning. Someone who definitely valued appearance and wasn’t shy about the fact she had taste and probably money.
“Do you have your schedule yet?” Aralyn asked. “We can help you find your first class.”
“Yes, here,” Ellen handed it to her.
Aralyn smiled.
“You have several classes with us. I see you’re in journalism,. My boyfriend, Cam is the editor,” she said proudly, her face taking on a glow. “You’ll meet him in first period, he’s in most of our classes too.”
“Can’t wait,” Ellen smiled.
Her eyes were dark brown, and Tiffany noted the glasses gave her a distinct look. She was pretty, Tiffany thought, but there was something predatory about the new girl, she thought. Her makeup was too perfect, so was her hair. She noted the jewelry right off as well. Expensive, classic. This girl had money, and charm, apparently. Tiffany knew enough about her grandfather’s world to instantly be on alert. This wasn’t someone to trust.
The three walked to their first period together, where Cam was waiting outside for them. He dropped a quick kiss on Aralyn’s cheek and they introduced him to Ellen.
She gave him a big smile as she shook his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you Cam. Aralyn said you’re the editor in chief. I as an editor back at my last school; I was hoping there might be an opening?”
Cam looked startled at her bluntness. “Oh, uh, no, there’s not for editor, but we always like new talent as writers,” he smiled back, slipping an arm around Aralyn. “New writers are always welcome.”
Tiffany held her poker face. The girl was ambitious too and Tiffany caught the merest flicker of annoyance in the girl’s eyes. What did she expect, coming in partway through the term?
And Tiffany noticed that Ellen’s eyes never left Cam.
Dean was inside waiting for them, and they snagged their seats. Ellen ended up on Cam’s other side. Dean noticed Tiffany covertly studying Ellen. A woman looked at another woman for two reasons. Checking out competition, or checking out a potential partner. He was pretty damn sure Tiffany Duke wasn’t a lesbian, which left option one. That wasn’t surprising, given the closeness of the cousins.
And with good reason, Dean would decide by the end of the day. Throughout the day, Ellen was constantly asking questions of Cam. Dean tried to intervene, answering some and trying to flirt with her, but she was locked on Cam. That wasn’t sitting well with Dean. Not out of jealousy, but Dean liked Cam with Aralyn. They were the rare superfit, and he intended to help keep it that way.
Aralyn didn’t seem to notice, but Tiffany glanced up to see Dean was observing her, and he wasn’t fooled. Tiffany had the girl’s number.
When he was throwing his lunch remains away, Dean felt someone grab his jacket and pull him into the hall.
“Tiff, baby,” he grinned, “you finally come to your senses?”
Her hazel eyes went hard. “Look Neanderthal, I don’t trust that Ellen, and I saw you noticing too. I’d bet my allowance she’s going to go after Cam, and let nothing stop her.”
Dean’s smile faded. “Yeah I noticed. She’s ambitious, smart and hot. I tried to draw her attention off Cam a few times but it didn’t work.”
“I won’t let anyone come between Aralyn and Cam,” Tiffany spoke softly but her voice was steel. “They’re perfect for each other. I want your help.”
“Hey, you got it,” Dean agreed. “Cam’s been after her for three years. It took me that long to get him to ask her out. I’m not about to let my efforts get wasted!”
“I knew I could count on you,” she gave him a warm smile and he felt his heart roll over. “And no, I won’t kiss you.”
She walked off, making sure her hips swayed just a bit extra to torment him. Dean watched her go with a smile. Someday, he thought.
***
Tiffany and Aralyn headed towards the journalism room. Cam was late meeting them after school, and usually if he was late, he had gotten into working on something with the paper and lost track of time.
The hallways were deserted as they approached the journalism room but the door was open and they could hear girlish laughter. Aralyn looked puzzled but Tiffany knew who it was.
She wasn’t surprised when they appeared in the doorway to see Cam at his desk, working on the main computer. Standing right next to him, one perfectly French-manicured hand on his broad shoulder, was Ellen. Her hair was down and her sweater had an undone button.
Tiffany’s eyes narrowed but Aralyn just looked confused.
“Cam?” she asked from the doorway.
He looked up and broke into a grin. Ellen’s smile however, vanished briefly, only to be replaced by a large, fake smile.
“Hey, Goddess,” Cam smiled. “I was showing Ellen here our software and lost track of time. Let me shut down.”
“Cam is so knowledgeable about the latest software for publishing,” Ellen gushed. “I thought my school was high tech, but this one is great!”
“Cam’s on top of such things,” Aralyn said with a proud smile. “He even got the newspaper on the internet freshman year.”
“Wow, that’s impressive,” Ellen smiled at Cam.
Tiffany was sure she saw the girl bat her eyelashes. Cam didn’t seem to notice though, he was shutting the computer down and his eyes were on Aralyn.
“Thanks,” he said easily, picking up his backpack. “Hey, where are you parked Ellen?”
“Right outside.”
“So are we, we should walk together,” Cam said.
“Of course, safety,” Aralyn agreed.
Tiffany was pretty sure Ellen wanted Cam to walk her alone, so she made sure to slip her arm through Ellen’s, leaving Cam and Aralyn to walk ahead, hand in hand.
“So how are you liking it here?” she asked pleasantly.
Ellen looked startled at the friendly overture but went along with it as they walked outside.
Cam’s Jeep was parked next to Tiffany’s four runner, and a lemon yellow jaguar was a few spaces over.
“Well, I’m right there,” Ellen said, pulling her arm from Tiffany’s.
“Nice car,” Cam said admiringly.
“Thank you. Daddy gave it to me for my eighteenth. Where are you parked?”
She barely glanced at their cars when they pointed them out. “Aralyn, what do you drive?”
“My motorcycle is on order,” Aralyn answered.
Ellen looked shocked.
“A motorcycle?”
“Sure,” Aralyn answered easily. “Tiff and I are going on a roadtrip this summer.”
Tiffany didn’t miss the sudden dark shift over Cam’s handsome face and the predatory gleam in Ellen’s eye. Aralyn was too trusting, she thought. She had heard her father Luke say something similar about Bo, when they were younger.
“How interesting,” Ellen replied.
After their good byes, Tiff got in her car as Aralyn and Cam got in his.
***
“Tiff, I think you’re overreacting,” Aralyn said.
“No, Aralyn, I don’t trust her. She wants Cam, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she wants his position on the paper too,” Tiffany spoke into the phone, laying on her double bed.
“I think she’s just lonely. You heard her, she’s a military brat. She moves all over, never in one place long, and those early boarding schools—Honey herself said how awful they are,” Aralyn replied, opening the folder on her laptop with her motorcycle links. She liked staring at the pictures. Their bikes were on order, it’d be a month or so.
“Aralyn, that car is upwards seventy thousand, easy. She has money. I’m going to have Dad run a check on her family. I don’t know what her mother does, but I don’t know of any military personal that make quite that much money.”
“Tiff, I think you’re overreacting,” Aralyn said.
An IM popped up from Cam and she smiled to herself.
“Did you notice she blew Dean off completely to pump Cam for information?”
“You blow Dean off completely,” Aralyn laughed, sending a cyber kiss to Cam.
Tiffany smiled, rolling her eyes. “And every other girl in school adores him. I’m just saying, watch your back.”
“I will. And thanks for covering it.”
Aralyn frowned a moment later when Cam suddenly mentioned something about the paper.
AralynDuke: ?
Editorman1: Oh, sorry, Goddess, wrong IM. That was for Ellen.
AralynDuke: You’re talking to Ellen?
Editorman1: Yeah, she buzzed me a minute ago.
AralynDuke: Hope you didn’t send her an IM meant for me.
Editorman1: lol, no.
They chatted for a few more minutes, then Aralyn signed off to study for a test, but in the back of her mind, she thought about what Tiffany had said.
***
The next morning, in homeroom, Aralyn was doodling on her notebook when Ellen swept in, looking as elegant and put together as Tiffany, in another well fitting slim skirt and light blue sweater. The girl knew how to dress, Aralyn thought morosely, thinking of her heavy sweater, leggings under jeans and hiking boots. Not very glamorous, but it was January and Aralyn thought it was kind of stupid to dress in heels and a skirt when there was still snow on the ground.
Aralyn abruptly lost her desire for the small bag of chips she was eating as Ellen dropped into her seat. Aralyn noted enviously the slender figure and toned legs.
“Good morning,” Ellen said brightly.
Aralyn answered with a wave, as her mouth was full and Tiffany smiled hello.
“I spent some time reading over past issues of the newspaper,” Ellen said admiringly, “and Cam is quite the talent, Aralyn.”
Aralyn just nodded. “He has a full scholarship to NYU for journalism for the fall.”
“My, that is impressive. I’m surprised you don’t write too.”
“I play hockey,” Aralyn answered.
“Right, Cam told me about that. Captain right?”
“Co-captain, with Tiffany.”v
“You don’t worry about getting hurt? Cam said you’d been knocked around a bit.”
Arlayn shrugged. “I have three brothers and a whole pack of cousins. I’m used to it.”
Ellen nodded knowingly and turned more to include Tiffany in the conversation better. “Are your dads really Federal Marshals?”
The girls nodded.
“And Aralyn—your dad was a NASCAR racer, right?”
“Yep,” Aralyn wondered why Ellen was suddenly so taken with her family.
“And your dad married a Wheeler, right, Tiff?”
The shortened version of her name hit a nerve with Tiffany. She didn’t mind her friends and family using it. But she really didn’t like this girl.
“Yes, my grandfather is Matthew Wheeler.”
“I didn’t realize it yesterday,” Ellen chattered on happily, “but my father’s done business with him for years. You two have quite an impressive family. The boys’ school, the Feds, business savvy—”
“Well, as large as we are, it’s to our benefit to have varying interests,” Tiffany spoke coolly, to Aralyn’s relief. “All of us as cousins have different areas we excel in, and we’re all over the map.”
“That’s so amazing. My dad just deals in communications in the Army. He was smart enough to buy stock in IBM back in the sixties. But you two are just impressive.”
As Ellen and Tiffany chatted, Aralyn admired her cousin’s poise. Had Tiffany not answered, Aralyn would have given a smart ass remark. Every other sentence out of Ellen’s mouth was starting with “Cam said,” or “Cam told me”.
By the time they got to first period, Aralyn had a headache setting in. Cam was waiting for them with a smile, but it vanished when he saw her face.
“You all right?” he asked as they took their seats.
“Tell you later,” she muttered.
At lunch, Aralyn tried to get him alone but Ellen wouldn’t stop pestering him with questions about the paper. Finally, when she stopped talking to take a bite of some chilled pasta dish she had brought, Tiffany and the cousins’ friend Tracy swooped in with questions about Ellen’s last school. Ellen tried to dissuade them but Aralyn grabbed Cam by the hand and tugged it. He rose with her and they headed outside to talk.
“You’ve been grumpy all day, what’s wrong?” he asked, once they were alone. Aralyn didn’t answer, but wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly. “Aralyn, talk to me, Goddess.”
“How late did you stay up chatting with Ellen last night?” she asked. He shrugged.
“I don’t know. Not real late I guess.”
“How late?” she persisted.
“Maybe eleven. Why?”
“Because all day, all I’ve heard out of her, is your name. Cam this, Cam that, Cam says—” she paused for breath as her temper mounted but he raised one eyebrow.
“I’m not seeing the problem, Goddess.”
“The problem,” her eyes flashed, “is that you’re my boyfriend. When someone is gushing about you, and it’s a female, it better be me!”
Cam’s lips twitched as he fought the urge to smile. “Do you gush about me?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Her dark blue eyes narrowed. “I don’t trust Ellen, Cam. And neither does Tiff. This morning she was pumping us for information on our family, mainly Tiffany’s wealth. She’s been hounding you for your attention all day and tries to focus her attention on you alone. I don’t appreciate it.”
Cam smiled this time. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
“Jealous?” the blond eyebrows went up. “Yeah, I suppose I am jealous that my boyfriend is giving so much attention to another girl, who’s pretty, and shorter, and skinnier, and likes journalism—”
Cam clued in as soon as she said ‘pretty’ and her voice began to go up. He pulled her close, holding her tightly.
“Hey,” he said softly. “I was just being friendly. You think I want her? Aralyn, you’re the one I want, and have wanted. I’m not about to breakup with you for anyone, especially for someone like her.”
“You mean that?” Aralyn whispered against his chest.
“Of course, I do. I don’t want an average height, skinny blonde who dresses uptown. I want a tall, stacked hockey player with hair like gold and smile that lights up my world,” he said softly, looking down into her eyes.
“Really?” he could see the tears glittering in her eyes and it disturbed him.
Aralyn never cried.
“Yes, really,” he smiled again and kissed her gently, knowing a teacher could come outside at any moment and bust them. He brushed his thumb against her eyes to get the tears. “If Ellen thinks she can steal me, she’s crazy.”
Aralyn smiled up at him and he felt his heart melting. It had taken him three years to get Aralyn Duke, he wasn’t about to let her go now. Road trip or no, he still had a few months with her, and he was confident they could make things work while he was at school and she was on the road. People made long distance relationships work all the time, so could they.
When they returned to their table inside, Ellen looked irritated but Tiffany looked pleased. Dean had joined them, and was annoying Ellen to no end, deliberately flirting with her.
Cam made sure when they sat back down that Ellen was across from him and over two people.
“Did you see her face,” Tiffany giggled later in their foods class. “We all flanked Cam so she could only sit in front of him!”
Aralyn grinned. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”
“Well, admittedly, it was Dean’s idea,” Tiffany laughed. “And he’s going to stick close to her in journalism, so she can’t get all touchy feely with Cam.”
“Man, I owe you both,” Aralyn laughed.
Tracy joined them at their table.
“You’re all covered, girl. She’s in my French class and I've got her under surveillance,” she said in a satisfied tone.
“You guys are too much,” Aralyn laughed. “I didn’t think you were right, Tiffany but after watching her all morning, I think she is. And there’s no way in Hell she’s getting my boyfriend.”
“You’re PMSing,” Tiffany answered.
“What—how do you—”
“Hello, we’ve had the same schedule for years,” Tiffany reminded her. “Besides, after that mood swing this morning, I’d guess you start in the next few days.”
“Oh,” Aralyn moaned. “Hockey practice starts up on Thursday.”
“Yeah and we’ve both been slacking off,” Tiffany reminded her.
“Hey, I get plenty of exercise on Friday nights,” Aralyn smirked.
Tracy burst out laughing as Tiffany shook her head.
“Hey, just because you got the hottest guy in school, doesn’t mean you get to flaunt all the perks,” Tracy teased. Aralyn grinned. “Oh hey—prom is coming up. You girls thought about your dresses?”
Aralyn groaned. She hated talking about clothes.
“I’m not going,” Tiffany answered. “I expect Daisy will design dresses for those of us that decide to.”
“Not going?” Tracy demanded. “How can you not go? It’s senior prom!”
“Easy,” Tiffany laughed. “I don’t have anyone to go with, and I have no interest in watching everyone dress up, make out, and waste money so the guys can get laid before we graduate.”
Aralyn snickered. “You’re starting to sound like me.”
Tracy shook her dark head. The pretty African-American girl pointed one finger at Tiffany. “You’re telling me a Duke girl hasn’t been asked to the prom?”
“That’s not what I said,” Tiffany corrected. “I said I didn’t have anyone to go with. Sure I’ve been asked but, I’m not interested in any of them.”
“I bet Dean would take you,” Aralyn suggested slyly.
Tiffany gave her a warning glance.
“We’ve been over that.”
“Just saying,” Aralyn winked at Tracy.
Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!
***
Author’s Notes
- a huge yeee-haa to Ronda, my lovely editor who helps keep me on track!
- Word Count, 3,273
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