wanted to mess with.
His jaw twitched, but he carried on pleasantly,
“Lexi, I know being a Dentelle makes you highly sought after because of your
extraordinary talents. Please know that we do not have an Amethyst in our
Circle, and you would be a wonderful asset. San Diego is a hugely populated
area and there are plenty of Innocents who need our help. I can promise life
would be busy and fulfilling.”
“And
that’s supposed to be appealing?” Ash snorted. “I don’t see how an invitation to work overtime is any kind of
incentive. Now, maybe if he started talking about hanging out at the beaches,
because surfing accidents are on the rise…”
Still on edge, I ignored Ash and replied, “Thank
you for the kind words. Ash and I are flattered and appreciative of all the
invitations we’ve received, and when the time is right we will carefully
consider each one. I can’t say that we are ready to make any decisions at this
point, because we are very happy in Bellingham. But please be assured that, if,
and when, we are ready to look at our options, yours will be at the top of our
list.”
To Ash I said, “There is no way we will ever be joining his Circle. He is Creepy with
a capital C!” I proceeded to fill him in on what had occurred and then made
a mental note to have a conversation with Jason about Carlos – and about Flairs
in general.
After making the rounds, Dakota steered us
towards the dessert area, where I smothered a piece of warm apple pie with
vanilla ice cream. As if exhausted and starving from all the socializing, Ash
filled his plate with a piece of chocolate cake, a piece of key lime pie, two
peanut butter cookies, and a fresh fruit tart.
“What?” he asked when I smacked him across the
back and gave him a nasty look. “I need to be fully satiated if I’m gonna kick
butt at the competitions tomorrow. You better eat up, too. I want you at your
best, because I plan on us walking away with the gold medals in the linked
competition.”
“Ash, there’s no way that’s gonna happen.” I
nodded and smiled as we passed people on our way back to the table. I noticed
the lights had dimmed and there was a spotlight on a corner stage I hadn’t even
noticed being there before.
Balancing his dessert plate in one hand, he
twirled me around with the other and looked me straight in the eye. “Oh yeah there
is. You know I live for a fierce, adrenaline-packed competition. With my
attitude and your Dentelle abilities, we are gonna rock our events. Make no
mistake, Lexi. We are in it to win it.”
I started cracking up at his serious expression.
“I don’t know if I can take a whole week of this…of you, me, and your attitude.
You’re gonna drive me crazy.”
As we took our seats, I noted the one next to me
was empty. That’s about the time Ahanu’s voice came over the speakers, and I
realized he was up on the platform. He addressed the entire crowd, welcoming
everyone and talking about the expectations for the week. As he spoke, I
gobbled down my apple pie. The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg always reminded me
of my grandma’s kitchen. Candles flickered on the tables, and the crowded room
remained surprisingly quiet as Ahanu’s deep, accented voice filled the room. At
one point he invited all the Amethysts up to the stage, along with Ash and
myself. Introductions were made in a similar manner to how Mr. Nelson had presented
us at the New Year’s Eve Party at the Retreat. With Ash on one side of me and
Jessica on the other holding my hand, I smiled and followed her lead. I was
grateful Ahanu didn’t make a big deal about me – just introduced me as Lexi
Adams, Dentelle from the Bellingham Circle and Ash as my linked partner, also
from Bellingham. After we all sat down, Ahanu explained that while the games
were to be the highlight, there would also be times when members of the Senior
Council would be absent. They had several scheduled meetings, all which
required serious discussion before
His jaw twitched, but he carried on pleasantly,
“Lexi, I know being a Dentelle makes you highly sought after because of your
extraordinary talents. Please know that we do not have an Amethyst in our
Circle, and you would be a wonderful asset. San Diego is a hugely populated
area and there are plenty of Innocents who need our help. I can promise life
would be busy and fulfilling.”
“And
that’s supposed to be appealing?” Ash snorted. “I don’t see how an invitation to work overtime is any kind of
incentive. Now, maybe if he started talking about hanging out at the beaches,
because surfing accidents are on the rise…”
Still on edge, I ignored Ash and replied, “Thank
you for the kind words. Ash and I are flattered and appreciative of all the
invitations we’ve received, and when the time is right we will carefully
consider each one. I can’t say that we are ready to make any decisions at this
point, because we are very happy in Bellingham. But please be assured that, if,
and when, we are ready to look at our options, yours will be at the top of our
list.”
To Ash I said, “There is no way we will ever be joining his Circle. He is Creepy with
a capital C!” I proceeded to fill him in on what had occurred and then made
a mental note to have a conversation with Jason about Carlos – and about Flairs
in general.
After making the rounds, Dakota steered us
towards the dessert area, where I smothered a piece of warm apple pie with
vanilla ice cream. As if exhausted and starving from all the socializing, Ash
filled his plate with a piece of chocolate cake, a piece of key lime pie, two
peanut butter cookies, and a fresh fruit tart.
“What?” he asked when I smacked him across the
back and gave him a nasty look. “I need to be fully satiated if I’m gonna kick
butt at the competitions tomorrow. You better eat up, too. I want you at your
best, because I plan on us walking away with the gold medals in the linked
competition.”
“Ash, there’s no way that’s gonna happen.” I
nodded and smiled as we passed people on our way back to the table. I noticed
the lights had dimmed and there was a spotlight on a corner stage I hadn’t even
noticed being there before.
Balancing his dessert plate in one hand, he
twirled me around with the other and looked me straight in the eye. “Oh yeah there
is. You know I live for a fierce, adrenaline-packed competition. With my
attitude and your Dentelle abilities, we are gonna rock our events. Make no
mistake, Lexi. We are in it to win it.”
I started cracking up at his serious expression.
“I don’t know if I can take a whole week of this…of you, me, and your attitude.
You’re gonna drive me crazy.”
As we took our seats, I noted the one next to me
was empty. That’s about the time Ahanu’s voice came over the speakers, and I
realized he was up on the platform. He addressed the entire crowd, welcoming
everyone and talking about the expectations for the week. As he spoke, I
gobbled down my apple pie. The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg always reminded me
of my grandma’s kitchen. Candles flickered on the tables, and the crowded room
remained surprisingly quiet as Ahanu’s deep, accented voice filled the room. At
one point he invited all the Amethysts up to the stage, along with Ash and
myself. Introductions were made in a similar manner to how Mr. Nelson had presented
us at the New Year’s Eve Party at the Retreat. With Ash on one side of me and
Jessica on the other holding my hand, I smiled and followed her lead. I was
grateful Ahanu didn’t make a big deal about me – just introduced me as Lexi
Adams, Dentelle from the Bellingham Circle and Ash as my linked partner, also
from Bellingham. After we all sat down, Ahanu explained that while the games
were to be the highlight, there would also be times when members of the Senior
Council would be absent. They had several scheduled meetings, all which
required serious discussion before
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