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hellhole, and I can get on with my ridiculous goals and the rest of my life.
I pan the room for Cassidy and the girls and spot them talking to a group of boys in
the corner. They re all laughing and having a great time, and I wish I could somehow
teleport myself to that part of the room. I take it all in Alpha Chi with all its glitz and
glamour and wonder what I ever saw in this place to begin with.
 Um, I think that sounds great, I lie because apparently that s what I do now. I m so
disgusted in myself I can vomit.  I d better hit the ladies room. Can you excuse me? I
glide past him, not waiting for a response. The audacity! Who the hell sets up an
overnight date when you hardly know someone? Perverts! That s who.
A couple by the door catches my eye. She s running her hands through his hair,
snaking her body over his with passion. Now that s the way it should be. That couple
looks as if they deserve an overnight getaway in Virginia. The guy turns his head and
glances around the room. I recognize those godly features, those glowing eyes, that body
of a warrior Owen. I jump behind the doorway and lean in just in time to see her take a
generous bite out of his neck. He whispers something into her ear, and they take off, out
the door, and most likely straight to his bed.
There you have it, folks. I guess you don t need to know anyone too long in this world
before you jump into bed with them. My heart burns a hole through my chest as if Owen
just dumped acid onto it. A boiling rage fills me. Why in the hell do I care who that
douchebag sleeps with? I need to focus on whom I ll be sleeping with at the end of next
weekend. I glance back at Winston speaking with Jules and Lucille and shoot death rays
at the three of them. He s just a means to an end.
They all are.
Saturday at Wyatt s ranch sounded like a lovely idea in theory, horses, my brothers, baby
Ben but Wyatt has a rather extended invitation list that happens to include his partners
from the advertising firm, their wives, and my fellow intern, Owen, the player.
 Are you giving me the cold shoulder? His brows furrow into a perfect V, and my
insides burn with heat. I can t wait until I m an old hag, and I can hate people properly
without my hormones getting in the way.
I glare at him for a moment as I help myself to another serving of Annie s famed
potato salad.  Why would I care enough to do that? Thankfully, we re far enough from
the picnic tables that Marley and Wyatt have set out across their sprawling yard. Rows
and rows of apple trees are laden with the ornamental fruit just beyond us. It s a perfect
fall afternoon, and Owen Vincent is ruining it for me, much like he s taken to ruining just
about everything else for me.
 Okay, we re back to this, he says it mostly to himself.  Would you give me a hint?
Did I bring this upon myself, or are those robots you re auditioning for controlling your
emotions?
 You wish. Speaking of auditioning, that s exactly why Cassidy couldn t make it today.
She s gravitating toward theater and has decided to try out for a role in 10 Things I Hate
about You. I openly glare at Owen again. Yeah, I m feeling like I might be able to score a
role in that one myself.
 So, how was she? You know, the blonde? Not that I care. I give an exaggerated
shrug, still unwilling to make eye contact with the bastard. After all, I m gearing up for an
overnight getaway with the man who will most likely put an obnoxiously large ring on my
finger one day in the near future. The sad part is, this is most likely a very real possibility.
It s scary how much Winston and I actually have in common, but I m still a far cry from
doodling Mrs. Stanford on any of my notebooks.
 What are you talking about? What blonde? And by the way, I like you with your hair
down. And your lips look like they appreciate the red reprieve. You don t need any of
that, Piper. You don t need them.
 What s going on? Cade comes over and offers Owen up a high five.
What s going on indeed.
 Thanks for the heads-up, man. Cade gives him a playful sock to the arm.
What s this? Since when are Cade and Owen best buddies?
I clear my throat.  I didn t realize you two knew each other.
 We didn t until last night, Cade offers while taking twice as much of the potato salad
as I did.  Let s just say he introduced me to a few friends. One of them was very, very
good to me.
 Gross. I drop my plate onto the table.
 The blonde. Owen tips his head back and closes his eyes as if having an epiphany.
 Yes, Jeanie Waters. She s sort of a legend at Whitney Briggs.
Cade lifts his fork.  I believe the words you used were  a tradition. 
 A graduation requirement, Owen counters.
Cade went home with her instead? A swell of relief fills me.  You re both disgusting.
I m leaving now.
Cade steps in front of me.  How d it go at the Barbie Ball?
I avert my gaze.  Is there no one on this planet who appreciates the Greeks for what
they really are?
 Assholes? Owen offers without missing a beat, and Cade high-fives him once again.
 No, a public service i.e., networking at its finest. And there are tons of nice people
there. Albeit most of them are rushing right alongside me. The thought of any other girls
getting that same letter I did makes me cringe. I m positive they tailored the misery per
its victim. I m not an idiot. They re using the fact I m greedy for a bed hell, greedy for a
strand of those luscious pearls to clutch for the next four years to haze the living shit out
of me. That s right, I said it. The hell hazing doesn t exist at Alpha Chi. Once I get in, I ll [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]