The Heir (The Selection #4)(36)

I felt a flurry of emotions, trying to figure out how I would discuss how exposed I’d felt after my date with Hale . . . or how stunned I felt after my kiss with Kile. Trying to balance the conflicting feelings around those two moments was dizzying without adding anything else.

“I went on a date last night, Dad. Isn’t that enough?”

He swallowed as he thought. “Eventually you need to start alerting us when you have dates. A few pictures from some of them would be good for everyone. And I think you need at least one more date before Friday.”

“Really?” I whined.

“Do something you enjoy. You’re treating it like work.”

“That’s because it is!” I protested with an incredulous laugh.

“It can be fun, Eadlyn. Give it a chance.” He looked at me over his glasses, almost like he was daring me.

“Fine. One date. That’s all you get, old man,” I teased.

He chuckled. “Old man is right.”

Dad went back to his papers, satisfied. I sat there, peeking furtively at him from my desk. He stretched often, rubbing the back of his neck, and even though there weren’t any urgent tasks today, he ran his hands through his hair as if he was troubled.

Now that Hale had put it in my head, I was going to be watching him often.

I decided to make Baden my next target. Maybe Aunt May knew something, because Baden didn’t come in brashly or, conversely, like he was trying to hide. When someone else stole a moment that should have been solely his at the tea party, he didn’t make a fuss. And when I approached him for time alone, he turned the focus back to me.

“You play the piano, right?” Baden asked when I invited him on a date.

“I do. Not as well as my mother, but I’m pretty proficient.”

“I play the guitar. Maybe we could make some music.”

It wasn’t anything I would have thought of. Perhaps music would mean less talking, though, and I was all up for that.

“Sure. I’ll secure the Women’s Room for us.”

“Am I even allowed in there?” he asked skeptically.

“When you’re with me, yes. And I’ll make sure it’s empty. My favorite piano in the palace is there. Do you need a guitar?”

He smirked. “Nah. I brought my own.”

Baden ran a hand over his cropped hair, seeming very relaxed. I was still attempting to come across as distant and impenetrable, but I could tell there were a handful of guys who weren’t bothered by my attitude at all, and Baden was one of them.

“What are the chances of the room being empty now?” he asked.

I smiled at his enthusiasm. “High, actually, but I have work to do.”

He bent down, his eyes devilish. “But don’t you always have work to do? I bet you could stay up till three in the morning if you had to.”

“True, but—”

“And it’ll all still be there when you get back.”

I clasped my hands and considered it. “I’m really not supposed to . . .”

He started chanting slowly. “Skip it, skip it, skip it!”

My lips were pressed together, trying to hide my smile. Really, I ought to tell someone. I was going to have yet another undocumented date . . . but maybe I deserved one more. Next week, I bargained with myself. After this Report, I’ll worry about the cameras.

“Go get your guitar,” I said, caving.

“Two minutes!” He bolted down the hall, and I shook my head. I hoped he wouldn’t tell everyone I was an utter pushover.

I walked to the Women’s Room, expecting to find it empty. Except for Miss Marlee sitting alone in a corner reading, I was right.

“Your Highness,” she greeted. It was one of those funny things. Plenty of people called me that, but when Mom’s friends said it, they might as well have been calling me pumpkin or kiddo or baby. I didn’t mind it, but it was always kind of strange.

“Where’s Mom?”

She closed her book. “Migraine. I went to see her, and she made me leave. Any sound was excruciating.”

“Oh. I was supposed to be having a date right now, but maybe I should go check on her.”

“No,” she insisted. “She needed rest, and both your parents would be pleased for you to have a date.”

I considered. If she was really feeling that bad, maybe it would be better to wait.

“Umm, all right. Well, would it be okay if I used the room? Baden and I are going to make music.” I squinted. “I mean that literally, by the way.”

She giggled and stood. “That’s no problem at all.”

“Is it weird for you?” I asked suddenly. “That Kile is a part of this? That you know I’m about to go on a date with someone who isn’t him? Is it, you know, okay?”

“It was quite a shock to see you two on the front page of every paper,” she said, shaking her head like she couldn’t fathom how it had happened. Then she came close, as if we were trying to keep a secret. “But you forget your parents aren’t the only ones here who’ve been through a Selection.”

I felt like a downright idiot. Why hadn’t I thought of that?

“I remember watching your father scramble to find time for everyone, trying to please those around him while searching for someone who’d be a good partner. And it’s even harder for you, because it’s bigger than that. You’re making history while trying to divert attention. Saying it’s tough is an understatement.”