Georgetown Academy, Book One

Chapter Four

Tuesday, 5:14pm.

Brinley tried to keep her raging headache in check as she waited for her boyfriend, Graham Wells, to come out of the dressing room at Lost Boys, the upscale Georgetown men’s boutique on Thirty-First Street. Getting Graham a new outfit for the rookie party had originally been Brinley’s idea, but she was definitely regretting it now. She pressed her fingers to her temples, rubbing hard. She hadn’t slept at all the last two nights and the pain in her head had begun to spread to all her muscles, some of which she was appalled to find were twitching.

Brinley reached into her bag and checked her phone for the hundredth time. Dammit, she thought, where in the hell was Nathan and why was he not calling back?

“Brin, come check it out,” Graham called from the dressing room.

“Can’t you just come out and show me?” she snapped irritably. She was worried if she got up from the love seat she was perched on, she might pass out.

In the mirror, Brinley caught two sales girls quietly and excitedly motioning to each other about the fact that Graham Wells, the vice president’s son, was in the store. Or, the former Vice President’s son, Brinley had to remind herself. As of that morning, the new president had been inaugurated and Graham’s father had found himself out of office. The absence of the previously always-present two secret service officers who had flanked Graham was a glaring reminder of that.

Brinley had worried it would send Graham’s stock in this town plummeting, but from all the giggling at the cashier’s desk, it looked like he was just as popular as ever, something Brinley now found bittersweet. She no longer derived joy from the jealous looks girls would cast her way, all dying to be the ones dating the son of such an important public figure. Graham’s recent transgression had changed all that.

Two months ago, Graham had cheated on her with an intern. And if the going rumor was to be believed, he hadn’t just hooked up with Kourtney Kramer. He had screwed her in a bathroom stall at the Smithsonian. Brinley had had to summon all her innermost political-wife strength to forgive him, holding his hand through the school hallway the same way countless scorned wives held their cheating husbands’ hands on the press conference podium. She knew Ellie thought she forgave Graham because she loved the perks of dating the vice president’s son and she was partially right—did anyone else from G.A. get invited to movie night at the White House? But the truth was, she liked being with Graham, too. He was one of the few guys at G.A. who didn’t bore her to death. And it wasn’t like he was the only one with secrets.

“Brin, I’m serious. Come back here.” His voice, full of impatience, interrupted her thoughts.

Brinley checked her phone again for any texts or messages from Nathan, then counted to ten slowly, exhaling at each number, trying to slow her jittery heartbeat. Finally, she stood, waiting a second for the dizziness to fade before she took a step.

She entered the large dressing room to find Graham in just his boxers, his olive complexion still darker than usual from his family’s recent trip to Bermuda. His skinny chicken legs were stuck out awkwardly, completely out of proportion with his broad shoulders, but it was one of the traits Brinley found most endearing in him.

Then he gave her that smile and she was instantly annoyed.

“Graham, what are you doing?” she asked, though she had a pretty good idea. He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck.

“You look so hot when you’re annoyed,” he murmured into her ear, already trying to work the zipper on the back of her dress.

“Graham, not here,” she whispered angrily as she turned to face him, “There are tons of people out there.”