whom were caught in the maze of clothing racks with nowhere to go. "Now come on, ladies, kiss and make up. I will not have Civil War among my team."
Ariana's pulse sped up so fast she almost felt faint. Palmer up close was even more magnetic than Palmer on stage. She could see the crinkles in his cheeks when he smiled. The tiny birthmark just to the left of his perfectly straight nose. The insanely long lashes fringing his dark brown eyes. As he greeted Tahira, Allison, Zuri, Maria, Brigit, and Soomie with cheek kisses, warm smiles, and interested questions, Ariana paid close attention. Palmer definitely spent more time chatting with the "vanilla brigade," as Tahira called them, than he did with Tahira, Allison, and Zuri. It wasn't a huge discrepancy, but it was there. Ariana felt reassured that she had made the right decision. Palmer was obviously the center of the APH universe, so clearly Maria and her friends knew the right people. If they could get her closer to Palmer, then vanilla she would be.
She waited as Palmer finished catching up with his friends and prayed that her mind would come up with something witty to say when he finally noticed her standing there. She also couldn't help noticing that he was surrounded by guys. No girlfriend trailing adoringly after him. This was a very good sign.
At long last his eyes fell on her and he broke into a wide smile. Ariana's skin sizzled as he took her in. He clearly liked what he saw. The force of her relief, mixed with the insane weightlessness of anticipation, made her feel light-headed.
Control yourself, Ariana. Control
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"Who do we have here?" Palmer asked, sliding out into the aisle to stand in front of her.
He smelled incredible. A clean, crisp aftershave scent. Expensive, definitely.
"Ana Covington," she said with a hint of a smile. She lifted her hand toward him. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. President," she added slyly, looking directly into his eyes.
Palmer's smile turned satisfied. He liked the acknowledgment of his position, however teasing it might be. He shook her hand with a firm, warm grip, and Ariana's heart all but stopped.
"And you, Miss Covington," he said, picking up on her jokingly formal tone. "But wait... I thought it was Briana Leigh."
Ariana started. Why did everyone here seem to already know her name? "It... it is," she said. "But I prefer Ana."
"All right, Ana," he replied, "So, what classes are you taking?"
Ariana hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was reveal her embarrassingly simple schedule--the result of Briana Leigh's substandard entrance exam scores--especially since she planned on having it altered as soon as possible.
"Palmer's in all advanced and honors courses," Soomie explained with an affectionate smile. "He measures everyone's worth by the level of their intellect."
Intriguing. A guy who actually cared about school and preferred to surround himself with like-minded people. Ariana was both surprised and pleased. She'd never known a popular, handsome, privileged guy to also be a serious student. But now she definitely
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couldn't tell the truth about her schedule. Her only choice was distraction.
"I'm impressed," she said, looking up at him. "No guy has ever shown interest in the size of my intellect before," she added with a flirtatious smile.
His friends all reacted exactly as Ariana predicted, laughing and making suggestive noises. Palmer simply grinned and Ariana felt an instant connection. He appreciated her joke but didn't feel the need to be lewd about it. Palmer was definitely a rare breed. Mature, serious, and insanely gorgeous.
"Guess I'm different than other guys," he said.
"And I'm different than other girls," she said, glancing at Tahira in a derisive way. "So I guess we have a lot in common."
Palmer laughed, his eyes sparkling.
"You know what? You're no longer invited to our party tonight," Tahira said with a sniff.
Ariana smiled stiffly. "I wasn't coming anyway."
Brigit laughed as Maria and Soomie slid their palms together once more.
Tahira's eyes narrowed in a threatening way. "You are so going to regret that."
Ariana felt the slightest twinge of fear. After all, who knew what the princess of Dubai was capable of? But then Tahira walked over to one of Palmer's friends--a tall, muscular guy with thick, wavy, dark hair--to whisper something in his ear, and the fear passed. Retreating to her guy? Maybe Tahira wasn't as formidable as she made herself
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out to be. Palmer, meanwhile, simply smirked and looked back at the guys.