Judging Books
Chapter 1—Preparation
“I do believe you are nearly perfect.”
Presley twirled a makeup brush between her perfectly manicured nails before laying it down on the bathroom counter. She tossed her platinum blonde hair off her shoulder before standing and motioning me to the mirror in her bedroom.
I glanced at the large, freestanding mirror in front of me and turned to the left and then the right. After spending years looking at myself in styles ranging from collegiate casual to evening formal, seeing myself in a conservative, corporate suit seemed strange. Hair up, simple diamond stud earrings, scarf around my neck…I barely recognized myself. Only the labels on the Versace suit and Prada purse were familiar.
I’d hardly call myself “perfect” though. Not “nearly perfect” either.
I smiled at my reflection, going for that look of confidence someone with a master’s degree in accounting should have when applying for a job. Smooth and easygoing, as if I didn’t have a care in the world.
Inside, my heart pounded and my stomach churned this morning’s takeout crepes from Barney’s Bakery. I wished I had just stayed at my own apartment last night instead of agreeing to stay here and let Presley fix me up for my interview.
“Ashlyn?” Presley placed her hand on my arm. “You all right?”
“Nervous.”
“Whatever for?” Presley looked genuinely confused. “It’s not like you aren’t going to get the job.”
“I still want to interview well. I don’t want to look like I don’t know what I’m talking about, and I don’t want to embarrass Dad. I feel like I’m representing the whole Dragonov family.”
“You’ll be fine.” Presley was dismissive in her tone and a flippant wave of her hand.
“I’ve never even had a job before,” I said. “I never so much as babysat a neighbor’s kid, delivered a pizza, or asked if anyone wanted fries with their order. If Dad didn’t hand me cash for whatever I wanted, I simply used the credit card.”
“You and me both, sister.” Presley laughed. “I’m not even sure if I’ll get a job after graduation. According to your dad’s company, my trust fund pretty much covers me for life and then some. I’m thinking about going to the Virgin Islands or maybe Puerto Rico and just chilling for a while.”
“Didn’t the last round of hurricanes make that a little difficult?”
“I figure I can help out,” Presley said with a shrug.
Trust fund lifestyle aside, Presley was often the first in line when it came to those she considered less fortunate, which were most people. She had a thing for five-kilometer walks and political fundraisers.
“Are you going to help distribute supplies?”
“I figure there’s probably a lot of people who won’t be able to fix up their homes or businesses. Zoey’s been talking about combining her broadcasting degree with her newfound love of house-flipping and starting up a new reality TV show. If we can offer people who want to relocate good prices for their homes…well, real estate is always a good investment.”
“Couldn’t that be considered…I don’t know…taking advantage of the situation?”
“Someone has to do it.” Presley tucked her hair behind her ear. “Ashlyn, you should go with. I bet we would need an accountant. Screw Daddy Dragonov’s company.”