Read Online Privilege 5 - Pure Sin by Kate Brian - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Brian
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their parents were late.
"Sorry," Palmer whispered in her ear, touching his fingertips to the small of her back in a very pleasant way. "Sometimes these two get carried away, being from opposite sides of the aisle and all."
"It's okay," Ariana whispered back with a smile. He looked incredibly handsome in his gray suit and blue tie, much like a young senator himself. "Keep your hand there and all is forgiven."
Palmer grinned and moved his hand up and down her back in a soothing circle. Ariana stepped a bit closer to him, relishing the fact that he was displaying their relationship so boldly in front of both his parents and Lexa's. At least something good was coming out of this yawn-fest of a gathering.
A burst of sudden, raucous laughter nearly knocked Ariana over in her new Louboutins. She turned and glanced over her shoulder. Standing near the wall under the glittering banner was Jasper, who was doubled over laughing with his hand on the shoulder of an older man, clearly his father. The man was rotund and balding, but perfectly coiffed in a dark suit and red tie. He looked exactly as Jasper would have looked if someone had hooked up an air pump to him and gone to work. Standing near the wall on Jasper's other side, talking quietly with a few suited ladies, was a diminutive woman with blonde curls, an angular face, and a sharp eye. Clearly, Jasper's mother.
Jasper's dad cracked another joke, and the growing crowd around him burst out in another round of laughter. Mr. Montgomery reminded her of her own dad, who was always the center of attention at any gathering.
Suddenly Jasper looked up and caught her staring. He smirked and lifted his glass, and Ariana snapped her head around to face forward, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
What is wrong with me? she berated herself. Palmer. Focus on Palmer.
"Lexa! There you are!" Mrs. Greene said suddenly.
Everyone in the little group turned. Lexa paused and slowly faced them, her eyes narrowed as if she didn't recognize her own mother.
"Oh. Hi," she said.
Lexa looked slightly unkempt in her black pencil skirt and wrinkled white top. Her skin was waxy, and although she'd applied eyeliner, she'd spaced on the mascara, which gave her a sort of frightened aspect. Her ankle wobbled as she stepped toward them. Ariana saw Mr. and Mrs. Liriano exchange an alarmed glance. She knew the feeling. What was up with Lexa now?
"Where have you been?" Her mother looked her up and down in a disapproving way as Lexa planted a perfunctory kiss on her cheek.
"Mother. Father," Lexa said flatly, ignoring the question. "Hey, guys," she said to her friends. "Hello, Lirianos." She lifted a hand half-heartedly.
Lexa grabbed a flute of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. "I've got kind of a lot going on right now."
She sipped the champagne and tapped her foot as if nervous, not looking anyone in the eye.
"Lexa!" Her mother whipped the glass out of her hand. "No drinking!"
"Mom!" Lexa whined, her shoulders slumping.
Ariana and Palmer exchanged a glance as Mr. Liriano cleared his throat and looked away. Maria and Soomie leaned toward one another, whispering under their breath as if they were trying to come up with a plan to help, but no one knew what to do, what with all the adults hovering around.
"Lexa. What has gotten into you?" Senator Greene said, his voice a low rumble.
Lexa opened her mouth to answer, but Ariana placed her hand on Lexa's wrist to stop her.
"We've all been under a lot of stress lately with the SATs coming up and finals," Ariana said, smiling at the adults. "Honestly, Lexa just hasn't been getting much sleep."
Instantly, Lexa's mother's face was lined with concern. She handed both her champagne flute and Lexa's to Maria and Soomie. They took them, obviously startled at being suddenly treated like the help. Mrs. Greene stepped toward her daughter.
"Is that true, honey? You haven't been sleeping?" she said, cupping Lexa's face with both
"Sorry," Palmer whispered in her ear, touching his fingertips to the small of her back in a very pleasant way. "Sometimes these two get carried away, being from opposite sides of the aisle and all."
"It's okay," Ariana whispered back with a smile. He looked incredibly handsome in his gray suit and blue tie, much like a young senator himself. "Keep your hand there and all is forgiven."
Palmer grinned and moved his hand up and down her back in a soothing circle. Ariana stepped a bit closer to him, relishing the fact that he was displaying their relationship so boldly in front of both his parents and Lexa's. At least something good was coming out of this yawn-fest of a gathering.
A burst of sudden, raucous laughter nearly knocked Ariana over in her new Louboutins. She turned and glanced over her shoulder. Standing near the wall under the glittering banner was Jasper, who was doubled over laughing with his hand on the shoulder of an older man, clearly his father. The man was rotund and balding, but perfectly coiffed in a dark suit and red tie. He looked exactly as Jasper would have looked if someone had hooked up an air pump to him and gone to work. Standing near the wall on Jasper's other side, talking quietly with a few suited ladies, was a diminutive woman with blonde curls, an angular face, and a sharp eye. Clearly, Jasper's mother.
Jasper's dad cracked another joke, and the growing crowd around him burst out in another round of laughter. Mr. Montgomery reminded her of her own dad, who was always the center of attention at any gathering.
Suddenly Jasper looked up and caught her staring. He smirked and lifted his glass, and Ariana snapped her head around to face forward, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
What is wrong with me? she berated herself. Palmer. Focus on Palmer.
"Lexa! There you are!" Mrs. Greene said suddenly.
Everyone in the little group turned. Lexa paused and slowly faced them, her eyes narrowed as if she didn't recognize her own mother.
"Oh. Hi," she said.
Lexa looked slightly unkempt in her black pencil skirt and wrinkled white top. Her skin was waxy, and although she'd applied eyeliner, she'd spaced on the mascara, which gave her a sort of frightened aspect. Her ankle wobbled as she stepped toward them. Ariana saw Mr. and Mrs. Liriano exchange an alarmed glance. She knew the feeling. What was up with Lexa now?
"Where have you been?" Her mother looked her up and down in a disapproving way as Lexa planted a perfunctory kiss on her cheek.
"Mother. Father," Lexa said flatly, ignoring the question. "Hey, guys," she said to her friends. "Hello, Lirianos." She lifted a hand half-heartedly.
Lexa grabbed a flute of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. "I've got kind of a lot going on right now."
She sipped the champagne and tapped her foot as if nervous, not looking anyone in the eye.
"Lexa!" Her mother whipped the glass out of her hand. "No drinking!"
"Mom!" Lexa whined, her shoulders slumping.
Ariana and Palmer exchanged a glance as Mr. Liriano cleared his throat and looked away. Maria and Soomie leaned toward one another, whispering under their breath as if they were trying to come up with a plan to help, but no one knew what to do, what with all the adults hovering around.
"Lexa. What has gotten into you?" Senator Greene said, his voice a low rumble.
Lexa opened her mouth to answer, but Ariana placed her hand on Lexa's wrist to stop her.
"We've all been under a lot of stress lately with the SATs coming up and finals," Ariana said, smiling at the adults. "Honestly, Lexa just hasn't been getting much sleep."
Instantly, Lexa's mother's face was lined with concern. She handed both her champagne flute and Lexa's to Maria and Soomie. They took them, obviously startled at being suddenly treated like the help. Mrs. Greene stepped toward her daughter.
"Is that true, honey? You haven't been sleeping?" she said, cupping Lexa's face with both