Page 46 of Enchanted to Meet You

“Yes, okay,if. But if you get picked, you get free tickets to the ball and the pre-ball banquet at the Yacht Club. And you get scholarship money to college and stuff. The only problem is, more girls signed up than there are places available. There are twelve of us and Mrs. Hopkins says they only have room for nine girls—”

“Andone of the girls who signed up happens to be Mrs. Hopkins’s daughter,” Esther interrupted again.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean Lizzie’s going to get selected,”Gabby said defensively. “There are a lot of conditions. Like I know for a fact at least one of the girls isn’t going to make the cut based on her GPA alone. And if you count having to be comfortable conversing with strangers and being free all weekend so you can go to all the Tricentennial events in the town square, that eliminates at least one of the others because she works at Dairy Queen and doesn’t have anyone yet to cover her shift.”

“Right. But Lizzie Walker-Hopkins’s mother is running the whole thing, so she’s more than likely going to get picked—”

“Not thewholething. There’s someone else. He’s coming on Wednesday from New York City for the final judging.”

“That’s my problem with it.” Esther leaned forward so that she could speak to Derrick and me more intimately, even though Derrick was taking care not to contribute to the conversation at all. Instead he kept his gaze straight ahead as we wound our way down the night-darkened coastal road toward the girls’ homes. “I mean aside from the fact that I think with things like this, who gets selected is always based on looks—”

“Notalways,” Gabby insisted.

“Okay, and I’m not saying I don’t think you’re beautiful, Gabs, you know I do. But then why do the princesses have to wear ball gowns?”

“Because it’s for the TricentennialBall.”

“Then why can’t they wear suits? Ms. Gold carries that whole line of evening tuxedos for women.”

I brightened at this. “Thanks,” I said. “I do. And I’d be happy to find one for you, Gabriella. But please call me Jessica.”

“Thanks, I know, I love your suits, Jessica,” Gabby said. “But I want a gown. I can’t really afford one from Enchantments, though. My mom said if I want to do this princess thing, I have to pay for it myself, and I don’t have a credit card.”

I considered this. I was certain I had the perfect gown for her.

“How about if we worked out a payment plan?” I asked. “You could pay me in installments, either with cash or by helping out in the shop.”

Gabriella let out a gasp. “Could I really? I wouldlovethat!”

“Of course. We need the help. What’s your weekend and after-school schedule like?”

“She’s free,” Esther said drily. “That’s why she signed up to be a Sacrificial Princess.”

Gabby playfully struck her friend in the arm. “Stop! You’re making me sound like a loser.”

“Sorry.” Esther didn’t sound particularly sorry, however. “It’s not that I’m against the whole thing. I just have questions I don’t feel have been adequately addressed. Like what kind of guy would take the time to come all the way to West Harbor from New York City just to crown a bunch of girls Harvest Princesses? Unless he’s got a line of cosmetics he wants you to endorse, or something, I feel like he has to be a perv.”

I did my best not to look at Derrick, who’d come all the way to West Harbor from Montana to do something extremely similar.

“He’s not a perv, Esther!” Gabby insisted while Willa, sitting in her lap, whimpered a little. She either sensed the hostility radiating from Pye, in her box on my lap, or that we were nearing her house. It was hard to tell. “Mrs. Hopkins says he’s a very important academic, published author, and historian.”

“Ugh, that’s sogross,” Esther asked. “What’s apublished authordoing, judging a beauty contest? When are we going to find out his name so that I can research him and make sure he doesn’t have a criminal record?”

“Oh my God.” Gabby rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”

“You know I love you and support you no matter what, Gabs. I just worry that you’re going to get emotionally invested in this and it’s not going to turn out the way you hope.”

“Just say it: you don’t think I’m going to get picked.”

“Actually, I think youaregoing to get picked, and something worse is going to happen.”

“Like what? They’re going to pour pig blood on me while I’m onstage?”

“No. Like this author guy is going to turn out to be a vampire who feasts on virgins, or something.”

I threw Derrick a knowing look.Vampires?See?I wanted to scream at him. I wasn’t the only one who thought vampires might be showing up in this town eventually.

But Derrick ignored both my look and Esther’s vampire comment, saying only, “Oh, look,” in a mild tone as he slowed the car to a stop. It was the first time he’d spoken since getting into the vehicle. “We’re here.”