Page 109 of Ice Princess

REBEL

I adjustthe collar of my pink button down shirt and look myself over in the mirror. I went with business casual for my nine a.m. meeting with Rodney Howard, so I’m pairing the pink shirt with a smart black pencil skirt and pink kitty pumps.

Is it too much? Not enough?

I reach for the blazer again. Holding up the jacket to my face, I debate it and then return to my original decision.

No blazer it is.

I send the jacket flying across the room and it lands on one of the many clothing heaps on the ground.

All that’s left is makeup.

Nerves make my fingers shake as I apply my mascara.

“Come on. Come on,” I mutter, wiggling my arm out and leaning toward the mirror to try again.

My hands still shake.

I give up on the mascara and simply coat my lips in a strawberry-scented lipgloss. It’s no big loss. When it comes to business meetings, less is more anyway.

Mom shows up when I’m leaving my apartment. “Hi, honey. I brought you breakfast. I figured you’d be too busy to eat.”

“Thanks, mom.” I accept the plastic bag from her without looking inside. Hustling toward my car, I moan, “I’m late.”

“You’re early.”

“Not if there’s traffic.”

“You’ll be fine.”

I freeze and jog back to the stairway. “I forgot my folder.”

“You mean, that folder?” Mom points.

I look down and see the folder in my grip.

“I’m losing it.”

“You’re spiraling. Just slow down for a second.”

I check my watch. “I don’t have time.”

“You have time, Rebel.”

“What if I choke? I’m a mechanic, not a motivational speaker.”

“Just breathe through it. Do exactly what you practiced with me and you’ll have them opening their wallets faster than a tornado snatching a roof.”

“Thanks, mom.” I shuffle past her to my car. “And how do you know what I practiced last night? You slept through most of it.”

Mom smiles guiltily. “In my defense, you practiced the same speech for two hours.”

She has a point.

“But,” mom adds, “if I had millions in my bank account, I would have beenrivetedby every word.”

I laugh out loud.

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