The Chosen One Read Online Free Page B

what’s the reasoning for that?”
    “Good God, I don’t even want to contemplate that. Besides, trying to figure out Susie’s motives is useless. She changes direction every time a new scandal erupts.”
    “That could be the meaning. She’ll out-navigate you.” Fiona reread the quote, shook her head, and shoved the paper to the corner of the table. Fee hoisted a shoulder, giving up on figuring out the vindictive motive. “Honestly, I don’t think the two are connected. You”‌—‌she extended a finger, aiming at my chest‌—‌“have watched too many episodes of Scandal .”
    “Me? You’re the one who got me into the show. And House of Cards ‌—‌even the British version.”
    “How was I supposed to know watching those shows would turn you into a paranoid loon who craved even more attention?”
    “Craving attention! I try to stay under the radar.”
    While I aspired to be president, Fiona wanted to be a presidential scholar along the lines of Doris Kearns Goodwin, the historian who won the Pulitzer for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt . Fiona already dressed like a professor. Her purple blazer and white scoop-necked shirt were accented with a floral silk scarf. She added a twist by wearing jeans with a tear, not that she bought them that way; no Carmichael would buy torn jeans. Fee had ripped hers during our attempt to break into Susie Q’s house, after I learned Cassidy had recorded me. I still couldn’t think of that day without experiencing mind-numbing vertigo. That clip had destroyed my hopes of ever finding love. We failed to locate any trace of the video, and Fee had fallen out of a tree, breaking her wrist and tearing her jeans.
    I patted Fee’s hand. Time to change the subject. “How’s Hahvard?” I drawled.
    “Smashing. Just smashing,” Fiona answered.
    I burst into giggles, relieved to shove the Susie weirdness out of my mind momentarily.
    My cousin bent forward conspiratorially. “Did you meet any gorgeous women today?”
    I couldn’t control myself. I glanced toward Maya and nearly toppled out of my chair when she approached the counter, wearing an apron. She worked here? That made my poor first impression earlier a hundred times worse. Oh, and what would she think of Fiona and her airs?
    I wanted to die.
    “Uh,” was all I could say.
    Fiona eyed Maya and smiled surreptitiously‌—‌not because she knew my secret but because that was how she always smiled. Gray Eyes glanced at me and then at Fiona, her expression frozen, and then took up her station behind the register, going out of her way to keep me out of her direct line of sight.
    “You have to jump back on the horse, Ains. Don’t let the Cassidy incident keep you out of the game. That’s not how Carmichaels do it.”
    “Puh-lease. Carmichaels are doing it too much. I’m not going to fall victim to unnecessary scandal. I have one goal in life.” I stabbed the air with a finger.
    Fee sighed dramatically. “Here it comes.”
    “Here what comes?” I stiffened in my seat.
    “How you are Grandmother’s ‘Chosen One’ to become the first Carmichael to win the White House.” She rolled her eyes and made air quotes.
    “Whatever.” I laughed. “You’re just jealous I’m the Chosen One.” I stuck my tongue out.
    “That’ll be the day. I plan on having as many lovers as possible. Besides, being Grandmother’s little Mini-Me is creepy.”
    “I’m not her Mini-Me!”
    “No? You receive daily debriefing e-mails from her political goons, and you both use the same makeup artists, hair peeps, and personal shoppers‌—‌even if I’m certain you picked out today’s outfit.” She eyed my pink dress with a smirk and continued listing our similarities, ending with the coup de grace, “She even gave you her name, Ains.” Fiona slurped the rest of her coffee. “I’m famished. Let’s scram.” She pointed to the coffee I’d barely touched. “Clearly you aren’t impressed with this joint.