to call you Whitney. Or would you prefer Ms. Atwood?”
The fact that he of all people knew not only my last name but also my first was completely mind-boggling. I’d been in the dorms for a week now. Classes hadn’t started yet. I’d barely ventured out of my room. I was supposed to have a roommate, but she’d forfeited her spot in the program last minute and they hadn’t assigned anyone to take her place yet. I’d spent the last seven days mostly by myself, reading ahead in my textbooks, finishing assignments, listening to voices carrying out into the hallway, homesick for a home that didn’t exist anymore.
I hadn’t introduced myself to one person, but Derek knew me.
“Whitney is fine,” I said, my voice shaky. I tried to clear my throat but was unsuccessful.
“Good. You can call me Derek. I don’t want these meetings to feel formal. The point is for us to develop a personal relationship.”
The blush on my cheeks doubled down. I wanted to cover my face with my hands to hide the effect he had on me. It was silly. I was being silly, but I couldn’t stop myself.
If Derek noticed, he didn’t let on. “So you’ve been getting settled in at the dorms. There’s quite a few of you in the program. Have you met any of your classmates?”
Shame washed over me. “I’ve met a few people.” Met as in passed in the communal bathroom on the way to brush my teeth.
At this point in our meeting, I still hadn’t made eye contact with him. It seemed like a Herculean task just to glance at his hands, cupping his drink. They were large, tanned, handsome if ever hands could be.
“All right,” he continued, almost amused. “I think we need to break the ice. I know the last few weeks have probably been difficult for you. I still remember when I first arrived at college. I didn’t think I’d be overwhelmed, but I was. Why don’t we turn the tables? You ask me questions. Anything you want.”
My eyes finally jerked up as a small laugh escaped me.
The idea of me interviewing him was hilarious.
His dimples popped as he leaned back, completely serious.
“I mean it. Shoot.”
I tried to think of questions that would make me sound educated and informed, on his level. I didn’t want him to think of me as a silly teenager. So, I sat and I thought. I knew I was smart. I’d excelled in high school and graduated at the top of my class. I’d worked at Fairytale Kingdom for three years already. There were questions I wanted to ask…but my brain went blank.
He leaned forward. “Nothing too intense. It’s early and I haven’t finished this coffee. Something simple.”
“How old are you?” I asked, the question flying out of me on impulse.
He hid a smirk. “28.”
Ten years my senior. He seemed even older.
“Does your grandfather live inside the park?”
His smirk spread wider. “Yes.”
“Inside Elena’s Castle?”
He took a sip of his coffee before answering in a tone dripping with mock severity. “That’s classified information. Ask something else.”
I was grinning then. Enjoying myself.
“Did you work here when you were my age?”
He nodded. “My very first job inside the park was selling balloons.”
I lit up with excitement. “That’s my job! Well…it was. Now that I’m in the internship program, I’ve been stationed inside the castle. I’ll help control the lines for the meet-and-greet sessions with Princess Elena.”
He seemed impressed. “That’s a great place to be. You’ll get experience with In Character employees, and come to think of it, managing that line might be one of the toughest jobs in the park.” He tilted his head. “It’s funny, you kind of look like her.”
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard that. It was my hair mainly, and the feline shape of my pale green eyes. While stationed at my balloon stand, a few kids in the park had mistaken me for her, but Princess Elena was always played by someone older. Beautiful. Poised. I could have played Princess Elena’s kid sister with my rounded cheeks and the constellation of freckles across my nose.
I think he confused my silence as a sign of offense because he changed the subject. “You and I will have to figure out this mentorship together. I’ve never had a mentee, and to be honest, I don’t have a lot of time in my schedule, but I’d like to try to be a resource for you if you need one.”