Perfected (Entangled Teen) Read Free

live in, of course—she was speaking about the general public—but it was a substantial amount of money regardless. We were to understand that our new owners would think of us as an investment, and we needed to spend our lives making sure their investment was worth it.
    Still, the way the senator stroked Sixteen’s hair didn’t feel right.
    “…choose number Eight,” a voice said from the crowd, and I lifted my head at the sound of my name.
    Miss Gellner smiled. “Thank you, Congressman,” she said, and I followed her gaze to the man who had just selected me with the third tag of the day.
    The congressman smiled at me and nodded. It was the same small gesture he’d given me after my performance. But still it confused me. If he knew I’d lied to him about my preference for playing the piano, why would he use up a third-pick tag to choose me? I got shakily to my feet, trying to paste a demure smile over the look of stunned disbelief on my face before I wound my way through the crowd to stand next to him.
    “Hello, love,” he said, smiling. “It looks like three is our lucky number. Tag number three for the girl with three talents.”
    “Oh yes, what splendid luck,” his wife said in a flat voice.
    I knew she was being sarcastic. It was the sort of speech Miss Gellner commanded us never to use under any circumstance, but there had been a few times when I’d overheard some of the girls speak this way to one another when Miss Gellner wasn’t listening.
    “I have a headache,” she said, turning to her husband. “I’ll be waiting out in the lobby until this little pageant is over.”
    The congressman watched his wife disappear behind the two wide doors that led into the waiting room before he turned to me. “Don’t let Elise scare you,” he said. “She’s been in a bad mood ever since she turned fifty.”
    I didn’t know how to respond. In our Conversation classes, Miss Gellner said never to engage in a discussion about a woman’s age or weight, but I was afraid to stand idly without responding.
    “Yes, sir,” I said quietly and raised my head to watch as Miss Gellner called the remaining tags.
    Less than an hour later, each girl had been sold. Even the last clients, who had been left with Eleven, seemed quite pleased with their purchase. Miss Gellner thanked the crowd and led us out into the lobby.
    “On behalf of Greenwich Kennels, I’d like to thank you once again for choosing us,” Miss Gellner said. “Your paperwork should arrive within the next week. Please feel free to visit our website for care instructions, as well as read the brochures we’ve sent home with you. And please don’t hesitate to call if there’s anything we can do for you.”
    “Next thing you know, she’s going to tell us to have her registered with the American Kennel Club,” the congressman’s wife said, standing up from the chair we’d found her in. “Can we please get out of here? I still need to get ready for Grace’s reception, and at this rate, I’ll be late again.”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll get you home with plenty of time to spare,” the congressman said, touching her lightly on the wrist. It was the first sign of Tactile Affection that I’d seen between the two of them, and I turned away like I’d been taught in my Body Language class, not wanting to intrude.
    Out front, the congressman handed a small pink ticket to one of the valets standing next to the wide, circular driveway.
    The valet glanced down at the ticket and smiled. “Oh, the Austin-Healey. Is it a ’63?”
    “’65,” the congressman said. “Back when they really knew how to make a car.”
    The valet nodded enthusiastically. “I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but it’s a beautiful car, sir.”
    “Of course I don’t mind,” the congressman said. “I’ve got a soft spot for beautiful things.”
    “You’ve got a soft spot for impractical things,” his wife countered, watching the valet run off to fetch their car, but