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“What?” Fiona looked up from the poster. “You still don’t fancy him? Not even after last night?”
“Nope,” replied Sunita. “Too pretty for me.”
As she admired Fiona’s prize, envy bubbled in Evie’s chest. She pictured the empty space on her bedroom wall, cleared especially for this long-awaited “exclusive” portrait, the centerpiece of her extensive Nikolai collection. But now Fiona would be the one falling asleep with dreamy Nikolai watching over her, while Evie would be taunted by an eyeful of faded flowery wallpaper. The whole thing sucked.
“Well, I think he’s perfect.” Fiona hugged the poster against her burgeoning chest. “He’s single, hot, talented—what more could you want?”
Nick all to myself! Evie gazed off into the endless horizon. We’d feed squirrels in one of London’s big parks, ride the Tube, go to a McDonald’s—share a Big Mac! Then go back to his and kiss and have some sex. She swallowed hard, forcing a friendly smile. “No one comes close, ’specially round here.”
Fiona fussed with the glossy pages. “Well, someone does, obviously…”
No! Not Fi too! Evie prickled. Eight of her classmates, including Sunita, had boyfriends of the kissing-behind-the-school, gropey-hands-under-shirts variety, but with no prospects of her own, Evie’s hopes of becoming one of the cool, mature girls were drifting out to sea along with the lapwings and their sweet “peee-ooo-weeep” birdsong.
“Seriously? You’ve got a boyfriend?” A skeptical tone tinged Sunita’s query, but that was Sun, always wary, always questioning, a budding journalist if there ever was one.
Fiona giggled. “You kidding? My parents would kill me.”
Evie squinted back. “So, what are you on about, then?”
“Oh?!” Fiona’s stare oscillated between Sunita and Evie. “You really don’t know?” The wind walloped again and snagged the magazine’s centerfold, tearing the poster free from one of the staples. “Shoot!” Fiona grasped the picture, creasing Nikolai’s arms and chest in the process.
She’s ruining it. Evie gawped at the crinkled photo. “Know what?”
“His dad’s mum lives here in Orkney.”
Evie’s pulse rocketed. “What? You mean the rumors are—”
“Ridiculous!” Sunita’s scoff stepped on her best friend’s bliss. “Those stories have been circulating for ages.”
“’Cause they’re true!” Fiona gripped the magazine tighter. “The Balfours have this huge house and a farm and loads of land. Their ancestors were lairds. Who do you think Balfour Castle is named after?”
“Wow.” Evie knew of the castle and the village of Balfour on Shapinsay, the neighboring island, but had never visited. Until now, she had thought the Balfour name, which also branded Kirkwall’s hospital, was nothing more than an amusing coincidence. And it wasn’t like Nikolai spoke with a Scottish or an Orcadian accent.
“They don’t own the castle anymore, though,” said Fiona. “Their farm’s in Stenness.”
Evie froze. “His grandma lives here on the Mainland?!”
“Yep. We saw his mum in Stromness once,” boasted Fiona.
Brows soaring behind her bangs, Evie skipped closer, the desire for more info—now!—catapulting her heart into her throat. “The queen from Equinox Ten?! Sam would die!” Her brother was a huge fan of Kiki Balfour’s 1990s sci-fi series and owned all the DVDs, but Evie only paid attention when five-year-old Nikolai’s character wandered on screen. “What was she like?”
Sunita gave Fiona a head-to-toe once-over. “For someone from Eday, you sure visit Stromness a lot.”
“We went during the holidays, brought our collies and everything.” Fiona turned to Evie. “We saw Mrs. Balfour on Alfred Street. Dad got her autograph.”
“Holy crap! Was Nikolai with her? Did you talk to him?” The questions flew from Evie’s tongue. “Was he tall?”
“He wasn’t with her,” said Fiona. “But she did say her boys visit their grandma quite ofte—”
“Oh MY GOD!” Evie squealed. “When?! We should look for them!” In a parish of one hundred and fifty people, it wouldn’t prove too difficult.
Sunita’s nose twitched like she’d caught a whiff of sour milk while Fiona brightened, all eager and inspired. “Yeah, definitely! We could—”
A sudden, searing gale roared in from the bay, twisting Fiona’s face into a clenched wince. Evie closed her eyes and hugged her backpack. Sunita shielded her face with her arm as the curses and playful squeals of classmates peppered the brisk air.
“Shiiit!” Fiona cried.
Evie’s eyes popped open. Fiona leapt off the ground, her arms stretched, reaching overhead as the precious poster cartwheeled in the wind, eluding her splayed fingers. Nikolai’s face, contorting with comical contempt, rose higher and higher, flirting with the salty spray from the bay.
