Page 63 of Fake it For Good
I offered a tight smile. I wasn’t surprised to encounter a snob. “I do like that kind of thing,” I replied.
The bartender brought two glasses of beers. “Thank you,” I said and picked up the beers to walk away.
“Two?” she said.
“My fiancé also likes beer,” I replied easily.
“Who’s your fiancé?” she asked with a smile.
I couldn’t quite figure out the vibe she was giving off. She was both being nice and snotty at the same time. I wasn’t going to take it personally.
“His name is Cane,” I said.
“Cane Carver?” she said.
“Yes, do you know him?”
“I’ve heard of him,” she said. “He’s very handsome, isn’t he?”
“I think so.”
“These things are always so boring, don’t you think?” she asked a moment before ordering a dry martini.
“I don’t know if it’s boring,” I said. “It’s kind of interesting. I’ve never really been to anything like this.”
“Really?” She accepted the martini and elegantly stirred it with the stick. “Cane doesn’t take you out much?”
“This isn’t exactly the place you would take a date,” I replied.
“Where do you guys normally go on dates?” she asked. “Didn’t I hear you were in Texas with him?”
“You seem to know an awful lot about me and my fiancé,” I said.
“Oh, you know it’s a small world,” she said, laughing. “People talk. They say things. I hear things.”
“I suppose that’s true,” I said. “What did you say your name was?”
“I heard someone talking about you and a nonprofit you’ve been peddling,” she said, ignoring my question.
“Peddling?” I questioned.
I was trying to give the woman the benefit of the doubt, but she was pissing me off. She was trying to be confrontational. I didn’t know if she was picking a fight with me or if she was just obnoxious. I had dealt with her kind before. Women like her were haughty by nature. They looked down their noses without even realizing it.
“Yes, you’re at a celebratory function and you’re pushing your nonprofit,” she said. “It’s not good manners. It’s actually very uncouth. The people here work very hard every day. Tonight is their chance to unwind and relax, not be hit up for money. I would think Cane would teach you how to behave.”
“Cane doesn’t need to teach me anything,” I said with my voice tight. “I’m perfectly capable of speaking for myself.”
“Yes, we’ve all heard,” she said with an eyeroll.
“Are you implying I’ve been pushing myself onto people?” I asked.
“Do I really need to imply? Don’t tell me you’re that naïve. Is it supposed to be the innocent girl thing? Is that what you’re going for?”
“I’m not going for anything,” I said. “I’m enjoying the party just like everyone else.”
“Ah, see, that’s the thing,” she said again. “You’re making the party uncomfortable. We’re all competitors. When we get together once or twice a year, we put business aside. We skip the shop talk. It’s just bad manners.”
“Good to know,” I said while trying to tamp down my anger. The ghetto girl in me wanted to pull off my earrings and put my hair up for a good throwdown. I could throw down. I doubted the woman sneering at me could. She looked like she would cry if she broke a nail.
