“How did I not hear about this?” Mitch asked. I got the impression that maybe he and Harrison went back a while. Maybe since their school or college years. Two rich kids who became richer adults.
“Well, it’s just sonew, isn’t it, sweetie pie?” I asked, laying it on cloyingly sweet.
Harrison’s lips twitched. Almost like he knew I was up to something. But he didn’t call me on it.
“She’s right. It’s only been a few weeks. And we’ve been… busy.”
“I’ll bet you have,” Charles chuckled. It took actual work not to grimace.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Valentine,” Mitch said, giving me a sweet, fatherly smile. “I’m hoping I can coax you to come to my house for dinner when you’re free. My Marg is a great cook.”
To that, Charles mumbled something under his breath that everyone else pretended to ignore. About Mitch’s wife. In particular, her size.
Well.
I was not of the tongue-biting variety.
It was another way I did not fit into this world.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” I asked, keeping my tone saccharine even as my eyes bore into Charles.
“Nothing,” he said, immediately looking red.
“I thought you might have said something about Marg,” I said. Across from me, Dan tugged at his collar. I could feel Mitch’s gaze on me, but couldn’t make out the look in his eye without taking mine off of Charles.
“Think you misheard me,” Charles said. He was already sweating at his hairline.
“You know, I really don’t believe I did,” I said, tone slipping from sweet to sour in a blink. “It’s quite an… ironic thing to say,” I said, letting my gaze slide down his body.
Normally, I hated body-shaming. But this was a throwing-stones-in-glass-houses kind of situation. And I wasn’t going to let him get away with insulting a woman in my presence.
Harrison’s fingers tightened on my hip. I wasn’t sure if it was involuntary… or if it was a silent warning about my behavior.
“Mitch, I wouldloveto get an invite,” I said, back to sweet as I looked at him.
“Marg makes the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had,” Harrison said.
“I love chocolate,” I said, turning myself away from Charles to engage fully with Mitch.
I knew it was rude.
I didn’t care.
I spent the next ten minutes talking to Mitch about how he met his wife, what their children were up to, and where they were going on vacation this summer.
“Valentine,” Charles piped in, his tone forceful. “Can I have a word?”
I could feel his gaze on me, knew that the word he wanted to have was about me.
“How about I get your lovely wife a drink?” Mitch offered.
“I’d appreciate that,” Harrison said, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek before releasing me.
Mitch offered me his arm. I went ahead and took it and let myself get led away.
“I appreciate it more than you can know, but you probably shouldn’t have done that.”
“I hate a bully,” I admitted. “But why shouldn’t I have?”
