AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I abided by that like a lifeline.
“Wren, oh, you poor darling,” Rebecca said, resting her hand on mine. “How are you?”
“Just fine,” I smiled.
“The way that man attacked you, it was positively vicious. I told my husband to have a chat with Brent. We really need to do away with these ruffians on the street. It’s positively frightful, the way they just walk around wherever they want.”
Brent was the mayor and her husband’s best friend. It paid to know people in government positions.
“You know, just the other day, there was some man sitting outside a restaurant on 5th. My driver had to call the police to have him removed. He smelled just awful. They should really patrol the area and have all those people moved to Brooklyn.”
“I’m sure the people in Brooklyn would love that,” I smiled, taking a sip of my water. “Who are we still waiting on?”
“Oh, Anna James said she can’t make it. She’s having her eggs harvested this morning. Wren, have you ever considered doing that?”
I did my best not to glare at Evelyn. The woman had no tact. “No, I’ve never considered it. It won’t be necessary.”
She gave me a sad smile. “It’s just, we heard about what happened with Bryce. You poor thing.”
“Yes, and I heard about what happened with Simon,” I said, returning the same sad smile. “I’m not married yet, so the scandal isn’t nearly as bad as Simon getting caught with his partner’s wife. That had to be truly devastating for you.”
She sat back, pursing her lips. “I wasn’t aware that particular piece of information had been discovered.”
I rested my fingertips on my lips, giving her a shocked look. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought everyone knew. Did you not want me to say anything?”
She opened her mouth to say something, but the hotel manager from earlier walked over, smiling sheepishly at me. “Ms. Crosby, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, but there’s a man here to see you. He says you have an appointment.”
“Well, as you can see, I’m busy. Tell him I’ll have to see him another time.”
He nodded and backed away like I was royalty.
“Should we get started?” I asked the ladies.
“Yes, those poor…” Rebecca frowned. “What is this fundraiser for?”
“Underprivileged kids,” Evelyn reminded her. “Isn’t that what we always have fundraisers for?”
“Honestly,” Rebecca waved her hand dismissively. “If adults can’t afford to have kids, they should just abort them instead of making the rest of us take care of them.”
While it was an opinion many of us shared, none of us would dare say it out loud. But Rebecca was a special breed of wealth. Somehow, no matter what she said or did, no one seemed to care as long as she kept writing checks to anyone who asked.
“Ms. Crosby,” the manager said apologetically. “I’m terribly sorry, but the gentleman refuses to leave. He said it’s of the utmost importance.”
Pursing my lips, I turned to the manager. Looking at his name tag, I then met his eyes. “Bob, it occurs to me that as the hotel manager, you have the authority to throw anyone out of your hotel. Am I correct?”
His chest puffed up. “Yes, you are.”
“Then why don’t you do that.”
Again, he bowed and backed away from me. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to the ladies. “Honestly, when the hired help can’t handle the simplest of tasks, it makes it impossible to keep them around. And then they want pay raises and benefits. For what? You know, my driver is lucky he wasn’t fired earlier today. He was?—”
“Wren Crosby?” a deep voice uttered from behind me.
Irritated, I turned in my chair and took in the man standing before me. He was hardly dressed for the Ritz, and he had weapons strapped to his legs. Why would the hotel manager let him through to see me?
“We’re supposed to have a meeting.”
“And you are?”
