All of these people were smoking the same kind of crack.
Dad hung up the phone and gave me a look.
“What happened with Wyatt and transport the other day, Har?”
“Oh, that. One of the guys insulted my virtue and Wyatt lost his mind and almost killed him,” I said casually.
Daddy raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like Dunne. Good man with a kind heart, but about as hot headed as you can get. I asked him to keep an eye on you, not break people’s jaws for a simple wolf whistle. My insurance premiums will go up!”
“It was more like a wolf howl. Maybe he deserved it. Where is that hot headed mechanic, doesn’t he usually work on Thursdays?”
“Took the week off. I think it’s the anniversary of his sister’s, uh, demise. Why don’t you get in there, sweetheart and mingle? Stefano invited some of these guys and they’re really quality people, good families, business minded—you can’t live at home and stay single forever. You’re college educated and it’s time you branched out. You look beautiful and Livia will point the eligible bachelors out,” my dad said jovially.
“I will, Harley. There’s a few in particular I’d like you to meet,” Livia said in her gentle voice.
“I invited Gianna and Alexandra,” I blurted out to them both.
“Good grief,” my father exclaimed.
“Gianna Delacourt,” Livia tsked under her breath.
Livia was way too polite. Everyone knew Stefano had hooked up with Gianna on more, way more, than one occasion. The hazards of East Point society being so small. All the girls in the parlor had banged all the guys in the great hall and vice versa. Gianna had done them all, plus some of the girls, and as Alexandra and I had only had steady battery operated boyfriends—we were the outcasts.
“Hey, Girl!” I heard Gianna and her fake enthusiastic greeting for Livia. I grabbed my dad’s lowball he’d left on the counter and finished it.
After a deep breath, I walked into the great hall that was now crowded with high class assholes and debutants like it was a fucking coming-out ball.
Gianna grabbed me and hugged me and pressed a pill into my hand. I looked at it once, before popping it into my mouth and lifting a glass of champagne off a passing tray to swig it down.
“Was that just a date rape drug you gave me?” I asked her. Gianna grabbed my hand. Her fingernails were long and silver and her dress was blood red.
“That’s what it would take with you, wouldn’t it Harley? I heard you fucked the hot mechanic. Is there any truth to those rumors?”
Alexandra fell into step with us and put an arm around my waist. “I’m so excited for you, Harley. Did he have a big penis?”
Ale was so childlike, and had such a funny way of communicating.
“Huge!” I told them both as I downed the rest of the champagne from the glass. “Thick and long and just very good dick. What the hell did you give me, Gianna, am I going to trip balls or something? See purple cockroaches climbing the walls?”
“Ecstasy. This crew is so coked up they’ll never notice we’re rolling.”
“Are we actually going to bars with them?” I asked my two friends.
Gianna was busy getting a shot of her cleavage and diamonds in the red dress.
“Ale, can you take it, get my manicure too,” she said, passing her phone to Alexandra.
My brain felt bubbly already and tried a little spin in my dress which flared out and looked like a galaxy.
“Give me another, Gia, so I can drop it in some douchebag's drink,” I asked my friend. She clicked open a tiny jewel encrusted clutch and shook a few pills into my hand.
“Harley Brooks, this is Bradley George the third and Brandon Kresley, two gentlemen I’d like you to meet,” said the sweet voice of my sister-in-law.
I spun all the way around and stuck out my hand.
I curtsied when they kissed it and smiled a full-watt smile at Kresley especially.
“I feel like I know your brother,” I said to Kresley, staring him down.
“Oh you know Nate? He’s a great kid. Got accepted to four Ivy’s the little shit. Better than I did,” he told me, smiling. His face was lit up, but I could see the mean streak in his expression.
I smiled at him and tilted my head. “You look so familiar to me, too. Have we met?”
“Pretty sure I’d remember a girl as gorgeous as you,” he winked at me. “Always knew Stefano had a little sister, heard she was a stunner, but I was not expecting this,” he told me.
He dripped entitlement and cockiness. But I knew he had fangs and an evil black heart. I told my mom to hold Kat close to her breast. To sing her the cradle songs she sang to me when I was scared. I saw an opening and knew I was in the perfect position to level the playing field.