Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(70)

"Yes?"

"Would you mind if Lump stayed with me for a while? It would only be a couple weeks until she got her own place, and she would stay out of your hair. She just needs a place to sleep. She is just back from--"

Gladis cut me off with a hand in the air. "Jessica, don't be silly! Of course she can stay. She will stay in her own bedroom right here. There is plenty of room! You and Willie need your privacy just as surely as your friend Lu...Lump does. I need to learn that girl’s real name. Calling a young lady Lump is ridiculous!"

I tried to press her that Lump didn't need to trouble Gladis by staying in her house, but a plastic cup was thrown at me and I was told to get away.

Crazy old bird.

The day passed in a flash. Lump wasn't thrilled about Gladis saying she should stay in the big house because she felt like she was putting her out. She couldn't pay rent and Gladis was a stranger, so Lump felt like she was free loading. I didn't care to argue. Let her get hit with something—I was afraid that next time it would be a hard object.

We picked up my old roommate Ami from the airport. She was dressed appropriately for an afternoon gathering among people with means. Of course she was. She was raised with money--she knew how these things worked. She was thrilled to see me and jumped around squealing. She greeted William, and he greeted her back. It didn't take him long to recognize that she was in the same club as him—People with Trust Funds club.

Ami was sporting a giant diamond ring. "Ami, you are engaged!"

She beamed at me. "Yes! He proposed a week ago. Isn't the ring gorgeous? Mother says it isn't big enough, but I don't mind."

"How big is it?" It looked plenty big to me.

"Just shy of two carets. He got round so it looked bigger. He said I can upgrade in a year, but I like it. I might just stay with this size."

"It’s gorgeous Ami! It really is. I think it is a prefect size. I am more of a Princess Cut girl myself, but you know what they say about beggars." We laughed and got into William's car.

It turned out that Ami and her mom had a falling out due to her choice in fiancé. While he had amazing prospects and would probably be hugely successful in a couple years, not to mention his complete and apparently adorable obsession for Ami, he was not already established and wealthy enough for her mother.

Her mom stopped talking to her for a couple months and threatened to cut her off. Ami didn't budge. Her man assured her that she would be provided for, and she assured him it didn't matter. He was what she wanted. It was romantic and touching, viewed from a 'glass half full' type of girl. And as it usually does for positive people, it worked out exactly how Ami hoped. Her mother eventually saw reason and came around when she saw that Ami wouldn’t change her mind, and Ami believed—probably wrongly—that her mother started to adore her beau just like she did. Staying that naive had its benefits. Being an only daughter to an unhappily married woman did, too.

Throughout the whole bubbly, enthusiastic telling, I could tell William was listening to every word, comparing her situation with his. From his nods, it appeared he would have done the same thing, probably with the same result. His mother had more than one kid, but he was the golden child. Denise would eat her finger off before she’d let him get away.

Just like Ami’s mom, though, Denise didn’t have to like it. I wasn’t so naïve as William or Ami—Denise would put up with me, hoping I would go away with all my poor people problems. I knew this. This was common news. I just chose to ignore it and let William have his fantasy that she actually liked me. It was just easier that way.

I probably had a whole lot in common with Ami’s dude.

Except the money, of course.

And the prospects.

And the ability to support my partner.

Whatever.

We had stopped by William's place so he could get changed for the party, which started in three hours! My head was still soggy from last night, but with a great dress and a smile, I was confident I could hide it.

Shit! Great dress.

“I need something to wear,” I announced.

Ami and I were sitting in William’s living room. I’d just interrupted Ami’s accolades regarding the eccentric decorating.

Eccentric meant ugly. Ha!

“You don’t have one?” Ami asked, clearly surprised.

“I was shopping Friday but had to go meet the girls. I didn’t know they were in town, actually, so I went to meet Gladis. But since they were, I didn’t get another chance to shop.”

“What have you girls been doing?”

“Causing trouble, mostly.”

Ami nodded. I knew she remembered my various mornings of guilt from the four years of living together through collage. Thank God she was tip lipped—William did not need to hear those stories!

“You still need something to wear?” William asked, coming out of the bedroom in a snug dress shirt and black slacks.

“You look handsome,” I gushed.

He smiled and winked.

“Yeah, I need something. Let’s go to Hopper’s on the way to Gladis’s. They’re expensive but they always have something.”

Being that we didn’t have much choice, since there were a lot of people today that I would need to impress for William’s sake, everyone packed into the car and off we went.