Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(72)

“Fallen soldiers,” Flem declared.

Into Adam’s confusion, William said, “They don’t leave fallen soldiers behind. Jessica absolutely will not leave a restaurant until the entire bottle of wine is emptied, whether it the first or third, and whether she needs it or, more often, does not.”

“Good girl yourself,” Claire nodded in approval, heading for the door. “C’mon lads, I’m bored.”

Chapter Fifteen

We chose to walk into the front door of Gladis's house, instead the back, to make it more formal. Upon entering everything sparkled. The cleaning people had polished and shined everything to a high gloss. There were fresh flowers everywhere, giving the entryway a pleasant, but not overpowering, floral smell. We walked through to the lounge where a couple people were already standing around chatting.

Here we go.

I had butterflies in my stomach and was worried I would embarrass William somehow. My saving grace was that Ami agreed to stay close to give me pointers on talking to the many snooty people that would be here. Ami said they would have all heard I "wasn't exactly their type," and would be curious how I would act. It helped that I looked really good, but if my mannerisms weren't on par, I would still make a fool of myself. And worse, of William.

I didn't like this stupid club. It reminded me how different my world was from William's. Not a good reminder. Plus, they were snobs and too serious. Which was only a sweeping generalization some of the time.

All the girls and Adam walked past those already present, directly for the bar. Gladis barely used half the rooms in the large house on a regular basis, but they were all well dressed and alive today. William motioned for me to follow him, and I pleaded for Ami to come with. She was my Seeing Eye dog for the rich.

Oh, sorry, those with means.

“Why, it's little Willie Davies. Oh my goodness I haven't seen you in years!" An older woman exclaimed.

She was dressed in gaudy jewelry from her head to her knees and sporting clothes that looked like an expensive carpet. It looked like her and her man, who must have been 100 years old judging by the lack-luster stare and face full of wrinkles, were drinking straight whisky.

Yiks.

"Hi Mrs. Hudson. Mr. Hudson. Allow me to introduce my girlfriend, Jessica Brodie. She moved out from Los Angeles recently. This is her friend Ami who is visiting for the weekend."

The old bag of bones looked at me with a lopsided smile out of a stretched face. "Little Willie is all grown up and has a girlfriend!" she exclaimed and glanced past me to Ami and quickly back to me. With me still in her sights, she said to William in a mock whisper, "I always knew you would bring home a beauty. And a Californian beauty to boot—you always did like the exquisite!" Ah ha ha she laughed.

We all chuckled along. Oh how funny, yes. Always did like the exquisite. Great.

"Well, you were taken," William said conspiratorially.

Honestly? Did he really just use that old man joke?

She gushed and called him a cad. She then started a long schpeal about her health, her dogs, her daily activities now that they were getting up in years, and other mind-numbing information. Ami grabbed me lightly by the arm and gave me facial sign-language to touch William. I did so. He glanced at me with that blank face of his, and Ami excused us. He gave a ghost of a nod, and we were off.

"Lifesaver, Ami!"

"Nothing to it. Old women don't want to talk to girlfriends. She will now start talking about you, trying to glean information from William—or is it Willie?"

"I am apparently the only one that calls him William."

"Oh. Why?"

"I asked what he wanted to be called and he preferred William, but everyone calls him Willie. Childhood nickname, I think."

"Ah. Well, then I'll call him Willie to keep with the norm. Anyway, Willie has been through all this before, so he will only say things that he wants her to gossip about. You'll find out from Gladis the things he likes best about you."

"Won't he just say what people want to hear?"

"Some. But that will change with each person. What people will pass on are the things he says that aren't cliché. You'll see."

"I hope it’s good stuff rather than trophy wife type of stuff."

"One always hopes that, yes. You never know with men."

That wasn't very comforting.

We found the rest of the girls in close vicinity to the larger bar set up in a giant room I had never been in before. It looked like an honest to god ballroom. Like from the 1890’s. It had a large open space with a shiny wood floor, apparently for dancing, chairs around the outside, couches in corners, and a grand, ceiling-sprawling, crystal masterpiece of a chandelier. This room alone bespoke of money. I forgot Gladis was so wealthy.

Oh, sorry, filthy rich!

“Hi,” I said, entering the semi-circle with Lump and Adam again on opposite sides. It actually looked like Adam wanted to get lost all together.

“Done already?” Claire asked.

“No, William is gossiping about me. Adam, what’s up? Other places to be?”

Adam slightly shook his head and looked out a distant window. “Jess, them girls is talking about PMS. I don’t need to hear about none of this stuff.”

“It’ll help if you ever get a girl,” Jane stated.