Leo's Chance(21)

What if I say no?

I grin.

I'll call you anyway. ;) Have a good day, Evie.

I’m glad to know that Evie is working tonight. Going to the benefit with Gwen is going to be bad enough as it is. If I knew I could potentially be with Evie instead, it’d be even worse.

**********

It’s a pretty uneventful day at the office and I’m able to start getting ready to leave by five o'clock. As I’m heading out, Christine says, "See you in your monkey suit later!" She’s going to the benefit, too. It’ll be nice to have someone there to chat with that I actually like. "Yeah, I’m taking Gwen," I say, grimacing.

"Why?!" She asks with a look of horror on her face. She’s not exactly Gwen’s number one fan. Gwen has been as much of a rude bitch to her as she is to everyone who she considers "beneath" her. For the tenth time today, I consider suddenly coming down with the stomach flu. I sigh. My loyalty to Seth wins out though and I resign myself, vowing to make it a quick evening, write a big check and be back at home before eleven o'clock. "Because I was trying to make nice and I ended up shooting myself in my own foot," I run my hand down my face, shaking my head.

"Jake, you don’t need to try to be nice to that girl. I tried for years, every time she’d come by to visit her father, or during the time she had an internship here. She’s just straight nasty, though. You can only be nice to someone for so long before your kindness starts making you feel like a doormat. I sure don’t go out of my way to be her friend anymore. You shouldn’t either. Plus, she doesn’t want to be your friend. You trying just gives her more of an opportunity to get her claws in you."

I laugh a humorless laugh. "You’re right. On all points." I smile at her. "Your kids are lucky to have a mom like you, you know that? I bet you give them great advice all the time."

"I give anyone great advice who will listen to it." She winks. "That includes you."

I grin at her. "Thanks, Christine. I’m glad you’ll be there tonight."

"Me too, and if you need a break from Phony Baloney, scratch the back of your neck and I’ll pry her off you." She grins.

I laugh as I gather my stuff up and start walking toward the elevator. "Why am I afraid I’m going to have to take you up on that?"

**********

I pull up in front of Gwen’s father’s home in Indian Hill and force myself out of the car. I’d rather be eating a Coney at Skyline alone than going to a catered, black tie dinner with Gwen. No contest. But here I am. Let’s get this over with.

Even though I’m in a tux, I take the steps that lead up to their home two at a time and knock on the door with the gold, lion head knocker. It makes me think of Evie and I smile. I can’t wait to call her tomorrow and – The door swings open and Gwen catches me smiling to myself. Damn it! I do not want to give her the impression this is too pleasant for me. I go serious and say, "Hi, Gwen. You look nice." She looks like Christmas Barbie, swathed in tight, red velvet, adorned in gold jewelry and her hair in a big, blond, swirly up-do.

"Hey," she says, seductively, leaning against the doorframe. "Wanna come in for a few minutes? My father’s already left for the benefit. We can practice being... friendly–" She raises her eyebrows.

I clench my jaw. "No, Gwen. I want to get there. As it is, we’ll barely make the end of cocktail hour."

She doesn’t make any attempt to hide her pout. "Fine," she says on a long sigh. "I’ll just get my coat." She marches off to get it and I remain outside waiting for her.

She locks up and I open the car door for her and she slides in, making no attempt to pull her dress down when the high slit in it rides indecently high and lets me know she’s not wearing underwear. I turn away quickly, slamming the door behind her. What the f*ck? That stomach virus feels imminent.

"So, Jake," she coos, as I pull onto the street, "where’s the after party? I haven’t seen your new condo yet." I look over at her and she bats her eyelashes, smiling coyly. Did I really go through everything I did, all the hell, all the sessions with Doc, all the surgeries, all the struggles, to be sitting in my car, dying slowly of death by cloying perfume, with this clingy, uninteresting Fembot? Gwen is not the type of person I want as a friend, guilt or no. She’s gotta be cut loose.

I completely ignore her comment and her blatant disregard for what I told her in my office this week, deciding the best tactic is to change the subject. "So how’s your new job, Gwen?"

"Pfft," she half hisses, half sighs. "It’s pointless." She studies her nails for a minute, a frown on her face. "Daddy wants me to ‘gain an appreciation for hard work.’ So annoying." She sighs again as if my heart should be breaking for her.

Jesus, she got a job at a prestigious law firm handed to her on a silver platter because her dad has connections. I’m practically sobbing my eyes out for her hard lot in life. It’s not like I have much room to talk about getting handed a job, but I have the sense enough to know how f*cking lucky I am in that regard.

I think of Evie, working her ass off as a maid, and doing it with dignity. She could teach Gwen a few lessons about an appreciation for hard work. I almost laugh out loud.

"What else would you do, Gwen? Shop all day?"