“Then pick someone you don’t care about,” Charles replied, exasperated.
Mr. Darcy shrugged. “Maybe the flatmate will work for the night. She looks like she’d be up for a shag. She’d probably do it just for the bragging rights. It’ll be easy, if terrible.”
White hot rage flowed through me. I didn’t stop to think. Anger propelled me forward.
I walked right over to him and slapped his face.
“How’s that for a bragging right?” I spat. My hand stung as a red mark grew on Mr. Darcy’s cheek. Charles’ eyes went wide. “You don’t know anything about me.”
Mr. Darcy’s hand went to his cheek. He hadn’t even touched it for two seconds when two giant security guards were suddenly on either side of him giving me death glares. I wasn’t even sure how they’d gotten through the crowd. One of them reached forward and grabbed my arm. His grip was iron.
It was a good thing I was still angry, or I would have been terrified.
“Ma’am, you’re going to leave. Now,” the big guard informed me. I tried to pull out of his grip, but he wasn’t letting go.
“I was just on my way out,” I said, hoping I sounded calmer than I felt. “I just need to get my roommate. She’s right there.”
Jane magically appeared at the far end of the lobby just as I needed her. She had all three of our jackets on her arm, but she hadn’t seen the guards or me yet.
The guards looked at Mr. Darcy to see what he wanted them to do.
“Let her go,” he said, gingerly touching the red welt on his cheek. “Just as long as she doesn’t hit me again.”
“Roommate and out. We’re watching.” The vice-like grip left me, and they stood with arms crossed behind Mr. Darcy.
I was tempted to hit him again just out of spite but had no desire to tangle with his massive bodyguards. So I just threw back my shoulders and raised my chin defiantly.
“You deserved it, you ass.” I smoothed my dress and then turned and walked calmly to Jane as if it were my choice and not the guards’ directions.
“There you are,” Jane greeted me as soon as I got closer to her. “This place is a zoo.”
“No kidding,” I agreed. “I think I just met a couple of lions.”
Jane gave me a strange look, but then just shook her head as she was used to me being weird.
“Guess what? Charles invited me to an art opening next week.” Her eyes sparkled, and she grinned.
I thought of how happy he had sounded talking to Mr. Darcy about her and smiled. At least he seemed like a decent human being, even if his taste in friends was terrible.
“I’m so happy for you,” I replied as we made our way across the lobby with our jackets.
“Why are you walking so fast?” Jane asked, picking up her skirt to keep up with me.
“Sorry, I have to get Lydia home. She’s trashed,” I explained. I heard a noise across the lobby that sounded suspiciously like someone vomiting. I stopped walking fast because there was no reason anymore. “And she’s throwing up. Oh, and, I might have gotten myself kicked out of the party.”
&nbs
p; “What?” Jane paused for a second before catching up. “Actually, I’m not sure I even want to know.”
“You can stay longer if you’d like,” I told Jane as I wound my way around the crowd. “Charles really seems to like you.”
“I like him,” Jane replied with a smile. It was short lived. “But, you need all the help you can get with Lydia. Remember last time?”
I wanted to tell her that I didn’t and that she could be with Charles tonight. But the vomiting noise was getting worse and drunk Lydia was a handful. I was going to need all the help I could get.
We made it across the last bit of the lobby to find Lydia still on her chair, but with a splatter of what looked like mostly Long Island Iced Tea in front of her.
“I couldn’t help it,” Lydia whimpered, wrapping her arms around her legs as she curled up in the chair.