Page 5 of Cherry's Jubilee

“You said it, not me,” she says. She raises both hands and takes a step back.

“You figured it out,” I say, lifting both hands as if in surrender. “I do work at Jubilee.” I don’t say for who because my father might be in charge, but I do not work for anyone. I work beside him.

“What do you do for them?” she asks as she looks around. Someone comes to the bar and asks for a margarita, so she leaves me alone for a few minutes to make that drink. I have a few moments to mull my next words.

“I do a little bit of everything,” I say when she’s done.

“Well, I’m sure they are lovely people.”

I sit there and wait for the but. It doesn’t come. “They are. I have no complaints.” It’s true. I don’t.

“And this is nothing against them, but my cousin and her fiancé are such phonies.” Bingo. This is what I need. “Well, I take that back. I have nothing against her fiancé, but my cousin can take a long walk off a short plank.”

“And who is your cousin?” I ask, even though I’m pretty sure I know the answer.

“Ashley Turner. Soon to be Mrs. Ashley Ortiz,” she says with an eye-roll.

That’s the last thing I wanted to hear. If Ashley is her cousin, there’s no way she’ll give me the time of day when she finds out exactly who I am.

She picks up the flyer and points. “Why do we need an itinerary for a party? Who does she think they are? Russ and Ciara Wilson? And do you see this?” She points at the name Daniel Jubilee Senior. “The bride’s father, my uncle, by the way”—she rolls her eyes—“he works for the company as a lawyer.” Another eye-roll. “You’d think being a lawyer was like being the president of the United States, the way he acts. We all know lawyers are like pond scum. He’s no better than an ambulance chaser.”

I disagree with the last part. At least there are no ambulance chaser lawyers at Jubilee. Everyone is highly vetted, and most are Ivy League educated, but I don’t contradict her.

“Why are you tending bar at your cousin’s engagement party? Shouldn’t you be a bridesmaid or something?”

When my sister got married last year, she had all our cousins in the wedding.

She gasps as if I just offended her. “I’d rather be a bridesmaid for Lucifer himself,” she whispers. “At least with him, I know what I’m getting. I’m only here because my sister and her husband planned this thing, and they needed me to tend the bar. My cousin is a snake who has yet to shed its skin. Just like her mama, that one,” she says. “Two inland taipans. That’s the world’s most venomous snake, in case you didn’t know.”

“Oh,” I whisper. “And what did they ever do to you?”

“As if they can do anything to me. Other than try to put me and my branch of the family in our place, nothing. Those bitches can’t. But they are all sneaky, two-timing fools, and I can’t stand them. If only you knew how and why she got with her fiancé.”

Something tells me the next part will be very juicy, but the other bartender comes over before she can say more. She looks into my eyes as if she’s trying to place me. She inches closer and finally nods as if she just confirmed her suspicions. I can only conclude that she must know who I am. I’m no celebrity, but I’m known in this city. I’m often in the paper, and my family’s foundation is often in the news.

“What’s going on here?” her friend asks as a throng of people appear on the other side of the bar and wait.

“I think you have some customers,” I say, hoping she’ll take the hint and leave.

“Cherry, do you know who—” She points at me, and I hold my breath, knowing she will out me. If she does that, Cherry will stop talking. Not only that, but she’ll also probably see me as an enemy instead of an ally. Someone slams their hand on the bar and whistles ather to come over. “Oh, I know he didnotslam his fucking hand and whistle at me. Who the hell does he think—” She thankfully leaves without outing me.

“So, you introduced your cousin to the man she’s going to marry?” I ask, hoping to get her to start talking again. “If that’s the case, what’s wrong with that?” She should be maid of honor, not here slinging drinks.

“I didn’t introduce them so they can hook up. I wouldn’t introduce her to my worst enemy.” She leans over the bar. “She’s so damn dumb,” she says, sadly shaking her head. “I was tutoring Rob’s dumb ass. Ashley saw us together. Misunderstood the situation and thought we were on a date. She came over to us, introduced herself, and shoved her giant titties in his face, and that was it.”

“Huh,” I say. “So, you never had feelings for him?” Not that it matters now, but I need to know.

“Hell no. One thing Cherry Cross would never, ever do is date a dumb man. If I have to tutor you in basic algebra, you don’t stand a chance with me.” She sighs in defeat. “You clearly don’t get it,” she says, dismissing me. “It’s so much more than her shoving her tits in his face.” She turns away and mumbles something under her breath that I can’t hear.

“Well, explain.”

“What if Iwaswith him?” she asks. “It’s a violation of girl code, which just proves my theory that she’s a snake. I always knew who she was, but in that moment, she revealed herself. There’s a long history there. She transferred to my college, majored in accounting like me, but had to switch because she’s dumb. Basically, whatever I have, she’s always wanted, which I don’t get because she’s always had everything. Way more than me and my sister ever had.” She stops talking and giggles. “Everything except brains. You can’t buy that. And now she thinks she’s so superior because she got a job as a personal assistant for some executive at Jubilee. That’s just a glorified gopher, if you ask me.The day I have to go get a man his coffee, I’m gonna have Ginger take me in a back alley and shoot me.”

I wonder how long I have before she finds out the executive Ashley works for is me.

“Well, forget that. Who needs it?” I ask, hoping to change the subject now that I know the facts.

“Right. I agree. And who cares about Jubilee or whatever? I bet they’re all a bunch of social climbers.”

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