Page 20 of Fate
I just stared at her. “I don’t understand.”
She shook her head and looked sympathetic. “Look, you are a nice guy. I’m not putting you down. It’s just that we are not compatible.”
“Damn,” I retorted. “How can you know that when we do not even know each other?”
“What’s to know?” She shrugged again. “You are well off and well educated. While I am not. I am the server you tip when you take out an educated career woman or some rich girl to dinner. You would just be slumming it with me.”
“Slumming…it,” I repeated dumbly.
“Yes and look, I mean no disrespect.” Briget gave me a polite smile. “I’m just being realistic. Plus, I’m not out to be someone’s playtime or a good time until they go back home to their high life.”
All I could do was gawk at her. Maybe gape would be a better word. I felt stunned. She truly thought I outclassed her and therefore just wanted to get into her panties and not her life. “Wow,” was all I could seem to get out.
Nodding, Briget stood from the lawn chair. “So, you can just relax now. There will be no hanky panky between us. No need to waste anymore time pursuing me either or pretending that I am someone you want to date seriously. We both get it. And thanks for the Dr. Pepper, it was awesome.” She then turned to walk away.
“Oh, no,” I said. “You are not just dropping that kind of bomb, then leaving.” I felt angry about her negative assumptions. “You’re making claims about me without even knowing me. How fair is that?”
Turning back, she slowly shook her head and took a step closer to me. “In the game between male and females there is no fairness. But I’ve known guys like you. Bored, wanting to try something new, maybe go to the slummy neighbourhoods or the not so nice clubs. Hit up on some trailer trash girls, see how that goes. Have some fun on the wild side. You know, play around some more before you finally do have to settle down with the perfect trophy wife and 2.2 kids. Nice million dollar home and golf on the weekends. And just like I said before, you will be tipping that trailer trash girl when you take your perfect wife out.”
This time, I couldn’t even say wow. The girl had her mind made up about this so-called classes thing. I simply stared at her and asked, “Who hurt you like that?”
Tucking her head back at the loaded question, she rolled her eyes. “That’s just the way it is. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Of course, you don’t see it from your five star hotel, french balcony world. But the blue collars and the white collars being in entirely separate existences is actually a thing, Mr. Walker. A real fact that most people are highly aware of. And yeah, sometimes, trailer trash girls like me learn it pretty damn young in life.”
“I’m not rich,” I told her. “Nor do I care what people think. Or where they are from. A person should never be judged on money or education. Why would I do that?”
“Yeah, why would you?” she agreed too quickly. “You never had to deal with being poor. Never had to worry about where your next meal would come from or if you could pay your rent.” She plunked her pointer finger into my chest. “Tell me if you ever have worried about making it day to day. Paycheck to paycheck. I bet you never had to wonder about whether you would make it through the day or the whole week with no cash to your name.”
I paused at this. I knew I’d never had to worry about those things. Mostly due to my dad always being resourceful and great at making money.
“See?” She waved her hand at me when I had no answer. “So, yeah. There is great distance between us. We are in different classes, Fate. I just don't care to be some toy you play with then throw away when you get bored.” Briget turned away again and made her way to the Connor House entrance.
I sucked in a deep breath at this accusation. I don’t think I’d ever been judged so harshly before in my life and certainlynot by a woman I felt attracted to. I stood there without a word to say. This stung like a sonofabitch, it sure did. Was I looking to just fuck her? No. I knew that in an instant. Would I like to be with her skin to skin? Yes. But to be insulted by facts such as she just laid out, when she didn’t even know me? Well, she was right about the way I was raised. Not having to worry about surviving day to day but I sure as hell hoped she wasn’t right about her prediction of my future. Golf? And 2.2 children?
Sitting in the lawn chairs close by, Belle and Liberty had apparently heard the entire discussion. They both looked troubled and wore no smiles now as they too watched her walk to the house and go inside.
I looked over at them and asked in shock, “What the everloving hell was that?” I stared at Belle.
She bit at her lip and shook her head.
“What happened to her to make her believe that crap?” I asked her.
“It’s her story to tell,” Belle stated sadly. “I’m sorry she said all of that.” Shrugging, she added, “Well, no. I’m not sorry. I mean, I don't want her to get hurt like that.”
I raised my arms up in disgust. “I haven't done anything to earn these suspicions. I mean forgive me for liking her. Forgive me for thinking she’s the most beautiful woman I have ever met! Damn, just castrate me already for being interested in her.”
Liberty smirked and opened his mouth to make some sarcastic retort.
Belle covered his mouth with her hand and stared at me. “You think she's the most beautiful girl you have ever met?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I do. The funniest as well. I mean I can’t stop thinking about her and it gets worse every day.”
“So, does this mean you are just gonna walk away from it?” Belle asked.
Liberty pulled her hand away from his mouth and said, “Yeah, she slung some pretty harsh shit at ya, baby brother. You think she’s worth the trouble?”
Belle gasped and elbowed him.
Chuckling, he defended, “Hey now, he really needs to believe from the get go that fighting that humongous wall of privilege prejudice is worth it. I mean you heard her, she just told him he was a stuck up, rich boy, hound dog with no morals or scruples.”
