Page 23 of Hell Bent
“Doesn’t it seem like you think the other person’s better than you when you ask for their picture? That they’re worth more than you?”
“Duh,” Royce said. “Guy’s worth about a hundred million bucks. I’m worth about ahundredbucks.”
“You’re more than your paycheck,” I said.
“Maybe in Communist China. Tell you what. When I’m at the bar tonight and that redhead comes in with her friends, I’ll tell her that I’m more than my paycheck and I’m worth as much as Harlan Kristiansen. I’m sure she’ll go for it.”
“You’ll have to win her over with your wit and charm, then,” I said. “And your loyal steadfastness, of course. Women like an honest, hard-working man.”
“Yeah, right,” he said. “Why’d you give the other guy your phone, then? You were giving him your number. Don’t try to lie, because I saw. I sure never saw you giving any guy around here your number. It was probably his loyal steadfastness, huh?”
“That was completely different,” I said, even though it might not be allthatdifferent. But he’d rescued a dog! Didn’t rescuing a dog count?
“Oh,” Royce said. “That makes sense, I guess. It’s not like you look great in your work clothes or anything. You’ve got mud on your face, and the jacket makes you look a little fat, too. No offense. You look pretty good in regular clothes, and if you wore some makeup, you’d probably be hot.” He didn’t say it like he believed it.
“Thanks,” I said. “I will bear your uplifting words in mind. Hand me that tape.”
“Oh, I got it,” Royce said. “He wants some electrical work done cheap. Man, that blows. My uncle wanted me to do the wiring for his garage conversion. For free! He makes a hell of a lot more than I do, so what’s up with that? I told him I was an apprentice with barely a year on the job and I’d probably electrocute myself, so I got out of it, but still. I did my mom’s new ceiling light, but she’s mymom.Who was he, anyway, that guy? I didn’t recognize him. He on the team too?”
“I’m sure he’s not.” I had his name on my phone now, so Icould have checked him out, but I did not want to discuss this.
“He was wearing a Devils beanie,” Royce said.
“So is Carlton, and he’s forty and growing a gut. His name’s Sebastian something. I told you, I barely know the guy. OK, starting it up now. Guide that wire on through.”
I answered everybody else about the same way, because they were all interested. The scenery doesn’t vary much down in those muddy trenches, so you can’t really blame them. And I had to admit that it had been a little bit cool meeting Harlan Kristiansen. He’d been funny, which I wouldn’t have expected, so I decided to put the whole encounter into the Plus column, life-wise. Or humor-wise, because ithadbeen funny to meet a guy that hot in my ugly work clothes and hard hat. Funnier than meeting Sebastian that way, anyway.
I probably ought to be thinking about Harlan’s value in my future life, not his value for my amusement quotient. If I finished my degree and went into investment banking, I could call him and …
Well, no, I couldn’t. This was why I’d been going the analyst route. The thought of networking, of schmoozing wealthy people the way my mother did, made my hands go clammy. Justimaginingcold-calling Harlan Kristiansen was a whole cringe-fest, in fact. Just no.
“Probably because I’m a princess,” my mother had said coolly when I’d asked her how she did that without losing her dignity, during my adolescent capitalism-sucks phase. (I hadn’t phrased it that nicely.)
“You realize, Mother,” I’d said, “that that’s the worst possible answer. Because you’re privileged, you get to bemoreprivileged? Do you hear how that sounds?”
“It sounds like I’m a woman with confidence,” she’d said. “I’m highly skilled and knowledgeable, I’m poised, I’m well groomed, and they need me.AndI’m a princess. Being goodat accumulating wealth doesn’tmean you’re good at managing it. They need expertise, and I have expertise. They’re willing to pay for the best, and I offer the best. It’s not whatever you’re imagining. It’s a trade. Believe me, they’re happy to hear from me.”
“Fine,” I’d said. “But I’m not putting ‘Princess’ onmybusiness cards. Not ever.”
“Then you’d better develop your poise, charm, and grooming habits,” she’d said. “If you’re unwilling to use your best asset.”
I wasn’t quite so rabid now, but I also wasn’t using my “best asset.” In fact, I had issues with all of it. That was the truth, and it was time to face it.
That was why, at quitting time, I drove home, got that shower, put on my stretchy pants and the last of my clean shirts, shoved a mini sheet pan full of gnocchi and vegetables into the oven with a quarter wheel of Boursin cheese plopped on top and a couple of chicken-apple sausages on the side, thought,Laundry and grocery shopping tomorrow. Three days off in a row, and I’m starting them by sleeping until eight,and called my mother.
“Alix,” she said. “Finally. I’ve been worried sick.”
“Didn’t Oma tell you where I was? That I was safe?”
A sharp sigh. “For what it was worth. Portland? Why Portland? And when are you coming back? It’s not like you to walk out with no concern for others.”
“I had concern,” I said, willing myself not to tense up. “That’s why I walked out. But listen, Mother. About those wedding presents. I texted you, but?—”
“A text,” she said. “Who told you a text was acceptable communication? You can’t have a conversation over text.”
“Which is why I’m calling.” I glanced at my timer. Fifteen more minutes for my vegetables, but they’d be a good exit strategy. “If Ned won’t send them back or deal with them,maybe you could … get them from him and put them in the guest room, maybe? I know that’s still a lot of work, but I don’t know what else to do. When I can manage it, I’ll come down and mail them all back, but it could be a few months.”
“A fewmonths?”In a higher register now. “You have to be back for school in two weeks.”
