Page 17 of Pride and Protest
“I’m honored to be a part of this,” she said.Just as soon as Ifind out whatthisis.She smiled broadly—too broadly—and was suddenly embarrassed to still be looking into his eyes. “I, um, hope I can be of use.”
“William Isaiah Curry, but my friends call me WIC.” When she reached her hand out for a handshake, he pulled her into a hug. His cologne was sweet and cool, and just when Liza was getting cozy, he released her. He looked down and pointed to her bosom, and Liza saw with embarrassment that the top snap from her blouse had come loose in the hug, showing a bit of neck. But the women gasped like she had just ripped open her shirt.
“Cheap snaps,” she mumbled, snapping the shirt back together and zipping up her jacket. She tried to play it cool, but her face was hot with indignation.What is this Hester Prynne bullshit?WIC clapped above his head to get the attention of the other organizers.
“Okay, let’s all introduce ourselves and get to work. Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid idea. We’re leaving this room with a solution, and I, for one, really like the idea of hitting them in their wallets.” He put a hand on Liza’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly.
Liza was bolstered and fluttery at the same time. She took a deep breath and explained her plan.
THE DRY HUMPING
From: WQUR
Dear Mr. Fitzgerald,
Thank you so much for your gold sponsorship of theLiza Bennett Hour! Your contributions entitle you to three separate scripts and one appearance per quarter. We can also provide you with analytics about the effectiveness of your ads.
Good luck,
Martin R.
Dorsey’s eyes narrowed. How long was this farce of an interview going to last? He saw Liza’s timid sister through the glass doors in the office. She looked perfectly poised, but young David looked like a nervous wreck. He fidgeted, twisted, and crossed and uncrossed his legs in the chair. He was on fire for this woman, and she took notes and nodded coolly like a courtstenographer. David would surely put in a good word for her with his friends in New York. She would get what she wanted. What else needed to be discussed?
Finally, she stood up and smoothed down her skirt. What was her name again? For the life of him, “Liza’s sister,” was the only name that came to him. She shook his hand, but David’s hand lingered. He gestured around the office, looking as if he might give her a tour, and Dorsey rolled his eyes. The snowstorm rolling into DC was going to be huge, and they needed to go. What on earth was David thinking? Dorsey got up and passed through the double doors to talk some sense into his friend.
“David, we were supposed to leave at two, and it’s already three. Wereallyneed to get out of here before it comes down any more.”
“Oh, Dorsey, stop fussing. Are you afraid of a little snow? We’ll be fine. I just want to show Janae my office. I think she’s going to like it.” He had a look in his eye, calculating and a little lusty. Dorsey was pretty sure of what David wanted to show this woman in his office. God help him if a woman ever reduced Dorsey to a rutting teenager like this.
“Hey, can you open your bar?” David wiggled his brows. “We could really use some drinks.”
“No. The facilities manager is making his final rounds, so we need to go.” Dorsey patted his pockets for cigarettes. This was stressing him out.
“Are we renting these floors, or do they belong to the facilities manager? So what if he’s making his last rounds? Let’s have a drink, and then we’ll go. It’ll warm us up before the car service gets here.”
“David, you’re killing me. What about your sister?”
“Jennifer is a hard worker, and she doesn’t even know we’re alive. Do you see her head in paperwork? She’s in her happy place. She’ll be fine.”
“I know I’m going to regret this.”
The wind whipped around Liza’s face, flipping her pressed-out hair all around and sticking it to her glossed lips. The afternoon clouds had grown dark, and the wind was swirling, thick with heavy, wet snow.
“This wasn’t supposed to be here until this evening,” Liza mumbled to herself.
“This is going to get bad,” WIC said. “Where are you going?” His eyes were kind.
“Just down the Green Line,” Liza said.
He put an arm around her shoulders. “Where is your coat?”
“At home, Dad,” she teased.
“You headed to Anacostia?”
“Near there. Merrytown.”
