Page 91 of Whiskey Chase
Les smiled approvingly. I couldn’t tell if he actually liked me or liked the gossip I was providing. “You two up for some horseshoes?”
I perked up. If I was good at pool—and I sure as shootin’ was—I was even better at horseshoes. “That’s up to Scarlett,” Devlin said, deferring to me.
“Maybe you can show me, just like you taught me how to play pool.” I winked.
Devlin laughed, catching my drift.
Les signaled to another man, short and stout, wearing a red tie and a sheen of sweat, and pointed toward the horseshoe court.
Introductions were made. The sweaty newcomer was Lewis, a junior assistant district attorney. He seemed relieved that his small talk duties were officially over.
“Teams?” Les drawled, flagging down a server and distributing beers amongst our foursome.
“Dibs on Scarlett,” Devlin said.
* * *
“Well,my, my. I believe I just won again,” I said feigning surprise as my last horseshoe encircled the stake.
“You, Scarlett, are a sneaky, scheming, scam artist. Have you thought about getting into politics?” Les asked with a quick grin.
“Only so far as it involves getting into Devlin’s pants,” I teased.
Les threw his head back and laughed. “Your Scarlett is a breath of fresh air,” he told Devlin when he approached.
Devlin slid his hands around my waist in easy affection.
“That she is,” he agreed. I leaned into him. Maybe this whole politician party thing wasn’t so bad after all?
“If y’all will excuse me, I’m going to find the restroom and another round of beers,” I said excusing myself.
“Don’t get lost,” Devlin said gruffly. I winked at him and followed the brass walkway lights back to the patio. A mustached man wearing a bowtie held the door for me and gave me a mock bow.
I was killing this politician’s girlfriend thing. Everyone was so happy to see Devlin being so happy. I stepped into the powder room. When I was done, I checked my makeup and was carefully reapplying my lipstick when I heard voices in the hallway.
“Can you believe he had the nerve to show up here with her?” a woman asked in gratuitous glee.
“Johanna is not going to be happy that her soon-to-be ex is slumming it with some redneck. I mean, she saidy’all!”
They laughed, a tinkling cultured laugh that they probably practiced, and I saw red. Bloody murder, bleeding nose red.
“Devlin acts like this was just a little ding to his career, but he’s hanging by a thread. One false step, one wrong move, and he’s done. Everything his parents have worked for will have been a complete waste.”
“I know,” the other woman crowed. “Him showing up with some twenty-year-old hillbilly is just too much. He’s going to need a permanent mental health leave, not just a temporary one.”
I stared at my reflection long and hard. I was Scarlett Motherfucking Bodine. And I was a liability. I had no idea what a politician’s girlfriend would do. What Johanna would do. So I did what I’d do.
I yanked the door open. “Hey, y’all. Funny thing. These walls are so thin!”
They gawked at me, looking as though they’d been cut from the same perfect postured, no-assed cloth.
“I feel real bad about eavesdroppin’ on y’all because now I’m just gonna make it my personal mission to find out everything there is to know about you. I’m gonna know which one of you is sleepin’ with your golf pro and which one of you binge eats cartons of ice cream until you vomit.” I took a step closer, and they both took one back, crowding closer to each other for support.
“I’m going to find out where you volunteer and get you kicked off of every board of every organization. And I’ll make it my j-o-b to ruin your boring little lives. Just for fun.”
I wiggled my fingers at them and started to walk away. When I felt them relax, I turned around and smiled. “Oh, and just so you don’t think no one talks behind your back, a woman in a pink dress called y’all bony bitches, and two gentlemen in sport coats were talking about which one of you gives worse head.”
I had heard no such things, but judging from their expressions, both were completely plausible. I patted myself on my back and walked back out to the party with a skip in my step.
