Page 67 of Story of My Life
“Oh. Uh, sorry. I just sat where my name was,” I said, looking to Darius for help, but he was in a whisper session with what looked like an oversize barbershop quartet. They were all wearing straw hats and red-and-white-stripedStory Lake WarblersT-shirts.
“Move,” my nemesis said flatly.
I knew I was supposed to be aggressive, but this woman looked like she could crack me open like a walnut.
“Now, Emilie, this isn’t the way to attract new residents to town,” Ace admonished.
“The sooner you get out of my seat, the sooner we can get justice for Goose,” Emilie barked.
“Justice for Goose!” The cheer spread like wildfire and drowned out Darius’s requests for quiet.
With murmured apologies, I scrambled to pick up my name tag and notebook. In the past, when I’d walked into a room of people who were there because of me, the reaction hadbeen significantly warmer. Heck, I’d walked into bookstores and had readers cheer before. This was new and yucky. I felt my badassery add a deadbolt to its closet door.
Standing on the stage clutching my stuff made me feel like I was living out one of my naked-in-high-school nightmares. I didn’t know where to go. My panicked gaze fell on Cam, who, without looking at me, nudged the empty chair next to him with his boot.
With gratitude more in line with a lifesaving organ donation or being pushed out of the path of a runaway bus, I took the offered seat. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Cam grunted then leaned forward to the mic. “Everyone sit the hell down and shut the hell up so we can get this shit show over with.”
The room quieted like a kindergarten class that had just gotten yelled at. Frank and Pep gave Cam proud-parent thumbs-ups from the front row. A pretty Black woman toward the back opened a bag of Skittles like she was in a movie theater.
“Thank you, Cam,” Darius said into his mic. “I officially call this meeting to order.”
He pointed to the barbershop group. Together they hummed enthusiastically into a microphone.
“Good people of Story Lake, we are gathered here today for an emergency town meeting…and Mr. Stewart’s visitation. Thank you to those of you who attended. Now, we’ve got a couple of items on our agenda, so let’s get to it. First I’d like to introduce you all to our newest council member, Hazel Hart,” Darius announced.
The scattered applause from Zoey and the Bishops was drowned out by the booing.
Cam sighed next to me. His knee collided with mine under the table. I was certain it was an accident, but I savored the touch like it was a friendly hug.Man, I reallyneededto get laid.
“Hazel is a best-selling romance novelist who just purchased Heart House. I’m sure she’ll find a great deal of inspiration in our wonderful town,” Darius continued as if he hadn’t heard the boos.
Our youthful mayor flashed me an apologetic smile before turning back to address the crowd. “Okay then. On to the next agenda item, did Hazel Hart kill our friendly bald eagle mascot Goose?”
Led by Emilie, the booing got even louder. More signs appeared in the audience.
“Is someone handing out poster board and markers?” I wondered out loud.
A potato landed on the stage in front of the table with a dull thump.
“I’d like to remind everyone that potato throwing is strictly forbidden unless officially sanctioned,” Darius said.
Zoey looked like she was going to start throwing punches from the second row. Instead she grabbed aKeep Your Helicopters Away from Our Bald Eaglessign out of the hands of a woman behind her and ripped it in two. Gage quickly pushed her back in her seat.
This was an absolute disaster. I wasn’t equipped to be disliked. I was used to being moderately adored at best and completely invisible otherwise. What would my heroine do? What would Old Hazel do?
Cam reached over and scrawled something at the bottom of my notebook page.
Stand the fuck up for yourself.
I frowned. “But I want them to like me.”
“No one’s gonna like you if they don’t respect you,” he pointed out.
I stared down at the words. They looked like they belonged on one of those inappropriate inspirational posters cool offices had on their walls likeRise and grind, fuckerorHang in there...or you’ll die.
I sucked in a breath and grabbed the microphone.
