she sets her glass down—even as salads start appearing in front of us—she wastes no time and shifts to the blonde, switching up her personality for her new target. “You look so familiar. Do we know each other?”
Nice line, sweetness. I’m wondering the same thing.
“I know you—” the elderly woman next to Bella pipes in.
The blonde doesn’t allow her to finish and whips her napkin off the table to make room for her slightly wilted salad and isn’t impressed that everyone seems to know her. “I don’t know you, but you probably know me.” She picks up her fork and stabs a soggy crouton with such force, I wonder if she’s picturing Randolph’s eye. “Marie Kasey, Channel Five News.”
Ah. That’s it.
“I knew I recognized you!” Bella exclaims, talking faster than a cheerleader. “Wowza. You’re, like, a celebrity! What’s it like to read the news in Washington, DC?”
I stuff my face with a forkful of lettuce to hide my smile because Bella offended Ms. Kasey.
“I don’t read the news. I’m an investigative reporter. I work on the Hill.”
“Ah. Sorry.” Bella pops a cucumber between her teeth and, uncharacteristically, continues to talk around it. “An investigative reporter. Impressive. I bet you meet so many important people.”
Ms. Kasey is in a mood. “Yes, I do.”
“Are you working tonight? I mean, this is only a fundraiser, right?”
The elderly man leans in and mutters, “Pass the salt.”
I reach for the shaker and get a good look at Kasey for the first time as she turns to Bella. “I never stop working. It’s events like these where the real deals go down, not in Congress or on the Senate floor. Who are you?”
“Don’t you dare pass him the salt!” the elderly woman snaps her fingers at me. “Bert is on a low-sodium diet.”
“I paid two thousand dollars for this crappy meal because you had to keep up with those hags in your bridge group who walk around with sticks up their asses. I’m gonna salt the hell out of my dinner and you can’t stop me.”
I ignore the woman and pass the man his salt. He has a valid argument. And I don’t blame him—I’m not happy to have paid for this meal either.
Bella wipes her mouth and shoves her hand into the journalists personal space. “Kim Cartwright. I love meeting new people.”
Kasey, not hiding the fact she does not enjoy meeting new people, dismisses Bella’s hand and pushes her salad plate away.
“So did you have to buy your ticket to this or do you get in free because of your job? I bet there are sooo many perks to being on TV. You can probably badge your way into every event in this city.”
Marie doesn’t answer.
Grateful I’m sandwiched between three business men droning on about the Wizards shitty season and the couple fighting over salt, I pretend to scroll on my phone so everyone will continue ignoring me.
Bella keeps jabbering to her new BFF. “Well, I’m only here as a favor to my parents. My dad is an executive at Disney and was pressured to buy a ticket. He hates DC and I live in Maryland now. I took a job in PR for the crab industry. Anyway, I’m here as a favor for dear old dad,” Bella sing-songs. “I mean, he does pay for my condo. Starting out in PR pays squat.”
Kasey throws Bella a frown. “The crab industry?”
“Mm-hmm. I love crabs. You know, like Sebastian? I run their Instagram account. I also love sea turtles. Crush is my favorite Disney character ev-er.” Bella rips off a hunk of bread. “I bet you make the big bucks, being on the news and all.”
For such an expensive meal, they sure are hurtling through the courses at the speed of light. Plates are switched out and now we’re all looking at a dry hunk of salmon, limp asparagus, and a pile of watery mashed potatoes.
Bert is making it his life’s mission to shake the hell out of his salt.
“Have you seen the keynote speaker for tonight?” Bella asks, leaning into Kasey. “He’s hot. I mean, if you’re into old men, which I’m not.”
My water glass hits the table like a ton of bricks and Kasey looks like she wants to strangle my bedmate.
Bella keeps talking about old men. “But, you know, some women are. I don’t need a sugar daddy. I’ve got my own daddy, obviously.” Bella rolls her eyes. “And I get a Disney Fast Pass that never expires!”