lines memorized, do you?” Lacey licked her lips, nearly leering at Jeremy.
I wanted to elbow her in the gut and tell her to back off of Jeremy, the irony of which was not lost on me, considering she had her hands on my actual man.
“Nearly,” Jeremy replied jovially, moving his hand possessively to the small of my back. Oh my God. I loved him for that. With Lacey pawing at Harrison, it was just what I needed in that moment not to feel so vulnerable and lonely. I took a deep breath, feeling my confidence return.
“What do you do for a living, Jeremy?” Harrison finally broke his silence.
I groaned inwardly. Of course Harrison would ask that. He was as judgey a snob as I was. If I was Mr. Darcy, he was...also Mr. Darcy? Mr. Darcy’s similarly judgey twin brother? Hearing him ask Jeremy what he did, however, made me realize for the first time what a truly unattractive trait it was to judge people based on their profession.
“I’m a woodworker,” Jeremy replied. “Have my own business.”
Harrison’s brows lifted. “A carpenter?”
“No. A woodworker. There’s a difference.” Jeremy’s tone was polite but firm.
“He has a master’s degree in Engineering from Stanford,” I added in order to wipe the smug smile off of Harrison’s face. I knew it was wrong of me to bother to say it, but I also knew Harrison.
“Need that for woodworking?” Harrison asked, the smile still there and still smug, but a certain light had come into his eye. A sign of respect. I could tell.
“Nope,” Jeremy replied. “Just took a wrong turn when I was younger and finally straightened it out.” He obviously didn’t give care what either of these two thought of him. God, I admired him for that. Why did I care what they thought?
Lacey tugged impatiently at Harrison’s sleeve. She craned her neck to look out the front windows. “Oh, I do hope the paparazzi haven’t found us.” She sighed, a pout on her lips.
“Yep, I hate when that happens.” Jeremy cracked a smile.
“What?” Lacey turned her attention back to us and narrowed her eyes on Jeremy.
He cleared his throat. “I was kidding.”
“Yes, well, it’s not funny.” Lacey tapped the toe of her black patent-leather high heel against the stained cement floor. “Do you have any idea what these people put me through?”
“No, actually, I have no idea,” Jeremy replied.
“We should go,” Harrison said, stepping forward.
“Yes, let’s,” Lacey said, her lips still pouty.
Just before they walked away, she turned back to me, leaned down, and said in a stage whisper, “Dr. Knightley, I hope you don’t mind me giving you some advice.” She didn’t pause for my answer. “You really shouldn’t wear maxi-dresses. They’re not the best style choice for short women.”
My mouth fell open, but no sound came out, save for a strange hitching/breathing noise. It felt like the time I’d understudied as Juliet and had to practice the part at the end where I stuck a knife in my gut. I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t speak. Had she really just said that to me? The woman was completely audacious. Not to mention rude. I mean, I knew maxi dresses didn’t look great on short ladies, but I’d worn it to practice my waltz. She didn’t need to throw both my shortness and my poor clothing choice in my face.
I needed to reply immediately with a pithy quip. Obviously. But when being insulted by a Megan Fox impersonator, pithy quips apparently don’t roll off my tongue. Those always come later, after I’ve had something in the range of twelve obsessive hours to think about what I should have said.
My neck heated and I could feel the blush spreading up my cheeks and across my face. “That was extremely impolite of you, Ms. Lewis.” Jeremy pulled me into the crook of his arm. “Meg looks great, and I think you owe her an apology.”
Lacey pushed a dark curl behind her ear. “I was trying to do her a favor. She’s not the most stylish.”
My gaze bounced back and forth between Harrison and Lacey. I still couldn’t think of an appropriate response. “Go to hell, you over-coiffed bitch,” seemed too boorish. I raised my eyebrows at Harrison, who only repeated, “We should go.”
He led the way, and in seconds, the two had slipped outside through the sleek glass front doors.
I stood there, shell-shocked, with Jeremy’s arm still around me. “I can’t believe she said that.”
Jeremy shook his head and squeezed me around the waist