against me,” she whispered. “Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?”
Anger coiled in my stomach as if it were a jack-in-the-box. One more turn of the crank would send it shooting outward. And of course, if anyone was going to crank it that last bit, it would be Aamee.
“Or more importantly, haven’t you embarrassed the legacy of your mother enough?” Aamee turned away from me after delivering what she thought was the death blow. “I think we can dismiss this meeting unless anyone has any other issues they’d like to raise.”
When no one said anything, everyone began to get up from their seats.
“Wait!” I called. “I have another motion.”
Aamee looked pissed off as the girls looked at me expectantly. I cleared my throat. “The rules allow someone who was previously unqualified to be president to run when that qualification is met if the previously elected president ran unopposed. As a sophomore last year, I wasn’t allowed to run. But now I’m a junior, and therefore eligible. And since no one opposed you, I’m now allowed to do so.”
“That’s not how that rule works,” Aamee argued.
“No? Because that’s what it says. As soon as I became a junior, I was entitled to run.”
“But…” Aamee seemed to flounder for words. “I’ve already begun my presidency.”
“If you’re as fit for the office as you claim, you should win by a landslide.”
Aamee was looking a little pale, but she kept her shoulders square and her head high. “This is ridiculous. You’re creating drama for no reason. None of our sisters will support someone rocking the boat like this.”
I looked at her with determination I didn’t feel. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
Chapter Eleven
D R E W
Rafferty’s wasn’t as packed as I’d ever seen it, but I’d been pouring drinks steadily since my shift started at eight. Our regulars littered the bar, while a few groups gathered around the pool tables and dart boards.
“Drew, how those college classes been treating ya?” Max, one of our regulars, asked. He was a widower who lived a block away and came in for drinks a few times a week. He always took an interest in my life, and I appreciated the man for it.
I picked up his empty glass and wiped down the bar. “Pretty well. I haven’t gotten anything lower than a B yet.”
“Attaboy. My Olive was a schoolteacher. She always wanted to become a professor, but the timing was never right, and then we were out of time.” He paused for a second, his shoulder hunching a bit. “Anyway, good for you for working hard and bettering yourself. I’m damn proud of you.”
A lump formed in my throat. It had been a long time since anyone had said they were proud of me, if it had ever happened at all.
“Thanks, Max.” I cleared my throat. “Want another?”
“I think I’m going to order some food. Maybe just a water and a menu for now.”
“You got it.” I grabbed a menu and poured his water. When I turned to deliver them, I had to blink to make sure I was seeing clearly.
Sophia slid into a chair near Max and plopped her head into the arms she had crossed atop the bar.
Max and I shared a look as I set the items in front of him.
“Well, this is a surprise,” I said to Sophia.
Her only response was to lift her head slightly and thump it back down onto her arms, a motion she repeated a few more times before stopping.
“Rough day?” I rested my own arms on the bar so I could lean closer to her. “Did the meeting not go well?”
She raised her head and looked at me, her expression showing exhaustion. “I messed everything up.”
“Why? We went over your arguments, and they were all good ones.”
“I underestimated Aamee. She had a counterargument for everything.”
“So I guess I won’t be helping you move back into the house this weekend?”
She shook her head miserably. “No. But you can help me launch a winning campaign for president.”
I bolted upright. “You challenged her?” A smile overtook my face. My Sophia had balls of steel. “Good for you.”
She massaged her forehead with her hand. “The only reason I’m doing it is to piss Aamee off. That’s not a good reason to want to be sorority president, but it was the only thing left for me to do.”
“The fact that you feel that way already shows you’re better equipped to have the job than she is.”
“That’s not saying much. A trained seal is better equipped