Page 49 of The Boyfriend Experience

My whole body is shaking with anger. I’m so mad. I want to kill that bitch! I mean, I have been patient with her for all these years. I’ve been biting my tongue and keeping my mouth shut, just trying to be reasonable, and it’s obviously not working.

I need to up my game. I need to put on the warpaint and battle armor and declare war. Because that’s what this is.

“Oaklee,” Law says, rubbing my shoulder. “Calm down. You’re shaking, for fuck’s sake.”

“Yes,” I say. “I am. Because I have never felt such anger in all my life. I looked the other way when she cheated off me in college. I turned the other cheek when she stole my boyfriends. I talked myself into being rational, and calm, and sane because I don’t like getting crazy, I really don’t. My anger isn’t something I’m proud of. I want life to be easy. I want life to be calm. I don’t want to be the drama queen everyone thinks I am.” I turn to look at him. “And where has that gotten me? Huh? I have had this deal with Spencer Shrike since before my dad died. It’s been almost eight years! And she thinks what? She can move in on my territory and take my place now that my dad’s gone? I don’t fucking think so, Lawton! I don’t fucking think so!”

“Shhh,” he says, pulling me into his chest and putting his arms around me. “We’ll get it handled.”

“How?” I ask. “How are we gonna get it handled?”

“Just wait for Chuck to come back and tell us what’s going on, OK?”

I don’t answer. I’m too angry. I feel like crying, that’s how angry I am. “She has no right,” I say. “No right to play with my life like this! What did I ever do to her but be a good friend? What?”

Law just holds me tighter and shakes his head. “Just take a deep breath. It’s probably not what you think. Like… maybe that guy is just here to drop off samples or something. For the manager to taste.”

“Two kegs for tasting?” I say.

“Oaklee,” he says in a calm voice that makes me want to slap him. Then he pushes me away, holds me at arm’s length and says, “Just. Calm. Down. I’m gonna go see what’s happening and you’re going to stay here. OK?”

I look up at him. Feel the tears stinging the corners of my eyes. But I say nothing. Because all I can think about is how I need to get even with that stupid bitch, Hanna Harlow.

“OK?” Law repeats.

“Whatever,” I say, pulling away from him. “I’m gonna go change.” So I walk off towards the dressing room stall. And he walks off towards Chuck, who I can see is having a conversation with the bar manager. And by the time I get to the stall, Law has reached Chuck, and they start talking.

I watch. Seething. Seeing red. So hot with anger, I’m actually sweating. My hands are shaking and my legs feel weak. So I grab onto a rack of t-shirts and steady myself as I watch the conversation across the store.

I can’t hear them and I don’t know how to read lips, but I can read facial expressions just fine.

Chuck is asking the bar manager about the kegs.

Bar manager probably says something like, Hanna Harlow came in here last week and talked us into putting her kegs on tap for a free trial.

And Law says something like, But that’s Oaklee’s tap. She has a deal.

And Chuck says, Yeah, we can’t do that. There’s a deal.

And bar manager says…

Law is walking back towards me now. Stoic expression on his face. And I don’t know him well enough to understand what that means, but I don’t have to guess, because the first thing he says to me is, “Hanna Harlow had a deal too.”

“Let me guess,” I say through clenched teeth. “She offered them a free trial.”

“No,” Law says, shaking his head, looking a little sad. “No, that’s not the deal.”

“Then what is it?”

“Let’s just pay for this stuff and we’ll talk about it outside. Chuck!” he yells, then rips the tag off my skirt and walks over to the cash register. “Add this to the bill and make it quick. We’re leaving.”

I grab my clothes and purse from the dressing room and walk over to the counter. “What was the deal?” I ask.

Chuck just shakes his head and refuses to look at me as he runs Lawton’s credit card.

“I said we’ll talk about it outside, Oaklee.”

“I want to talk about it now. What’s the deal, Chuck?”