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“Provoloser.”
Monty stiffened up, putting his hands on his hips. “Maybe it’s time you moved on.”
“Maybe it’s time you and I stepped out beyond the confines of this party and had a little private chat.”
It was obvious that Cap was angling for a fight. That’s where bullies always went. What he didn’t count on or at least think through was the fact that Monty wasn’t the least bit intimidated by him.
Monty smiled a confident smile. “Sure. We can do that, if you’re sure that’s what you really want. But I’ll tell you right now that you might be seriously surprised by how things turn out.”
Not many people stood up to Cap. The fact that Monty did, gave him pause. And though he wouldn’t admit this either, a new found respect. Which, unfortunately, didn’t last very long.
“Everything ok, dad?” Romeo had been watching this whole thing unfold and knew it was getting close to blowing up.
“Everything’s fine son. Isn’t it?” He’d said that last bit to Cap.
“Just peachy.”
Then Cap made a big show of bringing the paper plate to his nose and sniffing the food. He knew it smelled delicious, but instead he sneered, wrinkled his nose, made a couple of heaving gestures as if he was about to vomit, and then threw the plate down on the table.
It crashed into at least half the other plates and turned the whole spread into a mess. There was even a bit of collateral damage when a guy in khakis and a pink polo caught some cheesy onion blowback.
“All right! That’s enough,” said Monty, raising his voice. “It’s time for you to go.”
“Sure,” said Cap. “But you know this ain’t over.”
“Go!”
With little flourish but a lot of attitude Cap finally turned his back and walked away.
“What’s his problem?” Romeo asked.
Monty sighed. “I don’t know. Some people are just naturally unhappy I guess. ”
Someone else who was currently unhappy at the moment was the Mayor. He had caught almost all of the exchange between them and then he got an earful from the guy in the khakis and pink polo. Turned out he was a local finance guy. He made a ton of money every year running his own small hedge fund and he was one of the Mayor’s biggest donors.
The Mayor watched pink polo guy storm off and head back to his car so he could leave the party and go home and change. Then he saw the cheesy poof guy again.
“Hey! You. With the cheesy poofs. Come here.”
Cheesy poof guy swung right and walked over. He bent down and offered the Mayor the appetizers, thinking the Mayor would help himself to one or two. But the Mayor took the whole tray.
“Here. I’ll hold on to these for you and you do me a favor. You see that tall guy dancing with the pretty girl in the white sundress?”
“Yeah.”
“Go tell him I need to see him right now.”
43
“Nice party, huh?” Patrick said, for the second time.
Ant wasn’t really listening. She was there on the dance floor, with him, swaying to the music, arm in arm, but she wasn’t really listening.
“Sure, I get it,” Patrick continued. “It’s a tough time for you. A lot on your mind and all.” He looked down, trying to catch her eye but… “I heard about you wanting to open a restaurant. That’s fantastic. I’m sure it’ll be a success.”
“Yeah? What makes you think that?”
“Because you are a force to be reckoned with.”
