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“Thanks for your concern,” Gen interjected. I felt as small as I had been when my own mother had admonished me for breaking something important as a child. “I think she’s old enough to make her own decisions.”
“I wasn’t speaking to you, whore.”
When I heard that word, and being spoken to Gen, I saw red. I snapped out of whatever reverie I had been in and moved in front of Gen.
“Don’t you speak to her like that,” I said angrily. “What I do with my own love life is my business, Eva. How about you focus on your own love life, or rather, the one your husband is living with the woman who is about to give birth to his baby.”
Eva stepped back. She was surprised I knew the truth but I had friends in this circle too. I knew all about the impending divorce which would send her back to a life of poverty.
“You don’t want to make an enemy of me,” Eva said, sternly.
“Actually, you have it backward, Eva, you don’t want to make an enemy of me. You think I was only in this life because of Scott? Hell no, my maiden name is Penn. Yeah, that’s right, the Penn family. I know all about your husband and his indiscretions, I also know you aren’t all that innocent either. I’d hate for that to come out.”
Eva backed away from us, moving through the crowd and disappearing from sight. Gen chuckled, and moved into my line of sight.
“Wow,” she said, in utter surprise. “I cannot believe you gave it to her that good.”
“No one calls you a whore,” I said with a smile. The anger was still inside me, because I hated using my family’s name but I could use it in order to have her cast out of the social circles she ran in.
“I didn’t know who your family were,” she said. “They are known for their strict and sophisticated ways.”
I nodded. “They sure are.”
“You haven’t told them about us then.”
I could see the look of apprehension on her face. This was why I never told anyone who my family were, and why I hadn’t changed my name back from Scott’s when I got divorced. I spent most of my life trying to get away from them.
“I haven’t spoken to them, Gen. I don’t want to speak to them.”
She nodded, but I could see this was a conversation that was going to come up again and again. If only I could rid myself of them for good.
I took another glass of wine and followed Gen back into the crowd to listen to the artist talk about their artwork and what it means. I had never been big into art but I knew Gen was. I could be supportive of her tonight.
All I knew was my family shit was going to come back to haunt me tomorrow and I needed to be thoroughly drunk to forget who I was related to.
CHAPTER11
GEN
Mara satdown on the seat opposite me. Her face was full of surprise when she noticed I was here early, or rather on time. I had a penchant for being late to everything.
“Okay,” she said, finally settling in her seat. “This is freaky.”
“I had a lot on my mind and I knew you would be the best one to speak to.”
“Is this about your little romance?” she asked, not sounding all too surprised.
“How did you know?”
“Eva called me. From what it sounded like Mattie really came to your defense.”
I nodded. “It was amazing actually but in that little speech, she mentioned who her family were.”
“Ah,” Mara said. “Yeah, she’s kept that under wraps rather well, hasn’t she?”
“How the hell did I not know?”
“Well, I happen to know one of her cousins and they disowned her when she got divorced so she probably isn’t too happy to be one of them.”
