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She knew it, too, which is why she implemented a Hail Mary next.
Solo.
•••
WE WERE ALLset to retire for the evening. The lobster and liquor had been consumed. There was nothing left to say or do. We could finally put ourselves out of our goddamn misery. When I returned from the powder room, ready to bid good night to our guests, Luke was already gone. I silently observed that Gale stood closer to Collin on the veranda, watching the night settle in farther along the seaside.
She wasn’t cuddling him per se, but she was close enough that it could be construed that way from the right angle. It was easy to see their lifelong dynamic at play, just in the physical proximity they shared. Gale repeatedly brushed her elbow against his side, she’d look up at him with hope he’d return her wanton gaze, bump her hip into his, accidentally, on purpose. How many times must she have done such a thing? Any vim or vigor she possessed around me completely vanished when she was alone with Collin. He truly was her weakness. It was pathetic so I enjoyed the show and listened in, staying hidden from their line of vision.
“Ah, Gale, I really wish you would get on board with Bea,” Collin whispered, taking a peek over his shoulder to check for my presence.
“I’m notnoton board,” Gale said, her voice an octave higher than normal.
“I’m not an idiot, Gale. I know you don’t like her, and I don’t need more of that bullshit from the people in my life. Especially not from you,” Collin huffed. “We’re supposed to be friends.”
First his father and now Gale. I had ignited some sort of fire in this man, so much so that he would stand up to lifelong friendships and family traditions in my honor. I felt all-powerful. Before me, Collin Case was like a sad grilled cheese sandwich of a man, but I had transformed him into a proper croque monsieur courtesy of my homegrown wits and wiles. He should be so lucky to become my husband. I brought out the real cock and balls in Collin Case, and no one was more shocked than me that I actually found it a genuine turn-on. Hmm. Stranger things.
“We are friends! I don’t know what you want me to say. I think Bea’s fine,” Gale said.
“She’s fine?”
“By all means, feel free to sell me on her, Collin. Why doyoulike her?”
While I found her candor irritating, I also really wanted to hear his response. A relationship performance report in real time could be priceless.
“Gale, come on, I shouldn’t have topitchyou on my girlfriend. Iloveher. Are you that surprised? I mean, Bea is exactly the kind of woman I’ve always wanted to marry. She’s the woman ofmydreams, but like every guy’s dreams, too. She’s perfect.” It was an A+. He knew he had a real prize. He also revealed that it was important to him thatI was coveted by others. Noted. “Luke obviously excluded,” he added, for Gale’s benefit. What a guy. Never wanted to hurt somebody’s feelings, even if they deserved it. I would be the first to admit that the whole display was incredibly romantic of him in general, but to say all of these wondrous things about me, and to a woman who so obviously had the unrequited hots for him for their entire lives? Pure magic. I’d never been more turned on by him before and an evening seduction later would be a well-deserved feather in his cap.
“Everyguy’s dream? In what way exactly?” Gale pressed even further, the jealous hag. Her voice returned to its naturally lower octave, but at a much quicker cadence. She was panicking. I imagined her face, all scrunched up in feigned confusion about why Collin could possibly be attracted to me. Those well-worn 11s must have been popping out of her football field–size forehead like goalposts. “I know she’s like, hot, or whatever, but what else is there? And to your point, it’s not just me. I know your family isn’t wild on her either.”
“That’s because they don’t really know her yet.” Collin groaned. “Look, dating outside of our circle is always scandalous with families like ours, but that’s so old-fashioned. And you know that. I mean, are your folks thrilled about Luke? Where’d he come from?” Of course they weren’t, because Luke wasn’t a real person, certainly not the man in the guest bedroom, and someone they would never meet, but that was beside the point.
“Look, Bea isitfor me,” Collin continued passionately. “I mean, yes, she’s beautiful for one.” An obvious check. My hard work was paying off. Abs don’t come for free.
“She’s smart,” he added. Also very true, smarter than he even realized. “And honestly, Gale, the thing is, Bea reallylistensto me. She understands me. I don’t know how else to explain it. She’s the onlyone who really wants to hear what I have to say.” Perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted him to think. I impressed myself for pulling this off with Collin fucking Case at such an astounding pace. Post-engagement, it would only be a few more months to seal my fate for good. Ihadthis, whether Gale believed it or not.
“ButIlisten to you, too, Collin,” Gale whined, mustering up some sort of confessional confidence. She was really going to do it. Even though I was in the house. Incredible and impressive. I could appreciate a direct hit. Such a thing took gumption and guts. As far as I knew, Gale had never made an outright plea for Collin’s affection, always hoping, in vain, that he would come for her. Poor Collin. He would hate to reject her, but that’s what he would do; I just wasn’t sure how.
“I know that, Gale. That’s why we’re friends,” Collin said, letting her down almost too gently, but I could see her heart was breaking. She could read between the lines. “But I’ve never had agirlfriendlike Bea before. It’s just different with her.”
“Oh,please, Collin!” Gale raised her voice, startling him. “Allof your girlfriends have beenexactlylike Bea.” Well, well, well. Now we were getting into some very juicy, uncharted territory. Collin would barely speak about his past lovers with me, which was probably for the best. I didn’t want to tell him about any of the monsters I previously had relations with either, but the curiosity remained.
“That’s not true at all. Bea is completely different from my exes. They’re not even on the same level, Gale. Bea is, just, everything that I’ve been looking for.Everything.”
“Oh, the hell she is, Coll!” Gale wailed. “I’m sorry, but I need to say this to you. Bea is just another opportunistic blonde with fake boobs who wants your money. She knowsexactlywho your family is and what that means. How can you not see that? She can’t be trusted.”
First of all, my breasts are incredibly symmetrical and pleasing tothe eye, but they’re not surgically enhanced. In all honesty, they’re probably the onlygoodthing I inherited from my mother. Technically two good things. Second, I was thrilled she said it. All about the money. It was only going to make Collin more loyal to me. He didn’t want to believe he was like the rest of them. I could relate to that, even though I thought he was ridiculous considering his privilege that he rarely recognized. He still thought he was better than most, just different, simply by virtue of loving someone like me, an outsider. Someone from the “fringe.” Benevolent Collin who could see beyond the bank account. Bravo, buddy. But of course he could. He could afford to. I didn’t have that luxury.
Look at us, a regular twenty-first-century Romeo and Juliet.
“I gotta be honest, Gale.” Collin took a deep breath. “I don’t think this has anything to do with Bea.” Was he going togothere? Was he going to say what had long gone unsaid? I could hardly breathe.
“What do you mean?” Gale asked Collin, knowing exactly what he meant.
I really thought he was going to tell her the truth. That he knew all about her feelings for him, for all of those years. And tofinallyreject the notion, rejecther, to her face and put an end to it all. Part of me was disappointed. I wasn’t ready for the game with Gale to end. I thought it was just beginning, but she had brought this on herself. It should have been Collin anyway. He should have been the one to finish her.
“Never mind,” he whispered.
I wanted to watch him be ruthless with her, but that’s not the kind of man Collin was, for better or worse. Gale didn’t push him any further. She knew it wouldn’t end well for her. They shared a few more silent moments, Gale backing off, creating physical distance between them. “Good night, Collin,” Gale said, morose.
