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“If that means when they tried to auction Megan off for their own little sick pleasure, then yes,” I respond. “How can you think it was the wrong thing to do?”
“Well, everyone did it. Those in the bridal party who weren’t in a relationship went up and did it. And so did some of the single girls. It was a lot of fun.”
The fact that she’s so nonchalant about it makes the whole thing even worse. She’s vile.
“And how many of them knew about it beforehand?” I want her to realize that what they did was wrong.
“All of them, of course.”
I can’t help but bark out a harsh laugh. “Seriously? All of them knew about it, but Megan didn’t. She organized the engagement party, and that was obviously not part of it.”
“Anna wanted to put it in,” she explains. “She said it would help her good friend who was still pining for her ex to get out and meet someone else.”
I’m not surprised that she spun it like that. I know for a fact that Megan isn't pining for Eric, but Anna will make it sound like she’s the victim here. She’s very good at that.
“That’s a bunch of crap, and you know it, Caitlin.” I get up and start pacing around my office. “It’s bad enough that they wanted to hire Eric’s ex-girlfriend, who was with Eric when Anna started sleeping with him, to be their wedding planner, but to drag her in front of strangers and auction her off like she’s a hunk of meat is something else.”
“It was just innocent fun,” her voice goes up an octave. It grates me to the bone.
“I saw the look on Anna’s face. It wasn’t innocent or fun,” I say. “She’s lucky I didn’t get angrier at her.”
That had been reserved for some of his employees. They had been invited due to being friends with Eric, and from what I heard from Natalie, who left not long after, they had partaken in the auction as well. They had been given a dressing down on Monday morning about their conduct. In my eyes, if they want to do an auction, everyone needs to be aware and consent. The only people caring about Megan’s consent were myself and Natalie.
That is rather sobering to think about.
Caitlin huffs. “Honestly, Joel, you’ve distracted me from what I was going to ask you. Why do you have to complain about everything?”
“Because I know the real reason Anna wanted to do the auction, and she would have succeeded in humiliating Megan over something ridiculous. I mean, who hires your affair partner’s ex-girlfriend and then auctions her to a ‘friend’ for the night? I swear, I have no idea how she is my daughter!”
“Affair partner? Eric is Anna’s fiancé!” Caitlin yells. “He’s your employee as well.”
“And I’m painfully aware of that, Caitlin. I’m still angry at Anna about it, and she’s very wisely left me alone. She knows she’s in trouble, or she would have spoken to me before now.”
Caitlin groans. “Joel, stop deviating. We have something else to talk about. Actually, I have something to ask you.”
“Again?” I catch myself staring at Megan’s desk through the window, and I draw the blinds before turning away. “I’m not giving you any more money. You’re not entitled to it.”
“It’s not about money, don’t worry,” she replies. “I was wondering if you wanted to be my date to Anna and Eric’s wedding?”
I’m so surprised by the question that I end up kicking my desk on the way past. It jolts and my knee catches the corner. Flinching, I limp away.
“Joel? What happened?”
“It’s nothing,” I lie. I slump onto the couch, rubbing my thigh. “Why on earth would you want to go with me? Don’t you have a boyfriend or something? And the invitations haven’t gone out yet, have they?”
“I think they’re going out soon. Anyway, how about it? You won’t have anyone to go with, will you?” She sounds so sure of herself it makes me even more upset.
“What makes you think that?”
Caitlin laughs. “Come on, Joel, I know you. Sure, I’m aware that you have a lot of women around, and you have a different one on your arm whenever you’re at a black-tie event, but a wedding is a lot more intimate. People would start asking questions, no?”
I have no idea what she’s talking about. “What are you saying, Caitlin?”
“Well, we were married once, and we’re going to be at the wedding. We might as well go together.”
I’m shaking my head before she’s even finished speaking, only to remember that Caitlin can’t see me. Her logic is screwed up.
“Absolutely not.”
