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Bianca held up her palm in a “talk to the hand gesture” to her brother as she walked away and joined their mother, who was doing her best to whittle away at Abbe’s self-esteem while seeming to pay her compliments.
“It’s just so nice to see young people doing what little they can to help the community,” Francesca was saying.
Her mom was in amood. Bianca visibly cringed, but Abbe smiled and nodded. “Well, you know, we all need to pull together to get anything done these days. In fact, we could use someone like you at the shelter if you ever found the time.”
Bianca saw Rafe’s eyes widen slightly in fearful surprise, and she stepped into damage control mode.
“Mom, seriously, we should go to Furry Faces together,” Bianca said, hating the fact that this meant she might have to spend more time with her exhausting mother. “I mean, when was the last time you had a pet?”
“Do they all look likethat?” Francesca said pointing to Jinx.
“What do you mean? Jinx is perfect,” said Bianca. Her dog was, quite literally, one of the ugliest dogs in the world. He’d even won a competition to prove it. “You’d be lucky to get a dog that looked like him. Right, Jinxie? But if it makes you feel any better, most of Abbe’s animals have all their teeth. And don’t have skin conditions. And have normal body proportions. Right, Jinx?”
This shift in the conversation to Jinx served its purpose and brought the attention off of Abbe and Francesca, though Bianca had to hand it to Abbe, of the two of them Francesca was the more frazzled. She wondered if maybe this once Mommy Dearest would learn her lesson. But Bianca didn’t think so. She’d probably just declare a cease-fire for Halloween and start a new salvo on Thanksgiving.
Bianca knew why, too. The way Rafe looked at Abbe with such obvious love and devotion, it was hard to not feel left out. Francesca was, quite simply, jealous. Her new husband certainly didn’t look at her that way.
Bianca had to admit no one had ever looked at her that way, either. Oh, she’d had lots of guys pledge their undying love to her, but none of them had been for real. She was young, rich, and beautiful, so a lot of guys had thought that they’d fallen in love with her, but none of them had ever really gotten to know her. She couldn’t blame them, though. She knew she was rather a strange girl on the inside, one who just so happened to look like a supermodel on the outside.
Bianca was tall, naturally slender, and she had that black-haired, blue-eyed, pale-skinned, Snow White look that you can’t buy or dye your way to. You either have it or you don’t. Bianca had it but she had no idea what to do with it. She knew she had an odd sense of humor, a geeky laugh, and she liked fantasy and sci-fi movies and she loved to read. Guys who’d asked her out usually spent half the night sayingokaaaayin a very freaked-out way when she was trying to connect with them.
Because of that, she’d sort of stopped dating. Her mother was not amused, but her brothers were thrilled. She’d gone through a wild phase in high school and her brothers had threatened to put her in a convent, but Bianca had managed to convince them that she would probably do more damage in a convent than with civilians, and they’d agreed with her.
She’d mellowed out since then, even found a way to be happy with herself and what an odd duck she was, but watching her brother falling in love with Abbe and she had to admit it. She wished she could find what they’d found. Bianca had no idea what it felt like to click with someone so completely that she wouldn’t even feel weird anymore, because there would finally be someone in the world who understood her completely.
Bianca checked her watch. “And that’s my time, folks. Try the buffet,” she said to no one in particular. Abbe heard her and laughed. At least Abbe appreciated her sense of humor, and if there was one person who did, there could be two.
“Have fun tonight,” Abbe said, giving her a quick hug. “And be careful.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that. I’m a Replicant,” Bianca replied. “Practically indestructible.”
Abbe’s smile faltered, not understanding that Bianca was talking about her character, Pris. Apparently, there was still no one who understood all her jokes.
“Where are you going?” Rafe asked.
“The Ronson’s,” Bianca replied, sighing at her brother’s disapproval. “And then out with Eden. I’ll try not to light anything on fire.”
He cracked a smile. “Have fun,” he said.
“Have fun? Wow.” Bianca looked at Abbe, stunned that her brother was smiling and relaxed. “Whatever it is you’re doing to him, keep doing it,” she said, backing away from her family with a wave.
Her Uncle Gabriel followed her to Rafe’s private elevator, stopping her before she got on. “Listen. The Ronson’s don’t know I’m thinking about running for office,” he said. “I know you and Eden are close, but—”
“—don’t say anything to her about you maybe, probably, almost definitely, running for congress. I know, Uncle Gabe,” she clapped him on the shoulder heartily. “Your political aspirations are safe with me.”
He gave her a look that she’d become used to. It was a look that told her that the other person was wondering where the hell she came up with the things she did. Most of the time she cracked jokes to make other people feel more comfortable. She was really tall and beautiful and she knew those two things together intimidated people, and she didn’t want anyone to be afraid of her. That was something her mother liked to do, and Bianca was fully aware of the fact that a large chunk of her personality had formed as a direct response to the fact that her mother was a tall, skinny, beautiful bitch who loved to make people squirm.
It was so tiring being a Loring.
“It’s just that there’s a reporter sniffing around,” Gabriel said.
“That woman who wants to write a book. Cat Something-Or-Other. Iknow,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I know you know,” he said, finally backing off with a smile.
“I’m smarter than I look,” Bianca said with a cavalier toss of her long, shiny hair.
“Take care,” he said.
