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“And what do you do for a living?” Elizabethasked as Alan entered with a service cart. He parked it and turnedover a short china cup. Before I could answer her first question,Elizabeth asked, “Sugar?”
“Um, sure.” I watched as Alan lifted twocubes from a crystal dish with his silver tongs. His eyes met mineexpectantly. “Two is fine. No cream.”
“You were saying?” Elizabeth promptedme.
My cannabis-altered brain struggled withwhat we’d been talking about.
Matt came to my rescue. “Charlotte works ata dispensary back home in California.”
I would have perhaps chosen to answer with,“retail,” but the cat was out of the bag.
“Oh?” Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose in anexpression so similar to one I’d seen Matt make often that itstartled me. “Well, that’s lucky. New York recently legalized it,so you won’t have trouble finding a job when you move in withMatty.”
“Oh, we haven’t talked about—” I began.
“Mom, we haven’t been dating that long,” hesaid, taking a cup from Alan, who must have had the householdcoffee preferences memorized.
But wehadtalked about moving intogether. Had something changed, now that I was in thisenvironment, flailing?
“You brought her home,” Elizabeth argued.“It must be serious.”
“It’s serious.” Matt turned his head to giveme a reassuring smile. “It’s very serious, for me. But let’s notscare her off?”
“Am I scaring you off?” Elizabeth demanded,and even Alan had his eyes on me to await the answer.
“You’re not scary, Mrs. Ashe.” I correctedmyself. “Elizabeth.”
With a satisfied nod, Elizabeth took a sipfrom her cup. “You see? I’m not scary.”
She was scary. Just not as scary asCatherine.
“Tell me about yourself,” Elizabeth went on.“Where did you go to college?”
“I didn’t finish college,” I said, hatingthe way my voice sounded apologetic. The only people I needed toapologize to for my failed college attempt were my parents, whopaid for it.
Elizabeth nodded sagely. “Good for you. Ihad to go to college to find a rich man. I hated every moment ofit. Pretending I cared about political science on the off chance ofbecoming a senator’s wife. Bullet dodged. But you, you’re a clevergirl. You found your rich man without having to go to all of thattrouble.”
I had no idea how to respond to that. Howwouldanyonerespond to that? She obviously had been out onthe prowl for a rich man to take care of her, which I couldrespect. Admire, even, for being so honest. But Matt had never beenmy escape plan to a better life.
Shrugging, I said, “The bear did most of thework.”
She laughed like she was genuinely charmedwith my answer. But I hadn’t exactly cleared up the insinuationthat I was a gold digger.
On the other hand, she didn’t seem tomindthe idea of me being a gold digger. Was that somethingthat was expected by these people? That relationships were built onmoney?
Alan reappeared. “Madame, you have a phonecall. Mrs. Vandermere.”
“Oh, Kiki!” Elizabeth got to her feetimmediately. “I hate to leave you, but this might take a while.Matty, you know how Kiki goes on.”
“I do,” he said with a nod. “Go on. We haveto get ready for dinner, anyway.”
He stood like she was the queen, and bentdown so she could hug him and kiss the air beside his cheek.
“Take a shower,” she said as she turned awayfrom him. “You smell like the weed.” To me, she said, “So lovely tomeet you, Charlotte.”
“Same.” I held up my hand and wiggled myfingers in an awkward wave.
Matt’s hand fell on my shoulder. “She likesyou.”