“Who the ***** are you?”

Cherie is cute but aging, with an upturned nose. Looks sort of like Rosanna Arquette. And her cute nose has flaring nostrils. She is pissed. Beyond pissed. Her eyes are narrowed into slits.

Oh my god. This all makes sense. Ive been wanting to tear this womans eyes out since I heard what she did to Shane.

Im the best friend of the woman whose heart you broke. And she has as much right as you to be here, so why dont you step the ***** off?”

Shes good though. She smiles, composing herself despite her rage.

Shes lovely, Shane, she murmurs, putting a brazen hand on Shanes forearm. Shane recoils as if burned. Her eyes seem bottomless and frightening. She suits you. Im sure youll be very happy together. She turns and walks away.

Shanes eyes are full of tears, and Ive never seen her like this. I feel it like a hit to my solar plexus.

Go back to your tea party, princess, I say. Cherie doesnt look back but raises an eloquent middle finger toward me.

That ***** *****! I mutter.

Shane just looks at me, and my heart breaks. Her tears have spilled over onto her lovely face and I just want to beat the ***** out of that woman. Hey, are you-? I touch her shoulder, but she recoils. She turns, and bolts.

She ran away from me. I look after her, blinking.

I turn back to the bar and order a scotch. I know better than to follow her when she’s this upset. I nurse my drink for a while and then go back to the table. I spot Cherie Jaffee on the arm of a balding man across the room, laughing as if nothing has happened.

Ravi and Bob have left and Darrells suit jacket is still there. I want to leave. There is no reason to wait. But I drove us, and I need to wait for Shane to come out from wherever shes licking her wounds.

I swallow and I realize that I just want to cry. I feel shaky inside and I realize that that confrontation shook me up more than makes sense. I can’t erase the image of Shane’s face like that. I’ve never seen her cry before, and I don’t ever want to see it again.