Chapter Eight Prestige & Prejudice
Briget
Ok, so I did feel sort of bad after I got into the house. Fate had looked so stunned and hurt too. Like the concept I just put forth had been entirely foreign to his thinking. Well, it wasn’t foreign to me. I could still hear the chants and the laughter, but honestly I didn’t feel upset about it anymore. It’d been years now. That didn’t mean I’d ever forgotten it though. The whole thing had been a lesson…One I learned well.
I know I sounded like I was prejudiced against rich people but there was a definite separation of the classes still in today's world. Whether people wanted to see it or not. I was made to see it in high school and I couldn’t help it if people like Fate and his family didn’t see it. Of course, they wouldn’t. It wasn’t usually the well off ones that were on the losing end of these differences. Like not being allowed into a club unless you had the extra hundred dollar bill to do so or you were connected. Not being treated right in an expensive store if you weren’t already wearing expensive things. Never going to a high end restaurant as you didn’t have enough to afford it. All of those things don’t sound like a big deal and I now live happily without them, but the lines are still there.
Dating someone like Fate Walker would be crossing one of those lines.
Besides, possibly hurting his feelings, I did him and I a favor. Why waste time with getting together and nothing coming from it? Nothing serious or decent anyway. Sure, the man was stupendously hot and sexy, but it still wasn't worth getting dumped after he got what he was after. So therefore, I pushed away my guilt over insulting the guy. Telling him exactly why I wouldn’t be going out with him at all was truly for the best.
I was so distracted by my thoughts that I ran into someone. Bouncing back a little, I immediately apologized, “Oh! I am so sorry.”
“It’s all good, girlfriend.” Glory smiled at me. “You looked totally preoccupied.”
I shook my head.
“It wouldn’t be because of Fate, would it?” she boldly asked.
I sighed. “Yeah, I think I just hurt his feelings.”
“What?” She laughed. “That’s not easy to do.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, it was pretty harsh but it had to be done.”
She paused and tilted her head at me. “Had to be done?”
I nodded. “I could tell he was interested in me. Or rather attracted to me? But I nipped that in the bud. There is no way it would ever work out.”
Glory was no longer smiling as she looked puzzled. “Why? I mean I saw you looking at him earlier, girl.” She patted me on the arm as her smile returned. “So, the attraction looked consensual to me.”
I agreed readily, “Yeah, maybe it was. He is cute.”
“So then what…is the problem?” she asked.
“It would never last and that is what I’m looking for if I date anyone.”
“And how did you come to this conclusion?” Glory asked. “I mean how do you know it would never get serious?”
I shook my head. “He’s like…”
“Like what?”
“We are from two different worlds,” I replied in an attempt to not insult her or anything. Her being a Walker might make this discussion pretty uncomfortable.
She furrowed her brows as she tried to figure this out. “Like he’s a Texan and you are from Louisiana?” She still looked confused.
I let out a sigh and said, “No, he comes from money, went to college and probably doesn’t date waitresses like me. Not seriously anyway.”
Glory batted her eyes at me. “What?”
I shrugged and stared at her. “Ok, have you ever gotten a look at the women he dated? I mean before he came here?”
She nodded. “A few times, yes.”
“And let me describe these women,” I said. “Expensive clothes, perfect hair, nails and makeup and like corporate jobs, right? Wearing diamonds, Gucci or Versace, perhaps?”
She paused to stare at me as she did not deny this.
I nodded. “You get it now?” I spread my arms out. “I’m just a plane Jane. No frills and certainly no diamonds. I’m a waitress and he’s an architect. Come on, let’s get real.”
Glory slowly shook her head at me as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t mean to insult you, but that's a really biased opinion, Briget. I tease all my brothers about their egos or their overconfidence but deep down inside, they’re just regular guys. They have worked hard too. Dad always provided what we needed when we were very little. But if you’re thinking it was some kind of silver spoon crap here, you would be wrong. He made us all earn everything we got. He even made me earn it.” She laughed. “His only princess.”
I didn’t want to tell her that earning an allowance from chores is not the same as doing without supper because there was no food to cook. “I am biased. I did without a lot while growing up and I had no way of earning extras. It’s a different world than the one you grew up in. I’m just sayin’.”
Glory stared at me with raised brows. “Wow.”
“That’s what your brother said.”
“Poor guy,” Glory said. “I would usually never feel sorry for him, but he’s up against a lot of prejudice to even date you. I mean next thing you’ll tell me is there’s some kind of culture class separating you too.” She chuckled and scoffed “Like he’s the prince and you are the housemaid.”
I firmly nodded my head. “Yes, I already pointed that out. You explained it exactly right.”
Staring at me, her eyes rounded. “For real? You really think like that?”
I shrugged. “I understand why you don’t get it.”
She placed her hands onto her hips. “So here comes the spoiled princess insults, right?”
I slowly shook my head. I hadn't thought about his family being insulted or upset about this. Like they all knew they were better off than most, didn’t they? Damn, maybe I should have just lied and said I just did not like Fate or something. Of course, no one would believe that. He seemed like a nice guy really, just not dateable for me. “I can see I made you mad. I’ll just go now.” I went to step around her.
Glory raised her hand up to stop me. “It isn’t any of my business, but…I have been on the receiving end of this kind of thing. Someone whom I want to be in my life, feels this same culture difference.” She shrugged as she looked frustrated. “Or something like it. We're not supposed to be together because it would cause a huge uproar by us crossing some line!” Her voice rose and she looked really upset now. “So forgive me if I do not agree with you. We are all just people, Briget. Human, inside and out. You are stuck in an old way of thinking, or in an ugly world where only money and prestige matter.” She stepped closer and added in a low tone, “But the truth is, it only matters to you.” Glory then took a step around me and stalked away.
My mouth had popped open as I stared at the doorway she just went through.
“Yeah, what she said.”
I snapped my gaze up.
Fate stood there. He took a step closer and said quietly, “This is sort of a first for me in a couple of ways. First off, being told I’m too rich or too educated to be dating material. Then secondly, me agreeing with my sister on anything is super rare. But her advice was correct. I don’t care about what you do for a living or where you came from.”
“That’s not what she was talking about,” I said.
“Oh, yeah?” Fate stared at me. “Then what was she talking about?”
“I’m not sure, but it makes no difference. I meant what I said.”
“I know you believe what you said, but not everything is so cut and dried, or black and white. To me, it seems like you are the one who’s stuck up and refuses to give me a chance, solely based on my education and career. You are the one snubbing me for who and what I am. Am I lucky to have been born a Walker? Hell, yeah. Was my dad skilled at making money? Hell yeah, again. But he worked like 18 hours a day in the beginning to make it work. It took twenty years for him to be able to say, ‘It's yours to run now, boys.’ So yeah, I was lucky.”
“Well, good for you,” I said as nicely as I could. “But up until I came here, I’ve had to scrape by. I didn’t inherit anything but the poverty cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. And when I return home after this, I will have to start all over in scraping by. Find a job and a new apartment. Because I can’t afford to just skip out for a month or however long, then return to it. Not without money, I can't.” I raised my hands up when I saw concern in his eyes. “Hey, I don’t want any pity. I just live in reality and I know the boundaries. So just stay in your lane and I will stay in mine.”
Fate smirked at me and said, “I would but there's just one problem with that.”
I assumed he meant Belle and Liberty or that we would be together when we left here to hide from Deacon.
Reaching forward, he grabbed me up and tucked me close then lowered his lips to mine.
As soon as his body came up against me, I felt my temperature rise. His lips felt like fire and my mind went completely blank. Heat infused me from my head down to my toes. My nipples hardened and my knees went weak. The longer the kiss went on the dizzier I felt as my arms snaked around his neck and I kissed him back. I had been kissed by a few men, but this wasn't the same at all.
This was heady, hot and wild. And damn, did I say this was hot?
Finally after a couple of minutes, Fate let me up for air.
Breathless, I stared at him.
With a half smile and an intense look in his eyes, Fate traced my just kissed lips with his finger and whispered, “Now I got a taste of you and all it did was spur me on. Are you worth fighting this prestige prejudice?” He nodded his head. “I think you are.”
I stared at him, my mind utterly blank. A full sixty seconds went by in a stunned silence…Then I woke up. “The hell you just kissed me?” I exclaimed. Yeah, it was a stupid thing to say because obviously, he did kiss me. But who gave him permission to do that? I tried to be angry, but my body still had a few leftover trembles and I did feel a couple of side effects. Like it being way too warm in this room and him being way too close. I finally had enough sense to step out of his arms.
He stared into my eyes and said, “You cannot say that kiss did not affect you, Briget.”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. I can’t take the chance.”
“You mean you refuse to give me a chance,” he accused.
“Why does it matter so much to you?” I asked.
He paused and reached over to gently smooth the back of his hand along my cheek. “I think this could be very serious.”
I stared at him and his touch did cause a tingle to run along my skin. “You can’t know that.”
“I do. I’ve dated, been around women. Hell, you described them and you know what? They were exactly as you described, too.” He chuckled. “A couple dates then I would never call them again. And you know what? I never wondered why they never lasted until I met you.”
I shook my head while feeling confused. “What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
“You are different and not only that you are unique. I cannot stop thinking about you. Whatever it is that you have against me?” He shrugged. “You will have to get past it. To me, this…” He pointed between the two of us. “...is worth it.”
“So it doesn’t matter if I say no,” I said as I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Say no?” He smiled at me. “I haven't even asked you yet.”
“Asked me what?” I felt so lost in this whirling conversation.
He leaned in again and whispered, “That’s the thing, right? You shut me down before I could even ask. So I’m gonna wait until you’re ready.”
I couldn’t understand what he was playing at. “Ready? For what?”
“The best day of your life.” He tapped my nose playfully with his index finger then went around me.
Turning, I watched him leave. I couldn’t seem to help but to take in his tall form and confident walk. Yeah, I already knew he was sexy but it shouldn’t matter. I needed to stay away from him in any case. I especially knew that now after that sweltering, mind blowing first kiss. What guy kisses like that? It was deep, passionate and wonderful. I let out a shaky sigh. Damnit, why couldn’t it have been mushy and uncomfortable? Just my luck, right? The guy knew how to kiss for sure, no handicap there.
I’d thought he would get the hint or even be mad at me for shutting him down like that when we were outside earlier, but no…He wasn’t mad at all. I had to come to the conclusion that he simply saw my turn down as a challenge and he decided to step up to the plate.
I narrowed my eyes as I thought about his confidence and that winning smile. If he wanted to be the strike out king then I could accommodate him.