on me. We got into a heated argument, and then I threw him out. Not bodily, mind you. Although, if I could have I would have. I tossed him out with an attitude and a few words.” Victoria smiled, pleased with herself.
Melissa smirked. “What did you tell him to make him leave?” she wanted to know.
Victoria repeated what she had told Travis and Melissa burst out laughing. “That’s a good one,” she told Victoria appreciatively.
“That, however, was after he told me I wasn’t very lady-like, so being the gentleman he was, he called me a bitch.”
Melissa’s blue eyes widened and her mouth twisted in repulsion and outrage. “What a douche bag.”
Victoria made a noise of agreement before continuing. “He also threatened me, telling me that it wasn’t over. That is, right before I slammed the door in his rude, sanctimonious mug,” she added blithely.
“You go, girl!” Melissa held out her hand for a high-five. She turned dead serious a few seconds later. “He threatened you. Don’t you think you should have something done about it?” She was worried about the confrontation between her best friend and some rich wacko who thought he could get away with messing around with Victoria because he had a fat wallet.
Victoria shook her head, placing her feet on the floor. “I’m going to ignore him. Why add fuel to the fire when water can douse the flames?” she said philosophically.
“Wise words, oh great one,” Melissa quipped as she got up to start the ovens.
Victoria chuckled. Melissa continually knew how to make her laugh. She was going to need every ounce of humor she could afford if Travis came back around. She had to admit that she was astounded her mother hadn’t called to give her the third degree.
Victoria just stepped out of her office when Melissa came running to her, the look of uneasiness etching her pixie face.
“Victoria,” she whispered. “Your mother just pulled up.”
Victoria’s eyes widened in shock. No wonder she didn’t receive a call from her. She planned to chew her out in person.
“Why did she have to come here of all places?” Victoria walked out to the front in time to see her mother march in.
She was angry. Victoria could tell by the grim look set in her features and the way her eyes froze over.
Great. Just great. This was precisely what she needed to make her day simply peachy keen.
Melissa came up and greeted her politely. “Good morning, Mrs. Bradley. How are you?”
Mrs. Bradley barely glanced at Melissa and gave her a scant nod as if it was blasphemous to talk to a commoner, as she branded them.
“Mother,” Victoria said with false cheerfulness. “What brings you here?”
Mrs. Bradley narrowed her gaze at her daughter. “You know very well why I am here, Victoria.” She sneered at Melissa, then asked Victoria none too politely, “Can we have some privacy?”
Victoria held herself in check. Her mother had intentionally directed that low blow at Melissa.
“Come into my office.” Said the spider to the fly, Victoria finished mutely and with absurdity. About as absurd as this meeting is going to go, no doubt.
Victoria pointed to the back and her mother preceded her while Victoria caught Melissa’s eye and mouthed “I’m sorry” to her. Melissa shrugged as if saying it was no big deal.
But it was a big deal to Victoria. Her mother had no right whatsoever to try to make Melissa feel inferior.
One of these days…..
“You had no right to treat my friend like some second class citizen,” she chided.
Her mother simply shrugged as if it wasn’t important enough to waste her time. Victoria bit the inside of her cheek to keep from
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