4

“I am an online marking rep for a marking agency. I also co-own a boutique with my sister. Which we design the clothes for.” She said as she looked over Henni again and was taking in everything about her. This was one of the mean girls that every school had. It was time to take her down a few notches. Christian also could feel the wave of pain that Henni was going to bring with only a few words. He shook his head behind her, knowing that his friend Gabe’s girl had brought this on her own. He wasn’t too fond of Abby on her own. She was worse when she had other women there. When Chris made these plans, she had not been invited. They simply didn’t take directions well. Chris knew that Henni had struck a nerve.

“Online marketing? “Henni asked, “Oh, Christian told me about you. You’re in graduate school for it.”

“Yes. I am.” She said as she tossed her hair to the side.  She clearly liked the thought someone had talked about her. She had to be the center of attention where ever she was. It all made sense to her that she was just that. She then winked at Christian.

“I thought it was for something else that you decided to do that because that is something most people don’t have a degree for, yet you think you have to have a master's in it.” Henni laughed. “Such a waste of time and money. I mean, they literary have apps that do your job.”

“But they don’t get the same thing.” Abby stuttered. “I handle them all personally.”

“As you feed their information into an app, and you get the credit. It’s really a good scam.” Henni said, and she could see the other woman was going to blow up. “As for the store you all have, I would be careful about calling yourself true designers.”

“But we do,” Abby stated.

“No, you buy them off a discount store overseas and then resew the labels to whatever you have or whatever you do to make them yours,” Henni said. “I looked at the store before I came here. Always willing to buy from a smaller business and also if it was good. I would forward the info to our older sister, who is a designer with her own label and company. However, I had been on that famous discount site earlier in the day. I saw the same clothes. The exact same shirt. Also, you are selling our sister’s special design so I don’t think you can really call yourself a designer. Maybe you designed the website but not any of the clothes. So call it whatever you want. It doesn’t change the fact you are a reseller and not a fashion designer.”

“How dare you!” Abby started to scream. She was red in the face. Though she wanted to stay calm, she was so irate right now she could explode. She went to take a breath. Her hand was flexing by her side.

“How dare I what?” Henni asked as she looked around, “Tell you the truth. Pop your bubble and tell you sorry that you aren’t right? How dare you go after someone you don’t know at all and tell them that they don’t know what they are talking about their own family. Sorry, the fact is Christian, and I are twins. I know people have a hard time with it, but it is true. I am a doctor. Guess what I am only twenty-two. Figure that one out.”

“If this is going to be here for the night, I am leaving!” Abby stated. She was looking around, and her friends and half the group was agreeing with her. Henni took the point. She was already fuming in her own way. She had to deal with people like this every day in her life. She didn’t want to do it now for fun. It really was one of the worst days she could remember.

“You weren’t invited in the first place,” Christian said.

“No,” Henni said as she looked at her brother. “I’m going. I have been called ‘this’ or ‘that one’ once too many times in my life. I wouldn’t want to interrupt anyone’s time here.”

“Henni.” He said as he watched her start to walk away. She felt the eyes on her. Christian and another man from the group walked after her. Christian looked over at Gabe’s cousin Mack who was also going towards his sister with a grin.

“Dr. Hanson,” Mack called out, and she stopped for a second. “I know you don’t know me personally, but I do believe we have talked a few times. Detective Mack Paulin.”

“Emailed.” She said as she looked at him. “We have.”  

“We are actually working on the case right now,” Mack said as he looked her over slightly. He was impressed with what he saw. He had heard she was difficult to get along with. He didn’t see that. She just didn’t want to have any messes in her life. He could see that clearly. The women there were nothing short of a train wreck. He didn’t want to deal with them either.

“I forgot about that.” She said with a smile. “I guess we are.”

“I will have to drop by the hospital sometime this week to get a copy of the files you have.” He said.

“Anytime I have the first draft ready for one of you.” She said. “Anyways, I overstayed my welcome. Your date is wondering why you are over here. You should get back.”

“I am not here with anyone,” Mack said as he grinned and put out his hand. “I will see you sometime soon.” She shook his hand, and as their palms touched, an awareness went through her in a way she had never felt before. His eyes met hers for a moment, and then they both dropped the handshake. She smiled and then turned to continue back. Her brother stood there for a minute more, looking at the other man who looked at him. “Your sister is rather impressive.”

“She is,” Christian said, and then he looked back at his sister walking out the door. If he ran, he could still make it to her. So he tried. He caught up to her at her car. She was taking off the lanyard and putting it on the seat. She started her car but was letting it cool down a bit as the weather had turned balmy. “You know you don’t have to leave.”

“You know if I stay, it would be like that all night. Plus, it looks like half your group is leaving as it is.” Henni said as she looked at the building.

“What?” he asked as he turned and looked. His friends were leaving and moving on for the night without him, it seemed. “They weren’t even supposed to be here.”

“Chris, Thank you for trying, but I will stick to being by myself. As you see, I am not fit for human contact.” She said with a soft smile. “I don’t fit in with girls like that. I can’t be one of the followers who worships them. That isn’t who I am.”

“Henni.” He said as he looked at his sister.

“You said you would leave me alone for a few months. I am going to hold you to that.” She said with a grin. She got into her car, and with this over with, she thought she might be able to get some work done for the weekend and maybe have one day to herself if she went in and did it now. It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to be.  

In one of the cars that just left the woman, Abby was throwing a fit. “I can’t believe that woman! What the hell does she know about anything?”

“Well, I remember Christian saying she was a genius, so she probably knows a lot,” Gabe replied, trying to keep his cool. He knew that this was going to be a long night. Abby was one of those people that could go on and on with her temper when she was set off. He didn’t really want to deal with her attitude for the night.

“Really?” Abby asked as she glared at him, “You are going to take her side?”

“Well, Abby, you weren’t exactly nice to her from the start.” Gabe said, “It isn’t like she actually said anything that wasn’t true either. I do know that you and Beth buy the clothes and resell them. It isn’t like there is anything wrong with that.”

“I thought you loved me?” Abby said as she pouted in the front seat of the car.

“I do,” Gabe said. “You know that I do.”

“Then you are supposed to be on my side always,” Abby said as she folded her arms over her chest and humphed.

“This isn’t about sides. I mean, Chris’s sister did leave so we could all have fun.” Gabe said. “I was just stating that she wasn’t wrong. You do have the ability to get under people’s skin sometimes. That doesn’t mean I love you any less.”

“Just drive.” She said. “I think, though, I have a headache that won’t go away,” Abby said, and Gabe knew that was how his weekend was going to go. He would be paying for this conversation for a while. He shook his head and then just sighed. Hopefully, the night would be better after she had a few drinks. Abby could make the night hell for everyone, not just him if she was in a bad mood.