Page 43 of Pity Pact
Paige interrupts. “Tim came home when his dad retired.”
The redhead dreamily interjects, “I love it when people do that. In my opinion, families should stay together.” She takes a breath before sticking out her hand. “Brittany Barnes.”
I shake Brittany’s hand. “I love being back here with mine.”
Before I can say anything else, Chip joins us. “Hey, Tim, are you going to introduce me to your friends?”
“You know Paige …” I start to say, but Chip merely grunts and turns to the other women. I lightly touch Cami’s arm. “Cami is a caterer in Chicago.” Then I turn to Brittany and add, “This is Brittany … I’m sorry I don’t know anything else about you.”
Paige steps forward, nearly knocking into Chip. “Brittany is a longshoreman from Chicago.”
Chip glares at her. “Sure, she is. There’s no reason to lie to me, Paige.”
Brittany tips her head to the side before asking Paige, “You know him, too?”
“Unfortunately,” Paige mumbles.
Brittany doesn’t seem too concerned about Paige’s lack of enthusiasm. “How?”
“Chip is a substitute teacher at the school where I work.”
Brittany smiles at Chip before saying, “Brittany Barnes. I live in Chicago, and I really am a longshoreman.” Poor Chip looks like he’s going to cry.
It takes him a minute to find his voice. “I’m so sorry. I’ve justnever heard of a female longshoreman.” He looks at the floor before meeting her gaze again. “Now I sound sexist.”
“No worries,” Brittany says. “It’s not like I haven’t heard it before.”
“I know, but …”
Before they get deeper into their conversation, I lean in and whisper to Paige, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
She nods her head before telling the group, “We’ll be right back.”
Once we’re by the window, I turn to make sure we’re not the focus of any of the cameras. I point to the button on my mic before moving it, while indicating that she should do the same. Then I tell her, “We need to be careful.”
“Why, are they always listening to us?” she asks nervously.
“Unless you turn your mic off.” Then I add, “They were going to tell everyone about Eva.”
Her eyes open wide. “What stopped them?”
“I did. I told them that not only are they using my club, but I saved their butts when the other guy broke his legs. I more than implied I would make trouble for them if they brought up my past.”
She looks impressed and nervous at the same time. “They filmed me yelling at Chip.”
“When was that?”
“After I taped my bit with Trina. I was looking for you, but you’d gone off to the dining room. They wouldn’t let me join you.”
“So you yelled at Chip?”
“I can’t seem to help myself,” she says. “Although I think we’ve come to a temporary truce.”
I warn her, “Paige, we need to be really careful if we don’t want to come off as total idiots.”
She nods her head. “I was informed they can film us anywhere and at any time if it’s during our call time.”
I point to my mic. “But they won’t know what you’re saying if you use the mute button.”