Twenty-dollar Rag (A Dunham Story) Excerpt

7/21/2019 Twenty-dollar Rag (A Dunham Story) Excerpt

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1Where is that pool boy? He was supposed to come this morning.No, he wassupposedto have come the morning after, but the Joneses had had a pool

emergency. Vachel wasnt clear on what a poolemergencywas if water wasnt gushing into

the basement, but he was more than willing to rearrange his schedule for a premium price.He didnt even mind being called a pool boy as long as people paid their bills on time.

Vachel got his equipment and closed the van doors. He took off through the immenselawn (yes, hehadheard the shriek all the way from the back of the mansion to the drive-way) and found the gate to the back yard. He smirked when he heard the gasps from theassembled girlage. He didnt particularly care what he looked like, but he was all too awarethat the way his genes manifested could beextremelygood for business.

Vachel didnt acknowledge the presence of the three lookalikes, even as they talked to himand asked questions. They were barely legal, so he knewtheywerent the ones paying the bill.He also knew that the last three pool services this house had had refused to come back.

There was the emergencya pile of shit, there at the bottom of the deep end. Hesighed and, still ignoring the catcalls and whistles, he whipped out his phone and took apicture. He pulled out the contraption hed devised for just such a purpose and scooped itout, dispensing with it as efficiently as a dirty diaper.

He proceeded to drain the pool.Hey! What are youdoing?!He said nothing because it was expressly written in his service contract that if he had to

fish out shit, the pool was getting drained, cleaned, refilledand at the same premiumhourly rate. He knew that was where he differed from his competition.

You cantdothat! Ive got a party here tonight.Ignore


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Unwind hosePull out to streetSet pumpThe girl occupying the middle chaise got up and chased him the length of the driveway

to the street. He was quite sure that was the most physical activity shed engaged in for thelast week. He found it odd girls like that were up this early in the morning, but the faintstench of stale beer and sex surrounded her. They hadnt yet gone to bed.

He heard another voice behind him, male, adult.Youre Vachel Whittaker?He turned. Ah, yes, the person who paid the bills. Yes.I thought you werent supposed to be here until tomorrow.Someone took a dump in your pool. Apparently that was enough to call in a pool

emergency.Bill Jones sighed.Bill, said the diva in a tone of voice that he knewno onein his family wouldve tolerat-

ed for one second. Hes draining the pool.I can see that, Jones muttered.Vachel vaguely wondered how badly the mans wife had emasculated him before the

daughter got her turn.He cant! I have a party tonight. Jones looked at Vachel. Do youhaveto drain the pool?Yes. He didnt bother to explain. Diva wouldnt care and Emasculated Dad stared at

Vachels van, his mind far away. Jones started suddenly and looked at Vachel. How old are you?Vachel blinked. Twenty-six. Jones cast a dark glance at Diva, who sneered right back at him.

Yeah, but so what? she snarked. Hescleaning shit out of a pool.Vachel shrugged and went about his business, not caring to step into a dispute between

a teenaged bitch and a middle-aged eunuch.Son! Jones called as Vachel trudged to the back.Vachel looked over his shoulder. Yes?How long have you worked for your family?Vachel was confused. My family?Yes. Whittaker Pools.Ah. This should be fun. Its mine. Built it from the ground up.Really, Jones drawled, casting another dark glance at the daughter, who looked away

in a sulk. Where did you go to school?Vachel thought he was going to explode with laughter, but he kept a straight face with

a skill borne of much practice. For undergrad or grad?


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Twenty-Dollar Rag 7

Joness jaw dropped.Well, that wasnt fair, Vachel continued. I apologize. I went to Georgetown Univer-

sity. Bachelors in economics. MBA.Diva looked like she was about to hyperventilate. Fine, she spat after recovering her-

self. But youre still shoveling shit out of a pool.No, Im not, he said blithely. Im standing here being an object lesson for you and

getting paid one-fifty an hour for it.I am making money chatting.Youare not.Emasculated Dad burst out laughing, clapped Vachel on the back, went to his car, and

slid behind the wheel. Do what you have to do, son. Ignore her and the rest of her crew.Yeah, that was the plan.It only took him fifteen minutes to start draining the pool, after which he left to tend oth-

er customers, ignoring her shrieking about why he was leaving when his job wasnt done.Ward Parkway wasnt his usual Wednesday route, but he was pretty sure none of his

other customers would mind if he came a day early. He called his Thursday customers toreschedule, and though some were annoyed enough he felt obliged to explain, he made apoint of saying, Of course, if it were yourpool, Id do the same.

A youth spent in the hospitality industry sure came in handy.He went back to the Joneses house and only had to wait fifteen minutes before turning

off the pump. Diva wasnt around, thank heavens, but it was four oclock. She was proba-bly napping so she could go clubbing tonight. He didnt know which member of his familywould have slapped her first, but he would lay odds on Aunt Giselle.

He started. Speaking of Giselle . . . He hit speed dial. Hey, Im over on Ward Park-way and running behind. Can I have Dunc? It took him exactly ten minutes to pick uphis occasional employee, his . . . cousin? Who knew? There was very little actual bloodrunning through Vachels family tree.

A kid with a carrot-colored buzz cut bounded out the front door of his house in

Brookside and bounced into the van.The Brides of Dracula are back, Vachel muttered once they returned.Diva stared at him, but he ignored her. So she went to work on Dunc (whom hed set

to cleaning the shallow end).Now, Dunc was easygoing like his father and funny like his mother. With that hair, he

had to be. Yet easygoing and funny didnt negate danger: Dunc had a very long fuse and avery short temper.

First, Diva started in on his hair color and what she said was not kind.She started in on his Bermuda shorts.She went after his glasses (which were pretty snazzy).It wouldnt be long nowDunc planted the head of the brush on the pool floor and leaned on the pole. Are you

always such a raging bitch or are you on the rag?


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Vachel hid his smile by turning away.Thatshut her up for two seconds.Youre fired, she pronounced, but he didnt quit working and Dunc began again. Did

you hear me? Youre fired.Vachel looked up at her. Fine. Your total bill is one-fifty per hour for six hours, which

is nine hundred, plus early termination of your contract, which is reasonable time for thewhole pool season, estimated at seventeen-fifty plus seventeen-fifty for early terminationfee. Thats forty-four hundred bucks. Cash. I dont trust any check you would write.

She looked dumbstruck.You dont pay the bills, sweetheart, Vachel said finally when she didnt speak, didnt

move. Therefore, unless you can come up with the cash, youre shit out of luck and stuckwith us. You can stay and drool all over our male perfection or you can leave. We dont care.

Dunc barked a laugh as he worked, but Diva huffed and puffed. Im going to get myboyfriend over here to kick your asses.

Vachel and Dunc stopped, looked at each other, and burst out laughing. The phonewas out and dialed and shed said Bye before either of them had caught their breath, butshe cast them both a self-satisfied glare.

After a while, Vachel checked his watch. Dunc, he called. Im done. You?Yep. Lets get this puppy loaded.

They climbed out of the pool. The three girls still lay on their lounge chairs andwatched them silently. Diva, in the middle again, wore a smug expression. Vachel andDunc exchanged glances and smirked. Dunc went to get a garden hose to fill up the poolwhile Vachel put away the equipment.

The boyfriend rolled in as Vachel sat on the bumper of his van writing out an invoice,which he would mail because he didnt trust the Diva to give it to her father. Dunc stoodbeside him, packing some smaller pieces of equipment. Boyfriend parked his Porsche be-hind the van and Vachel decided not to complete the invoice because now hed have to

charge for the time he spent blocked in.Aight, Boyfriend drawled as he stepped smoothly out of his car, casually hanging his

shades in the neck of his tee shirt. Diva and her friends gathered in eager anticipation ofass-kicking. Which one of you called my girl a bitch?

Dunc raised his hand without hesitation.Vachel shook his head when Boyfriend got within striking distance of Dunc, cracking

his knuckles as he sauntered closer. Why?Because she is.Boyfriend pulled his fist as far back as he could.Vachel didnt actuallyseeit, as it happened too fast, but in a blur of motion Dunc had

Boyfriend pinned up against the back door of the van, his arm twisted behind his back.His face was distorted from being pressed into the window, Duncs left forearm applyingpressure to the back of the boyfriends head.


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You little cuntweasel, he slurred. He yelped when Dunc twisted his arm further.Two choices, Vachel said mildly as he wrote. You can leave now, or my associate

here can break your arm, take your keys, and move your car so we can go home. Ive had along day and I want to put my feet up. Have a beer.

He took a glimpse at Diva. She was furious, although her friends had wilted like dirtydishrags.

Allen, she snapped. You spinelessShe went on with a string of invectives and Vachel leaned toward Boyfriend. If I were

you, he murmured, Id leave now before I got stuck withherfor the rest of my life.He gulped, and Vachel nodded at Dunc to let him go.The Porsche squealed out of the driveway, and Vachel checked his watch. Another

two-fifty for unexpected hazards.All in a days work.


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Hey, Vachel!Vachel nodded acknowledgment of Uncle Bryces wave and holler out the front door of

Duncs house and drove around the corner to park his van in the Kenards driveway. Hewas tired, but that signal meant Giselle had dinner ready and he was invited.

He and Dunc were all set to tell the story once theyd all sat and prayed and begun eat-ing, but Bryce said, Vachel, I need a favor. Well, more like a job. Sorta. You decide.

Vachel grunted around his food because he didnt waste his time on favors, not even forfamily.

Art exhibition Friday night. A friend of mines wife insists on bringing the stepdaugh-ter and demands he get her a suitable escort. Apparently, the crowd the girl runs in tends

to party all night and sleep all day on Daddys money.Vachels eyebrow rose. Shedemanded?Bryce chuckled. Yeah, thats kinda what I thought. Im not sure which is worse: That

he capitulated or that headmittedit.How old is this stepdaughter?Twenty-four.Whats she look like?Does it matter?

Well, no, not really. Whats the job part of it?Ill pay you if it doesnt offend your sensibilities.He shrugged. Okay. When and where and dress and how much?Kemper Gallery Friday night around seven-thirty or so. Black tie. And about pay

tell me what you think its worth when its over.That out of the way, Dunc launched into the afternoons adventure and had Bryce and

Giselle howling with his rendition of itexaggerated for best effect, naturally. EvenVachel found it a lot funnier with Dunc telling the story. The kid was nothing if not hilar-ious.

Friday he showed up at the gallery in his almost-best formal wear. Bryce was dressednearly identically except for one major difference, and Giselle had on some yellow thingthat made her look kinda hot for a fifty-something. Most of the rest of his adopted familywere there: Knox and Justice Hilliard, and Sebastian Taight and Eilis Logan, Vachels


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mentor and trainer, whose job he was taking over in a week. Vachels only living relative,his real aunt, lived in DC with her husband and two sons.

Vachel garnered quite a few looks of surprise from everybody but his family, but thatwas nothing new. He dressed the way he liked and he had since he was twelve. If anybodyelse didnt like it, that was their problem and they were going to have to get used to seeinghim dressed that way.

He mingled for a bit and sipped a punch he thought should be dumped in the stormdrain.

Its spiked, Giselle muttered, looking down at her own glass in dismay.Well, that explained it. He took hers and poured both their glasses in a potted plant.

Bryce chuckled.Eilis beckoned him to her side to inform him that the sale of Whittaker Pools had

gone through, and it would be out from under him in a week. After that, he was to reportto her office a week from Monday to make it officially his.

The sound of an escalating argument behind him cut his and Eiliss conversation short.They both turned, and Vachel didnt think he could be more shocked.

It was Diva and her emasculated father having it out. Clearly, Diva was winning becauseshe didnt care that her father was embarrassed or that she was acting very badly. What was

a teenage girl doing at this exhibit anyway? It wasnt open to anyone under twenty-one.Wow, he muttered when Bryce appeared at his side. Id hate to think what Giselle

would do to that girl.Bryce chuckled. Thatd be entertaining, wouldnt it?Shes the girl with the pool Dunc and I cleaned Wednesday.He felt Bryce start. Huh . . . Hmmm . . . Vachel pursed his lips and stared at Diva. This is really gonna cost you.I kinda figured it might, Bryce muttered.

Two hundred fifty an hour, two-hour minimum.One fifty. I have to have some room for markup.Two twenty-five. Im retail, pal, and your markup is your problem. Go get a wholesale

vendor soI can find an impromptu date.Includes rescuing Bill from her.Vachel thought a moment. Shewasgorgeous, but she needed a lot of work so as to not

look exactly like her friends. It helped that none of them were here to compare her to.She had patrician features, though preternaturally pale (enhanced with goth white and

goth scarlet lipstick), electric blue hair cut in a bob. She was about five-eight, five-nine.But that dressif it could be called thatwas a travesty. Too much skin, too much trash.

Vachel had spent the first twelve years of his life being poor white trailer trash. Hewasnt thrilled about some rich bitch with an entitlement complex glamorizing it.

He looked at his watch. Okay. Ill accept that condition.


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Done.Immediately, Vachel strode toward the girl (twenty-four? really?), who was still yelling

at her fatherm, stepfather. Now the emasculation made a little more sense. So en-grossed was she in her tantrum, she didnt notice him until he pressed his mouth to herear and whispered, How was your pool party?

She jumped, staring at him as if she didnt recognize him. Her breathing slowed as herfright eased and her anger returned.

You fucking bastard! she hissed.Watch your language. You already look trashy enough without acting like it.Trashy?!All you need to complete the look is a half-smoked Marlboro in one hand and a can of

Blue Ribbon in the other. Trust me. I know from trashy.Her nostrils flared. Of course. Youre just a pool boy.Mmmm, well yes and no. Im the pool boy until next Friday.ThenI turn into the new

CEO of OKH Enterprises.Her mouth dropped open. Blessed silence. Finally. Her jaw worked up and down, but

nothing came out. You yourethatVachel Whittaker? she squeaked.Not too many Vachels running around these days.

Youre going to be Bills boss? Her squeak hit dog-whistle range.Yes. And if you dont act like a decent human being this evening, Ill fire him. Youll

have to get a job. How bout that?She gulped. Ah, she did have an Achilles heel. It was at that moment she noticed what

he was wearing and her chest heaved. She pointed to his knees and tried to speak, but . . .That You It

Yes, Miss Jones, its a kilt. Problem?She recovered herself. My names not Jones, she snapped, though low. Shed turned

her back on the room so she couldnt be overhead.So shecouldbe trained.Okay. Ill call you Diva.Her jaw clenched and her nostrils flared, but she kept the volume down. She made it

up in attitude. Thats not my name, either.Vachel snorted. I dont care what your name is. Be lucky I dont call you Rich Bitch.

Lets go.Where are you taking me? she demanded when he grasped her upper arm again and

propelled her toward the exit, away from the party.Better watch the volume, there, Diva, he muttered. Job.You wouldnt fire Bill because of me.Do you remember what happened to your boyfriend Wednesday? She didnt answer.

I see you do. Dont test me.


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Once outside in the cool May evening, he gave his ticket to the valet. In the time it tookfor his car to be brought around, she tried to wrest herself from his grasp, but he didntbudge. She asked again where he was taking her, but he didnt answer her. When his carfinally was brought around, her mouth dropped open. Again.

What is that? she whispered with something akin to respect.Jaguar 63, he said shortly and released her to open the passenger doorthe one on

the left side of the car. She bolted. Well, attempted to. Hed expected that, so he calmlycaught her by the barely-there strings that held the little handkerchief to her bosom. Getin.

With a half rebellious, half fearful look, she obeyed. Vachel went around to the otherside, tipped the valet and dropped into the seat on the right side of the car. As to whereIm taking you, he said as he shifted smoothly with his left hand, its to get a decentdress. Im not going to be seen with you when you look likethat.

What?! He was going to need hearing aids. You dont have to be seen with me at all.Oh, no. Im being paid to be your arm candy and I am not going to tarnishmyreputa-

tion by having a cheap conformist onmyarm.Paid?!Yes. With a two-hour minimum, so youre stuck with me for the next, oh, he looked

at his watch, hour and forty-five minutes. At least. And dont think this is the easiest jobIve ever done. Think about that for a minute, Diva. Somebody had to be paid to escortyou to a nice function. Id call that humiliating.

That shut her up long enough for them to get to Crown Center. It took him some timeto fight the Saturday crowd to get to the restrooms, dragging Diva all the way. Again, theygarnered a lot of looks, but he could see how it must look: Dude in a tartan kilt and tuxcoat dragging a barely-dressed, hissing and spitting young woman (who looked like jail-bait) through a chichi mall and right on into the womens bathroom.

Is that a wig?Yes, she snapped.Take it off.No.He cocked his eyebrow and tilted his head. Excuse me?She huffed, but obeyed. A mass of huge red-brown curls tumbled down, and he looked

at her. She looked so much better already. Aw, now thats nice, he murmured, grabbingthe wig and throwing it in the trash. Now strip the greasepaint. Glaring at him, she did,and what emerged wasnt exactly the ugliest thing hed ever seen. Nice peachesncreamcomplexion that didnt match her unnaturally purple eyes. Contacts. And I knowthosearent prescription.

How do you know? she snarled.Im blind as a bat. I know from prescription. Gray. A respectable color.


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He dragged her out of the bathroom, startling several women along the way, and pulledher from one clothing store to the next until he found a suitable one. He propelled heracross the threshold and summoned one of the dumbfounded saleswomen. Somethinggreen. Preferably silk. Simple. Modest. No frou-frou.

The saleslady came back with several dresses, and he sent Diva with her. He lounged ina small loveseat in front of the dressing rooms, his arms stretched wide across the back ofthe couch and his ankle over his knee while she changed.

She started when she came out in the first dress. What are youdoing ?Buying a dress. Turn around. When she refused to budge, he said, Flipping burgers

doesnt pay very well. Her mouth tightened, and she turned. Not that one. Next.Five dresses later, he settled on a silvery green sheath dress that seemed tailored enough

to make her look something approximating her age and get the right kind of attention.When the saleslady finally came back, she gasped and stepped back, her hand over hermouth, staring at Diva.

What, bit? Diva snapped.Diva, Vachel snapped, immediately angry. Dont talk to people like that, especially

people whoworkfor a living. They are yoursuperiors in every way. That startled the sales-lady as much as Diva had. It was to the clerk he turned. Is there something Im missing?

What do you suggest?Nothing, sir, she breathed. That is stunning. I have never seen anyone do that dress

justice, and its hung on the rack forever. Its like it was made for her.Vachel felt very pleased with himself, and Diva just stared at the saleslady as if she

couldnt believe what shed just heard.If you could throw that dishcloth away, he gestured toward the dressing room, Id

appreciate it.Of course, sir.

The shoes dont match, Diva grumbled once shed watched the saleslady walk out ofsight with her outfit.

Vachel grunted. Cant see them anyway.The dress was marked down seventy-five percent (for the third time) and of course,

that entertained Vachel even more. That was a helluva margin, though he hadnt intendedto have to invest any actual money into this job.

I dont fucking believe this. Youre making me wear a twenty-dollar dress?Yep, he said as he handed his credit card to the saleslady. Once hed signed the credit

card receipt, he slipped the saleslady a twenty and dragged Diva out of the store.Now, one thing Vachel didnt consider himself to be was foolish. He hadnt survived

his grandmother for twelve years by being so. He hadnt tracked and hunted and baggedalmost every edible species of animal in the Ozarks by the age of sixteen by being foolish.He hadnt gotten to the position of CEO of OKH at twenty-six by being foolish.


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But as he dragged Diva back through Crown Center togged in that pretty dress, herbrown-red hair all curly and tousled and down around her shoulders, her gray eyes spar-kling silver because of the reflection of the silvery-green dress, and her peachesncreamcomplexion flushing in anger, he felt very, very foolish.

He had a hard-on.Not that that didnt happen on a regular basis when in the company of beautiful wom-

enespecially ones he planned to seducebut this one didnt deserve an ounce of herbeauty and hehatedthat.

Hated her.They got to the parking garage, and she opened her mouth to say (screech) something

else, but Vachel kissed her. He didnt know why, since he didnt make a habit of kissingwomen he didnt like.

He ignored her little gasp and deepened the kiss when she relaxed, opened her mouth,met his tongue. By the time he pulled away from her, her flawless face had a different flush.

She opened those magnificent silver eyes.And then she spit at him.Vachel laughed bitterly and shook his head as he wiped the spittle from his face. You

really think youre entitled to the world, dont you? Get in and shut up. He looked at his

watch and said, Only another half hour. Yay.He slammed her door closed and went around to get in the drivers side. He didnt

speak to her during the drive from Crown Center back to the Kemper Gallery, nor did hespeak to her when he opened her door once they arrived, nor did he speak when he placedher hand in the crook of his arm and flexed his arm so her hand was caught between hisforearm and biceps when she attempted to pull away. He dragged her in and immediatelythey garnered attention.

It was of some surprise to him that they werent looking at his kilt. They were looking

at Diva, and their mouths hung open. She left a wake of astounded people behind her. Hefelt vaguely pleased when he saw Bryces eyebrow rise and his mouth twitch.

They finally arrived at Vachels intended destination, which was the dance floor infront of the jazz band.

I sure hope you know how to dance, Vachel muttered as he took her hand and swungher out, his arm over her head.

She snarled at him, but she danced with him and, he had to admit, she wasnt tooshabby. To his surprise andmost definitely hersthey spent the entire evening dancing(even the slow ones). Neither spoke, but Vachel could feel the muscles in her back loosenup, her breathing even out. He found himself drawing her closer to him

She looked up at him, her expression somber. He glanced at her mouth. Wondered ifhe dared kiss her in front of all these people. Decided not to. She sighedrelief? disap-pointment?and focused on his tie.


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By the time Divas mother (shit, an equally self-entitled rich bitch with an equally ob-noxious fetish for the poor-white-trash look) came to collect her, she had relaxed enoughto give him a shy smile him when she made a misstep that would have sent her crashing tothe floor if he hadnt caught her.

DivaMama raked Vachel head to toe and sneered, and then raked Diva and sneered.Vachel caught the tightening of Divas mouth, the flush, the mist in her eyes.

Ah, so the stepfather wasnt the only victim in the house.Vachel reached for Divas hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Thanks, Diva, he

murmured. I had a good time.The look of shock on her face was priceless, and she stared at him over her shoulder

even as her mother dragged her off.Bryce and Eilis walked up to stand on either side of him and watched DivaMama

hound Diva and Emasculated Dad as they left. Vachel looked at his watch and quicklycalculated. Four and a quarter hours at two-twenty-five plus expenses. Eleven hundredbucks. Net fifteen.

Bryce growled in his throat.I told you it was going to cost you and youre lucky I dont charge you extra for hazard

pay.

That dress was on sale for twenty dollars at Spangles, Giselle muttered when shestuck her head in between them to watch the disappearing spectacle. I wouldve bought itbut it washed me out.

What?! Bryce said, his mouth open. You charged me a hundred and fifty dollars fora twenty-dollar dress?

Forty with tip. Its called markup, Bryce. And you didnt set the terms beforehand sosucks to be you.

Eilis offered her fist for Vachel to bump. Andthat, my dear Bryce, is why Vachel is mysuccessor.


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Regina lay in her bed awake, listening to her mother scream at Bill about how humiliatedshe was by Reginas appearance and that Vachel Whittakerof all peoplehad made itclear that he found Reginas wardrobe unacceptable enough that hed taken her out and re-dressed her in a twenty-dollar rag she wouldnt use to scrub the floor. If she scrubbed floors.

A tear escaped Reginas eyelid and ran down her face into the pillow. She wasnt exactlysure what had happened tonight, but shed felt more alive with thatthat pool boythan she had ever felt in a nightclub with its pulsing rhythms and flashing lights.

Think about that for a minute, Diva. Somebody had to be paid to escort you to a nice functcall that humiliating.

Yeah. That was humiliating.

On the other hand, hed made her feel pretty, and that was something shed never felt.Hed danced with her, kissed her hand, told her he had fun. She figured he wouldnt

say that if he didnt mean it because he hadnt been shy about making the rest of his opin-ions about her known.

And that kissRegina touched her fingertips to her lips carefully.. . . people who work for a living. They are your superiors in every way.Everybody at OKH Enterprises had been waiting for weeks to find out who the new

CEO would be when Eilis Logan had announced her wish to retire and spend her timewith her husband and family. It had only come down that morning and theWall Street Journalhad the scoop before the employees were told.

Vachel Whittaker. Twenty-six. Who wore a kilt.The freakin pool boyWell over six feet tall; bare chest buff and tan; longish white-blond hair caught back in

a leather strap; strong legs clad in knee-length board shorts.whom shed taunted and mocked, wanting to get his attention the only way she

knew how.It had backfired.Shed seen the way he looked at her before hed kissed her, those clear, rich turquoise

eyes glittering with disgust and hate. But hehadkissed her, and then danced with heralmost kissed her againsaved her from tripping over herself.


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It wasnthateshed seen when her mother had dragged her away from him. It was pity.She swallowed. There was nothing worse in the world than the pool boythinking she

was inferior because she didnt have to work, or hating her because she reallywasa bitch,or pitying her for her home life.

She thought it might even be worse than her mothers derision because she haddeigned to wear a twenty-dollar rag to a society function.

He forced me to, Carol! shed cried desperately in the car on the way home.Oh, bullshit. Nobody can force you to do what you dont want to do.Except for you.

Horrified, Regina realized shed almost said that out loud. What did he do, fuck you inthe changing room like a cheap whore? If youd been smart, you couldve gotten a two-thousand-dollar dress out of the deal.

Regina sucked in a sharp breath.Carol! Bill snapped. That was uncalled for.Oh, please. She embarrassed me in front of my friends.I personally thought she looked very nice and quite a few people noticed, as well.That is stunning.Bill, youve had a hard-on for her since you married me.Regina looked out the window. Bills jaw ground. That was what Reginas motheral-

wayssaid when she was losing an argument. It was a threat, a way to keep both Regina andBill under her thumb. She played them against each other like a master puppeteer withthe threat of telling the one lie guaranteed to ruin any mans life forever.

Even Regina, who had long ago given up her dreams of Bill protecting her, standing upto her mother on her behalf, knew that that was a horrible thing to do to someone.

A man just two years older than she whod cleaned her pool just Wednesday, was goingto take over a several-billion-dollar business next week as its CEO and be her stepfathersboss. Regina had nothing to show for her life. She had no skills. She had no education.

She had never had a job.And tonight was the first time she had ever been ashamed of that instead of proud.She waited until she heard her mother slam her bedroom door before wrapping herself

and her twenty-dollar rag in a cush bathrobe and went to the massive library where shefound Bill nursing a whiskey sour.

As usual.Startled, Bill looked up when she hesitantly knocked on the doorjamb. Regina, he

breathed. You shouldnt be here. If your mother sawI wont be long, she murmured. I She gulped. How do I, um, how do I go about

getting a job?


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to be continued

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Documents

Twenty-dollar Rag (A Dunham Story) Excerpt