Annihilate Me Read Free

much since I’ve been with Jennifer, but work is work.   And work is good.”   He casually removed his hand from hers
and signaled for a waiter.   “Wenn
keeps me busy.   Jennifer keeps me
busy in other ways.”
    Immaculata
swallowed that poison pill as if it was a clear glass of water.   I had to give it to her—she was
cool.   “The last time I saw you was
two weeks ago.   At The Met
fundraiser.   I saw you both leave in
such a hurry.   Everyone was buzzing
about it.”
    Oh, she wasn’t going to go there.
    “There
was an undercurrent,” she said.   “It
didn’t look good.   People said
Jennifer removed her jewels and then some overheard a choice exchange of
words.   It was on everyone’s lips
for a week.   I’ve been worried about
you, especially because I haven’t seen you.”
    She
was talking to him as if I wasn’t at the table.   I rested my chin in the palm of my hand,
turned to her, and just listened with a half-smile.
    The
waiter Alex signaled stopped by the table.
    “Would
you like a drink, sir?”
    “Actually,
we’d like another table.   I see only
half the room is seated at this point, so it shouldn’t be an issue.   Please tell your host that Alexander
Wenn and Jennifer Kent would prefer to be seated elsewhere.   Or I can do that for you.”
    “I’d
be happy to assist you, sir.”
    Conversation
at the table stopped.   Everyone who
was pretending not to listen to Immaculata’s conversation with Alex started to
listen and watch openly as the moment stretched and unfolded.
    “Alex,”
Immaculata said.   “I didn’t
mean—”
    “Yes,
you did.   You meant everything.   And I’m tired of it.   I don’t play games—ever.   You will not insult
Jennifer—ever—even if you fail when you try to do so.   She’s smarter and quicker than you.   You should have learned that by now.”
    “I
don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    One
man at the opposite end of the table cleared his throat.
    I
felt a sudden rush of affection for Alex.   He was finished with her.   He
pushed back his chair and stood, and then he gently pulled back my chair so I
could stand next to him.  
    “Have
a fine evening, Immaculata,” Alex said.   “And please remember what you learned in boarding school.”
    “Boarding
school?”
    “That’s
right, boarding school.”
    “What
did I learn in boarding school?”
    “Obviously
not your manners, because they have been absent since we were seated next to
you.   Good night.”
    He
took my hand and turned to find the host.   “Is there another table for us?   Or should we leave?”
    “Of
course there’s another table for you, Mr. Wenn.   Right this way.”
    “Thank
you,” he said.
    As
we cut through the crowd, he pulled me near him in such a way that was at once
protective, possessive, and apologetic.   “I’m not going to promise that won’t happen again, but if it does with
another person, the results will be the same.   No one treats you like that in front of
me.”
    He
was furious.   I could feel his anger
coming off him in waves.
    “It’s
OK,” I said, wanting to calm him down.   “I got in a few licks.”
    “You
did,” he said.   “But this town can
go to hell before that happens again.   And I’m sorry that it happened.   We never should have sat next to her in the first place.   I should have known better.   I should have asked for another table
when I saw that she’d set us up.   I
wasn’t thinking.   I apologize.”
    I
dodged a waiter coming toward us with a lifted tray of cocktails, ducked my
head, heard his apology, and kept moving.   “There’s no need to.”
    “Yes,
there is.”
    “Then,
thank you.”
    “You’re
my girlfriend,” he said.   “There’s
no need to thank me.   No one treats
my girlfriend like that.   OK?”   He turned to look at me, and I could see
on his face just how furious he was with the situation.   “OK?”
    “OK,”
I said.
    He
put his hand against my back,