Falling into Exposure Read Free Page B

really scraping the bottom of the barrel with you.”
    Anger surges inside of me, but it has nowhere to go. As usual, when faced with a woman like this, I seem to have lost all ability to think or speak clearly.
    She eyes my trench coat suspiciously, shaking her head in disgust.  “I can just imagine what you have on underneath that hideous coat. Doesn’t it make you feel like trash, leaving his apartment like that?”
    Flames of embarrassment burn my face, and I clutch the belt a little tighter around my waist. “I didn’t catch your name,” I say flatly.
    “Oh, don’t be daft, darling.” She grins. “I’m sure you know precisely who I am. And for the record, I’m Gabriel’s future wife.”
    I feel as though the metaphorical rug has been ripped from beneath my feet. I don’t know how to respond. I wasn’t prepared for this, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, I’m hurt. I want to make an intelligent comeback, but I can’t. Here I am, naked in a trench coat, being made to feel like a cheap whore.
    “Just as soon as he tires of playing games with silly little girls like you,” Anya continues, looking down her nose at me.  “He doesn’t care about you, you know. It’s just sex to him.”
    I want to punch her. Right here in the street. And I’ve never wanted to punch anybody.
    “Oh, look at your face,” she smirks. “Like a hurt little puppy dog. I’m sorry darling, I didn’t want to be the one to break it to you.”
    I finally manage to move my feet. I turn in the opposite direction, yelling out a fuck you as I stomp off. It isn’t exactly my best material, but it’s the best I can do in the situation.
    My tears are hot and heavy as I walk down the street. All I can hear is the sound of Anya’s amused laughter behind me, mocking me. I hate situations like this. I have no backbone when it comes to intimidating women.
    Sure if it had been a man, I would have no problem putting him in his place. But I always freeze like this when confronted by a woman like Anya. I suspect it has a lot to do with the same woman who I run from now, like the coward that I am. She was the only mother I’ve ever really known, and my worst nightmare all rolled into one. Eleanore.
     
    ***
     
    Once I’m a couple blocks down the street and safely out of sight, I catch a taxi back to my apartment.
    When I walk in the door, Alanna bursts up from the couch.
    “What happened, Toto?” she asks, her eyes inspecting me for damage. “Did that fucker hurt you? I’ll kill him if he did.”
    “No, he didn’t hurt me.” I plunk down on the couch and explain the whole embarrassing street confrontation, or lack thereof, to Alanna.
    “Toto,” she soothes. “First of all, you are by no means a cheap whore. And I will gladly take on any bitch who says otherwise. Second of all, I hate to say it, but Gabriel is rich and famous and there are bound to be some crazy women after him. You just have to remember it’s you he’s chasing after, not them. He’s spent all week with you.”
    I nod in agreement, knowing there’s no arguing that statement. Gabriel’s said as much himself.
    “But you also need to be careful,” Alanna continues. “You need to stay out of the spotlight. If any articles run with your name or photo in it… well, we both know what will happen then. So just try to stay a little more low-key from now on. Like maybe next time take a change of clothes, a hat, some sunglasses… that sort of thing.”
    I hug my knees to my chest knowing she’s right . “God, Alanna I’m so sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.”
    “It’s okay babe. You don’t do this often, whereas I am a professional,” she jokes. “And I can tell you exactly how it’s done.”
    I lean back into the couch feeling happy and comforted by Alanna’s advice. I count my blessings again for having a friend like her.
    “Are you going to tell Gabriel about this?” she asks.
    “I don’t know, probably not. I don’t want to seem