She would say the word boyfriend as many times as possible.
“That’s funny since I know the Beaumont family and I’ve never met this nephew,” the man said, looking her over from head to toe. “So I think you’re here to con someone. I don’t have a problem with it. Little things like you are always looking for a meal ticket. My wife is in the fitting room with our daughter. Her wedding’s coming up. They’re going to be back there for at least an hour or so. Why don’t I take you across the street and buy you a cup of coffee and we can talk about whatever you want?”
There wasn’t a coffee shop across the street, but there was a hotel. She turned and started to walk back up the steps. She would wait for Celeste outside. It would be infinitely easier not to haul off and slap this jerk if she wasn’t in the same building as him.
She started to go and felt a hand on her arm.
“Hey, I was asking you politely,” he said.
“Is there a problem?” A uniformed guard stepped away from his place at the front of the store.
“Yes, this man won’t take no for an answer,” Sera said, grateful someone was here. She pulled her arm away with a hard tug.
“Is this woman bothering you, Mr. Brewer?” The guard frowned her way.
Mr. Brewer smoothed down his suit. “I think she’s here to cause trouble. She was asking me for money.”
Sera felt her jaw drop. “I certainly did not.”
The saleslady returned and sighed. “You’re not on the list, whoever you are. Hank, could you please show this young woman the door?”
It was rapidly becoming clear that the whole situation was going to get out of hand. She wasn’t sure what she’d done except walk into the place. “We have an appointment.”
Had Celeste set her up? Was this all being done to show her she didn’t belong in the Beaumont world? She wished Harry had been able to come with her. Somehow she doubted Harry would get tossed out like the trash.
“And I told you you’re not on my list,” the saleslady insisted. “Even if you somehow magically got an appointment, I would still ask you to leave. We don’t cater to your kind.”
“I have a kind? What kind is that?” Humiliation swept over her, mingling with the anger that boiled inside. How many times had she been treated like a piece of trash? How many times had she left, not wanting to cause a scene?
She really wanted to cause one now, but it could hurt Harry.
What the hell would she tell Celeste? If Celeste hadn’t set this up herself, how would she feel about her nephew’s girlfriend getting kicked to the curb? She would probably shake her head like she’d known all along this was how things would end.
“Seraphina, what have you gotten yourself into now?” Celeste stood at the top of the steps, looking totally intimidating in her all-white suit, a wretchedly expensive bag tucked against her arm.
Sera wasn’t at fault here. She needed to remember that.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Beaumont.” The saleslady rushed to greet her. “We’re having trouble with some unwanted guests. Come with me and I’ll get you set up in one of the private rooms. Hank is going to take care of our issue and we can get back to business. I have your favorite champagne waiting for you.”
The guard put a hand on Sera’s arm.
“Did you not hear me call her by her name?” Celeste really could bring out the death stare, but thankfully it wasn’t directed at her. Celeste was staring right at the saleslady. “Do you believe I pull names out of thin air? That I go about guessing the names of people I do not know?”
The saleslady’s eyes had gone wide and her jaw dropped slightly.
Celeste nodded. “Yes, make the right connections. I know you can do it.”
“She’s your guest,” the saleslady stammered.
“Yes, and I’m disappointed in her,” Celeste said, turning her way with a frown. “Seraphina, that man has a hand on you. Shouldn’t you karate chop him, or whatever it is your brother learned in the Navy? Surely he taught you some self-defense. Don’t you have a gun or something you can threaten him with? And you’re crying. That’s going to mess up your mascara and we won’t be able to tell how you’ll truly look in that dress.”
“I don’t have a gun.” Sera pulled away from the guard. An odd relief had rushed over her the minute she’d realized Celeste hadn’t set her up and seemed to be on her side. In a very Celeste way, of course. “But I do have a foot and I’m thinking about kicking a few of these people. That man hit on me and then told everyone I was begging him for money.”