Bad Intentions - Too Bad It’s Fake

“Thanks,” I said, meaning it.

Mom took Emma by both hands and kissed her on each cheek as a way of welcoming her to the family. Seeing them together made my heart swell, and I knew then that I could never let Emma go. I had failed at relationships in the past, but this time, I had to make this work —whatever it took.

Chapter Nineteen

Noah

The cogs planted deep within my watch did their magic, taking time out of the conceptual realm and turning it into something physical. Predictable. Practical.

I wished that Emma could have been there with me, but the organizers had more or less insisted that I stay in the wings of the stage to increase the drama of the reveal, as though everyone there didn’t already know who the award was going to. I guess they figured that the sight of me getting up from one of the tables and making my way up to the stage would bring down the gravitas of the occasion. Optics being of primary importance for them.

I wasn’t the only one getting an award that night. It would be kind of ridiculous to put on such an event just for a single person. Even for them. Many on the board could fairly be said to be possessed of more money than sense, but there were limits to even their extravagance. As a result, all the award recipients were backstage. Some making a better show of not being nervous than others. Though it was clear from other indications, ones they didn’t even know that they were giving, that they were all nervous to varying degrees.

I offered a lozenge to the man next to me who seemed like he could pass out in terror at any moment.

“Thanks,” he said, popping the candy in his mouth.

“No problem,” I said.

“Nice tux,” said the elegant woman across from me.

She was thirty at the most, the quality and choice of her clothes and jewels indicating that she was very much of the new rich, uncomfortable with her position in life to the point of trying too hard to fit into it. Her comment was meant as a slight, but I pitied her too much to really take offense. I had been in her position once. She just had yet to get over it.

To pass the time I started going over my speech. I had read it over so many times since writing it I had it committed to memory, but I went through it again. I added a line here, took sections out there, and completely changed the quote at the beginning. I had been trying not to be funny but was beginning to think that it might be imperative.

My speech done and ready, I stole a peek out at the crowd. After a brief bit of scanning, I found my table. Mom was grinning for the cameras as was her way. Her still sharp eyes scanning the crowds of people she had seen thousands of times before with practiced efficiency.

I really wasn’t sure how Sarah would get on with Emma. My sister could be a bit aggressive sometimes and suffered from what our grandpa had called a “deplorable excessive personality.” Not the nicest thing to say about one’s own granddaughter. Though I still couldn’t fully disagree, except in terms of taking out the word ‘deplorable’ and he hadn’t actually been wrong. Not that it had any effect on her. From what I could tell, darling Sarah ran out of fucks to give sometime around her twelfth birthday.

To be fair, Emma could be a bit bold herself. While this could well lead to something resembling a combination of nitro with glycerin, instead they seemed to be getting along famously.

I couldn’t help but smile. Both out of happiness at seeing them get along so well, Sarah more than once telling me that it would be cool to have s sister, but also relief. I wouldn’t have not married Emma if Sarah didn’t like her, but it would have been hard, my sister being really important to me also. I was relieved that it wouldn’t have to come to that.

Ducking back into the wings, I saw a distinguished gent in full black-tie take a clandestine swig from an impressively well-hidden flask, and I wished I had done the same thing.

“Our first award of the evening is arguably the most important,” said the board president speaking into the microphone, “the award for humanitarian of the year. Truly a great honor given to the person who has done more for the betterment of the poor and marginalized than anyone else over the last year. This year’s winner is a man that needs little introduction. Noah Wells, International Human Rights attorney at the Howell and Howell law firm. Not only has Noah gone the world over in a dogged attempt to correct grave injustice, but he has also donated more money to more vital charities than all of our members, including the board, put together. I hope you will join me in welcoming to the stage Mr. Noah Wells.”