First (Wrong) Impressions: A Modern Pride & Prejudice by Krista D Ball Read Free Book Online

smiling and greeting people. She waved at Charles, who waved back. The other doors of the car opened. Darcy got out of the back seat first, wearing dress pants and a dress shirt. Lizzy was stunned. She’d not expected him to ever actually come down to The Faith.
    Her surprise was overshadowed as Caroline glided out of the car, dressed in four-inch-heeled over-the-knee boots, skinny jeans, and a spaghetti-strap tank top that only just skimmed the waistband of her jeans.
    And, damn it, she was wearing a red bandana.
    The men around Lizzy catcalled and someone behind her made a vague rape reference. Lizzy spun around and demanded, “Who said that?”
    All fingers pointed at Roy. “Sorry, Liz,” he said in a tone that suggested he wasn’t.
    “Don’t say that again.” Why on earth would anyone show up at a homeless place dressed for clubbing?
    One of the women asked, “You gonna let her in with gang colours?”
    “No. I’ll explain it to her.” Lizzy rolled her eyes for their benefit. “Gary, keep the door open for me? I left my keys inside.”
    “Sure thing, Lizzy.”
    “Hey, Lizzy!” Charles sang out. “Where’s Jane?”
    “Hey Charles, Jane’s inside. I didn’t realize you were bringing company.”
    Charles gave Darcy an encouraging smile. “Darcy wanted to see the place.”
    Darcy nodded.
    “Hey, Lizzy!” A staggering man shouted from across the street. “You guys open yet?”
    “Half hour,” she shouted back.
    “You guys got any blankets?”
    “Eight o’clock and ten o’clock for the emergency cupboard. We have a few blankets, but not very many. You better line up early for it.”
    “I don’t wanna wait until then.”
    Lizzy shrugged. “Sorry, John.”
    “Get me a fucking blanket, bitch.”
    “At eight o’clock and ten o’clock,” Lizzy said. She turned to a startled Charles. “Let’s get inside or else I’ll spend the next thirty minutes repeating myself.”
    “Can’t you see she got volunteers with her?” shouted a young woman they all called “Rob’s Sue,” even though no one knew who Rob was. “Shut the fuck up!”
    “Want me to beat your face in, you fucking slut?”
    “Sue,” Lizzy warned, “come on. Don’t get into it tonight.”
    Rob’s Sue ignored her. “Come over here and try it, you drunk Indian.”
    “Sue!” Lizzy shouted. “That’s enough.” Into her radio she said, “I need help out front.” To Charles, she said, “You three, up to the door. Go inside.”
    “Do you need help?” Darcy asked.
    “You can help me by going inside.”
    Sue started to charge at John, but Lizzy held her off. “Stop. If you get into a fight, I can’t let you in tonight. You know that. He’s not worth it.”
    Sunshine, Gary, and others joined in, moving down the stairs to get a better vantage point, but also ready to step in.
    “Asshole raped me three months ago,” Rob’s Sue shouted over Lizzy’s shoulder.
    “You deserved it, bitch.” John threw a beer bottle.
    Lizzy ducked to avoid it. Holding one hand out to Rob’s Sue, she turned to John and shouted, “Move on! You’re causing trouble and someone’s going to call the cops!”
    “You going to call the cops on me? Go on, then. Why don’t I come over there and bash your face in?”
    Several more of the people who’d been in the lineup moved between Lizzy and John.
    John sent a drunken stream of curses, and a shoving match broke out.
    “Come on, guys! It’s not worth it!”
    Lizzy shouted for everyone to break it up or she’d close everything down for the night and no one would get in. If a brawl broke out in the street, she’d have to call the police and a good number of them already had warrants out.
    Tempers settled and John drunkenly wandered off.
    Two individuals in bright yellow coats with the word STAFF across the front rushed out and looked around for Lizzy. One was a petite woman, maybe five foot, maybe ninety pounds, who could take on just about anyone there. The other was her typical door