Read Online A Fine Imitation by Amber Brock - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amber Brock
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the paintings apart. You must have a good eye.”
“I don’t know if I can say that, but thank you,” Vera said. “What do you study?”
“Finance,” Harry piped up from the front. “Same as all of us. Same as anyone with good sense.”
“I thought you studied law,” Bea said.
“Never got the hang of all that Latin,” Harry said. “Might as well do something in a language I know.”
“Are you claiming to know English now?” Bea asked with a snort.
“Better than you lot from Georgia.” Harry drew out the vowels in the word with gusto.
“I’m betting I know finance better than you.”
Now it was Harry’s turn to let out a grunt of derision. “Not likely. I saw how you spent your parents’ money at Agnes Scott.”
Even in the dim light from the windshield, Vera could see Bea’s angry glare. Harry wisely said no more. Vera was curious to know what Harry had meant by that, but did not want to receive the type of look Harry had gotten by asking.
They puttered along through the countryside, their chatter turning amiably to classes and teachers. Vera noticed Cliff didn’t jump in to add to the other boys’ funny stories, but it wasn’t as though he was falling asleep. He sat, silent but alert, his eyes mostly on the road. She wondered why he had come at all if he didn’t want to be friendly.
Harry pulled the car into a clearing and cut the engine. They had arrived at the edge of a lake, and despite the brightness of the moon shimmering on the water, Vera struggled to see the boundaries in the wooded darkness. The smell of pine lit up the night air as they walked to the fire pit at the shore. Four large logs encircled the pit, evidence that they were not the first to use the site for that purpose. A pyramid of new wood stood ready, and Vera guessed that the boys must have come by before picking them up at school.
She settled on a log beside Bea, and the three boys made a show of getting the fire going. If Cliff had been reticent in the car, he was not now. He strode around, instructing the other two and shooting glances at Vera and Bea.
“He’s divine, isn’t he?” Bea asked in a quiet voice, her cheek nearly touching Vera’s. “Don’t worry, if you want him, he’s yours. He is a thing of beauty.”
Vera had to admit that Cliff was handsomer than she’d been able to see in the shadows of the car. The new flames of the fire made his auburn hair look even redder and lit up his square jaw. Arthur popped, unwelcome, into her mind. Though she found Arthur handsome, he’d never provoked quite the same warmth in her chest she got when she looked at Cliff. She turned away to keep the heat from rising into her face, where Bea would easily read it.
“I guess you’ve met him before?” Vera asked.
“Harry’s parents have a place at the Cape, I’ve met him there a couple of times.”
“Is Harry ‘those Stillmans’?”
“No, he’s my cousin on my mother’s side. His mother grew up in Atlanta, though you’d be hard-pressed to get her to admit it these days. She’s even mostly gotten rid of her accent.”
“So Harry and Cliff are school friends?”
Bea nodded. “Since freshman year. I think Harry’s good for Cliff. He’ll introduce him to the right people. Get him moving in better circles.” Bea noted Vera’s surprise. “Cliff’s not destitute or anything, but his family’s not ‘society,’ you know? Of course, I don’t know that much about him. Hard to get him talking, and I’ve tried.”
“I bet you have.”
“You know I have. But maybe you’re the one to make him come out of his shell.”
Vera guessed that if Bea couldn’t tempt him, with her curves and flashing blue eyes, then he would not start telling his life story to her skinny friend. Still, when he finished with the fire, it was Vera he sat by. Bea passed her the flask, and Vera had to turn away from her devilish look. Vera took a nip, then offered the flask to Cliff.
“No, thanks,” he said. He took
“I don’t know if I can say that, but thank you,” Vera said. “What do you study?”
“Finance,” Harry piped up from the front. “Same as all of us. Same as anyone with good sense.”
“I thought you studied law,” Bea said.
“Never got the hang of all that Latin,” Harry said. “Might as well do something in a language I know.”
“Are you claiming to know English now?” Bea asked with a snort.
“Better than you lot from Georgia.” Harry drew out the vowels in the word with gusto.
“I’m betting I know finance better than you.”
Now it was Harry’s turn to let out a grunt of derision. “Not likely. I saw how you spent your parents’ money at Agnes Scott.”
Even in the dim light from the windshield, Vera could see Bea’s angry glare. Harry wisely said no more. Vera was curious to know what Harry had meant by that, but did not want to receive the type of look Harry had gotten by asking.
They puttered along through the countryside, their chatter turning amiably to classes and teachers. Vera noticed Cliff didn’t jump in to add to the other boys’ funny stories, but it wasn’t as though he was falling asleep. He sat, silent but alert, his eyes mostly on the road. She wondered why he had come at all if he didn’t want to be friendly.
Harry pulled the car into a clearing and cut the engine. They had arrived at the edge of a lake, and despite the brightness of the moon shimmering on the water, Vera struggled to see the boundaries in the wooded darkness. The smell of pine lit up the night air as they walked to the fire pit at the shore. Four large logs encircled the pit, evidence that they were not the first to use the site for that purpose. A pyramid of new wood stood ready, and Vera guessed that the boys must have come by before picking them up at school.
She settled on a log beside Bea, and the three boys made a show of getting the fire going. If Cliff had been reticent in the car, he was not now. He strode around, instructing the other two and shooting glances at Vera and Bea.
“He’s divine, isn’t he?” Bea asked in a quiet voice, her cheek nearly touching Vera’s. “Don’t worry, if you want him, he’s yours. He is a thing of beauty.”
Vera had to admit that Cliff was handsomer than she’d been able to see in the shadows of the car. The new flames of the fire made his auburn hair look even redder and lit up his square jaw. Arthur popped, unwelcome, into her mind. Though she found Arthur handsome, he’d never provoked quite the same warmth in her chest she got when she looked at Cliff. She turned away to keep the heat from rising into her face, where Bea would easily read it.
“I guess you’ve met him before?” Vera asked.
“Harry’s parents have a place at the Cape, I’ve met him there a couple of times.”
“Is Harry ‘those Stillmans’?”
“No, he’s my cousin on my mother’s side. His mother grew up in Atlanta, though you’d be hard-pressed to get her to admit it these days. She’s even mostly gotten rid of her accent.”
“So Harry and Cliff are school friends?”
Bea nodded. “Since freshman year. I think Harry’s good for Cliff. He’ll introduce him to the right people. Get him moving in better circles.” Bea noted Vera’s surprise. “Cliff’s not destitute or anything, but his family’s not ‘society,’ you know? Of course, I don’t know that much about him. Hard to get him talking, and I’ve tried.”
“I bet you have.”
“You know I have. But maybe you’re the one to make him come out of his shell.”
Vera guessed that if Bea couldn’t tempt him, with her curves and flashing blue eyes, then he would not start telling his life story to her skinny friend. Still, when he finished with the fire, it was Vera he sat by. Bea passed her the flask, and Vera had to turn away from her devilish look. Vera took a nip, then offered the flask to Cliff.
“No, thanks,” he said. He took
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