I could barely get a word in with my microphone as people began tossing back retorts, but I finally yelled, “Why should you have to consent to a vegetable? A lentil doesn’t offend me, sir!”
That was the end. People were on their feet, laughing, jeering, shouting exuberantly at the panel. The mic was grabbed from my hands, my CEO walked off the stage, and the blond woman declared that the Q&A session was over. Edgar was clasping my shoulder and shaking me with fierce pride. Katelyn gave me a watery-eyed smile and a thumbs-up. A horde of startlingly loud people (by Seattle standards) was surging toward our table, and suddenly I was being congratulated as if I’d just won the World Cup.
“—marvelous—”
“—well said—”
“—so refreshing—”
I finally managed to extricate myself with a queenly wave and smile, making it clear to my adoring fans that I was just headed to the bar. The bartender was an impassive twentysomething who treated me the same as anyone else, which was a bit of a letdown.But there were still plenty of people on this side of the room vying for my attention, albeit in a more civilized manner. I sipped my chilled white, inclining my head graciously when addressed.
“Rachel, was it?” I found myself face-to-face with floral dress. “Hi, I’m Amber Crowley.”
“So nice to meet you. Great job tonight.” I shook her hand.
“Thank you so much. Anyway, I just wanted to say that you really made me think. I helped organize this event and a vegan option didn’t even occur to me. Trust me, I won’t be making that mistake again. And also,” she added in an undertone, “it was kind of amazing to see those old farts taken off guard.”
“Someone had to do it.” I smiled modestly.
“Oh, I’d also started thinking…” Her eyes flicked toward someone in the crowd behind me. “Do you know Pageant? They do really great work.”
“No, I’m not familiar with them.” Was I going to be offered a new job out of all this? How exciting. “What do they do?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t heard of them. They have apps and programs that help people and businesses make more sustainable choices. It tells you the carbon footprint and monetary cost of different choices you make and offers suggestions for alternatives. You talking about plant-based eating made me think of it.”
“That sounds great. Pageant, was it?”
“Yes. In fact, you should really speak to the guy who started it.” Amber glanced around. “There he is!”Oh God, I thought, patting my hair and feeling my teeth for lipstick. She threw out an arm and plucked a man out of the crowd.
Christopher Butkus appeared before me, his face slightly flushed, grinning as though he’d just been laughing at a joke when he got pulled away.
“Hi, Amber—oh, Rachel, hi! Great question tonight.” He rumbled with laughter.
“Hello, Christopher.” So Christopher Butkus’s company was actually one that was trying to do a bit of good in the world. I’ll admit, I had assumed it was one of those excruciatingly dull software companies that help other companies manage their time better or some other variation of “make more money.”
“You already know each other? Then I’mreallysurprised you hadn’t heard of Pageant, Rachel. I’ll leave you two to talk.” Amber slipped off with a wave of her fingers.
I gazed at Christopher for a moment. At least I looked better than I had the last time he’d seen me. I looked better than he did tonight, really. He was wearing a faded blazer over a T-shirt and jeans. What waswrongwith the millionaires of today? I supposed I should be glad he wasn’t wearing a hoodie. If I could dress him, the man had the potential to actually look like a million bucks. Wait, why was I thinking about dressing him? My brain really had a mind of its own.
“So, how’s—” he began, just as I said, “So why Pageant?”
“Pageant?” he repeated. “Uh, well…” He stalled and took a sip of the whiskey he was holding. “‘The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself—yea, all which it inherit—shall dissolve, and, like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.’”
I stared. He blushed.
“Did you just quote Shakespeare at me?” I was slightly in awe.
“Well, it—it’s why I chose the name Pageant.”
“I see.” I took a measured sip of wine. “Nerd.”
“Hey!” He boomed with laughter again. It was a nice sound, even if he was sartorially challenged.
“I enjoyedThe Tempest, actually.” Two can play at the nerd game.
He raised his eyebrows.
“English major,” I said, and he grinned.
