Pleasantly Conversing: Day 24, and 42,002 Words

I don't know what I would do without everyone's help! Indigo and Manta's advice was especially useful when I sat down, on our newly decorated patio (pictured above). In fact, I even quoted Indigo at one point!

I hope that this argument sounds plausible. Oliver comes across pretty poorly here, but I guess that Darcy does in the P&P analog. I have no idea what is coming next, but now that everyone is together, something is bound to happen!

Nora could not believe what she was hearing. “You’re blaming me for their break-up? I’m not the one who sent the break-up text while Shalini was out of town.”

“You certainly helped to bring it about.”

“I did what any friend would. I told her that she should take the job if it’s what she wants to do. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t support her decision? It was her decision,” Nora reiterated. “And for that matter, why would you have wanted your friend to date someone so wishy washy that she can't make decisions for herself?”

Nora glanced over at Noah and Shalini, who were continuing to ‘pleasantly converse,’ completely unaware of what was going on at the other end of the room.

“It isn’t that I think that Shalini can’t make decisions for herself. What I think is that you thought that it would seem weak for her to make this decision with Noah in mind, and you discouraged her from doing so.”

Nora’s eyes widened. “You think that I tried to ruin my friend’s life so that I could make a feminist point? Because I am such a militant supporter of women of colour in STEM that I force them to neglect their personal lives for professional gain?”

“It definitely isn’t outside the realm of possibility,” Oliver said heatedly. “You have not failed to make a sociopolitical point in every interaction that we have ever had. Why would you treat your friends any differently?”

“I never make points that don’t need to be made,” Nora retorted.

“I’m sure that’s what you believe. I read your Pride and Prejuwitch, and it’s very clear what you think about men holding women back.”

“You read my books?” Nora said, astonished. But she quickly swung back to the task at hand. “I truly do not understand why you keep circling back to blaming me for our two friends breaking up. You just think that I’m the type of person who would break my friend’s heart because I hate men? I won’t apologize for holding men accountable for the ways that they stifle women’s careers, which is a far cry from hating men. I’m sorry that you feel threatened by that, and that you can’t see the difference, but that’s more your problem than mine.”

“I don’t believe that you hate all men. I believe that you are protective of your friend and her career, and that your friend who cares a lot about what you think picked up on that. But do you think that is justification for unduly influencing your friend’s life decisions? Because it not only impacts her, but it impacts other people, as well. I have never seen Noah so devastated. I had to bring him here tonight because he hadn’t left his house since him and Shalini broke up. It has been incredibly hard to watch my friend go through this.”

This was news to Nora. From what Shalini had told her, it seemed as if Noah had not been all that into their relationship, which explained why he didn’t try to influence Shalini’s decision. The behaviour that Oliver was describing was far from the detached person that Nora had imagined when Shalini told her that Noah had broken up with her by text.

Maybe their relationship had not been what it seemed.

“I’m sorry that he is so upset. I didn’t realize that he had been having such a difficult time. I wouldn’t have anticipated that since he broke up with her over text.”

“Maybe you judged him a little too harshly,” Oliver said coldly. “I have seen you interact with Noah on numerous occasions. It was obvious that you never approved.”

“What are you talking about?” Nora wanted to shout, but settled for an angry whisper filled with urgency. “Of course I approved! What could have possibly given you that idea?”

“Well, for starters, you would frown every time you saw him.”

“Did it ever occur to you that I might have been frowning because you were there?”

Her words hit him hard. She could see the hurt that was spreading across his features, and the surprise that she was speaking so harshly.

“On the day that we met,” Nora continued, “you belittled my work and made fun of me. Just because you are a big shot Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction winner, you seem to think that your work is more important than mine and any rudeness you direct towards me is fine because what I deserve to be made fun of. I have known a lot of men like you, men who think that the stuff that women like is stupid. I know your type, and I knew it from the second that we met.”

Nora might have felt guilty about unleashing so much anger on this man, at a gala, no less, if he had not just blamed her and her feminist beliefs for the break-up of their friends. It was a tale as old as feminism, men blaming it for breaking apart families and turning women into man-haters. Perhaps he even thought that she was a witch, a perception that she was unwilling in this moment to disabuse him of.

Whatever hurt that was on Oliver’s face had turned to anger in response to her speech. As he was preparing his undoubtedly fiery retort, his face became blank. Clearly, he had spotted something, or someone, behind her, something that had caused him to completely lose his footing. Nora spun around to see what it was that had unbalanced Oliver so.

It was not a confused looking centaur behind her.

It was Wynn David.

He was wearing a black tuxedo with a black shirt. He looked completely perfect as he was approaching Oliver and Nora. His face looked somewhat befuddled, but hopeful for a better interaction than the last one with Oliver.

He could not have been more wrong if he tried.

“What is he thinking?” Nora found herself wondering. Did he not see the tension between them? Could he not tell that they were having an argument, and that the very last thing that they needed was to add someone unwelcome to the fray?

Evidently Oliver was also wondering what he was thinking, but did not stick around to find out. He hurried off, to where, Nora was not sure. She was not planning on finding that out either. But, when Wynn rushed off after him, Nora felt that she had no choice but to follow them as they wove through the crowd of well-dressed gala attendees. Wynn had just walked into a situation that he was not knowledgeable about, and surely not prepared for either.

As pulled her dress up to her knees and took off in pursuit of the two men, she wasn’t quite sure who needed more of a warning: Wynn or Oliver.

Oliver dashed into an elevator that she hadn’t noticed before, and Nora could see that he was pushing buttons at a vigorous pace. He surely knew that this would not bring the elevator any faster. Wynn caught up easily, and slid into the elevator. Nora caught up with less ease, but nonetheless made it in as the doors were closing.

Once the three were safely in the elevator, which on its way to one of the exhibit floors, it was apparent that neither Nora nor Wynn had given very much thought as to what they would do once they caught up with Oliver. They stood facing each other awkwardly. Oliver, for his part, might as well have had fire coming out of his nostrils.

“Why did you two follow me?” he roared. “What part of running away from you do you not understand?”

He had a fair point. Oliver could not have communicated more clearly that he did not wish to be with either of them, in an elevator or anywhere else for that matter.

Just as Nora’s resolve was crumbling and she was about to reach for an elevator button, any button, that would get her out of there immediately, the elevator jolted, painfully throwing her into the wall. Oliver and Wynn similarly lost their balance, each shouting obscenities revealing their shock. The elevator blessedly came to a stop, and the three regained their composure and stood up.