“What?” The second man was shorter than the first by about half a foot. He had an impressive moustache that concealed his entire upper lip and he looked like the sort of man who liked to smoke a cigar at the end of a long day in a quiet room by the fire.
“I think these people we’re supposed to be helping have done this to their damn selves. How many chances did they get to make a better choice? How many people tried to help them get clean? How long do they expect the rest of us hardworking people to fund their existence?”
Fund their existence?
The shorter man snorted into his beer before taking a swig. “I’d say you’re onto something, Lewis. But watch your tongue in this place. There are softies about, trying to ease their conscience with their five-thousand-dollar plate and the raffle tickets.”
“Ease their conscience.” The man named Lewis chuckled without humor. “What have they to ease their conscience over? Hard work means wealth, Ken. Plain and simple. You know it and I know it. We worked hard for our money and we’re expected to just give it away because we have a lot to go around? I didn’t work this hard to give thousands of dollars to drug addicts and ex-cons who—”
I set my drink down hard on the bar.
Lewis looked over his shoulder at me while Ken narrowed his eyes.
“Something to say?” Lewis asked.
I faced them directly and rested one elbow against the bar. “If you’re going to have such an ignorant conversation, I suggest you move to a dark corner where nobody can hear you making fools of yourselves.”
People passing by paused as they heard my words.
Lewis straightened. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” I said dryly. “If you didn’t want to be part of the event, you could have stayed home and let your wife come out and enjoy her evening. I’m sure she would have preferred you weren’t here, seeing as how you’re flapping your mouth, embarrassing yourself quite publicly.”
Ken eyed me. “From where I’m standing, only one person here is making a fool of themselves, and that’s you, kid.”
I arched an eyebrow. “You think the guy hosting the gala to raise money to feed starving children and their families is the one making a fool of himself?”
It sounded douchey when it came out of my mouth, but I meant it. This was the equivalent of them calling Kayla an embarrassment in my eyes. She dedicated her life to helping these people, and asshats like these men were what stood in her way a lot of the time.
I stepped closer to the two men. “You’re not better than anyone simply because you have more. You’re less than them if you have more and do nothing to help. When you reach the top, you’re supposed to turn around and help others find success, too.”
Lewis laughed. “Great, a socialist.”
I rolled my eyes.
“The poor are given every advantage to get ahead,” Lewis said. “They get tax breaks and benefits and financial assistance. But us? We have to work our asses off to keep our heads above water. Every time they get money, they snort it up their noses or inject it in their arms. They have nothing because they’re weak and lazy, not because they got the short end of the stick. Educate yourself, young man.”
“Weak and lazy?” I asked sharply. My temper flared. My blood rushed in my ears.
How dare these men call the people who were barely scraping by selfish and lazy? My mother had been anything but lazy when we lived in the apartment co-ops and survived by eating at soup kitchens or cashing in food stamps. My mother had a job. She worked her ass off. And these clowns probably spent the majority of their days on their yachts or with their feet up at their houses while their waitstaff did everything for them.
I moved in close enough that I could have reached out and grabbed Lewis by the front of his jacket. “The only weak and lazy people I see are the people like you,” I seethed. “People who think they are owed their wealth and are entitled to keep it. You talk about how you’ve worked hard for your money. You’re full of shit, Lewis. You and I and everyone in this damn room know for a fact you inherited millions from your father when he died. And you know what you did with those millions?”
Lewis backed up.
“You blew it on women and cocaine,” I hissed.
“Everybody calm down now,” Ken said, his voice thin with worry. “We were just talking. No need to make things personal.”
“Oh, it’s fucking personal,” I said, never taking my eyes off Lewis. “I suggest you get your head out of your ass and go write a massive fucking check to Good Fellow’s. At least your wife will think for a brief moment that you’re a good man. Then you can walk yourself out of this ballroom and back to your car and get the hell out of here before I decide to take matters into my own hands and—”
“Lukas,” a warm feminine voice cut me off.
I looked down to my right shoulder and found Kayla smiling up at me. Her cheeks were rosy, and even though she was smiling, I could see worry in her eyes.
“What are you three talking about?” she asked, her voice methodically controlled.
“Nothing,” I said through clenched teeth. “The gentlemen were just leaving.”
Lewis looked me up and down before breaking away from the bar with Ken hot on his heels. I watched them retrieve their wives in the crowd and make for the ballroom doors.
Kayla cleared her throat. “I hardly think swearing at and attacking the guests is going to help us raise money. What was going on? What did they do?”
“Come with me.”
I grabbed Kayla’s hand and led her out of the ballroom. She didn’t
