Page 58 of Preferential Treatment

Angel caught her wrist, holding her at arm’s length. “No! It’s yours!”

“I don’t want it!” Kate transferred it to her free hand and tried shoving it into the side pocket on Angel’s duffel bag.

Angel twisted, then caught Kate in an unexpected headlock.

“Let go of me you fucking psycho!”

Angel laughed, ruffling Kate’s hair. “Nope. Not until you say you’ll keep the money.”

Kate managed to catch the bouncer’s eye. He’d watched their entire scuffle without so much as batting an eyelash. “Aren’t you going to do something?” she demanded.

He raised his eyebrows. “I look out for the dancers, not random girls who start shit.”

“I was trying to give her her money back!”

The bouncer shifted his focus to Angel. “Is this how you want to be?”

After a pause, Angel sighed, releasing Kate.

Kate straightened her hair and clothes in a huff. “Take the money,” she said flatly, dropping it on top of Angel’s duffel bag and turning to leave.

Angel snatched it up and thrust it back at her. “If you don’t take it, I’ll spend it on pills. You really want to knock me off the wagon?”

Kate turned back. “You’re sober?”

Angel shrugged.

“Yes or no. Are you clean?”

Angel rolled her eyes. “Yeah. For two weeks now.”

Kate was happy to hear it, but knew better than to get her hopes up. Angel had gotten sober for a few weeks at a time over and over again, only to lapse back into addiction again.

“Well. Good. I’m happy for you. But I’m still not taking that cash. Seriously, Angel, I’m not trying to be a cunt—but you need it more than I do. It didn’t cost me anything to get the wall patched—building maintenance handled it.”

“What about the shit I wrecked?”

“That lamp was like ten dollars from Big Lots. And the picture frames were even less than that.”

Angel slipped a twenty from the envelope and handed it over.

“Angel—”

“My sobriety is feeling very fragile right now.”

“You’re such a bitch.” Kate pocketed the bill.

The sight of a real smile from Angel suddenly made Kate’s throat tighten. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen one.

“Well, uh, I’ve got to get back to work,” Kate lied.

“Okay.” Angel’s smile faded, and she was back to looking like a gaunt stranger. “See you.”

“Yep. Ah… have a good night.”

“Sure.”

On the train ride back home, Kate couldn’t help but think guiltily about how much Anna had done to save her addict brother, while Kate had more or less cut all ties with her addict sister. As the city raced by the windows, she tried to rationalize the difference. For one, Anna was just a better person than Kate was. She didn’t doubt that. But more crucially, money mattered. Anna had been able to get a lawyer to represent Theo for the drug charges—getting felony charges knocked down to misdemeanors—and she’d also been able to pay for in-patient rehab.

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