Page 43 of Her Sweet Surrender
In that moment, she felt a profound connection to him. While she could never forget what he’d done to her in the past, she admired the man he’d become.
Brie left the stage, exuding elegance and poise, holding her head high, but at a respectful angle as she approached Sir.
“Magnificent,” he said as he helped her back to her seat.
Brie felt invincible as she scanned the room and caught several people staring at her despite themselves.
Message received, she thought.
On their way out, she saw Finn outside the hotel by himself, taking a smoke. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she asked Sir and Mary to wait while she spoke to him.
“Finn, I just want to say how gratef—”
“What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve been following me around like a puppy the whole evening. It’s pathetic,” he snarled with disgust, throwing his cigarette to the ground and crushing it with his foot. “I have zero interest in you or anything you have to say. Your little stunt tonight accomplished nothing. Get the hell away from me…”
Finn turned his back on her and walked back into the hotel.
Brie stood there for a moment, stunned.
It hadn’t been Finn, after all…
She walked back to Sir and Mary, rocked by the revelation.
“What did Finn have to say, babygirl?”
She looked up at him and frowned. “He’s firmly in Holloway’s camp.”
“I could have told you that,” Mary snorted. “Did you really think he was the one behind all this? You’re going to have to think way bigger, woman. Someone like Finn doesn’t have the influence or the balls to go against Holloway.”
Brie sighed. “I guess it doesn’t matter.”
Looking back at the hotel she smiled, feeling the thrill of victory. “None of them had power over me tonight, and now they know it.”
Sir wrapped his arm around her. It was evident how proud he was of her.
“You slayed them all, babygirl.”
Precious Gifts
Brie was still flying high from her success the night before when she set out on her morning walk.
When she came across the old woman and her little dog, she waved enthusiastically to her and was greeted with a frown. With a flash of inspiration, Brie suddenly knew what she could do to help.
After returning home, she spoke with the vet clinic they used for Shadow, knowing it would be within walking distance for the old woman. The staff there were amazingly kind and open to Brie’s idea. Together, they worked out the details and payment plan so that any of the bills would go to Brie.
She then jumped onto her computer and created an official-looking coupon for a free vet checkup. Knowing the woman didn’t accept handouts, this seemed like the perfect solution to get the dog the care it needed without making the woman feel beholden to anyone. The receptionist was prepared to receive the coupon as if it were an everyday occurrence, and she assured Brie they would make sure the dog was well taken care of.
Satisfied the little dog would get the help it needed, Brie decided to concentrate on the woman herself. Brie wanted to give her something but realized the item had to be practical and small or the woman wouldn’t accept it.
Unsure what homeless people actually needed, Brie googled it and was excited to find a website detailing the most needed items for the homeless. Interestingly, socks were on the top of the list. It wasn’t something Brie had even considered, but it made sense to her, knowing how much the woman walked each day gathering plastic bottles to redeem for cash.
Taking Hope with her to the store, Brie stared at the large display of socks, unsure about which pair to buy. “Should we go practical or cute?” she asked, holding up two different pairs of socks to Hope. One was plain white with a reinforced toe and heel, while the other was purple and had pretty daisies printed on it.
“What do you think, sweet pea?”
Hope naturally went for the colorful one.
“That’s what I was thinking, too,” Brie agreed. She went to put the plain ones back but suddenly had second thoughts. “Maybe I’ll get both and let her decide.” In the checkout line, she noticed a squeaky dog toy and quickly added it to her purchases.
