-POV Derby
The scraping sound of my chair died instantly against the heavy carpet, leaving me suspended in the sudden, predatory silence of the main table. My hand remained white-knuckled around the strap of my clutch, my body hovering a mere inch above the velvet cushion, but Tamara’s words had already turned the space behind my back into a solid wall.
If I completed the movement, if I let my heels carry me away from the head tier right as the elder Vasquez was about to step onto the floor, I would be handing Tamara the perfect narrative of a guilty, low-level employee who couldn't handle the spotlight.
I forced my knees to cooperate, slowly lowering my weight back onto the seat. The silk of my gown felt damp against my thighs, cold sweat breaking out along my ribs as I smoothed the fa
