“I didn’t mean to – well, they’re just – they don’t understand, do they?” he groped.
don’t understandBut words failed him again. Madison could see some of the women nearby shaking their heads. Expressions of dismay and disappointment peppered the crowd, as if the scales had fallen in front of their eyes. Herbert could feel a burning heat rising on the back of his neck, his sense of self and status ebbing away, no matter how desperately he tried to claw it back.
With a final sweep of his eyes, he landed on Madison, resting just a few feet away from him, the contempt on her face not even thinly disguised as she curled her lip and looked him up and down; the fat old butcher reduced to nothing.
“Pathetic fucker,” she told him, and stalked off.
* * *
Word of the dramatic encounter between
