Crazy Bitch (Bitches and Queens) Read Online Free Page A

“I look horrible. I don’t want to
be seen in public with you.”
    “You look fine,” Hannah denied
with a smile. “We’ll go somewhere quiet.”
    “It had better be a
hole-in-the-wall. Otherwise, they will think you’re slumming,” Willow
cautioned.
    “It wouldn’t be the worst they
ever thought of me. Come on, let’s get out of here,” Hannah said.
    As they sat in the quiet,
Tex-Mex restaurant, Willow had an out-of-body experience. She could hardly
believe she was eating lunch with Hannah Fairbanks. A fashion icon, everything
about her emitted style and grace. Even the way she held her fork was dainty
and elegant.
    “Tell me more about yourself,”
Hannah said.
    “What do you want to know?”
    “Everything,” Hannah murmured. “I
want to know everything. Start by telling me more about your unconventional
childhood.”
    “My mother’s name is Lola Jane
Mallory. She was the sweetest, most loving woman around,” Willow started.
    “Doesn’t sound too far off the
beaten track to me,” Hannah said coyly. “What about your father?”
    Willow took a sip of her glass
of water and then put it down. “I didn’t know my father. I don’t even know his
name. I don’t know if my mother ever knew his name.”
    “All right…” Hannah purred, “…the
story grows more intriguing. Tell me more. Did you grow up in Austin?”
    “Yes, I’m a native. We moved
around a lot when I was growing up. Sometimes we lived in apartments and
trailer parks, but most of the time we stayed in shelters. My mother had
serious health issues and couldn’t work. When I was sixteen, she died from AIDS-related
pneumonia, and I was legally emancipated. I’ve been on my own ever since.”
    “How sad; I’m sorry,” Hannah
said quietly.
    “It was sad to lose her so
young, but she really made the most of her short time on earth.”
    Hannah looked down at her plate
as she toyed with the refried caloric nightmare. “And now?” she questioned
softly as she looked up and seared Willow with her bright blue eyes. “Are you
still on your own?”
    “Not exactly. I live with my
boyfriend, Zachary Bell. He works as a bartender downtown.”
    “Fabulous,” Hannah said with a
smile.
    “But he’s in a band too,”
Willow quickly rushed.
    “Aren’t they all?”
    Something about her words
caught Willow off guard. It sounded a bit snide, but Hannah’s unblinking eyes
were still filled with a wide-eyed innocence. Maybe she had just imagined it? “He’s
actually very talented. His band is on the verge of a breakthrough.”
    “A rock star’s girlfriend, huh?
Sounds exciting. How long have the two of you been together?”
    “A little over two years.”
    Hannah cleared her throat and
reached for her water. “Two years?” she repeated. “Well, I hope he isn’t the
jealous type.”
    Willow chuckled. “No, Zachary
is the opposite of the jealous type.”
    “Good, because for the next six
months—I will own you.”
    Own her? Willow
didn’t like the sound of that. In fact, it sent a little tingle of apprehension
down her spine. Surely, Hannah meant it figuratively. Didn’t she? Shaking it
off, Willow decided her jumble of nervous excitement had made her paranoid.
    “I don’t know about you, but I’m
very excited about this. Your internship doesn’t technically start until
January, but I would love to get started right away,” Hannah said.
    “Yes, certainly,” Willow
quickly agreed.
    “Good,” Hannah purred as she
pulled out her phone. “My schedule is insane until after the holidays. I’ll be
all over the globe for the next few months. It would be easier if you could
give me your class schedule, and I’ll work something out.”
    While Willow recited her class
load, Hannah typed the information into her notes on her phone. After she was
finished, Hannah asked, “Do you have any other time commitments I should know
about?”
    “Nothing that I have to be at
besides my classes,” Willow answered.
    “Fabulous,” Hannah