a nearby chair.
“I knew it was something like that,” she said.
“Actually, I missed lunch completely,” D.J. said, regretting having forgone the sandwich. “Is there some reason I shouldn’t eat with her?”
“Miss Grundler is telling anyone who’ll listen that on your first day in town, you met Vernice for lunch.”
“So?”
“So Vernice is... Well, she’s ‘light in the loafers’ as they say.”
D.J. was pretty sure that “they” didn’t use that phrase for lesbians, but she didn’t bother to correct Suzy on that.
“We serve all the citizens of this community,” D.J. pointed out. “A public servant cannot be a respecter of persons.”
“Huh?”
“We treat everyone equally,” she clarified.
“Sure, of course,” Suzy agreed. “But treating them and being them is two different things. Miss Grundler is making it sound like you had lunch with Vernice because you’re old friends. Like you’re one of them.”
“Oh.” D.J. would have smiled and shook her head if that had been only slightly more expected. Naturally Amelia would take the very first opportunity presented to her to try to make D.J. some kind of pariah.
“I know you’re thinking that nobody would believe it, because you’re pretty and feminine,” Suzy said. “But Vernice’s partner is, like, the most gorgeous woman in town. She was Autumn Queen in high school. She had the biggest wedding the town had ever seen and then dumped her husband for Vern. Honestly, a lot of people have never gotten over it.”
Suzy’s words were as dramatic as if she were speaking of some terrible tragedy.
“I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as all that,” D.J. reassured her.
“Well, it was pretty shocking,” Suzy said. “And people in Verdant really, really don’t like to be shocked.”
Suzy’s blue eyes were wide with concern.
“I’m sure that anyone new coming to the community will have a few rumors spread about her,” D.J. said, reassuringly. “Once people get to know me, they won’t be swayed by idle gossip.”
“Oh, they will,” Suzy insisted. “They will. Idle gossip is almost a sacred duty in this town. People love it. And they pass it on. And a lot of folks act upon it. There are people in town who never speak a word to Vern or her girlfriend. They’d cross the street to avoid them. And they grew up here, their families still live here. How would they be treated if they were outsiders?”
D.J. was pretty sure that they would not have fared well.
“We can’t let that happen to you,” Suzy pleaded. “You just can’t get run out of town. Not when I’ve gotten so hopeful about things changing around here. You can’t let Amelia win. And she will, if you’re not careful.”
“It’s ridiculous to judge people by who they talk to,” D.J. pointed out.
Suzy shrugged. “I guess small towns can be ridiculous places. I’m sure not smart enough to understand it,” she said. “Maybe it’s looking at the best in folks all the time sort of makes us eager to see the worst.”
“Well, I intend to be the best librarian this community has ever imagined,” D.J. declared. “This is my hometown now. I intend to embrace it. And I refuse to believe that I can be ruined by a bag full of gossipy lies. People are smarter than that.”
Suzy didn’t appear convinced. “We may not be as smart as you think. I was voted president of my senior class.” She was all solemnity and concern. “I have such hope for you and the library and all of us,” she said. “I don’t know if I could bear having Amelia take that away.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not a woman who can be brought down easily.”
For all that Suzy was silly and dramatic, she also made a good point. In order to make a success of running the library, D.J. had to earn and hold the support of the community. She knew she was up to the task. Though, admittedly, thinking about it made her tired. Or maybe she simply was tired, a reasonable reaction to the combination
“I knew it was something like that,” she said.
“Actually, I missed lunch completely,” D.J. said, regretting having forgone the sandwich. “Is there some reason I shouldn’t eat with her?”
“Miss Grundler is telling anyone who’ll listen that on your first day in town, you met Vernice for lunch.”
“So?”
“So Vernice is... Well, she’s ‘light in the loafers’ as they say.”
D.J. was pretty sure that “they” didn’t use that phrase for lesbians, but she didn’t bother to correct Suzy on that.
“We serve all the citizens of this community,” D.J. pointed out. “A public servant cannot be a respecter of persons.”
“Huh?”
“We treat everyone equally,” she clarified.
“Sure, of course,” Suzy agreed. “But treating them and being them is two different things. Miss Grundler is making it sound like you had lunch with Vernice because you’re old friends. Like you’re one of them.”
“Oh.” D.J. would have smiled and shook her head if that had been only slightly more expected. Naturally Amelia would take the very first opportunity presented to her to try to make D.J. some kind of pariah.
“I know you’re thinking that nobody would believe it, because you’re pretty and feminine,” Suzy said. “But Vernice’s partner is, like, the most gorgeous woman in town. She was Autumn Queen in high school. She had the biggest wedding the town had ever seen and then dumped her husband for Vern. Honestly, a lot of people have never gotten over it.”
Suzy’s words were as dramatic as if she were speaking of some terrible tragedy.
“I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as all that,” D.J. reassured her.
“Well, it was pretty shocking,” Suzy said. “And people in Verdant really, really don’t like to be shocked.”
Suzy’s blue eyes were wide with concern.
“I’m sure that anyone new coming to the community will have a few rumors spread about her,” D.J. said, reassuringly. “Once people get to know me, they won’t be swayed by idle gossip.”
“Oh, they will,” Suzy insisted. “They will. Idle gossip is almost a sacred duty in this town. People love it. And they pass it on. And a lot of folks act upon it. There are people in town who never speak a word to Vern or her girlfriend. They’d cross the street to avoid them. And they grew up here, their families still live here. How would they be treated if they were outsiders?”
D.J. was pretty sure that they would not have fared well.
“We can’t let that happen to you,” Suzy pleaded. “You just can’t get run out of town. Not when I’ve gotten so hopeful about things changing around here. You can’t let Amelia win. And she will, if you’re not careful.”
“It’s ridiculous to judge people by who they talk to,” D.J. pointed out.
Suzy shrugged. “I guess small towns can be ridiculous places. I’m sure not smart enough to understand it,” she said. “Maybe it’s looking at the best in folks all the time sort of makes us eager to see the worst.”
“Well, I intend to be the best librarian this community has ever imagined,” D.J. declared. “This is my hometown now. I intend to embrace it. And I refuse to believe that I can be ruined by a bag full of gossipy lies. People are smarter than that.”
Suzy didn’t appear convinced. “We may not be as smart as you think. I was voted president of my senior class.” She was all solemnity and concern. “I have such hope for you and the library and all of us,” she said. “I don’t know if I could bear having Amelia take that away.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not a woman who can be brought down easily.”
For all that Suzy was silly and dramatic, she also made a good point. In order to make a success of running the library, D.J. had to earn and hold the support of the community. She knew she was up to the task. Though, admittedly, thinking about it made her tired. Or maybe she simply was tired, a reasonable reaction to the combination
Similar Books
