"Have you looked around the city?" Brooke asked. "New York is filled with more unbalanced redheads than the rest of the world combined." She sipped her champagne. "There's only one I insult on a regular basis, though, and only one who's obsessive enough to namedrop me to a total stranger." Was she going to need to take out a restraining order? "Let me guess. Tacky heels. Acted tougher than she was. May or may not have had an accent that marked her as Cajun trash. Pretentious in a way to show that she was tough and strong and witty, but in truth is kind of lame, pathetic, and trying too hard?" It's not that she enjoyed insulting Alisa, it's just that it was so damn easy to.

"I'm sure I've had the displeasure of her acquaintance many times in the past, Mr. Prideaux. I'm only sorry that you were affronted with her presence last night. It's not something I'd wish on my worst enemy." She paused. "We are talking about Alisa le Beau, aren't we?"