by Marian Tee
When she realized he was still looking at Gabriel’s jet, “He’s still there,” she offered.
He frowned.
“I hung out there a bit,” she explained, “while waiting for you.”
“Really?”
She was probably imagining the cool note in his voice, Lace decided. “Umm, shall we go?” Her phone rang then, and the ringtone had her freezing. It was the tone she had assigned to Grant.
Silver asked in an icily pleasant voice, “Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“It’s just...Gabriel.” She said the first name that popped into her head and could have killed herself after. Oh God, why couldn’t her mind have thought of Aria? KC? Mariah Carey? Anyone with boobs – no, wait, if that was so, KC wouldn’t have counted. Oh God, lying was so driving her crazy.
When the ringing stopped, Silver murmured, “I thought it was Penny.”
Lace blinked. “Who?”
“The one you met with?”
Oh. God. Would somebody gag her now?
She said weakly, “Yeah, well, that’s not possible. He’s already at, umm, Karygstan?”
“Do you mean Kazakhstan or Krygyzstan?”
“Umm, the second one?” She would never be able to repeat either one perfectly even if her life depended on it.
They looked at each other, and Lace knew he knew she was lying.
“It wasn’t Penny who called me. It was Gabriel.” Ah, dammit, dammit, dammit. All her life, she had served as her boys’ conscience, warning them against lying to their girlfriends. Once you started, you won’t ever stop.
So why, dammit, why couldn’t she do the same thing in her own relationship?
Tell him the truth, her conscience urged.
But then she looked at Silver, and her mouth ran away from her. “I’m sorry I lied. I thought you’d be weird about it after...what happened that time.”
Silver’s nod was like a king offering pardon to a traitor. “I understand. Next time, though, I hope you don’t lie about it again. It’s inconsequential.”
“Really?” Her talking to another guy was inconsequential? She couldn’t make up her mind if she had to be offended or not.
Silver’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes. Really.”
The silence continued even when they were already ensconced inside Silver’s limousine. She badly wanted to speak, but she couldn’t, frightened that if she did, Silver would tell her something she didn’t want to hear.
Even if he thought she was lying about Gabriel, she wouldn’t admit it. As long as he had no evidence, Lace would go to her grave before she admitted anything. Anything.
“We’ve reached your home.”
Her head jerked up.
For a moment, she couldn’t understand why they were at her home. Shouldn’t they be at his place?
Silver stepped out. When he held the door for her, that was when she realized he was waiting for her to come out.
Because her boyfriend didn’t want her in his place.
Lace took a deep breath. I am not going to kick him in the balls. I am not going to chop off his cock. And I am not going to cry.
Taking his hand, she said brightly as she came out, “You’re so sweet to drop me off first. I knew you’d understand. Besides a really early morning class, I’m also actually expecting a call from Gabe tonight.” She almost gagged at how she had shortened the prince’s name.
Silver asked incredulously, “You call the prince ‘Gabe’?”
“Of course. He insisted on it, actually.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. Although right now, it wasn’t just her pants burning, but her entire body. “You see, we’re cooking up this sports project...I would have asked for your advice if I thought you’d be interested.” She paused. “And let’s be honest, you don’t really know much about it either.”
This time, his flare of temper was evident, Silver’s voice cutting as he said, “Apologies for being so disappointingly clueless about sports.”
“Oh, please. Don’t be. I love you just the way you are.” Raising herself on her toes, she dropped a quick kiss on his lips. “See you.” She walked away without looking back. She dared not, with the way tears were quickly streaming down her face.
Damn you, Silver March.
Bad Timing
“Unbelievable.” Even over the phone, the wonder in the prince’s voice was unmistakable. “You acted exactly like I thought you would.”
Since she had a good feeling he was referring to her penchant to lie her head off – even when the smartest thing to do would have been to ‘fess up – Lace didn’t bother asking what he meant.
Instead, she demanded, “Will you do it or not?” He better, Lace thought as she locked her dorm room behind her and raced down the stairs. Managing to get his private number had required her to ask a favor from her older brother, which she normally avoided at all costs.
But desperate straits called for desperate measures so...
“You are playing a dangerous game, little one. You are aware of that, aren’t you?”
“Gabriel,” she growled.
An exasperated sound came from the other end of the line. “Yes,” the prince grumbled. “In exchange for one thing.”
Lace countered readily, “I won’t have sex with you.”
“Since I know now you have the most awful personality, I unfortunately do not consider any kind of relationship with you sufficient compensation.”
“Wow, Prince, way to go on refusing me. You could have just said ‘no’.” Outside the dorm, she did a couple of stretches before setting her calorie counter on and jogging briskly to the university’s main road. It was that time of the month again, and Bobby Granger would kill her if she didn’t show up for club work.
Gabriel laughed. “Apologies. You bring out the worst in me, I’m afraid.”
“Flattered,” she snarled.
Still laughing, the prince said, “Well, if you believe it will help, then I agree. I’ll pretend to be the one you’re talking to and say whatever else you want me to say, provided it does not result in any kind of harm that I may be—-”
“Do you have to make everything sound like a contract?” she demanded.
“Actually,” the prince deadpanned, “I’ll have to fax you an agreement and I’ll need your signature before we can progress further.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha.”
“May I speak of my compensation now?”
“Fine. If you’re really asshole enough to ask for it.”
“Of course, but it is quite a good bargain, so be thankful for that. Going back, I will help you any way I can, but only on one condition: that you update me regularly with how things are working out.” In a musing tone, he added, “I kinda like the idea of how all this will eventually blow up in your face.”
Lace scowled. If only she could strangle someone over the phone, the prince would be so dead right now. She said grumpily, “Deal, although...it’s probably fair for you to know: once this is all over, I’m so going to send an anonymous tip to OK and Hello. I’m gonna let them in on how you may have the whole Prince Charming image down pat, but deep inside you’re worse than...”
She paused, having just reached the booth for the Sign Language Club. Her friends were already there and she waved at them even as she thought hard about a proper analogy to use.
“I give up,” Lace said after a few moments. “You’re so evil, but I can only think of Jafar, and I don’t think he’s evil enough.”
Gabriel’s tone was sardonic as he suggested, “Rasputin perhaps?”
With the prince, it was often like they were talking in two different languages. “Is that a Dutch version for Rumpelstiltskin?”
The prince barked out a laugh. “You, Lace Wyndham, are priceless. I wonder if this quality of yours is what makes Silver March so unfathomably enamoured with you.”
“Shut up with the big words. I’m not impressed.”
“How about good old-fashioned manners?” His tone became humble. “Y
ou are most welcome, Lace.”
Reddening, she muttered, “Thank you.” God, it was so hard to say that. “I appreciate it.” Even harder. “So there. Gratitude properly expressed. Bye, your royal asshole.” Now, that was easy.
Lace ended the call, grinning at the thought of the prince cursing her now.
Aria had her board up when Lace turned her way. WAS THAT SILVER?
Lace shook her head. “Nope. Another guy.”
Aria feigned disapproving shock. “Adulteress.”
“Shut up. I’m not even married and it was not like that.”
“What’s not like that?” KC asked as she rejoined them and handed Lace her own set of handcrafted bookmarks. It was overpriced at $5 a piece, but since it was also for charity, with proceeds donated to deaf-oriented non-profit organizations, Lace figured no one would mind.
Aria pointed to Lace. “She has another...guy.”
Lace wanted to strangle the older girl. “Will you stop it with that?”
KC, meanwhile, was looking at her with great interest. “Oh, I didn’t see that coming.” She nodded understandingly, as if having an internal conversation. “The reverse plot thickens!” She brightened. “Yay!”
Lace raised a brow at Aria, wondering if the other could translate what KC had just said. Aria shrugged. “Beats...me.”
Turning to KC, she said with a sigh, “I don’t get you at all.”
“Sorry,” KC apologized sheepishly. “A reverse harem is a sub-genre, basically, where the heroine’s surrounded by a lot of bishounen—-”
Aria’s white board went up. WHAT?
“Hot guys,” Lace clarified. This she already knew even as far back in high school since it was what KC was most obsessed about.
KC nodded approvingly as she continued, “—-and most times, these men have romantic feelings for the heroine. An example of this would be—-”
“I already get it,” Lace said quickly. She must absolutely not allow KC to get started on giving out recommendations. Once her friend started, she could talk all day long about it.
KC was visibly disappointed. “B-but—-”
“No.” When KC opened her mouth, Lace frowned. “No. And just to be clear,” Lace grumbled, “my life is not like your manga...” She had to stop talking when a couple of guys came to them and began asking about the bookmarks. Seeing that they were just all about flirting, she said baldly, “Only the green-eyed redhead isn’t taken.”
“Lace!” KC protested, the said green-eyed redhead looking especially becoming today with her long-sleeved blouse and sheer-paneled skirt.
“If you buy all of my bookmarks,” Lace promised, “I’m going to give you her number.”
“We’ll take it,” the boys agreed in a chorus.
“Mission accomplished,” Lace said fifteen minutes later and a hundred dollars richer.
KC was red-faced with embarrassment. “That was so...”
“Relax, KC. It was just your number, not your virginity.”
KC blushed even harder.
Lace grinned. “How can you draw such smutty manga and still blush when I just say the V-word?”
KC wailed, “I don’t know.”
Aria pointed out, “You’re bullying her.” A rare smile flashed on Aria’s face. “I approve.”
Lace burst into laughter.
“If you keep this up,” KC threatened, “I won’t tell you about what reverse harem heroines normally have problems with.”
Lace gasped. “You’re actually blackmailing me?” She still didn’t believe her life was a manga, but...it didn’t hurt to know those things, right? “Tell me,” she demanded. “I’m your best friend!”
“No more selling my number,” KC said severely.
Lace hesitated. She still had another twenty to sell tomorrow...
“The first step to solving a problem is identifying the problem,” KC hinted.
Lace grimaced. “Oh, fine, it’s a deal. So tell me.”
Grinning, KC began, “Well, most of the time, problems arise because the heroine is usually dense...”
Ouch. She could name more than a few examples when she had been particularly dense, emotions-wise.
“They also tend to take their heroes for granted...”
Ouch.
“Which is why,” KC ended, “at least one breakup takes place—-”
“But that’s not going to happen to me, right?” Lace asked even as she did her best to keep the worry out of her voice. “Because we already broke up.”
“At least one breakup.” KC frowned. “But...why should you care? Aren’t you guys okay now?”
Lace couldn’t make herself say it.
“Yes.” And so the lying had started again.
God help her.
Really. I mean it, God. Help. Me.
Aria was the last to sell all her bookmarks, but she had the easiest time, too. At about lunchtime, a couple of bikers from the Afxisi came, ordered by Kellion to sell the bookmarks on behalf of the President’s girlfriend.
“Cheater,” Lace teased.
Aria reddened. “I would have refused...” She gritted her teeth in frustration. “But those are...r-rookies. They’re just going to be...punished if I d-don’t...l-let them...do it.” Aria scowled. “Kellion’s going to...pay for that.”
Parting ways at the intersection, with Aria riding off with Kellion on his big bike, Lace and KC were left alone. “Hey, Lace?”
“Yeah?”
“You know we – Aria and I – are here for you, right?” She bit her lip. “I mean, you helped me so many times with Yuki.” Her voice gentled. “You can depend on us, okay? I just wanted you to remember that. I mean, you can still be strong even when you’re asking for help.”
Lace mulled over the words as she did push-ups with the rest of her boys. Ask for help. Oh, how easy it sounded but for Lace, she would rather swallow a pack of nails.
...98, 99, 100.
Jumping to her feet along with the others, she called out, “Ten laps, beginning now.” She blew her whistle. The boys started off, Ivan leading his team.
Inside her pocket, her phone buzzed. It was Grant again, and she promptly deleted his message. It went on and on, until—-
Her phone rang, making Lace jump because it was Silver’s ringtone. “Hey, March.” She tried to sound cool, but she knew she sounded more wistful. Yuck.
“Wyndham.”
Lace wanted to jump for joy at the sound of her name on his lips. He no longer sounded angry, which gave her the courage to consider apologizing first. Taking a deep breath, she started to talk, only to have herself cut off by the sound of an incoming text.
“Who is it?” Silver asked.
“Gabriel,” Lace lied.
“You mean, Gabe?”
“Umm, yeah, Gabe.”
His voice cooled. “Then that means he’s calling long-distance. I should put the phone down—-”
“He’s a prince,” she said desperately. “He can afford to call—-”
“Please.” Silver’s voice was so cold now it could have made snow happen in Miami. “Don’t mind me. We can talk anytime.” Silver paused. “Although I do have to leave for New York tomorrow morning. I’ll probably be there for a week.”
There was a long pause, and Lace held her breath.
Ask me.
Ask me.
Ask me!
But more seconds passed, and it became painfully obvious that he was not going to do what he usually did – ask her to stay over at his place so they could spend one last night together before he left.
Did he not...miss her anymore? Did he even...love her? Did he...have a girl with him right now?
Suddenly, Lace remembered Annie Lawrence’s rather sordid stories about him, which the older woman had been overly eager to tell her every time she managed to be alone with Lace.
Then, she hadn’t cared at all. What was past was past, but...if Silver had been a playboy once, wouldn’t he have an easy time playing around now? Especial
ly since they were fighting and he was travelling all the time?
“I can see your mind’s already miles away.” Silver’s voice was stiff. “I apologize for boring you. I suppose you and the prince have more fascinating stuff to talk about.”
Lace didn’t know what to do. Rather, she knew what she could do, but her pride forbade it.
“Goodbye then.”
Swallowing, she forced herself to say in an extremely bright voice, “Goodbye.”
When the call ended, she let out a scream, the loudest possible—-
“What the hell, Coach?” Her boys were looking at her like she was in danger of demonic possession.
Oh my God, she had forgotten she wasn’t alone.
It was all Silver March’s fault. Everything was his fault. And if they ended up breaking up...
Well, that would be her fault—-
“What the fuck, Coach? Are you crying?”
Bad Luck
Bang, bang, bang. Lace banged her hand against the locker room’s metal door as hard as she could to ensure everyone inside heard her.
That should be warning enough, Lace decided. Closing her eyes, she pushed the doors open, announcing, “We have to talk, you guys.”
Everyone cursed her as the metal doors swung shut behind Lace.
“The fuck, Coach!”
“This is harrassment!”
Since she still had her eyes closed, she could only guess that her boys had probably just come out of the shower and were in various states of undress. “It’s no big deal,” she assured them. “I have my eyes closed, and it’s not like I want to see any of your weenies.”
More curses.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m serious. This day is not going to end until we have this talk. We have to—-”
“What you have to do,” Alexio cut her off, “is to get the hell out of here.”
“No. I want this shit over with right now.” She paused. “So, are you all decent now?”
Another round of curses.
She threw her hands up. “Why is it taking so damn long? You’re worse than girls—-”
This time, everyone was so incensed Lace became the recipient of everyone’s Greek curses.
