The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga)

by McDonald, Jeanne

  “Let me get this straight. She never physically had sex with the guy she met online. They never met, but her husband is suing her for infidelity. How is that even possible?” I asked after swallowing my bite.

  Drew nodded, as he washed down his bite with a drink. “Physical or not, it’s still infidelity.”

  “Okay, something bugs me about this though,” I said in between bites.

  Drew nibbled on a French fry. “What bugs you?”

  “It was fantasy. Not real. She never actually slept with the man. How is that any different than her going out, buying an erotic book then taking care of herself after reading it?”

  Drew nearly choked on his French fry. “I beg your pardon?”

  “I’m not saying she wasn’t wrong here. I’m just saying that it’s no different than buying porn. That’s all.”

  Drew ran his teeth over his bottom lip. “Yes, but in this case there was another party involved. The cyber lover.”

  “And the guy on the front of an erotica book is just another model.”

  “What kind of books have you been reading?” Drew inquired, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

  I took a swig of my Coke. “This isn’t about me. We’re talking about your client,” I corrected.

  “Yes, but talking about your reading choices sounds rather interesting.”

  “Oh, hush, Andrew.”

  “Definitely more interesting. Was Fabio on the front cover? Or was it some hot cowboy in chaps and a hat?”

  I raised my hands, shaking them vigorously. “I’m not reading erotica.”

  “Sure you’re not. And you’re not taking matters into your own hands afterwards either,” he added whimsically.

  “Andrew Jonathan Wise!” I exclaimed. “That is none of your business.”

  Drew laughed hard at my reaction. Of course, I wasn’t about to tell him that was exactly what I had been doing. Olivia wasn’t the only person missing sex, and my vibrator had become a very dear friend to me. Knowing my face had to be a million or so shades of red, I took a drink of my Coke, wishing I hadn’t stopped him from ordering me another beer.

  “Can I tempt you with a slice of Key Lime Pie or Butterscotch pudding for dessert?” Kelsey appeared out of nowhere.

  “Would you like dessert?” Drew asked as he pushed his empty plate away.

  “I’m full. Besides, I know you need to get back to work.”

  “No dessert,” Drew addressed Kelsey. “Just the check, please.”

  The young waiter extracted a folder from his apron and handed it to Drew. Drew glanced at the receipt before slipping his credit card into the pouch and handing it back to Kelsey.

  “I’ll be right back,” Kelsey announced.

  “Instead of dessert, what do you say to a stroll on the beach? It’s such a pretty day outside.”

  “But don’t you need to get back to work?”

  Drew shook his head. “Nah, I think I’m going to half day it as well.”

  “Who are you, and what have you done with Drew?” I asked.

  “Ha-ha. You think you’re so funny,” Drew teased.

  Kelsey returned with the receipt, which Drew signed and handed it back before the waiter could walk away. He stood up and offered me his hand. “Would you care to join me?”

  Taking his hand, Drew lifted me from the chair. The force of his pull sent me toppling into him. He wrapped his strong hands around my shoulders to steady me. I looked into his crystal orbs and my whole body melted. “Sure,” I whispered.

  “Good,” he whispered back, tapping the tip of my nose. He draped his arm gingerly around my shoulders, and slung his suit jacket over his shoulder.

  The mid-afternoon sun shimmered in the late winter sky. There was a light chill to the wind, but the heat of the sun countered it against my skin. Drew guided me along a path that led to the beach front. Patrons were gathered on the beach enjoying their early afternoon off with their children.

  I stopped momentarily and slipped my shoes off.

  “Thank you for lunch today,” I said, looking out over the gulf. Gentle waves brushed the water on to the sand of Lido Beach, making it soft and sticky under my feet.

  “It was my pleasure. And I’m sorry about earlier. It was wrong of me to complain about Olivia like I did to you. It puts you between a rock and a hard place, and that’s not fair to you.”

  With my free arm, I slid it around his waist. Goosebumps appeared on my arms and legs reminding of why I tried to keep a physical distance from him.

  “Drew, I’m friends with you both. You’re welcome to vent to me any time. That’s what friends are for. What you say to me stays with me. I’d never tell her anything.”

  Drew smiled, bringing my head toward him, as he placed a tender kiss on my temple. “I know you wouldn’t. Thank you for being such a good friend.”

  Friend. That word ate at my insides.

  Drew rubbed his hand down my arm. “Are you cold?” he asked.

  The chill in the air had affected my body, plus the breeze coming off the water didn’t help any, but it was being skin to skin to him that caused notable impression on my skin.

  “I’m fine,” I replied.

  Drew’s brow furrowed. He pulled away from me, only to wrap his suit jacket over my shoulders. “It’s not much, but at least it will protect your little arms some.”

  I slipped my limbs into the jacket. The sleeves were cool and felt of silk. They were also way too long for my short arms. Drew stopped our little trek and turned me to face him. He lifted my hand by the sleeve and started to roll it up until it fit me evenly. Once satisfied with the length, he proceeded to complete the same task with the other.

  “There you go, Miss Evans. It’s now tailored to fit you.”

  I held out my arms in front of me, jiggling them at him. “Why, Mr. Wise, I do believe you’ve found a new calling in life.”

  Drew laughed and pulled me back into his side, leading me further down the beach.

  “You know, it’s kind of funny,” Drew said.

  I tilted my head, looking up at him. “Hmm? What is?”

  “We met the first time on a beach. Remember?”

  “Well, technically, we didn’t meet on the beach. We met later that night at Liv’s place,” I said, picking at my nails. I was still humiliated by him catching me staring at his butt.

  “Logistics.” He reached for my hand to stop me from digging at my cuticles. “I’ve always been curious though.”

  “About what?” I could barely breathe. Instead of releasing my hand, he held it as we slowly made our way over the sand.

  “You were on the phone with someone. Who was it?”

  “You saw that?” I asked, shocked by his memory. “I could have sworn that call took place after you passed by me.”

  Drew looked out over the water’s edge. A slight hue of pink shaded his cheekbones. “I backtracked to where you couldn’t see me. You intrigued me, so, I kind of watched you from a distance for a short while.”

  Thump, went my heart. “You watched me?” I whispered.

  “Yeah,” he murmured. “So who was it? On the phone, I mean?”

  I scrunched my face, trying to think back to that day. So much had happened since that day, that a single phone call didn’t seem very important to remember.

  “I think it was my mother,” I answered, still not entirely sure I was right. “She has a habit of calling me at the most inopportune times.”

  Drew’s head fell back in a deep laugh. “Don’t they all?”

  Seeing him laugh, invoked a smile on my face. He had the most wonderful laugh. So, vibrant and full of life.

  “Why’d you want to know?”

  “No reason, really. I was thinking about that day, and was curious.”

  “A lot has changed since that day,” I said.

  “That’s for sure,” he agreed. “But it remains one of my favorite days.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “Because it was the day you entered my
life,” he answered.

  I smiled and nudged him. He nudged me back, mirroring my smile. “Thanks, Drew. I really am a lucky girl to have a friend like you.”

  His smile faltered for a moment. We stopped walking. The sounds of children playing and the water flowing over the beach surrounded us. Sunlight sparkled through his light brown hair, revealing shades of red and gold mixed in it. Staring in my eyes, he tenderly brushed his fingertips along the line of my jaw.

  My body felt like a firecracker factory that had been set on fire. The butterflies that resided in my stomach and the hummingbirds that lived in my chest collided together to make a swarm of tingles forcing their way through my body.

  Then without warning, Drew’s deep impressionable stare turned into a mischievous one.

  “You call yourself lucky?”

  I nodded. “I’d say so – OH!”

  Suddenly, I was being lifted off the ground and tossed over Drew’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The earth started to spin. At least that’s how it felt, for Drew had started to turn around and around in circles.

  “Put me down!” I screamed, banging my hand against his back. One hand wasn’t enough though, so I dropped my shoes to the ground in order to beat him with my fists.

  Drew laughed hard as he continued to spin. “Drew, I swear to all that is holy! Put me down!”

  “Okay. You asked for it.”

  With that, Drew flung me through the air. I slammed into the gulf. The cold water crashed over me, sending horrible chills throughout my entire body. I thrashed my arms, forcing my head back to the surface. I came up, gurgling and screaming, “Andrew!”

  Drew buckled over in laughter at the sight of me.

  Shivering from both shock and cold, I flailed my arms and legs erratically. “What the hell’d you do that for?” I demanded through the clatter of teeth.

  “Because I’m a bad wittle boy,” he mocked.

  I swam to the shallowest point I could before reaching the shore. Two could play this game. I extended my hand to him, forcing him to roll his pants legs up and move out into the water to help me. Drew being the gentleman that he was, didn’t hesitate. He reached out and took my hand. With one solid tug, I pulled him into the cold water with me.

  His head came back up in a rush. He spit water out of his mouth while pushing his wet hair from his eyes. “Damn it, Mickie! Do you realize how much this suit cost?”

  It never occurred to me how much his suit was worth. Furthermore, I didn’t even take into the consideration that I was still wearing his jacket. Revenge was all that was on my mind. Now having the cost brought into light, I felt horrible and guilty. I covered my mouth and gasped.

  “I’m so sorry, Drew. I’ll replace it. I’m so…”

  The sound of Drew’s laughter filled the air, sending birds flying off of the piers. “Gotcha!” He dunked my head back underwater. I flailed against his force.

  When he released me, I rushed back to the surface, gasping for air. I cupped my hands, throwing water at him. “I was about to cry. I can’t believe you,” I screeched.

  Drew lifted his hand in front of his face, blocking the water the best he could.

  “Cry over a suit? That’s silly. It can be replaced.” Drew winked at me and took my hand in his.

  “It’s not silly. It’s considerate.”

  “You’re adorable.” His kind words reverberated inside my chest. “Let’s get out of here before we both catch pneumonia.”

  “Good idea,” I agreed, following him out of the water back to the warm sand. My body shook from the chill in the air and my wet clothes. The arms of his jacket had unrolled during our stint in the water. I pulled the waterlogged jacket off, and handed it back to him. He picked up my shoes and handed them to me.

  We ran all the way back to the restaurant, laughing uncontrollably. Drew kept his arm wrapped around me as best as he could while we ran. I knew he was trying to keep me warm, but since we were both soaked, it didn’t help.

  I pulled my keys out of my pocket, praying the key fob still worked. I pressed the button to pop the hatchback of the Prius, grateful when it unhinged. I pulled out two towels and handed one to Drew. He rubbed it over his head and down his arms.

  “You keep towels in your car?” he inquired.

  Pulling my now transparent t-shirt away from my body, I ran the towel underneath it over my wet skin. “Always. This is Florida. You never know when you’ll need them,” I replied, through clattered teeth.

  “Good point.” He pointed between us, laughing.

  I leaned down and rubbed the towel along my legs. He moved closer to me, wrapping his towel around my shoulders. His long fingers enfold around my arms, rubbing the towel against my skin.

  “We need to get you out of those wet clothes,” he whispered. His full lips mere inches from mine.

  Captivated by his lingering stare, I whimpered, unable to speak.

  “I’d hate for you to get sick because of my childishness,” he added.

  He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, placing it behind my ear. A trail of heat ignited along my skin, as his fingers trailed lengthwise down my jaw.

  “I’ll be okay,” I managed. My head was spinning. Having him so close was intoxicating.

  He leaned in closer to me, his lips mere inches from mine. The sweetness of his breath, now sated with salt water breezed warmly over my face. “Mickie,” his voice grew husky.

  I closed my eyes, my stomach tight with anticipation. Every fiber of my being wanted him to kiss me. I ached to feel his lips pressed to mine. Sure, I knew it was wrong, but I simply didn’t care. My body stiffened as his fingers dug into the flesh of my arm. Then his mouth brushed across my forehead.

  My heart dropped in my chest. The feelings I had were completely one-sided. He was with Olivia, and here I was throwing myself at him. I opened my eyes to see his face contorted in anguish.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he released me.

  He took a few steps back. “No, you’re right,” I said, running my fingers through my hair. “We both need to get out of these wet clothes.”

  He nodded and smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes. “Thank you for today. I’ll text you later. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I whispered, forcing yet another smile.

  He walked around me, and opened my car door. I slid into my seat, wincing as my door closed behind me. Once the engine came to life, I cranked on the heater. The hot air hit me in the face, reminding me of how cold I really was.

  My heart ached as I pulled out of the parking space. I glanced over the street, checking for oncoming traffic.

  Before turning out into the street, I checked my rearview mirror. Drew stood where I had left him, rubbing his hands over his arms. He turned around as if he were about to head to his vehicle. Instead he shoved his hands through his wet hair, and buckled over before jolting back up. He kicked his foot, his jaw clenched tight, as he shook his head. Then he walked to his car and climbed in. The brake lights glowed, and I took that as my cue to turn.

  With a heavy heart, I turned onto the circle, and headed home, hating myself for what I had just done.

  Chapter Ten

  Guilt settled in during my drive home. I’d nearly kissed Drew. This was bad. And to make matters worse, it was my fault. I put him in a bad situation. It pained me to know that I could’ve hurt him and Olivia. Had it not been for Drew pulling away, I could only imagine what would’ve happened.

  But he did pull away, thus proving what my heart already knew. All the feelings I felt were one-sided, which is how it should be. I should’ve been the one to apologize, not the other way around.

  I slammed my palm down on the steering wheel. “God, how could I be such a moron?” I screamed at myself.

  Tears pushed against the back of my eyes. It took every ounce of force in me to fight them back. I didn’t deserve to cry. Drew had never been anything but nice to me, and there I was, puckered up like a sixteen year old girl about to ge
t her first kiss.

  “Stupid,” I chastised myself. “So stupid!”

  It was a little after four when I arrived at the condo. Olivia typically got off work around five, so I figured I’d be safe to get inside, clean up, and start dinner before she arrived home.

  I pulled into the parking garage, only to have all my hopes shattered. There sat Olivia’s car parked in her assigned spot. The weight of the day pressed down on me, along with the weight of my wet clothes.

  I parked my car and made my way to the elevator. For once, I didn’t have to wait ten minutes for it to open. Of course, it was the one time I actually wanted to wait for it. As the elevator took me to the fourteenth floor, I rested my head on the wall. My eyes fluttered shut, and the memory of Drew’s expression as he pulled away from me replayed like a bad record over and over in my head.

  Contemplating the consequences of my actions, I pushed myself off of the wall when the elevator doors opened. I dawdled along the hall, feeling yet another weight on my chest. Olivia. Not only was I sure I screwed up my friendship with Drew, but I was going to have to face her. Sure, nothing happened, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want it to. God, I was a horrible friend.

  The sound of the lock unhinging caused me to feel nauseated as I opened the door. As I stepped into the apartment, I noticed Olivia, sitting on the couch, wearing a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top, looking through a magazine.

  She glanced in my direction, hardly noting my entrance. “Hey,” I called out, laying my purse down on the hall table. It had been a good thing that I left it in my car before going into the restaurant or it and my cell phone would have been ruined by my afternoon swim.

  Nothing.

  Absolute silence.

  If ever I was given a cold shoulder, this would have taken the cake. She was mad at me, and I could only assume as to why. Either Drew already told her what kind of jerk I was, or she was upset over me having lunch with him. Either way, her silence said it all.

  The only thing I could do was give her space. I walked back to my room and stripped out of my semi-dry clothes. Once unrobed, I rubbed a fresh towel through my hair and slipped into a pair of flannel pajamas. The warm fabric against my skin eliminated the remainder of the chill I was still experiencing. With my favorite gray wool socks covering my feet, I padded back into the living room to face the music.