The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga)

by McDonald, Jeanne

  I rolled over, afraid to close my eyes. The thought of seeing Drew disappointed in me like that again was unbearable. Instead, I laid in the dark wishing for sleep to take me, knowing that I was in for a long night.

  Chapter Eleven

  After countless hours of staring into the abyss of my dark bedroom, I couldn’t take the mental torture any longer. I tossed my feet over the side of my bed, and reached for my phone on the nightstand.

  Over thinking was a bad habit of mine, and usually got me into more trouble than I was worth. This happened to be one of those times. Everything was okay. Drew wasn’t mad at me. No harm was done. Olivia was happy that things between her and Drew were seemingly back on track. So, why was I belittling myself for something that didn’t happen?

  I popped up out of the bed and flipped on the light. My mind kept reeling with everything. Nothing could make it stop. Well, almost nothing. I dug through my dresser drawer, searching for a pair of running shorts. At times like this, I needed a good, hard run to clear my head. After finding my favorite running gear, I dressed and set out for the beach.

  Just as I suspected, as soon as my feet hit the sand, all of my worries melted away. Alone, with nothing but my music blaring in my ears, and the sounds of my own heavy breathing whistling through my earphones, I was able to come to terms with myself.

  The early morning run was invigorating. And lucky for me, it was still early enough when I headed home, that the roads were devoid of any traffic or snowbirds. So, I made it back before Olivia even realized I was gone.

  I slinked through the condo as quiet as I could be. Olivia’s room was still dark, and the horrific sound of her snoring rattled the door as I passed.

  A funny thought occurred to me as I headed toward the bathroom. If I had a hard time listening to her snoring, how in the world did Drew survive it? The man had to be a sound sleeper to be able to sleep through what sounded like a dying buffalo.

  The bathroom was dark, except for the dull white nightlight pressed into the electrical socket by the vanity. I’d placed my Star Wars lightsaber nightlight in the bathroom, but by some fluke accident, it was broken by Olivia’s maid service. I wondered how much of a bonus they got for ‘accidentally’ breaking my nightlight.

  Once inside, I twisted the doorknob, and closed the door as lightly as possible. I flipped on the light, and stripped out of my sweaty clothes, tossing them in the laundry basket.

  For once, I was able to take a long, hot shower, and I savored every second of it. Over time, I had grown accustomed to taking lukewarm showers. Olivia always beat me to the shower in the morning, thus eliminating all the hot water.

  After the shower, I got dressed in my usual attire of a white long-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of khaki pants, and my brown Skechers. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and applied some mascara and lip gloss.

  Satisfied with my appearance, I walked back down the hall and noticed Olivia’s light was on. I gently knocked on her door.

  “I’m going to make coffee. Want any?” I spoke to the door.

  She opened her door looking like she had just tussled with a bear and lost. “Coffee, good,” she grunted. Her eyes drifted down my body and a menacing scowl contorted her already rough appearance. “Really, Kenz, you couldn’t wear something a little classier?”

  Producing the sweetest smile I could muster, I responded, “Good morning to you too, sunshine.”

  “Good morning. Now go change,” she demanded.

  “We’re driving almost two hours to go to a mall. I’m dressed fine.”

  Olivia rolled her puffy eyes. “Whatever. I’ll be dressed in a minute.”

  A minute…not likely, I thought.

  Her bedroom door closed, and nearly hit me in the nose. I jumped back, glaring at my almost assailant.

  “This is going to be a fun day, isn’t it?” I stared at the oak wood expecting a response. When I got none, I turned around and headed down the hall toward the kitchen laughing at myself.

  “I can’t believe it. I’m talking to a door,” I said in my best Rodney Dangerfield impersonation.

  Since moving in with Olivia, the kitchen had become my domain. Without so much as a fuss from Olivia, everything had been set up to my liking. As long as I cooked for her, she was content. No expense was spared in Olivia’s home. She had all of the most up-to-date appliances, but my favorite was the Keurig coffeemaker.

  Knowing Olivia was going to be awhile, I popped my favorite k-cup in the maker and started chopping up some fresh fruit to nibble on.

  A soft tap at the door alerted me to the arrival of the daily newspaper. At first I didn’t understand why Olivia even got the newspaper. She didn’t read it. Until one morning, I found Drew hovering over the paper before he disappeared off to work. That clarified everything for me. Not that I minded. I was one of those who enjoyed the classic feel of a newspaper in my hand to obtain my daily dose of the news. Plus, the comics were always a great way to start my morning.

  By the time Olivia made her appearance in the kitchen, I had already eaten my breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and brewed a cup of coffee for her. As usual, she was dressed to impress. Her dark hair was piled under a red newsboy hat which matched her red skinny jeans and off the shoulder yellow top. Her look was completed with a pair of bright yellow Jimmy Choo pumps.

  “Is the coffee made?” she asked, reaching into the cabinet for a to-go coffee mug.

  “Of course,” I replied. “I brewed your favorite, just like I always do.”

  “Aww! You’re the best wifey a girl could ask for,” she teased.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I intoned.

  She poured her coffee, and closed the lid to the cup. How she drank it black was beyond me. Sugar and milk were absolute requirements for my coffee.

  “You ready?” she asked, taking a sip of the hot brew.

  “Ready when you are.” I folded the comics, leaving them where I could finish them later. I grabbed my stuff and followed Olivia out the door.

  “We’ll take my car,” she announced as we headed through the parking garage.

  Olivia loved her car and I had to admit it was a pretty sweet ride. She owned a metallic blue, BMW M6 convertible. I called it her dick-magnet; because pretty much any man that saw it wanted a ride in it.

  She started the engine and pulled out onto the street. I rested my head against the window, preparing myself for a long day. The sun was now hanging high in the eastern sky, setting fire to the Heavens. Gorgeous hues of red, blue, yellow, and green colored the sky. I watched as the sun grew larger and larger with each passing minute. It was a beautiful sight to witness.

  As we travelled, Olivia yammered on and on about anything and everything. All the while my head was back in Sarasota with Drew. I wondered what he was up to, certain that he and Gavin were off playing golf and getting into more trouble than they were worth.

  Lost in my musings, I guess I missed my mark in responding to Olivia, because I was pulled out of my own head by the back of Olivia’s hand nudging my shoulder.

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  I blinked my eyes and tilted my head to look at her. “Yeah. I heard every word. Your mother and father are off to New York next week to visit your aunt, and want you to join them. You should go.”

  Olivia glanced over at me, staring in disbelief. “That conversation was ages ago, Kenz.”

  I scratched my head. “Oh. Sorry. I guess I zoned out.”

  “Hmm. So where did you zone off to?”

  “Nowhere,” I mused.

  Olivia’s lips twitched into a tiny smirk. “Really? So, who is it?”

  “Who is what?” I asked.

  Olivia checked her mirror and changed lanes.

  “The guy you were just thinking about. I know that look, McKenzie Evans. So, tell me. Who is he?”

  I swallowed thickly. Was I that obvious? This had to stop. “There’s no one, Liv.” I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back against the window.

  “Have
you talked to Nate lately?” she asked.

  “Um, no, but he did try calling yesterday while I was out. I haven’t called him back though.”

  “Good for you. I’m proud of you. He doesn’t deserve you. Personally, I think you should make a play for Jared.”

  “Jared?” I exclaimed. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, I’m not.” She stared at me over her sunglasses. “He’s got a great body, and a cute face. He’s very much into you. Plus you get along great. I think he’d be a great match for you.”

  “Jared’s like a brother.”

  “He doesn’t see you that way, Kenz.” She slurped her coffee through her teeth.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I scoffed. I waved my hand as if dismissing her, returning my gaze to the water passing us by.

  “Say what you will, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Jared is smitten.”

  I shook my head. “You’re crazy. He’s my buddy. Nothing more.”

  My phone buzzed in my purse. I leaned down to retrieve it. Olivia glanced over at me as I looked at the message.

  Hope you have a pleasant trip. And you can get that thought of replacing my suit out of that pretty, little head of yours.

  I turned to Olivia. “You told Drew I was going to replace his suit?”

  Olivia shrugged. “I had to get his measurements, didn’t I?”

  I exhaled. “Did you get them?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did. He didn’t seem very happy about my insistence. But I told him I had other ways to get the information if he didn’t give it to me.”

  “Oh, heavens, I’m sure he’s pissed.”

  “And he can get over it,” Olivia informed me.

  With a heavy sigh, I tapped out my reply to him.

  I’m going to shopping Hell. I wouldn’t call that pleasant. I promise it will be an awesome monkey suit. LOL. Talk soon.

  I pressed send and dropped the phone back into my purse. I knew he would have a few choice things to say, and I was determined to replace the suit, no matter the cost.

  Olivia started chatting about how I needed to talk Jared into doing a double date with her and Drew. I blanked out, half-heartedly listening to her prattle. Only answering with grunts and noises periodically so she’d think I was listening.

  We arrived at the mall, and I couldn’t exit the car fast enough. I felt like a sailor seeing dry land for the first time in months. I marched beside Olivia into the mall. She was a woman on a mission. I would lay money that she had the entire mall and our route mapped out in her mind.

  “First stop, Gucci,” she proclaimed.

  Let the shopping expedition begin!

  She led me through Neiman Marcus and straight up to the Gucci store on the upper level of the mall. We entered the shop, and I stopped dead in my tracks, enamored by the beautiful array of clothes. “This way,” she directed, grabbing my hand, leading me to the men’s section. Without warning, Olivia began tossing suits at me.

  “He loves dark colored suits. Black and slate gray are his favorites,” she advised.

  “I don’t know about these,” I snarled.

  None of the suits she chose screamed Drew to me. They were all nice, expensive suits, but I was looking for that one suit that said, ‘Hi, I’m Andrew Wise, and I’m going to rule your ass in court today.’

  “I think I’m gonna look around a bit and see what I can find,” I muttered, handing back the clothes she had given me.

  “Suit yourself,” she giggled, wrapping the suits over her arm.

  “Oh, Liv,” I groaned.

  Olivia’s laugh echoed through the store as I darted off toward the back. I thumbed through a few racks, but nothing caught my attention. This idea seemed to be futile. What did I know about buying a man a suit? My father only wore them to church on Sundays, and Nate never asked me to help him when he bought his. But then again, Nate’s never cost over a grand either.

  I walked around, stopping to gaze at the different materials. Italian silk, wool, cotton blend, they all looked the same to me.

  Grinding my teeth under my nail, I happened to look up at the wall on the opposite side of the store. On display was a gorgeous navy blue suit, with thin lavender pin stripes. The lavender was so light that if someone wasn’t looking closely, the stripes would almost appear to be white.

  It was single breasted with a matching vest. The lines screamed power and success to me, yet sensitive and endearing, just like Drew. The clincher was that vest though. Drew was a sucker for a three piece suit, but then again, so was I.

  “May I help you?” a kind older gentleman asked as he walked up behind me.

  “Yes, sir,” I replied. “I’d like to see that one, please.” I pointed to the display.

  “A very nice selection there, Miss. You have a keen eye.” He walked over to the wall and used a hook to extract the suit for me to further examine.

  “It’s made from finest Italian silk,” he quoted.

  The fabric felt smooth under my fingertips. And the color was stunning.

  “It’s perfect. I’ll take it.” I couldn’t believe I had just said that price unseen, but I couldn’t help it. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen Drew wear and yet I knew it was perfect for him. I couldn’t walk away.

  “Very well, madam. Is the gentleman here to try it on?”

  “Um, no,” I mumbled. “I have his measurements though.”

  “It’s a good start, but a suit like this really should be fitted to the owner.” His smile was sweet as he instructed me. “I can suggest a few tailors for you, if you’d like.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, waving Olivia over. She approached the store clerk and me with a curious look on her face.

  “You find something?” she asked.

  “I think so,” I replied. “I need Drew’s measurements.”

  Olivia glanced at the suit the clerk was holding, while rummaging through her purse to obtain Drew’s sizes.

  “I’ve never seen Drew wear anything like that,” Olivia scowled, handing the strip of paper to the salesman.

  “I think he will like it,” I told her. “Besides, it would bring out the blue in his eyes perfectly.”

  The salesman looked over the sheet and returned the original suit back into position before retrieving the proper size.

  “It’s a waste of money if you ask me. He’ll never wear it,” Olivia argued.

  “It’s my money to waste, I guess,” I rebutted with a surge of venom.

  Olivia shrugged. “Andrew Wise doesn’t wear blue suits. It’s not in his color profile,” she persisted.

  “Did you say Andrew Wise?” the clerk asked. He led us to the front desk, and hung the suit up on a rack located to the side of the counter.

  “Yes, sir. Do you know him?” I inquired.

  He walked behind the counter and scanned the bar code on the label. “Ah, yes, ma’am. Mr. Wise frequents here quite regularly. I do agree with the young Miss, though; this isn’t his usual style.”

  Olivia nodded, her nose snarled in a smug grin.

  “However, I do agree he’ll approve of the change.”

  I grinned, triumphant.

  “And if you’d like, we can deliver your purchase to his usual tailor. We have the information on file. We often deliver his suits for him as a courtesy for being a loyal customer.”

  “You can do that?” my voice rose with excitement.

  “Of course, and I can also notify Mr. Wise that he has a suit waiting to be tailored as well.”

  “Thank you so much.” I pulled my wallet out of my purse, as he processed my transaction.

  When the clerk quoted me the price, my jaw nearly hit the sales desk. Never in my life had I spent so much money on one item before. The most expensive item in my closet was a pair of Christian Louboutin knee-high boots I bought on sale from an outlet mall in Texas. But this was different. This wasn’t for me. It was for Drew. So I handed salesman my credit card without fail.

  “Wa
ste of money,” Olivia grumbled, her arms crossed over her chest.

  It bothered me that she was reacting in such a hateful manner. This was a present. There was no need to be hateful. And if Drew didn’t like the suit, he could always return it and get something he liked better.

  I signed the receipt and handed it back to the clerk. He flashed me a witty grin and handed me my copy. “Mr. Wise is a lucky man,” he stated, a kind smile reaching his eyes.

  Olivia’s hands fell to her side with a slap. She glared at the man like he had just threatened her first born child. “I’m his girlfriend,” she growled.

  The older gentlemen’s face paled at her reaction. “I meant no disrespect,” he assured her. He turned his attention back to me. “I’ll contact Mr. Wise immediately. Thank you for stopping by, and have a pleasant day.”

  “You as well,” I replied. I took Olivia by the arm and led her out the door.

  “How rude of him to assume like that,” she bellowed.

  “He didn’t assume anything. Now let’s go find you a Drew approved dress. Okay?”

  Store after store we searched for Olivia’s perfect dress. What I liked, she didn’t, what she liked, I didn’t. It was an ongoing cycle that was both tedious and annoying. It didn’t matter if I liked something or not, because if Olivia wanted it, she got it. I was so exhausted by the time we finished with the last store, I could hardly see straight.

  On our way out of the building, we passed a store I frequented. Having bought nothing for myself, I decided I deserved a treat. “I’m going in here,” I announced.

  Olivia shrugged. “Fine, I guess we can,” she grumbled, acting put out by the fact that we weren’t entering a designer shop.

  Compared to all the stores she had dragged me through, this place felt soothing to me. I honed in on a gray strapless dress, hanging on a rack near the center of the shop. It was the perfect match for a black cardigan I had, and I wanted it.

  I balanced the bags I was carrying for Olivia on my arm, and searched the rack for my size. Elated to discover they had my exact size, I reached for the hanger, intending to try it one, when I heard Olivia walk up behind me.

  “Oh, wow! That’s perfect,” she squealed. “Is that my size?” She ripped the hanger from my hand. “Oh, honey, this isn’t my size. It’s too big.”