Two Truths & a Lime (The Love Game Book 3)

by Elizabeth Hayley

  “Yup,” she said, moving the slotted spoon she was holding up and down the length of my body. “It’s all working. Your hips, your ass, the off-the-shoulder dress. If I wasn’t like…the straightest female ever, I’d wanna fuck you.”

  “Um, thanks. I think. I’m not sure that comment makes you the straightest female ever, but I’ll take it as a compliment.”

  “Good. Because it is. You look hot. Like really hot. And Drew thinks you’re beautiful even when you look like shit, so he probably won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

  Again I chose to take it as a compliment. At least the beginning and end of it.

  “Where’s he taking you, anyway?”

  “I actually don’t know. He said it was a surprise. I’m hoping we’re not going hiking or something,” I said with a laugh. “I don’t think these heels’ll make it.”

  “I’m sure you’re fine. He would’ve told you to wear something specific. And you’re meeting him in the lobby, so you can always run back up to change if you need to.”

  That was true. Plus, I couldn’t see Drew planning something that involved anything other than letting us relax. It’d been a long few weeks since the deck opening, and both of us had been too busy to see each other much, even though we lived in the same building.

  “Okay.” I sighed deeply as I wondered why I was so nervous to go out on a date with a guy I’d been dating for months. “I guess I’ll get going.” I grabbed the small yellow clutch before smiling and saying, “Don’t wait up.”

  I hurried down to the lobby, excited, and a little anxious, to get this date started.

  Seeing Drew in dark-gray chinos and a crisp white shirt with the top few buttons open did two things to me: one, it made me relieved that we definitely weren’t going hiking, and two, it caused me to second-guess why we’d even decided to go out at all when we could’ve just stayed in bed. Because as good as Drew looked in fitted pants and an untucked shirt, he’d look even better without either of them on at all.

  “You look gorgeous,” he said as I approached.

  “Thanks. I was about to say the same to you.”

  In my heels, I didn’t have to lean up too much to kiss him. And as I admired the top of his tan chest and let my gaze trail down his body to where his sleeves were rolled to the elbow, I realized I’d developed quite a forearm fetish this summer. The freckles that ghosted his skin had darkened a little from the sun, and the hair, which had never been that dark to begin with, had lightened to blond.

  “Are you petting my arm?” he asked with a laugh.

  I hadn’t noticed I’d actually been stroking him with my thumb as I held his wrist, but I wasn’t self-conscious about it.

  “It seems that I am,” I admitted. “I can’t help it. I always find new parts of you I wanna touch.”

  “Well, don’t touch me too much because then we’ll never leave.”

  I almost told him that was completely fine with me, but I knew he’d been planning something, and I was excited to find out what it was. So I slid my hand into his and smiled at him so he could lead the way.

  “Brody let you borrow his car for the night?” I asked when he used the fob to unlock it.

  “Yeah. I think he’s hanging out at the pool with Aamee and grilling. It didn’t take much convincing. It gives him a reason to stay at our apartment for the night.” He raised his eyebrows as he opened the door for me. “He just told me not to fuck in it.”

  “Ew.”

  “That’s what I said. God only knows what Brody’s done in this car. Or who. There’s no way we’re letting our bare skin touch any of the surfaces.”

  Not only that, but my brother’s car usually had crumbs on the seats and a smell that no one could quite identify. But when I slid into the seat, I noticed I didn’t have to brush anything off the fabric.

  “Did you clean it?”

  “Of course. Washed, vacuumed. I even aired it out for a while and got some kind of essential oil air freshener thing so it doesn’t smell like Fritos anymore,” he said, starting up the car and pulling out of the space.

  “Fancy,” I teased, but there was no sarcasm to it. Drew had clearly put a lot of thought into whatever we were doing, starting with how we were getting there. It made me even more excited to see what he had planned.

  We drove and sang along to whatever came on the radio, from Zac Brown to Lizzo and everything in between. It began as something we did together but quickly turned into a competition, though neither of us actually verbalized it. Somehow we just knew.

  Drew knew more songs than I did, which was saying something since Taylor and I had spent most of our childhood and teenage years doing this exact same thing. I still made it a habit to learn any song I liked, but when Drew busted out with some Mariah Carey song I’d never even heard before, I knew I’d been schooled.

  Eventually he put on a playlist he called “Summer Jams,” which was mostly a mix of reggae and some modern country, and we put the windows down a bit. It was a nice night, but I didn’t want to mess my hair up completely. When we’d been gone about an hour, I couldn’t help myself.

  “Are we there yet?”

  He stopped drumming on the wheel and looked over at me. “I’m surprised it took you that long.”

  “Me too,” I admitted.

  It seemed like he was debating whether to divulge any part of the night to me before it really began, but eventually he decided against it.

  “Ten minutes,” he said.

  We were headed toward the coast, but I had no idea why or where our actual destination was. I hadn’t been to the beach in almost a year, and now that we were close, I could smell the saltwater in the air.

  Usually I was home in the summer, which meant that the drive to the coast was significantly longer, and this summer had been so busy with my internship and the Yard opening, it hadn’t occurred to me to plan even a day trip.

  “We need to plan a beach day,” I told Drew. “The pool at the apartment’s great, but I miss the sand and looking out at the ocean. Some of my best memories were going to my grandparents’ beach house as a kid.”

  “Oh yeah? You never told me that.”

  “I forgot about it. Or…not so much forgot as didn’t ever have a reason to bring it up. It feels like so long ago. I was fourteen when my grandfather died, and my grandmother sold the house soon after.”

  He reached over and squeezed my hand. “Well, I’m not sure this’ll be the beach day you’re missing, but that’s where we’re headed.”

  “Seriously? Like the actual beach? I’m not really dressed for it.” I looked down at my black dress and yellow heels and wondered how I was going to be comfortable on the beach in an outfit like this.

  “Neither am I,” he said. “We’re having dinner first at a restaurant that has outdoor seating on the second floor. I’ve never been there, but Brody told me it’s amazing.” He looked over at me, and in the fading daylight, his eyes sparkled. “I figured if you’re up for it, we can hang out on the beach after dinner. I brought a blanket.”

  I couldn’t help but smile and raise an eyebrow at him. “Hopin’ to get lucky, huh?” I teased.

  But he didn’t laugh. He just stared into my eyes for as long as the road would let him and said, “I’m already lucky.”

  D R E W

  Brody was right. Dinner tasted even better than it looked, and we were able to watch the sunset while we finished off a bottle of wine. I honestly didn’t think things could get much better. That is until we made our way down to the beach, carrying the other bottle of wine I brought and the blanket. I didn’t think we were supposed to drink on the beach, but I also didn’t know we weren’t, so I figured I’d chance it.

  Sophia slid off her heels when we reached the sand, and as soon as her feet touched it, she started jogging toward the ocean like a kid feeling the cool sand between her toes for the first time. She seemed so full of joy, so completely giddy, that I wondered if it was the wine or the beach that did this to her.


  I followed her toward the water, though considerably more slowly because I wanted to take all of this in: the fading sky that still held a hint of orange at the horizon, the crash of each wave as it hit the shore, how Sophia practically danced at the water’s edge as she let it wash over her feet before it receded again.

  Trying my hardest to commit this very moment so deep in my memory that I wouldn’t forget a scent or sound, I spread out the blanket near the water and put the bottle of wine in the center. After scooping some sand onto the corners to keep it in place, I made my way to Sophia.

  As if she could sense me coming, she turned just as I approached, even though I was sure I didn’t make a sound.

  “This is perfect,” she said, resting her head on my shoulder after I pulled her toward me.

  I kissed the top of her head, thinking that the aroma of her shampoo and the saltwater must be what heaven smells like.

  “Yeah?” I said softly.

  She looked up at me, and I thought I saw a tear in her eye.

  “You’re not crying, are you?”

  “No,” she said, but she was far short of convincing, especially since she brought her hand up to rub at her eye. “I’m just…”

  “Crying?” I pulled her in close. “Why are you crying?”

  “Because…” My question seemed to make her even more emotional than she was a second ago. She sniffled before finishing. “This is all so thoughtful.”

  I don’t think I’d ever cried of happiness in my entire life, but it made me feel good that something I’d done had caused someone else to. As much as I hated when Sophia cried, I couldn’t help but feel a warmth run through me at her words.

  “I’m just glad you like it.”

  She wiped her eyes again and gazed up at mine. “I love it,” she said. “And I love you.”

  “I love you too,” I whispered, trying not to get choked up. No matter how many times I said the words, they’d never fully convey my feelings for her.

  She buried her head in my chest and hugged me tightly.

  And because I felt as if the moment had gotten too serious for both of us, I said, “Just don’t wipe your snot on my shirt.”

  When she laughed against me, I knew the white shirt was probably a goner. It made me laugh too.

  “Sorry,” she said. “Pretend that didn’t happen.”

  Shaking my head, I smiled. “Mmm-mm. No way.”

  “Are you gonna tell everyone I blew my nose on you?”

  “No,” I said, wiping the last of her tears from her cheek. “I just don’t plan on forgetting anything about this night.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  S O P H I A

  It had been two weeks since Drew and I had found our way back to us. It felt good to be back on the same page, to have our relationship come out on the other side of another storm.

  But while the worst of the storm was definitely over, I was feeling a slight uptick in the winds as I walked into Margot Nathan. Trey Daily was coming in today to approve some strategies the team wanted to implement as his launch neared. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was feeling a little shook.

  I set my things on my desk and began unpacking, organizing everything how I liked it. Once I sat, I woke up my laptop and checked my calendar for the twentieth time in the last twenty-four hours. The daily meeting was still a go for ten a.m. Blah. My anxiety fluttered against my sternum like a kaleidoscope of butterflies had taken up residence in there.

  It wasn’t even that I was worried about anything happening during the meeting. Jake hadn’t made any move to hurt Drew’s business or me, and he’d be an epic moron to make a fuss about it today. But I couldn’t help the overwhelming dread I felt at having to be reminded of how badly things had veered off course at our last meeting and how badly that had impacted my personal life.

  I took a deep breath. I was better than this. Stronger. More professional. It was one meeting. I could suck it up for an hour.

  “Sophia, can I see you for a moment in the conference room?”

  I twisted my head toward the voice until I locked eyes on Carole, who looked at me expectantly.

  “Um, sure,” I replied, because what else did one say to their boss when summoned? I wanted to question why she wanted to meet in the conference room, but asking questions was a kamikaze mission.

  She nodded before turning and walking toward the conference room, leaving me to quickly stand and hurry after her. She ushered me inside and closed the door behind me.

  This couldn’t be good. In the two months I’d been here, Carole had never electively had a conversation with me. It was always barked orders and vague directives.

  She slid into one of the chairs, and I took the one across from her, though because we were at the head of the table, I didn’t have the safety of the table between us.

  Carole studied me for a minute, and I forced myself to remain still under her scrutiny. This woman might have been able to wreck my career before it even started, but I’d lived with twenty other women. Carole could not out-bitch me.

  Finally, she spoke. “The Trey Daily meeting is today.”

  I waited a second for her to continue, but when she didn’t, I said, “Did you need me to prepare something for it?”

  Her jaw worked a bit, as if she were gnawing at words she wasn’t sure she wanted to say. She leaned forward, rested her forearms on her thighs, and clasped her hands.

  The move startled me, causing me to push my chair back a bit.

  She gazed at her clasped hands for a second before looking up at me with what I could only describe as warmth. Or maybe it was the absence of blatant annoyance that I mistook for warmth. Either way, it wasn’t hostile, and it threw me.

  “Sophia, where do you see yourself in ten years?”

  Christ, is she career-coaching me?

  I was so not in the place to appreciate her interest right now. Maybe I could reschedule the chat for a few hours later in the day when I didn’t feel like throwing up. But her face held genuine curiosity, and it made me want to be honest.

  “In your position,” I said. “Here or elsewhere, but definitely in this field and at your caliber.”

  She nodded absently. “And do you think you’ll ever get there if you allow men to steal your ideas and pass them off as their own?”

  My complete and utter shock was the only excuse I had for the bald word “What?” coming out of my mouth.

  “I’ve been at this for a long time. Seen a lot of interns. I know diamonds from coal, Sophia. I also know to be more aware than I may seem. To watch as much as I speak. And when Jake threw out the idea of the Yard, your face told me everything I needed to know.”

  My breaths came in pants as I attempted to wrangle my swirling thoughts without hyperventilating.

  “You never said…” My words trailed off because it wasn’t on her to stand up for me. She’d known, but it was on me to do something about it. And I hadn’t.

  Sitting in front of a woman who exuded power and demanded respect, I’d never felt smaller and more pathetic than I did in that moment, like some meek girl who let a boy steal her fucking homework.

  She watched my face and the myriad emotions that had to have danced across it before she gave a decisive nod and stood.

  “Take it from someone who’s been there,” she said. “You’ll never get to the top of the ladder if you’re stuck holding the damn thing while everyone else climbs.” She leaned closer to me, her voice almost a whisper. “There will always be some guy who tries to hoist himself higher while pushing you down. You gotta learn how to let those fuckers fall.”

  My mouth was open in shock as I watched Carole move to the door, her hand gripping the handle but not pulling it open.

  “I’m not telling you this to encourage you to make a scene in the meeting today. But I am telling you that, should you want to have a discussion with Jeff and me once it’s over, I’ll make sure that happens.” She let her words sink in for a moment before adding
, “Feel free to take a few moments in here to collect your thoughts.”

  And as I watched her fling the door open and leave like some kind of Chanel-clad Obi-Wan Kenobi, I actually believed she’d have my back.

  The question was, what did I do about it?

  An hour later, as we all filtered into the board room to await Trey’s arrival, I was still asking myself that question.

  Jake and I took our normal spots against the wall, and I sat with a pad of paper in my lap in case I needed to make note of anything, though I didn’t expect that to be necessary. Today was mostly a formality. The plans for moving forward had all been shared before via email and phone conferences, but Jeff and Carole both liked to get the final okay in person whenever possible, and there were a few things for Trey to sign.

  Therefore, my role would be even more minimal than usual, and I allowed myself to sink back into the slate gray wall behind me.

  “Late night last night?” Jake asked quietly.

  Hearing his voice caused me to sit up straighter. I shot him a look that he must’ve seen out of the corner of his eye, because he continued.

  “You just look a bit tired. Closing down your boyfriend’s place every night or what?”

  What. A. Fucker. Jake hadn’t said much to me over the preceding weeks. I’d assumed my pretending that he didn’t exist had been effective and he’d decided it best to leave me the hell alone. So why he was choosing this moment of all moments escaped my grasp of understanding.

  Unwilling to give him the satisfaction of my attention, I simply shook my head and angled my body away from him.

  “Just trying to be friendly,” he muttered, which I also ignored because otherwise I was worried I’d end up being questioned by homicide detectives.

  Thankfully I was spared any further commentary from him when Trey hustled through the door, larger than life and smiling wide.

  “Trey, great to see you,” Jeff said as he extended a hand to our client.

  “You too, you too,” Trey replied as he gave Jeff a hearty back slap.