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

by Elizabeth Hayley

  “But you did use company time for personal responsibilities?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t consider it a responsibility, but yes. Semantics aside, I worked on something other than work for this company.”

  Jeff sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead before turning toward Carole. “We can’t allow this type of thing to happen under our watch, especially without our knowledge. This is a fucking nightmare. You do realize that, right?”

  Carole pressed her red lips together and nodded. “It is that,” she said. “I wish this hadn’t come out like it did, but I’m happy it came out nonetheless.”

  “I don’t know if ‘happy’ is the word I’d use to describe the emotion I’m feeling right now.”

  “Yeah, well, in the twenty years I’ve known you, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve ever seen you actually happy.”

  His nose let out a harsh laugh, but I thought I saw a corner of his mouth twitch. Though he quickly steadied it.

  “Yeah, well, one of those was when you signed the divorce papers.”

  The skin around Carole’s eyes creased when she chuckled. These two were about as easy to read as German IKEA directions.

  “Um, I guess I’ll see myself out,” I said. “Is there anything I need to do before I go? Maybe just to make sure I get internship credit for the time I was here or something? You know what, I’ll just send you an email if that’s okay.”

  “We’re not done,” Carole said sternly. “Jeff and I have some things we’d like to discuss with you.”

  You do?

  Here it came. The moment when they told me there was no way in hell I’d be getting any internship credit after my behavior.

  “I don’t think I need to tell you what an embarrassment all of this was,” Carole began.

  Nope.

  “We’re running a business, a business we’ve worked very hard to make successful. We won’t tolerate this type of behavior in our office. I’m not sure why you millennials think the world revolves around you, but I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t tell you otherwise.”

  I knew better than to correct her by explaining that I wasn’t actually a millennial, especially since I’d already kind of proved her point by thinking about it in the first place.

  “We’ve been in this business a long time, and we’ve seen countless people come through our doors, employees and interns alike, and only a few have shown both natural talent and a passion for the profession.”

  I knew better than to get my hopes up and think that I’d be allowed to stay. Carole had already shown a softness toward me, and because they probably both liked me better than Jake, they didn’t just want to send me packing without a professional goodbye.

  “Thank you” was all I said.

  “You know,” Jeff said, looking toward Carole and then back at me, “we’ve both talked about you quite a bit during your short time here. We thought you’d be a good fit here one day, so it’s a shame this had to play out like this.”

  “I understand,” I said quietly. “You really don’t need to say anything else.”

  “No. I do, Sophia. I need to tell you that you’re creative in a way that most people aren’t, and you’re a hard worker. Christ, you’re such a hard worker, you were doing other people’s work here in your free time. I mean, it was wrong,” he clarified. “If you’d been an employee and you’d done that, that could’ve been considered theft of time.”

  I’d never heard that phrase before, and it sounded…imposing. Like a bear I didn’t ever want to poke again.

  “That being said, I’d rather have you steal time than steal an idea. Because not only does that compromise the integrity of the business, it compromises your integrity as well. And honestly, letting someone else take credit for an idea you had sacrifices your integrity as well. So while it kills me to agree with Carole, I have to this time. I’m glad you took credit for your idea.”

  Inhaling deeply, he rolled his eyes widely as if his mind were replaying what had happened in the conference room earlier. “I seriously wish you’d had the forethought and the professionalism to disclose this to us another time. Any other time, actually.”

  “But learning to stand up for yourself,” Carole interjected, “will come with experience, and so will knowing the right time and place to discuss certain matters.”

  “Look,” Jeff said. “Carole and I can be assholes. We know that. But we’re smart assholes. We know talent when we see it, Sophia. You’ve got talent and an intrinsic drive that we don’t see in many students your age.”

  Flickers of hope had sparked deep inside me a few minutes earlier, but I hadn’t let them fully ignite. But those flickers had turned into an inferno I couldn’t put out even if I’d wanted to.

  “We’d be dumb to get rid of someone like that,” Jeff said. “You understand what I’m saying?”

  I was nodding so fast I probably looked like a bobblehead. “Yes! Yes, you’re not dumb. You’re just assholes. I mean—”

  “Get back to work, Sophia,” Carole said.

  “Yes, right. Thank you. I’m going back to work right now.”

  Even to my own ears, I sounded like I’d taken half a bottle of uppers and chased them with a couple Red Bulls. It was a good thing Jeff and Carole already thought I was insane, or I’d be worried about them wanting to drug test me. I headed to the door, a smile spread wide across my face like I belonged in Arkham Asylum.

  “I’ll be working on stuff for the Yard if you need me. Not my boyfriend’s Yard.” I smacked myself hard on my forehead with my notebook. “Trey’s Yard. You knew what I meant, right?”

  “Goodbye, Sophia,” Jeff said.

  And as I managed to escape without putting my foot in my mouth again, I had one thought: I’d never liked two assholes more than I liked these two.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  D R E W

  I looked around the Yard and allowed myself to catch my breath for what felt like the first time tonight. We’d been slammed, which was a very good thing, but it was also exhausting. It was now after one a.m., and people were beginning to wear out and head home. We still had some stragglers, but they were calmly sipping drinks as they chatted with friends.

  While Sophia’s idea of offering backyard-style games for patrons to play was a great one, it also tended to make the atmosphere a bit raucous. These quiet moments after the craziness allowed me to truly step back and appreciate what we’d accomplished this summer. And it was only our first summer. The best was hopefully still to come.

  “Hey, handsome,” Sophia whispered as she slipped her arms around me from behind.

  I turned so I could embrace her. “Hey, what are you up to? Sorry I barely got to talk to you tonight.”

  She pushed her body into mine, her head resting against my chest. “No worries. Being busy is a good thing.”

  “I’m never too busy for you, though,” I said as I held her tighter.

  She tilted her head up so she could look at me. Offering a sweet smile, she said, “I know.”

  And I felt a strong measure of relief that she really did know.

  With all the drama and life changes that had happened over the past few months, we’d been feeling more than our fair share of tension. But we’d finally hit our groove in our personal lives, and with the shit hitting the fan at Margot Nathan, the last bit of heaviness that weighed on our relationship had floated away.

  I was happy that she’d finally stood up for herself and that she was no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop at work. I hadn’t realized how stressed out she’d been until it was gone. Which made me feel a little shitty, but the only thing I could do was vow to be better for her next time she needed me.

  I leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, which she parted for me immediately. I didn’t hesitate to push my tongue inside, needing a taste of her like I needed my next breath. There was no way I’d ever get tired of kissing this girl. I could be eighty, and I’d still be up for macking on her in a ba
r.

  “Okay, gross, you need to stop.”

  I turned my head to see Aamee staring at us in disgust.

  “There are times when you’re literally dry humping Brody in public, and we’re gross?” Sophia asked.

  Aamee thought for a second before saying, “Yes.” She smoothed a hand down her shorts before adding, “And only stoners from bad neighborhoods dry hump. I just get caught up in the natural rhythm of our bodies.”

  “Okay, Cool Runnings.”

  Aamee and I both looked at Sophia in confusion, not getting the reference.

  “You know. ‘Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme,’” she clarified.

  At our still-blank looks, she muttered, “Never mind.”

  Aamee shook her head. “Well, as fun as it’s been to listen to you prattle on, I need your help. Brody is having cold feet about his fake wedding. He just texted me a bunch of nonsense about loving me and being sorry and how much easier life was on the road.”

  “On the road?” Sophia said. “He’s not Kerouac. He’s an entitled monster who used our parents’ credit card to flit across Europe.”

  Aamee rolled her eyes. “Do you ever wake up and think, you know what? For once I’m going to be helpful instead of being a callous smartass.”

  This time, it was Sophia’s turn to hesitate before replying, except her answer was a resounding, “No.”

  “Where is he?” I asked in an attempt to redirect the conversation.

  “At his place, listening to Celine Dion and eating Cheetos.”

  “That actually sounds like an awesome evening,” Sophia said.

  “Your life is so sad,” Aamee uttered, as if she were genuinely concerned for the state of Sophia’s existence.

  I rubbed my forehead with my hand. Brody’s sham wedding to Vee was the next day. I’d given him the night off because I figured he’d need the night to get his game face on. But evidently, all I’d done was give him time to harp on how badly this was all going to blow up in his face eventually.

  I couldn’t help but feel bad for what Brody was going through. Ultimately, he’d told the lie to help us, even though it would probably only make our lives harder. It also wasn’t the best idea for us to start any kind of business partnership with his dad when a lie was hanging over us. But what was done was done, and we’d figure it out. We always had before.

  “Tell him to head over here. We’ll see who else is still up and hang out for a bit. Try to calm him down.”

  Aamee scrunched up her face. “But we’re closing soon.”

  “We also work here,” I said with a smile.

  She returned it as she said, “Okay,” and walked away with her phone up to her ear. Then, “Brody, get your ass out of bed, put on normal pants, and come to the Yard.”

  I looked at Sophia. “Which pants are his not normal ones?”

  “I think it’s best if we never find out.”

  I nodded in agreement, gave her one more gentle kiss, and pulled away. “I’m going to start closing procedures so we can relax when Brody gets here. You wanna text the others and see who’s up for hanging out?”

  “On it,” she said as she fished her phone out of her pocket.

  I did a lap of the seating area, picking up some stray cups I saw, but for the most part, the serving team had done a good job of keeping things in order. I deposited what little I’d accumulated in the trash can behind the bar and then moved over to where Xander was mixing a drink.

  “We’re going to hang out here for a bit after closing. Brody’s panicking about the wedding tomorrow.”

  Xander laughed. “I don’t blame him. Getting married in front of your entire family is nerve-racking when it’s not fake.”

  I grunted in response, wondering if I’d be nervous to marry Sophia. I didn’t think so. When I imagined it, I always thought I’d be too happy to feel anything else. Proposing, though… The prospect of putting myself out there and having her potentially turn me down was a little daunting.

  “So you gonna hang with us?” I asked.

  Xander shrugged. “Sure. It’s not like I have anywhere else to be.”

  It was such a Xander response, but there was a tinge of loneliness mixed in that made my heart pang for my friend.

  I told the rest of the staff that it had calmed down enough for them to close down whatever checks they still had open and head home. Xander and I could take care of anyone else who wanted a drink at last call.

  Aamee sighed in relief and sank into a chair as the others settled tabs before clocking out, waving their goodbyes, and disappearing into the night. I felt bad telling them to leave while a select few of us stayed behind and unwound with a few drinks, but it was what it was.

  Brody was like a brother to me, and if he needed some Scooby Gang time to get out of his head for a while, then I was going to do whatever I could to help.

  Vee and Brody showed up just as the last of our customers were leaving. They sat at the bar with Aamee, and Xander made them drinks. Carter arrived not long after, and a few minutes after him came Taylor.

  Thinking we were all present and accounted for, I went behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of lager before settling onto a stool beside Sophia.

  “Sorry I’m late” came a voice from behind me. I turned toward the steps to see Ransom walking toward us.

  “Did you invite him?” I whispered to Sophia, not because I cared per se—though I didn’t really know the guy, so having him hang out in my bar after hours made me cringe a little—but because I didn’t think Sophia had his number.

  She shook her head. “Brody must have.”

  “Yo, bro. Glad you could make it,” Brody said as he stood so he could do a bro-hug, back slap thing with Ransom.

  “Absolutely. Thanks for inviting me.”

  Ransom was wearing fairly normal clothes, jeans and a T-shirt, but there was something…glowy about him.

  Taylor must’ve noticed it too. “Are you wearing body glitter?”

  Ransom looked down at himself quickly, smoothing a hand down his shirt. “Oh, uh, yeah, actually.”

  “Why?” she asked, her voice harder than I was used to hearing it, and I wondered why she seemed to have a dislike of Ransom. He seemed pretty affable to me.

  “I was at a bachelorette party before coming here.”

  Taylor gave him a pinched look and turned away.

  “Dude, you left a bachelorette party to come here?” Carter asked. “Why?”

  “Uh, well, because Brody called. And he sounded kinda down, so…” He shrugged instead of finishing his sentence.

  “You left a party full of chicks to come hang out with me because I sounded sad?” Brody asked. “That’s the sweetest and dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “What can I say? I’m pretty sweet and dumb.” He said it with a smile, but there was something else behind the surface. Like the words were a front for deeper feelings or something.

  Not wanting the guy’s words to hang in the air too long, I turned to him. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “Oh, uh, bottle of whatever beer you have back there is fine. I’m not picky.”

  I started to stand, but Xander beat me to it.

  “I’ll get it,” he said.

  Ransom slid onto a stool on the other side of Taylor, who instantly pushed a hand through her hair on his side so that it obscured part of her face.

  Interesting.

  Xander slid a bottle of Corona in front of Ransom, who thanked him, before finding his seat again.

  We were sitting around one of the curved ends of the bar so we were practically in a semicircle, giving each of us a fairly good view of everyone else. I took them all in and thought how this was quite an unlikely group of people, but I was thankful to have them.

  No one seemed inclined to bring up the reason we were all here, though, almost as if the wedding was like the Candyman—if we mentioned it, there was no pretending it didn’t exist.

  Oddly, it was Brody who broke the silence.
>
  “Well, all I have to say is this is the worst bachelor party I could’ve imagined.”

  We all laughed, the tension broken.

  Aamee patted his hand. “It’ll be okay. It’s one day. We’ll get through it.”

  Brody gave her a small smile and put his hand on top of hers before looking down at the beer in front of him.

  “It’s not just one day, though, is it? The lie will have to continue until Vee has to leave. And then I’ll have to lie again and say we couldn’t make it work, which is another failure in my column. Not to mention that once I say that, I have to live with it. At least for a while.”

  We all regarded him solemnly. He’d gotten himself into this, but I still wished there were a way for us to get him out.

  “You could come clean,” I offered.

  He sighed. “I dunno. I feel like we’re in too deep now. My mom invited my whole family to a wedding, for fuck’s sake. How do I stand up there and tell them I made the whole thing up because I wanted my dad’s support?”

  “What if you said Vee had an emergency and had to go back to New York?” Carter suggested.

  “That doesn’t really get us out of the lie, just the wedding,” Brody answered.

  “Your parents sound like good people from what you’ve told me,” Ransom said. “They’d probably come around if you were straight with them.”

  I don’t know why it surprised me that Ransom clearly knew what was going on—Brody had adopted him as one of his new BFFs, after all—but he still felt like an outsider to me.

  “Maybe. Eventually. But if they don’t…” Brody looked over at me. “If they don’t, it’s not just me who’s getting screwed over.”

  “Dude, we’ll work it out,” I told him. “Don’t drive yourself crazy on my account.”

  Vee sighed loudly and looked around the group. “I’ve honestly never seen a bigger bunch of pussies in my life.”

  Everyone jolted, shocked at her words. Vee had always been open but never quite so blunt in such a vulgar way.

  Carter picked up her cup and swirled it around. “What are you drinking?”

  “Vodka soda.”

  “Gross. Why?”