Jamie strode from the elevator to the security desk with every ounce of confidence she could muster. She spotted Claire’s outline from a distance and her pulse raced. Claire turned at the sound of footsteps, her nervous smile turning to a look of confusion at the Amazonian woman approaching her.
“Claire?” Jamie called to her. “Claire Flores?”
“Yes,” Claire responded, looking puzzled. “Yes, I’m Claire Flores. I’m sorry, but who are you?”
“Jay,” Jamie started, then momentarily froze as she realized what she had just said. “You were expecting Jay, right?” Phew. Close call, you idiot. “I’m Jay’s friend, Jamie. Lee,” she added, trying to make her own name sound as different from her alter ego as possible. “Dr. Jamie Lee Richards,” she said, extending her hand toward Claire.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Claire answered, grasping Jamie’s hand with her own.
Tiny shocks of electrical current coursed through Jamie's fingers and up her spine. Remaining steady on her feet required a supreme act of concentration. She hoped she wasn’t blushing, but the sudden rush of heat through her body suggested otherwise. And had Claire’s own cheeks flushed pink when their fingers touched, or was it just her imagination? Probably imagination, but the mere possibility ignited a more intense burning in her cheeks that Jamie was now quite certain was visible to the world.
“But, where is Jay?” Claire asked.
“Not here,” Jamie stammered. It had been obvious that Claire would ask, so she’d cobbled together a decent cover story on the elevator ride down. Too bad she couldn’t remember a word of it. Jamie glanced fervently around the lobby of the aquarium, her gaze resting on the new penguin habitat near the entrance. “He had to go to Antarctica. For the penguins,” she concluded lamely. Penguins? Seriously?!?
“Penguins?”
“Um hm. He specializes in penguins. It was a last minute research trip.”
“Oh,” Claire replied. Her disappointment was obvious. “I didn’t realize. I guess that’s why he didn’t respond to any of my messages.”
“Yes, that must be it. Antarctica’s really far away.” Could I sound any stupider right now?
“Of course. I mean, it’s the other side of the world, right? But wait,” Claire added, “isn’t it winter?”
“Winter?” Jamie repeated. Yes, winter. It’s the southern hemisphere. Of course it’s winter. “Yes. As a matter of fact, that’s why the trip was so important.” Her brain was spinning now, looking for anything to save herself from this ludicrous lie.
“But isn’t that really dangerous?” Claire asked, worried. “And dark?”
“You know, I’m not an expert on Antarctica myself, but I think you’re right about the dark.” Jamie swallowed hard. This fib was becoming more outlandish with every passing second. She’d better wrap this up and get Claire out of here before it became completely obvious that she was making up every single word. “All I know is, it must be pretty important to him. That’s just the kind of guy Jay is. Totally dedicated.”
A look of pride lit up Claire’s face. “Yes, that sounds just like Jay, right?”
“Absolutely! That’s Jay. Totally.” Talking about Jay seemed to have distracted Claire from the Antarctica thing. Thank God. Maybe Jamie should come up with a few more nice things to say about Jay. “Jay’s a really great guy. The best. And he’s going to be so sad to have missed you. Are you in town for a while?” Please say no. I can't keep this up much longer.
“No. I fly home tomorrow night. I have a job interview later this afternoon,” she explained.
Is she trying to get a job here? Tamping down her panic, Jamie seized on the information. “An interview today? That doesn’t leave you much time at all to prepare, does it?” Jamie knew Claire was a big planner. Surely that would get her to leave.
“Well, no. I guess it doesn’t,” Claire agreed, glancing at her watch.
“Well, that’s a shame. But look,” Jamie added, one hand on Claire’s shoulder to guide her to the door, “if I hear from Jay, I’ll let him know you were here, okay?”
“Would you? Thank you so much!” Claire paused at the door and grasped Jamie’s broad hand between her own delicate fingers. “It’s really been nice to meet you, Jamie Lee.”
Jamie squinted into the noon sun as Claire disappeared from view. Relief filled her. That had been a close call. This is why you shouldn’t lie, Jamie Lee. Funny, she never thought of herself by that name. She’d rebelled against it as a kid, but Claire saying it had turned the name into a sweet melody. It was beautiful when Claire said it.
Beautiful Claire. And now Claire was gone.
Jamie’s heart sank like an anchor. She would never see her again. A vast hollowness replacing her earlier relief. She had been so eager to rush Claire out of the Institute that she had taken her one chance to meet Claire in the flesh and wasted it completely. She couldn’t believe what she had done. Stupid, stupid. How could she have let Claire walk away, out of her life forever, just like that?
They could have gone for coffee at least, or for a tour of the shops down by the marina. Surely a colleague of Jay’s should at least offer that little bit of hospitality to his friend from out of town, right? No one would think it was strange. In fact, they’d probably think it was strange not to. Claire was probably thinking right now how rude she had been to rush her out the door like that.
Maybe it’s not too late? Claire said she was in town until tomorrow night. There had to be some way to see her again. Just one more time. After that, she’d be able to say goodbye and move on. Jamie was certain she'd be able to do that, if she could just have one special moment with Claire first.
7
Jamie waited beside a glowing nineteenth century gaslight at the far end of Charles Street. She’d worn a loose white tank top and colorful capri pants. Nothing fancy, but she knew it showed off just the right amount of skin and the limited curves that she possessed, and made her legs look about a mile long.
The sun was casting long shadows from the surrounding buildings. Jamie rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms and longed for the familiar comfort of her flannel shirt, despite the sticky mid-August heat. Claire should have arrived almost twenty minutes ago. Maybe she’d changed her mind. But why would she? It was just dinner with a friend. Or with a friend of a friend, as it were. It’s not like there was any reason for Claire to stand her up.
The moment Claire walked away from the Institute that afternoon, Jamie had truly understood the meaning of the word desolation. The only thing that mattered to her was seeing Claire again. By the time she reached her desk, Jamie had hatched a plan. She logged into her Tech Cupid account and started writing an apologetic note from Jay. He was so sorry for missing her visit and just had to make it up to her somehow. His good friend Jamie Lee—remember Jamie Lee?—would be happy to meet up with her for dinner that night.
Claire hadn’t needed much convincing. No one enjoys eating alone in a strange city. With the time and place arranged, Jamie had even attached a photo of Antarctica at night, complete with a vaguely humanoid shape wrapped from head to toe in cold weather gear, waving to the camera. Greetings from Antarctica! God bless the Internet and whichever genius invented image searches. She was too proud of her resourcefulness to feel any guilt.
The rumbling of a Red Line train filled the air. Jamie paid little attention, her concentration focused on the brick sidewalk that stretched toward Boston Common, where Jay’s message had instructed Claire to park. There was still no sign of her, but just then, a voice behind her called, “Jamie Lee?” She turned, and there she was.
Breathtaking, remarkably sexy, Claire. Her simple peasant blouse framed her curves in a way that was much more modest than the thoughts it was inspiring, and she wore the type of short skirt that would swish and sway mercilessly when she walked. Jamie gulped for air, having forgotten for a moment to breathe. Good thing I didn't see her coming, or I'd be a melted puddle on the sidewalk right now. Claire had come from the dir
ection of the T station instead of the garage, which was odd, but it didn’t matter. She was finally here. Jamie grinned.
“Claire! You made it. Did you have trouble finding a place to park?”
Claire grimaced. “You can’t begin to imagine.”
Jamie opened the door with a courtly flourish and the waiter, who had already been given a handsome tip to hold the best spot in the house for them, showed them to a table for two near the window. The restaurant was the perfect blend of casual elegance. There were white linen table cloths, with glass toppers keeping the atmosphere just on the right side of too fancy. There were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, but the room was brightly lit and there were no candles so it wouldn’t be mistaken for romantic. Several pieces of colorful artwork added to the cozy charm. Jamie had chosen the restaurant carefully. As far as Claire was concerned, this was just an evening out with a new friend. But even when she was old and gray, Jamie suspected she would look back on this night as one of the best dates of her life. Even if she was the only one of them who knew that’s what it was.
They studied their menus in silence, and after placing their orders, Claire remarked, “I just don’t know how Jay does it.”
“Does what?” Jamie asked.
“Driving in Boston. It’s insanity!”
“Well, I imagine Jay takes the train. I know I do.” Jamie smiled at the cleverness of her phrasing. She had the decency to feel guilty for continuing to lie to Claire and was determined not to do it any more than was absolutely necessary. Technically, what she had just said wasn’t a lie.
“Yeah, that’s how I finally got here, on the subway.”
“I thought you were going to drive and park under the Common. I mean,” she quickly amended, “I assume that’s what Jay probably told you to do.”
Did that count as a lie?
“I tried. But the first time around I missed the turn because some guy cut me off without even using his blinker! Then all the streets were one way in the wrong direction. I circled around but I got confused, and I think I passed the same building at least three times. Then I went over a bridge and found a parking garage and asked around until someone pointed me to a sign for the T and said to get off here.”
“I’m sorry, but did you say a bridge? Where did you end up parking?”
“I’m trying to remember. Something with the letter K?”
Jamie gaped. “Kendall Square? In Cambridge? How did you manage to get from Boston Common to Cambridge?”
“I have no idea. Maybe it’s a good thing that I bombed my interview today. I don’t think I’m cut out for living in this city,” she said with defeat.
“You don’t think it went well at the college?” Jamie was surprised at the disappointment she felt. On the one hand, if Claire moved to Boston it would create a disastrous mess for Jamie personally, but that didn't mean she wanted Claire to fail.
“The competition is fierce, and it just seems like everything about this trip has gone wrong. Jay being out of town, me getting lost tonight… Maybe it’s a sign. Do you believe in signs? Jay doesn’t. He thinks I’m silly to always be looking for them like I do.”
“I, um,” Jamie hesitated. Sure, she might have implied that believing in signs was unscientific during one of their chats, but it seemed a little harsh to say something like that right to Claire’s face. She wanted Claire to like her. “Well, I could see how sometimes it feels like the universe gives you a sign.”
Being polite is not the same thing as lying.
Maybe it would be best to change the subject. “So, what do you do in—where is it you're from?”
Pretending not to know wasn’t a lie, it just made the conversation less awkward.
“I live in Oregon and teach nineteenth century British literature at Lovejoy College. And you should probably know this about me—I'm obsessed with everything British.”
“Really? And yet you're thinking of moving to Boston instead of England?”
“I don't have any professional connections in England, I'm afraid. But I'm starting to think Boston is a close second with the gas lamps and the cobblestones. I had no idea until tonight that parts of the city looked like something straight out Dickens' London!”
“Isn't that a coincidence!” It wasn't a coincidence. Jamie had chosen Beacon Hill especially for this reason because she knew how much Claire would appreciate it.
“So, you're a scientist, like Jay?”
Jamie nodded.
“My dad was a scientist, too. I'm afraid I didn't inherit any of his aptitude for it, though. It must be very challenging. What do you do for fun?”
“Oh, you know, read, watch movies. Typical stuff.”
“So, what's your favorite movie?”
A devilish thought wriggled to the front of Jamie's brain. “My all time favorite is A Fish Called Wanda.”
Claire's eyes grew wide. “No way! That's mine, too!”
You know that absolutely counts as a lie, right?
A Fish Called Wanda was an okay movie, but it wouldn't even crack Jamie’s top ten. Except, of course, that Jamie already knew it was Claire's favorite. They had discussed it at some length in one of their chats, only that time around Jamie had dismissed her choice and Claire had then defended the film for the better part of forty-five minutes.
“Well, I'm so glad to meet someone who appreciates good movies,” Claire said smugly.
Jamie knew by the way she said it that she was thinking of Jay. Ha! Take that, Jay! The fact that she relished this small victory over her alter ego so vigorously came as a bit of a surprise. The truth was, Jamie felt willing to say just about anything at this moment that would make Claire like her more than Jay. She hated to admit it, but she was jealous. Jealous of herself, which was insane.
Am I honestly attempting to sabotage myself to win a girl?
The check arrived and Jamie reached for her wallet over Claire’s protests, but Jamie was determined. She couldn’t let Claire pay for this fantasy date that only she knew they were on. But Claire insisted on paying her share. With a flash of inspiration, Jamie played her trump card. “Actually, didn't I mention before? This is Jay’s treat. He arranged it all when he emailed me this afternoon. He’d be furious if I let you pay!”
“Oh, how sweet of him! Isn’t he just the most thoughtful man? How chivalrous of Jay to do that!” The dreamy look in Claire’s eyes stopped Jamie short. She’d been so busy coming up with an argument Claire couldn’t refuse that she’d accidentally scored a point for her rival. It was a rookie mistake, one that she’d be sure to avoid next time.
Only there won’t be a next time. Soon Claire would go back to her hotel, then back to Portland, and by the sound of it, she wouldn’t be coming back any time soon.
As for Jay, Jamie already had a plan for him. After his Antarctic adventure ended, he would be moving far, far away, to someplace where Claire would be certain not to follow, like Brazil. Except Brazil had Rio de Janeiro and that carnival thing. What would stop Claire from just hopping on a plane and heading south? It was a risk. So maybe someplace less appealing than Brazil. Madagascar? No one ever went to Madagascar. Perfect. Plus, they had penguins there, right? Or was Jamie just thinking of that cartoon that Paulie’s nieces made her watch with them when they were snowed in last winter? Either way, it didn't matter. Madagascar was the definite frontrunner.
They stood outside the restaurant, lingering for a moment to enjoy the cool evening breeze, which after the warmth of the restaurant now seemed pleasant and refreshing. In the relative darkness of the gas-lit streets of Beacon Hill it was even possible to see a few stars shining overhead in the cloudless sky. Perfect weather, perfect night. And now it's over. Jamie turned toward the T station. They could walk together that far, then board trains in opposite directions, and that would be that.
“Jamie Lee? Do you think you could do something for me?”
Anything. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”
“It’s just, I’ve come all th
is way and I don’t want to go home without at least seeing Jay’s apartment.”
Jay’s apartment? Oh, right. Instead of coming clean about being a girl, Jamie had inexplicably given Jay a new apartment in Beacon Hill. And why not? He was imaginary so it’s not like he had to pay the rent.
“Unless you have to head home,” Claire added. She must have taken Jamie’s confused silence for reluctance.
She did have a commuter train to catch, but there was still some time, and she wasn't ready to say goodbye. Heading home was the absolute last thing Jamie wanted. “Of course I’ll show you. I mean, I don’t know the exact apartment, and it’s not like I have a key, but—”
“No, I know that. Just the outside. I probably sound like I’m a crazy stalker to even ask, but—”
“Not at all! I get it. Come on,” Jamie said, turning to head the opposite direction, “It’s this way.”
They continued along a narrow side street. There were no businesses here, just rows of brownstone townhouses with window boxes filled with geraniums and tiny front gardens surrounded by ancient-looking iron railings. On one building a climbing vine had a trunk so thick that it must have started its ascent up the side of the house long before either of them were born.
“Just look at all this history!” Claire said, swiveling her head to take it in.
“You really like it?” Jamie asked, uncertain. This was her favorite part of the city, but most people she knew were more impressed by the luxurious glass skyscrapers on the other side of the park. She’d lived in a place like that with a girlfriend once, briefly, and found it to be soul crushing. Not unlike how the relationship turned out to be. Maybe there was something to be said for signs. Although, if she had just used her powers of observation and a little common sense, she would have taken one look at that postmodern apocalypse of an apartment and run the opposite direction. No signs needed.
Telling Lies Online Page 5
