Pretty Little Lies

by Jennifer Miller

  “That’s the nice thing about being the boss, you pay people to handle things for you.”

  I sigh. Good point. I’m not sure about going out tonight. I quickly start thinking about the pros and cons. First of all I’m not sure how long my date this afternoon is going to last, and I may be tired afterwards since we are meeting at the park for a little bit of exercise and sunshine. Who am I kidding? I’m just nervous about saying yes, so I don’t. Yet.

  “Let me think about it alright? I’m not sure how long my other plans may keep me tangled up today.”

  I smile when he replies with, “Cancel them.”

  I laugh out loud. That comment is so Luke. “I can’t. Sorry.”

  “Well it was worth a shot. I will be eagerly awaiting your answer. Enjoy your coffee and the roses, angel.” I picture his sultry voice saying “angel” and I get instant butterflies. I’m doomed. Fighting my feelings for him is next to impossible.

  Setting my phone aside and picking up my coffee, I head to my desk so I can work on my articles.

  I’m out of the shower, hair dry, minimal makeup on and standing in my closet in a sports bra and panties, when I hear Pyper knock on my door and open it, “Olivia?”

  “In here,” I call out from the depths of my closet. I’m sorting through my clothes and looking for my Juicy sweat suit to wear on my date today. I’m actually looking forward to going to the park. I was surprised when I checked my dating profile a few nights ago and saw I had a message from a man named Jason. We exchanged a few messages back and forth and he’s made me laugh a few times. We have a lot of books and movies in common and he seems genuinely nice. I wasn’t surprised when he asked to meet in person, since we seem to have hit it off.

  Jason suggested we meet at a local park that he said he frequents for some laps around the trails, and I immediately agreed to the date location because I love the idea. The weather outside is cool, but not cold, and if nothing else, at least I will enjoy the scenery. The fact that it is in a public location too - just in case - is a bonus.

  Pyper sticks her head in my closet, “Hi love! What are you up to?”

  I finally see my pink suit and grab it off the hanger and head out of the closet. I smile at Pyper as she steps back, letting me out of the closet and I walk over to my bed. Throwing my clothes down, I turn around and head to my dresser, open a drawer and start digging through it looking for a t-shirt. “Hey!” I finally reply, “I didn’t know you were home. I walked out of my room earlier to grab a delivery and didn’t see you around.”

  “A delivery?” Pyper asks.

  I shyly say, “Yes. Luke texted me first thing this morning telling me to check the front door.”

  A huge grin appears on Pyper’s face, “What was at the door?”

  I gesture to the table next to the bed, “Two pink roses and some coffee.”

  “Well, that was sweet. Wasn’t that sweet?”

  Raising my eyebrows at her I say, “Yes, it was very sweet of him. He asked me to go to lunch, but I can’t. I, um, have a date. I’m getting ready for it right now.” I tell her tentatively. I haven’t forgotten what happened the last time she knew I was going out on a date. I’m not about to fall into another trap by this crazy redhead.

  Her smile fades. “You have a date? How did I not know this?”

  “Yes, I do and I didn’t tell you, that’s why.” I finally find just a plain v-neck white t-shirt to go with my sweat suit, and pull it out of my drawer, being careful that I don’t unfold everything else on top of it as I pull. Shutting the drawer, I turn to Pyper and pull the shirt over my head while waiting for her response.

  “Are you seeing Noah again?”

  “No, not Noah.” Noah had called like he said he would and left me a message asking me out again. I haven’t returned the call. Cowardly, I know, but I’m not looking forward to telling him I don’t want to see him again.

  I should have known only telling Pyper that much and nothing else wouldn’t fly. Pushing her lower lip into a pout Pyper reminds me, “You have to tell me who you are seeing and where you are going. It’s for your own safety remember? What if something happened to you, I would have no idea what to tell the police.”

  I roll my eyes at her, “You are being dramatic. I’m not going to disappear, nor am I going to fall for that again.”

  Her pout is gone and a look of irritation replaces it. “Olivia, I’m serious. If you don’t tell me, I will just get into your dating profile myself and see what I can find out.”

  “You wouldn’t dare. Besides, you don’t know my password.”

  “Oh, you underestimate me.” I scoff at her until she says, “Mr. Bunny05.” I gasp and my mouth falls open.

  “What the hell? How did you know that?”

  “We’ve been friends forever, duh. Besides, you use that password for everything. It’s the name of your first pet and the age you were when you got him. Give me some credit! I do know my best friend.”

  I know her too, but I’m not about to tell her that I have no clue what she uses for her passwords. Apparently I need to start paying closer attention. Turning back to my bed, I grab my pants and step into them, “Fine. His name is Jason Pine and we are meeting at a local park. That is all I’m saying, so don’t even try asking me anything else.”

  “Well, that at least explains your choice of clothing.”

  “Hey! What’s wrong with this outfit?” I ask her as I go back to my dresser so I can get a pair of socks.

  “Nothing is wrong with it, you look great, nice ass in those pants. I just meant because it isn’t what one would typically wear on a first date.”

  “Well, alright then. I was going to have to kung fu your ass. And for your information, I like the fact this is going to be a low-key date.”

  Pyper starts playing with the ends of her hair. I forgot my tennis shoes when I grabbed my clothes from the closet. Putting my jacket on that matches my pants, I go to my closet to get my shoes. Raising her voice so I can hear her in the closet, Pyper says, “Well, if you aren’t going to tell me where you are meeting, at least tell me about this Jason Pine guy.”

  Grabbing my favorite pair of tennis shoes off the shelf in my closet, I walk back out and sit on the chest at the end of my bed and start putting them on. “He seems nice. I wouldn’t mind getting to know him better, which is why I agreed to see him. It appears we have a lot in common and I’ve really enjoyed talking to him online. He asked me to meet him in person and I agreed. I was feeling lazy when I woke up and was regretting my plans, but I think it will be nice to meet him.”

  “Well, he sounds promising. What are you…”Pyper is interrupted mid-sentence by her phone beeping. She pulls it out of her pocket and looks at the screen. She hastily types something and puts it back in her pocket.

  “Who was that?”

  “Oh, just spa business, sorry about that. I was going to ask you what you are doing after your date?”

  “I’m not sure. Luke asked me to have dinner with him tonight, but I’m on the fence.”

  “Why?”

  Avoiding Pyper’s eyes I reply, “I’m not sure how long my date will last, and I have an article to finish.”

  “Why else?”

  “That’s all.”

  “Do I have to play the best friend card again? I know you, so spill. Why else?”

  Freaking best friend radar. “Okay, fine. Because my feelings for Luke make me feel nervous. Who am I kidding, even being around him makes me nervous. I know that he and I…well…we feel inevitable and that scares me so much.” Pyper steps forward and takes my hand in support. “He hurt me, Pyper. I hate that he has managed to worm his way back into my heart again with a few interactions and pretty words. Part of me wants to run into his arms and never look back, but the other wants to run away again. I just don’t want to make the same mistake again. I was wrong about him before. I was wrong about Deacon. I just don’t trust myself or these stupid feelings.”

  “Olivia, I understand. I do. But t
here comes a time when you just have to have faith. Stop living by what if and stop letting your over-thinking mind talk you out of what your heart is telling you. Promise me that sometime soon you will take a moment to stop, be silent in your mind, and listen to your heart. Trust yourself and let your heart lead you to the place you want to go.”

  Her words make my eyes burn like I’m fighting back tears I didn’t even know I needed to cry. I give her hand a tight squeeze, “I promise.”

  “Good! Now go and have fun on your date and stop spending time trying to anticipate what is going to happen next, that takes the thrill out of living. Expect the unexpected, Olivia.”

  I nod my head at her, but I can’t help but think I should just buy her a damn Team Luke t-shirt.

  pull into the parking lot that’s right next to the entrance of Potterhill Park. I quickly find a parking spot facing the park entrance. Once I shift my car to park, I look around to see if anyone resembles Jason. His photo on ‘Date Me’ is somewhat grainy, but I’m positive that won’t be a hindrance, I still have his word description to go by. I catch sight of a man standing alone inside the entrance to the park and he resembles Jason’s picture. Average height and build, blonde hair, wearing a sweat suit like Jason told me he would be sporting, and while I can’t see his eye color from this distance, it does appear to be him.

  I turn the key in the ignition, shutting my car off, undo my seatbelt, and step out. I straighten my jacket that became twisted around my waist while I was driving, and put my car keys and cell phone in my jacket pocket after closing and locking my car door. I catch a glimpse of myself in the car window, and use it to quickly check my appearance. I run my tongue along my teeth, smooth my hair a bit and call it good. Not much more I can do at this point anyway.

  I start making my way to the park entrance. There is a large gate to walk through to gain entrance. Use of the park is free, so I’m not sure why there is a need for a gate, other than for looks. As I get closer, I push my sunglasses to the top of my head and make eye contact with the man standing alone. A smile appears on his lips. I smile in return and ask, “Jason?”

  A look of confusion crosses his face and my eyebrows scrunch up in response. Maybe he didn’t hear me. I take a few steps closer and try again, “Hi Jason, it’s me, Olivia.”

  Now with a look in his eye that gives me the creeps he says, “Honey, I’m not Jason, but you say the word and I can be. I will be anyone you want me to be.” I look at him feeling very confused, debating how to respond when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

  Turning around, I meet the blue-eyed stare and smile of a man just like Jason’s profile description, but that is where the similarities end. The man before me is bald, short, and must be at least fifty to sixty pounds heavier than he looks in his profile picture. He has something white in the corner of his mouth, toothpaste possibly? He appears to be a little out-of-breath and when I look down, I immediately look back to his face again. He is wearing a pea green sweat suit that looks at least two-to-three sizes too small. Some things you can’t unsee and the image of his stomach and nuts being hugged in pea soup green is now embedded in my brain. He looks like a green pea on steroids. The color of his clothes, combined with my confusion makes me blink repeatedly at him as if that will make what I see in front of me change. I even cock my head to the side like a bird and stare.

  “Hi, Olivia? I’m Jason,” he says to me and I see a slight pink brushing his cheeks. It makes me feel like an ass.

  Quickly trying to cover my surprise, I put my hand out to shake his. “Hi, Jason. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” I can hear the gentleman I originally mistook for Jason trying to mask his chuckle behind me. I ignore him.

  Jason smiles a little and says, “It’s nice to finally meet you too, Olivia. Are you ready to walk the trails?”

  “Absolutely. Let’s go.”

  As we turn around, I see the not-Jason dude still smiling crudely. I give him a dirty look as we pass, walking side-by-side next to real Jason that doesn’t look like the real Jason should. Oh man.

  I would be lying if I didn’t admit I am curious as to why he would put a profile picture up on ‘Date Me’ that looks absolutely nothing like him. I’m guessing the picture has to be at least a few years old and it isn’t like I can bring it up in conversation. So Jason, what’s up with your profile picture being a complete false representation of what you really look like? Um no. That’s not going to happen. I would like to tell myself I’m not hung up on things such as looks, but I’m not going to lie because looks do matter in a sense. It’s often the first thing you notice about someone and while I’m not so superficial that I can’t appreciate Jason for his fun personality, you still have to have chemistry. I fear I’m not physically attracted to this man walking next to me, and it isn’t just the sweat suit he’s wearing, in a hideous color that makes me want to throw up either. Instead of reading too much into it right now, I decide to just see how the date goes.

  As we walk, I can’t help but admire the beautiful sights all around us. There are trees as far as the eye can see, in varying shades, starting the metamorphosis from summer to fall. The sunshine, while high in the sky, still manages to hit the trees just right because of their height, and makes them appear to glow. I feel like I’m in the middle of a gorgeous painting. It’s breathtaking. “This park is really beautiful,” I say by way of making conversation, “fall is my favorite time of year. I love how beautiful the trees are when the leaves start to change.”

  “Yes, I agree. It really is a beautiful time of year, although people think I’m pretty crazy because winter is actually my favorite time of year.”

  “Really?” I’m surprised. Usually Chicagoans endure the winters, we don’t love them. “Sorry, but I would have to say crazy is right. How can you look forward to winter? You actually like the snow, bitter wind and freezing temperatures? Oh and the shoveling! I hate shoveling snow! Someday, I would love to be a snow bird. Maybe live here in the summer and somewhere warmer in the winter.”

  “I’ve loved winter since I was a child, I can’t really explain it. I’m sure it has a lot to do with Christmas being my favorite holiday.”

  We are walking at a fairly brisk pace. I tend to start walking faster when I’m talking. “Oh, I love Christmas too. I love everything about the holiday. Trimming the tree, buying presents, wrapping gifts, I love it all. I still get just as excited Christmas morning as I did when I was a child. It’s a great holiday.”

  I notice when Jason answers he’s slightly out of breath. “Yes…those are things…I love too. I think my favorite…part though is all the…” he trails off, trying to catch his breath and I realize I’d better slow my pace. I didn’t realize how fast I was walking. Once he seems more in control he says, “Christmas lights. I like to see…everyone’s houses lit up.”

  “I like to see the lights too. Do you have a favorite decoration you put in your yard or a certain color of lights you always decorate with? A favorite tradition?” I glance at him out of the corner of my eye to make sure he is okay. I notice he has a bit of sweat above his brow.

  “I have…” before he can finish his response, we pass a couple on the sidewalk and they recognize Jason.

  “Jason Pine, is that you? Long time no see, buddy! How are ya?”

  I stop and look to Jason and see he’s stopped too, although he looks like he wanted to just pretend he hadn’t heard them and keep going. “Hello, Denise,” nodding his head he says, “Aidan.”

  “Jason, man,” Aidan says, “We haven’t seen you out here in a really long time! Great to see you here exercising again.”

  “Err, thanks. I’ll see you guys later.” After that comment, Jason walks away. I flash Denise and Aidan a small smile, shrug in apology, then hurry after Jason, wondering what that was all about.

  “Friends of yours?”

  “Sort of. There are a lot of regulars that come to the park and I know quite a few of them from when I used to come here more frequently.�
��

  “Used to?” I can’t help it, I’m curious.

  “Yes, I used to come here more often, but the last year or so I haven’t come around as often.”

  “Oh, well that happens to all of us. Things come up and work can keep us busy.”

  He nods, but doesn’t comment, and we continue walking in a somewhat awkward silence. The trail starts curving to the right and a steep incline is just ahead. I start evening my steps, preparing for the workout my calves and thighs are about to receive.

  About half way through, I start hearing Jason huffing, and each exhalation sounds like a slight wheeze. I look over at him and feel my eyes widen in surprise. Jason is pumping his arms like they will help him move faster, his mouth is open as he is gasping in and out, seeming to struggle for each breath, and sweat is pouring down his face. The front of his jacket is unzipped to the middle of his chest and his white t-shirt underneath is soaked through.

  “Jason, are you okay? Do you need to take a break?”

  “Urg.”

  Umm.

  “Jason, maybe you should nod your head yes or no?”

  Before he can answer, we begin to get closer to a woman coming from the opposite direction. I can see on her face that she recognizes Jason before she opens her mouth to utter a word. Closer now, she says, “Jason! It’s so great to see you out here again!”

  “Blarg,” is what I hear come out of Jason’s mouth. Okay, obviously this is too much for him. He can’t even speak coherent words, let alone sentences. Why would he think this would be an ideal place for a date? I’m so confused by his choice.

  We finally make it to the top of the incline and are about to go under a part of the path that looks like a tunnel due to the side by side trees along either side of the walkway. There are a few benches along the side, so again, I decide to ask Jason if he would like to take a minute to catch his breath.

  “Why don’t we take a seat and relax for a few moments. My feet and calves are a little sore after that incline.” Really, I’m okay and could keep going, but he is clearly not fine.