One Night, White Lies

by Jessica Lemmon

  Oh, really? Reid couldn’t stop his smile. Seemed Drew hadn’t had her fill of him after all.

  “She said her friend Christina would be there. Alone.” Gage waggled his eyebrows meaningfully. Under normal circumstances, Reid’s ears would’ve pricked upon hearing of a woman he didn’t know.

  Gage watched him expectedly.

  Right. Reid should probably feign interest. “What does she look like?”

  While Gage described Drew’s roommate, Reid swapped his espresso for his cell phone. Thought she’d set him up on a date, did she? Not as long as he had something to say about it. “You’d better give me Drew’s phone number. So that I know not to screen her call.”

  Gage rattled off the number without suspicion. And why should he suspect anything? Reid was a family friend, and news of him running into Drew would be as unremarkable as if he’d run into any other platonic friend anywhere in the country.

  Except that Drew had transformed into a goddess who’d wooed the knickers off him.

  Except for that part.

  Thirteen

  Drew sprinkled smoked, flaked sea salt on top of a perfectly grill-marked portion of halibut and assessed her handiwork. She screwed her lips to one side as she examined the green and red sauces. Too much green, she decided. She should’ve left more of the square white plate visible. She balanced a bouquet of microgreens on top of the fish and admired her creation anyway.

  There was no Chef Devin Briggs in her kitchen to critique her work, but credit where it was due, he’d given her an eye for plating that would serve her well in her career for years to come.

  Fork, knife and napkin in hand, she sat at the kitchen table to enjoy her dinner. Christina was out with her girlfriends tonight, and had been polite enough to invite Drew along, but Drew had passed. She needed a night in to recharge after the social melee of the past weekend.

  Her cell phone chimed as she forked the first bite into her mouth. She ignored the text message notification and savored the flavors of her meal. The subtle lemony sauce, the black peppercorns... The chime sounded again, and with a sigh, she dropped her fork.

  The first text read: You talked to your brother about us. Followed by: This is Reid btw.

  Smiling, she keyed back, Reid who?

  Dinner forgotten, she watched the screen for a reply. Two words popped up—Not funny—before the phone rang in her hand. She didn’t hesitate for a second.

  “Hi,” she breathed.

  “I’m in the car. Can’t text and drive, you know,” came Reid’s smooth British lilt. Her chest flooded with longing. She’d missed him so much. “You were supposed to call me, Gage said.”

  “Yes. I was.” She ate a bite of fish to stall.

  “And invite me on a date with your roommate,” he said flatly.

  “No, no. Not really.” Drew didn’t want to think about Reid dating anyone, let alone Christina. The very idea of him kissing another woman made her lose her appetite. “I didn’t want him to be suspicious.”

  “I see. I thought you were sick of me and pawning me off to someone else. I’m not merely a toy to be passed around.”

  He was joking. She could read him so well now, after just four days together.

  “What are you doing after the soft opening?” Reid asked.

  “Not much. I typically stick around until the kitchen closes, and then I go home and go to bed. Exciting, I know.”

  “Are you required to ‘stick around until the kitchen closes’?” His voice dipped seductively, and she found herself twirling her hair around one finger as she responded.

  “No. My work is done when the guests leave.”

  “In that case, you can stay the night at my place.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. Excitement swam through her bloodstream.

  “But we were done...after the weekend.”

  “I’ve changed my mind.”

  She bit her lip, a million reasons why she shouldn’t be with Reid flickering on the screen inside her head. He was her brother’s best friend, and keeping a secret this huge from Gage had already proven challenging. She had no interest in a relationship and neither did Reid, so why continue one? Plus, her brother’s wedding next June would be even more awkward if Drew couldn’t ignore the crazy, insane chemistry between her and Reid. The smartest tack was to end things now and avoid any sort of romantic entanglement.

  But no matter how hard she tried to focus on the future and warn herself of the consequences, the pull to him was too great.

  There was only one reason to continue this affair with Reid: because she wanted to.

  “Okay,” she said. Apparently, that was enough of a reason for her.

  “Great. I’ll see you on Friday. In the meantime, I have your number and you have mine. So if you’re lonesome for me...”

  “Reach out?”

  “With both hands,” he murmured, his accent thick. “Oh, and Drew?”

  “Yes?”

  “While I’ll enjoy unwrapping you no matter what you wear, I really like black lace. Choose your undergarments thoughtfully.”

  “Yes, sir,” she purred.

  “Good night, beautiful,” he said, and then he was gone.

  She ate the rest of her dinner quickly, then grabbed her laptop and glass of wine and curled up on the couch. High-end, sexy lingerie was a click away, and she intended to find the perfect black lace set that would drop Reid’s chiseled jaw straight to the floor.

  * * *

  Black lace was itchy.

  Or at least the garments she’d purchased were. That’s what she got for shopping online for a brand she’d never heard of. Apparently, high price didn’t necessarily signify high quality. At the last moment, she’d decided on a slim black dress instead of the shirt she bought for this occasion.

  The dress boasted spaghetti straps, perfect since she loved showing off her shoulders and arms. She worked hard keeping them fit. The skirt stopped just above her knee, and her heels were platforms—sturdy so that she wouldn’t slip on the kitchen’s slick floors—though she would spend most of her time in the dining room, overseeing tables and communicating to the bartenders, busboys and waitstaff.

  She loved the restaurant business. There was an anticipatory hum of excitement in the air as everyone from the dishwasher to the hostess focused on the night going smoothly. They were one cohesive unit, working together for a common goal.

  It was exhilarating.

  The doors opened to a line out front, and one of the hostesses took the invitations required to enter the restaurant as three other hostesses quickly filled the empty tables. Servers bustled over to take drink orders, and bartenders mixed concoctions in metal shakers with as much flair as they could muster.

  “Drew,” came a sharp whisper over her shoulder. Christina had shown up early, and Drew seated her at one of the VIP islands that sat four on each side of the chef’s station. It was intimate, and in Drew’s opinion the best seat in the house. “Are they here yet?”

  “I don’t think so, but—” Then she saw him. Reid held the door open for Andy and Gage and then stepped in behind them. He was wearing dark slacks that made him seem even taller, a lavender button-down shirt and an eggplant-colored tie. His wavy hair was styled neatly against his head, and you could slice vegetables on that knife-sharp jaw. Her stomach fluttered, and only then did she realize what a bad idea it was to have invited him here. She’d never be able to hide her attraction to him. She was glowing like a neon sign.

  “I see Gage!” Christina said excitedly, then, “Oh...my gosh. Drew. Drew! Is that him? The guy—the model-looking guy? Is that Reid?”

  “That’s him.” Every wide, tall, capable inch of him was glorious to behold.

  Gage pointed in Drew’s direction and walked over, and as much as she tried to keep her eyes on Andy’s friendly smile, her gaze strayed to Re
id. Reid winked at her, his hands in his pockets like he hadn’t a care in the world.

  She couldn’t believe in a few short hours she’d be going home with him. It was heady. It was amazing. It was—

  “Hey, sis.” Gage pulled her into a hug before turning her over to Andy for another hug. She turned to greet Reid next, but then didn’t know what to do. Offering her hand for him to shake seemed formal. He erased the need for her to overthink it as he embraced her gently.

  “Drew. Good to see you again,” he murmured before placing a kiss on her temple. “You’re looking well.”

  Was it hot in here or was it her? One more look at Reid, and she disagreed with herself. It was him. Most definitely.

  “This, uh, this is my roommate, Christina,” Drew introduced, and everyone said a quick hello.

  “Ah, the real Christina. Finally, we meet. Did you know Drew impersonated you to an entire symposium filled with potential clients?” He kissed Christina’s hand and she giggled, dissolving like any woman would with Reid’s attention squarely on her.

  “I begged her to go in my place. I was dying of the plague, but I’ve made a miraculous recovery.”

  “I can see that.” He held Christina’s hand for another beat before letting it go and taking the chair right next to her. Drew frowned, not liking that at all.

  “Go do your thing,” Gage told her, and then said to the table, “Take a good look at her while you can. When Drew’s at these things she’s running ninety miles a minute and barely stops to be cordial to the people she knows.

  “It’s true,” Christina agreed. “She has focus like I’ve never seen. It’s like she’s powered by the energy surrounding her. I’ve never seen someone so turned on by food.”

  Christina didn’t mean it in any other way than it sounded, but with Reid smiling at her, all Drew could think about was that once, in her not-so-distant history, she’d been turned on by food exclusively, and in an unhealthy way. What didn’t help was that her roommate had never had such a problem.

  Christina was narrow and tall, her limbs delicate and graceful. She barely worked out and had been blessed with a metabolism that would make any woman jealous. She was also taller than Drew by about four inches, and even in a plain ensemble of slacks, a striped shirt and a red belt, the other woman seemed to fit with Reid better than Drew.

  At times like these Drew felt as if she were playing dress-up. Like she was faking her success in her new clothes and new hair and new body, and soon the spell would be broken. The clock would strike midnight and she’d transform into the shy, unconfident girl with a bigger waistline. The second that thought walked to the front of her mind, her hard-won confidence flagged.

  “I love sushi,” Christina told Reid, her smile beaming. “Don’t you?”

  “I love to eat just about anything,” he said with a healthy dose of his typical charm. Christina giggled.

  Drew ignored the blaze of jealousy in her chest. She trusted Christina, and being charmed by Reid was inevitable. He was a potent mix of masculine attributes. The man could woo a nun out of her habit.

  Drew excused herself and left her friends and her brother to their evening. She had a job to do. Before she disappeared into the kitchen, she stole one final glance over her shoulder.

  Reid’s eyes were glued to Christina.

  Fourteen

  Christina, on Reid’s left, leaned to make eye contact with Andy on Reid’s right. “Tell me more about your wedding next year. Drew said it was going to be in Ohio?”

  “Crown, Ohio. At a vineyard. With a lake.” Andy’s smile brightened her entire face. She chattered about the venue excitedly, how it’d be a weekend-long affair and how each of her sisters had been married at the same lake. “It’s a family tradition. It’s also where Gage and I fell in love. You probably already heard about that.”

  “Drew mentioned that you two pretended to be together, even though you barely knew each other.” Christina’s eyes snapped to Gage.

  “The connection was instant,” Gage said with a man-in-love’s smile on his face. “There was no denying it.”

  Reid swallowed thickly as he recalled the first time he’d seen the “new” Drew on that dance floor. Recalled the way she’d moved in that skirt, and those shoes he couldn’t tear his eyes from. The way she’d approached with a bubbly confidence that had drawn him to her.

  Like a moth to a flame, Janet Jackson sang in his head.

  Even if Reid could’ve written off the encounter as sheer physical attraction, that excuse fell flat after he’d figured out who Drew really was. Hell, moments before he’d recognized the birthmark he was musing over the connection he’d had with the beautiful brunette.

  “...and your plus-one, of course,” Andy told Christina, sending a lingering, meaningful glance at Reid. “Whoever that might be.”

  He’d zoned out and missed a hell of a conversation. He blinked over at Christina, who looked visibly uncomfortable. “Oh, well. You know. I don’t...um...thank you for the invite.”

  “We liked the idea of having a joint bachelorette/bachelor party at the lake,” Andy explained. “Reid’ll be there.”

  Ah, hell. They were trying to set Reid up with Christina. Yes, he’d been flirting a little to reroute the attention from the way he was reacting to Drew. Apparently, it’d worked a little too well.

  But a wedding one year in the future? Andy, darling. Evidently Gage wasn’t the only one infested by the love bug. In the interest of not making things awkward, Reid played along with her Cupid-like intentions.

  “I wouldn’t miss your commingling cock-and-hen party. I enjoy a good F-you to tradition.” Reid raised his glass of sake and said a cheers to everyone at the table.

  The chef at the center of their cozy table served their sushi rolls and bento boxes. Gage struck up a conversation about the skill it took to create their food, and Andy leaned on her elbow and smiled, listening as the chef talked at length about his training. Reid used that opportunity to turn his back to friends.

  “Sorry about that,” he whispered to Christina. “It seems they believe we belong together.”

  “Yeah, well, if you weren’t laying it on so thick, we might not be in this mess. You’d better not talk to every girl like you’re talking to me. Drew is a good person.”

  Reid couldn’t help smiling. He liked that Christina was standing up for Drew. “You’re a good friend. I didn’t mean to oversell it.”

  “You can’t help it, I guess.” Christina picked up her chopsticks and lifted a crab roll. Around a mouthful she added, “Look at you.”

  “Can’t a man be polite without being thought of as a player?”

  Vehemently, she shook her head, gesturing to him with her chopsticks as she chewed. “You’re great-looking. Not good-looking. Great. I imagine attention from the opposite sex isn’t hard for you to obtain.”

  “You make it sound criminal.” Her comment peeved him, probably because it’d sounded more like an accusation. He grumpily ate a piece of sushi.

  “It’s not criminal.” Christina returned to her meal. “But it certainly doesn’t make me feel special. Is...you-know-who special?”

  “Of course she’s special.” Reid had known Drew for years—true, he hadn’t seen her in several of those years, but she was related to one of his closest friends. She automatically meant more to him than a stranger. Was Christina implying he’d taken advantage of Drew? Simply used her up and spat her out?

  “She’s a good person,” Christina reminded him again—as if he needed reminding.

  “I know that.” The muscles in his neck went taut. He’d graduated from peeved to pissed off.

  “She deserves more than a playboy is all I’m saying.”

  The thread of his patience snapped. “Why don’t we enjoy our dinners and attempt to survive tonight as amenably as possible?”

  “Reid.
” That scolding whisper came from the woman at his right elbow. He turned to meet eyes with Andy, whose auburn eyebrows climbed her forehead.

  “He’s fine, Andy.” Christina smiled. “It’s my fault for bringing up football.”

  “Reid hates American football,” Gage paused eating his own dinner to say.

  “I—I know. That was the disagreement.” Christina leaned out of view of Andy and Gage to mouth “sorry” to Reid.

  Reid leaned over his food to shield them from Andy’s and Gage’s prying eyes. “We need to be more convincing than this. For Drew’s sake.”

  He’d already vowed not to speak to Gage about what’d happened in California and, given Christina’s presence, it wasn’t hard to guess that Drew wanted to keep up the ruse.

  He guessed there was a certain logic to keeping mum. This thing between him and Drew would be short-lived. She didn’t want a boyfriend any more than he wanted to be one, or so she’d confessed that last morning they’d spent together. It’d been an unwelcome goodbye. When she’d offered a kiss on his cheek and whispered, “Don’t worry, Reid, I won’t make this weird,” he’d felt an odd pang of regret that their time together was well and truly over.

  Only now it wasn’t. As long as no one was the wiser that Drew and Reid were together, all would end well.

  Christina threw her head back and laughed, making it a point to touch his arm. “Oh, stop!” She laughed again heartily and sent him a meaningful nod.

  Right. They needed to be more convincing.

  “Well, you asked,” he played along, pasting on a wide smile. At that same moment, he saw Drew pause in the mouth of the kitchen, a stricken expression on her face.

  Bloody hell.

  “Um, pardon me for a moment.” He stood from his seat and angled for Drew, who tore off through the dining room. He caught her in the hallway leading to the restrooms.

  Snagging her upper arm, he tugged her deeper into the corridor. Thankfully, they were on the opposite side of the restaurant from their friends, and out of sight.