Page 28 of Lie For Me

‘You kissed!’ Sophie cried triumphantly. ‘Oh my god, I knew it! That’s the best story ever, Jack. How you saw her across the room…and you knew, didn’t you, when you saw her? Ahhh, that’s so sweet! Such a good story.’

Sophie beamed at Lucy and squeezed her hand.

Yes, Lucy thought, it was a good story. Shame it wasn’t true. And Jack, it seemed, was an excellent liar. She’d picked the right man for the job.

Lucy and Jack left Ollie and Sophie still cooing over the story of how they got together and headed, at Lucy’s urging, to the buffet.

‘You know that I now have to remember all the details of that story in case anyone else asks me how we got together,’ Lucy grumbled, as they circled the tables, heading for the buffet.

The shy boy looked nervous as they approached.

‘Hi,’ Lucy said brightly. ‘How are you?’

The boy struggled to make eye contact and blushed. ‘M’okay, thanks.’

‘It’s okay,’ Lucy said. ‘I think my question is an easy one. Can you tell me what’s veggie, please?’

The boy visibly relaxed, and his shoulders dropped about four inches. He pointed to all the vegetarian things on the table.

‘Thank you so much,’ Lucy said. ‘That’s really helpful.’

The boy beamed, train track braces flashing before he quickly clamped his mouth shut again.

Jack was busy piling his plate high with what looked to be two of everything. Lucy leaned past him to grab some fruit skewers and asked, ‘And what was that sparkly silver dress about?’

Jack laughed and said, ‘I don’t know, it just sounded better than, I think Lucy was wearing her usual baggy jeans, boots, a Christmas jumper with Rudolf on it and a massive padded coat. Bit more romantic.’

‘I dunno,’ Lucy mumbled through a mouthful of cheese and tomato mini quiche. ‘I think I sound cute.’

Jack, who had just squeezed a slider into his mouth, looked eager to respond but couldn’t until he’d finished chewing.

‘There you are, darling girl!’

Lucy turned to see her mother weaving through tables towards them, holding her glass aloft as she slipped between chairs. Valerie was wearing a slim-fitting cream suit with, of course, a lavender-coloured blouse and teetered on her high heels as she approached. Valerie took Lucy’s face in her hands and kissed her firmly on both cheeks.

‘So good to see you, my darling. You look much better,’ she murmured as Jack frantically tried to swallow the last of the sandwich.

‘Jack,’ she said a little coyly, taking his hand. ‘Good to see you again too.’

She air-kissed him, seemingly reluctant to get too close when he hadn’t quite finished what he was eating.

‘Good to see you enjoying the food.’

She flashed her eyes back and forth between them.

‘Yes, mum, it’s lovely to be here. We—’

‘Doesn’t it look charming?’ Valerie asked, in her low, husky tones, turning her gaze to the balloon-satin-ribbon fest.

She took Lucy’s arm, her fingers gripping tightly. ‘I haven’t stopped, darling. Up at 6am every day for two weeks straight, not stopping until it’s time to collapse into bed at night. I’ve not even had time for lunch most days. I shall waste away.’ She ran a hand over her trim figure, her eyes flicking between Lucy and Jack. ‘What do you think of these?’

She fingered one of the giant lavender fabric bows on the back of the chairs.

Lucy sensed this was a trap and vaguely remembered that her mother had told her that chairs were on the list of things Sophie’s mother, Kathleen, was handling.

‘Um, they are...quite nice,’ she said. ‘Very colourful.’

‘Hmm,’ Valerie said. ‘A bit froofy, I think. Bit over the top. But…’ She sighed and ran a hand over her sleek bob. ‘I can’t do it all.’

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