Page 95 of Lie For Me

‘Yes?’ Lucy said, gripping her menu tightly with both hands like a shield.

‘Sooo,’ he said again. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m fine,’ she said, watching his face. ‘How are you?’

‘Yes, fine,’ he replied. He stared at her, his gaze unflinching.

A cheerful waitress came up, batting cow-like fake lashes at them, puncturing the solemnity with unabashed cheerfulness.

‘Good morning, and how are we today?’ she said in nasal tones. ‘What can I get for yourselves today?’

She smiled, hand poised above a notepad.

Lucy glanced across the table at Jack and caught the flash of irritation when the waitress said ‘yourselves’.

‘Uh, you first,’ he said to Lucy.

‘No, no, after you.’

Jack ordered a full English breakfast, and Lucy, her usually healthy appetite having abandoned her, ordered toast and jam. The waitress gave them both a beaming smile and took their menus and her unwelcome cheerfulness elsewhere.

Lucy straightened the cutlery at her place setting and lined up the salt and pepper.

Heather entered the dining room at a brisk pace. If she was hungover, there was no sign of it as she sought out Mark and the boys on the terrace.

‘So,’ Lucy tried, ‘should we talk about…what happened?’

‘Yes,’ Jack said. ‘I think we should. There’s—’

The waitress returned bearing a coffee pot and milk.

‘Here we go’, she said, beaming at them. ‘Coffee for yourself.’

She started pouring, standing over Lucy as the coffee sputtered from the pot. Lucy stared at the cup, willing it to hurry up and be filled.

‘And now coffee for yourself,’ she said in a sing-song voice and leaned over Jack, the pot burping and spitting out coffee, splashing up the sides of the mug.

Lucy caught Jack’s eye across the table, and they both grinned. A moment of normal.

‘Anything else I can get for yourselves?’ the waitress sing-songed.

‘Nope,’ Lucy said. ‘Thank you.’

Jack kept his mouth shut and just smiled, and the waitress sashayed off.

Lucy let out a long, ragged breath.

‘So you—’ she started.

‘We should—’ Jack began.

They paused.

‘You go’, Lucy said.

Someone had to show their hand in this game of poker. She’d be damned if it would be her.

‘Luce, last night was…’ his face looked pained. He didn’t say it, but she knew the next words must be a mistake.

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