Page 30 of The Lies You Love
I roll my eyes. “Stop quoting song titles and spill it.”
“There’s nothing to spill.” I can tell by the tone of her voice she won’t be telling me anything. Just as well. “He knows an acquaintance of mine. A guy I sleep with on occasion. I thought it would be fun, and well, Griffin won’t relent so I thought it would be a fun date on neutral ground. And I’ll get to know your new toy.”
Beck. I swallow hard. I’d love to keep him locked away from everyone else forever, but this is the next step. “Oh, stop. He’s just entertainment. Nothing to see here.”
“Bullshit,” she counters, folding the shirt she just folded again because it wasn’t perfect. “You like him, like him. I’m trying to figure out if it’s just good dick or if you want him for keeps.”
Zipping up the thick cash bag, I tuck it under my arm. “I think,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “You must already know how I feel.” Ramsey is staring at me. “Did you find the plant you were looking for?”
“Don’t try to change the subject. Did he at least tell you what he does when he is working and not taking a random month’s vacation?”
After I stash the money in my tote, I break down an empty box with a box cutter. “Yeah, I know enough.”
Her foot begins tapping. “So, what did he say he does?”
“Government work, Rams. It really doesn’t matter.”
“It matters,” she counters. “What exactly in the government does he do?”
This isn’t what I thought she’d be interested in. She hasn’t asked once about the sex last night. “Tech,” I say, lying. “He does some tech work I don’t understand. It’s shift work and is unpredictable.” By giving him something that is easily defined and hard to explain, I’m making him more likable. Telling the truth would lead to more questions from my friend. How he’s only able to see me for a month. Or that it seems like he’s involved with things that err on the side of danger. Those aren’t traits to put in the positive column. Lying to my friend is easier than handling her truth.
She squints her eyes and offers a weird smile. “Tech? No way.”
I nod. “Why don’t you believe me?” My voice trembles on the last word. She knows I’m lying.
“Look at him. He does not look like a man who sits at a computer all day.”
The cleaning crew comes tonight, so I don’t pick up the pile of boxes, but I do tidy up the cat food cans. “Never judge a book by the cover. Is that what you’re wearing tonight?”
Stacking cans, I match the flavors up. Shoppers made a mess of the organization in their hunt for whatever flavor their cat wanted. “Yes,” she says. “I still can’t believe that’s what he told you.”
“You act like you know for a fact he’s lying, Rams. What’s up?” More like I’m lying.
She shrugs and shakes her head, unaware I’m watching her. “Nothing. I just had him pegged as someone different.” She meets my eyes and recognizes my accusatory glare. “I’m sure he’s a great guy, but you know how many men I’ve been around and I usually have them typed with one glance. Your guy threw me off, is all.”
I nod. “Sure, Ramsey. Just do me a favor and don’t tell him you’ve typed him when we see him tonight.”
“Oh, come on, like I’d embarrass you in front of a potential candidate.”
I grab my handbag from the back room and notice my phone is lit up. “I would also like to add you don’t actually get to know men, Ramsey. You sleep with them, and more often than not, it’s only once. You don’t know someone after one romp.”
I round the corner and smile when I see it’s a text from Beck. “And you know this guy after two romps?” Ramsey asks, blocking me from leaving the back hallway.
I swallow hard. “There is a lot of talking in between,” I argue as we move toward the front door so I can lock up. “And it’s been way more than two romps,” I edge, hoping she’ll ask the questions she always does… our safe territory.
“I didn’t find the plant. Well, I found one on some obscure website, but it was too expensive.”
“Can we swing by my place or yours so I can freshen up?” I check my watch. “We have time.”
“Sure,” Ramsey says, voice deflating, still lamenting about the plant as we walk to the car. There’s a new display in the store next to mine, I notice. There are swords with lights shining from the top. A shiver traces my spine. It’s stunning, but it has a horror-laced edge. Pausing in front of the display, I peer into the back just to make sure a monster isn’t going to pop out. Ramsey pulls on my arm now talking about Griffin. She tells me she didn’t want to give him another date because he seemed too nice, but because I put in the good word, she thought it was worth another shot.
“He came quick,” she says, getting into her car.
I smirk. “How quick?”
Ramsey scoffs. “I got mine, but definitely not a second,” she exclaims.
I laugh loud, laying a hand on my stomach. “He’s really interested in you,” I argue. “I think that’s worth not getting a second orgasm in one bathroom fuck.” Ramsey laughs but agrees with me.
