Page 31 of The Lies You Love
I tell her Beck will make sure I get to work in the morning. She runs a hand through her hair and pulls into traffic. I always catch myself watching Ramsey. The woman presents like a celebrity or a supermodel, or some kind of untouchable character. Her skin is flawless, and her hair always looks like she walked out of a salon. At the start of our friendship, it was hard to understand why she wanted to be my friend. I’m no slouch, but I was rolling out of trauma with health issues and a chip on my shoulder. Ramsey still asked to hang out. More frequently than the friends I’ve had for years. While I healed from all the things my other friends kept moving on in their lives. All of a sudden, the things I had in common with them became null and void. Ramsey never makes me feel like there’s something wrong with me. She is just always there.
She parks in her devoted spot in the apartment building’s parking structure and starts talking about what she’s going to wear. It doesn’t matter, I know how much Griffin wants her, so it definitely doesn’t matter if she wears a trash bag. I follow her into the second bedroom, which serves as her closet, her shoes filling shelves from floor to ceiling on two walls. “You need to wear this. It says party, but not like party, party.” She tosses me a skirt and a top. Her wardrobe also resembles something from Hollywood. I only asked once where it all came from, but like always, it was easy to see she didn’t want to answer truthfully. I inherited it was her reply.
I put on the outfit while she tries on three different tops from a freestanding rack and admire it in the mirror that takes up the entire other wall. “Like always, you’re right,” I say. What I don’t say is I know Beck will like the skirt. Pushed up around my stomach, that is.
****
We run into Griffin first. He’s holding a large glass topped with foam. This is a sophisticated bonfire party. I’m glad I dressed the way I did, but then again, I’m sure it’s because Ramsey knew the dress code and made sure I was in accordance.
“You guys look like smoke shows,” Griffin says, eyeing Ramsey only a couple of seconds more than he looks at me. “This place is ridiculous, isn’t it?” Ramsey doesn’t look impressed; it seems she expected more. The way she’s eyeing the keg on the pool deck with distaste is the final nail in my assessment.
“It’s like a college party but for grown-ups!” I exclaim, grabbing my friend’s hand. “This is the nicest pool deck I’ve ever seen. Is it even a pool deck? It has another house out here, and a stage and people are literally walking on water.” The pool has a layer of plexiglass covering the entire top making it the coolest dance floor I’ve ever seen. There are lights in the pool that make it glow brightly.
I’m too preoccupied with taking in every detail of the mansion in the distance to hear what Ramsey and Griffin are talking about. There are about a hundred people loitering around, mostly by the keg, but there is a small bar in the corner where people are standing around. I don’t recognize anyone, but that’s not shocking because it looks like most of these people come from a different world. If I’m simple, they’re Ramsey’s people. Beautiful, rich, and uncaring about the problems of others. Not that I assume that about my friend, I just know her.
“Oh, there’s the bonfire,” I say, eyeing the few gas fire pits scattered around the edge of the deck, all closest to the wood line.
It’s amazing how the cement gives way to nature right outside of the city. I’m not used to seeing wide-open spaces, so all of it is a feast for my eyes. It’s why I wanted to go camping. It wasn’t just an excuse to get Beck to myself. Getting away, where the stars are bright and the light from the bustling city doesn’t water down everything, is the greatest form of relaxation for me.
“Beck is on his way. He was, uh, running late,” Griffin says, tearing me from my thoughts.
I cock my head. “He left before us.”
“Yeah, he had a meeting or something that came up.”
“A work meeting?” I know I sound like a jealous cat, but he didn’t say anything to me. I check my phone just to be sure I didn’t miss anything since we left the house. Nothing. I raise one brow at the blue lock screen on my phone. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter,” I add.
Griffin shakes his free hand, palm facing me. “It’s not like that. I think it was work. He’ll be here soon.” Great, it’s so obvious that his friend can see my jealousy. I’ve been great at hiding emotions. I sigh. Griffin drapes an arm around Ramsey. “Let’s go get you guys a drink.”
I follow, walking over the pool, trying really hard not to feel like a third wheel, a position I always play when I’m out with my other friends. He’s on his way, I remind myself. He’ll be here soon. No one is dancing yet, but all eyes are on us as we cut across the corner toward the bar. Gazes linger, curious glances, mostly aimed at Ramsey and Griffin, people whisper, and I try not to let my own eyes land on any one person for too long. This is why I suck at networking; I should see this as an opportunity instead of being nervous.
“Hey beautiful,” a man’s smooth voice rolls over my bare shoulder the moment we halt in front of the bar crowd. Smooth, but not Beck smooth, I think.
I glance over my shoulder to meet steel blue eyes glinting in the light. He’s handsome, my height, and has shifty eyes. The kind women shouldn’t trust. “Hi back,” I say, unclenching the fists by my sides. Ramsey and Griffin are at the bar, but Rams glances back and stares at the guy through narrowed eyes.
The man gestures toward the line. “All this to get a drink? They must be slinging vodkas with gold inside or something.”
“Hah,” I reply. “Or something,” I add on.
“What, or better yet, who brings you here tonight?” he asks. I can’t tell if he’s the kind of person who talks to anyone to kill time. You know the type, the ones that will chat you up while you’re waiting to check out at the grocery store. It usually has me cursing the employee for scanning groceries so slowly.
Pressing my lips together, I debate how much I want to tell him. “A friend of a friend. What about you?”
“Oh, I live in the pool house half the year.” He laughs. “My brother owns all of this. It’s his party.”
Well, that’s uncomfortable. “We’re sort of crashing your house then.” I nod at the pool house that has to be seven times the size of my apartment. “Not getting much sleep tonight.”
His grin is calculating mayhem. Uh-oh. “Well, I was hoping not to sleep tonight.” His eyes rake my body.
Ramsey slides through a few people to stand next to me, handing me a glass with clear liquid. Her favorite drink, I’m sure. Griffin follows, looking warily at the man in front of me. “Beck not here yet?” Griffin asks.
I shake my head. “Just saying hello to the host here. His brother owns this place.” I gesture to the man, but Ramsey is already focused on him like a laser. Griffin notices the odd exchange but can’t say anything. “I’m going to take this drink and go take a spin to check out the scenery. Thanks for hosting in your front yard,” I tell the man, grateful to escape the awkward permeating the air. Griffin follows.
“Does she know these people here?”
I stop walking when we’re far enough away. “If Beck is a secret service man, Ramsey is the equivalent. You don’t ask questions. Well, you can, but she won’t answer them.” I hate that I’m making comparisons between the two because my mind immediately lands on Ramsey being a better fit for Beck than me. Low self-esteem really blows sometimes. “She got the invite here, so who knows. I had no clue what to expect, and that’s usually the way it is with her.” Griffin looks over at Ramsey who is talking to the guy, now standing away from other people. “I’ll tell you what is unusual is her going on a second date with you.”
Griffin smirks. “Thanks, by the way. It was probably my charm and suave mannerisms that snagged the date, though.”
