Second Lies (The Second Life Series) Read online

  “What the hell happened last night?” He said in a harsh, whispered voice. Oh, we were getting straight to the meat of things. “Declan said you just left him at the bar for no fucking reason. What the hell was that about?”

  “My ex-boyfriend was there,” I crossed my arms, fighting hard to combat the memory of him standing before me, watching me grind on another guy. “Turns out he’s the owner of that bar.”

  That seemed to break through Craig’s anger a little bit. He laughed, “You should have told Declan. He can handle himself, and I’m sure he wouldn’t have turned you down if you wanted to make your ex jealous.”

  “That wasn’t necessary,” I rolled my eyes. The last thing I needed was for some guy I barely knew getting in a fight with my ex over me. “I need to apologize to Declan for last night. Can you pass along the message?”

  “I could, or you could go deliver it yourself,” Craig pointed to the other side of the gym. Declan was lifting weights in front of a mirror dressed in a t-shirt and basketball shorts that exposed all of his glorious, glistening muscles. Craig patted me on the shoulder. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, kid, I have to get back to work.”

  After a moment of debate, I joined Declan over by the weights. He paused when he spotted my reflection in the mirror, but then immediately picked up his count as if I wasn’t even standing there. I cleared my throat, “Can we talk?”

  “You can talk,” Declan said, still pumping the weights. “You’re the one who should explain running off like an asshole for no fucking reason.”

  “You’re right. I was a complete asshole. You were so great last night, and I just took off. I’m sorry. I’ve never been put in the position where I’m running into my ex-boyfriend during a date before,” God, that last sentence left a bad taste in my mouth. Despite my better judgment, I added. “Maybe, we could try for a movie or something tonight?”

  Declan laughed and dropped his weights to the floor. He turned to me and answered sarcastically, “Do you really expect me to go out with you again after you ditched me, at a bar, in Philly, when I barely know my way back to Craig’s place?” I stared back at him wide eyed and silent. “Maybe you should go back to the bar and find your ex. Clearly, you’re not over him, and maybe he’ll have some time for you…because I don’t.” He trudged away from me, leaving my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

  I stormed out of the gym and into the cold, unforgiving Philadelphia streets. Nothing was going my way. I wondered what Dennis would do if I packed up my things tonight and drove until I couldn’t stand being in the car anymore. The prick would probably be thrilled if I left. I needed to separate myself from my immediate friends and talk to somebody who was disconnected but aware. Shit, I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I scrolled through my phone and clicked Bethany’s name.

  There was a knock at my door, and I exhaled. I still couldn’t believe I had done this, but out of sheer desperation, I called Bethany Howell, former Haddonfield resident and current girl I usually avoided. When I opened the door, she was dressed in a white sweat suit. Her short, blonde hair was brushed the side, making her look years younger than what she truly was. It reminded me of a distant memory of when we were freshman. I think she got a terrible haircut a long time ago.

  “Hey,” she leaned in for a short hug, patting me twice on the shoulder, “this was such a surprise. I was starting to suspect that you didn’t want to hang out with me anymore.”

  Desperation made me want to hang out with you again. “No way, I’ve just been swamped with life. Things have cleared up a bit.”

  “That’s good to hear,” I motioned into my apartment, and she stepped inside as I shut the door. Silently, she gazed around the space through her large, endless, brown eyes. “It’s really nice in here. It’s definitely a huge change from your dad’s house.”

  “Yeah, when I was searching for a place, I made sure to tell the realtor that I wanted to see lots and lots of stainless steel.”

  “This suits you,” she added thoughtfully.

  “Take a seat,” I offered. “The remote’s on the coffee table. Can I get you something to drink? Wine? Water? Coffee?”

  “Wine of course,” she scolded while finagling with the remote. “This is a girl’s night. How can we not be slightly tipsy on wine during a girl’s night?” She had a point.

  At first, it was awkward having Bethany over my place. She kept talking about the past when we were kids, about things I couldn’t remember, or maybe I just wanted to forget them. She asked me how Nick was, and I told her about his girlfriend. She looked surprised and admitted that she used to have a crush on him. After a little while though, I started to warm up to her a bit. As it turns out, she was a very good listener.

  I rambled on about the breakup, Garrett, and then the dreaded date at the bar with Declan. She nodded her head and made comments at all the right places. She made me feel so comfortable that I even admitted to her why I was on a short leash, which was held by Dennis’s firm grip. Well, if I’m being honest, I didn’t give her specific details. That just felt too personal, and I was still learning whether or not I could trust her.

  Finally, after I almost lost my breath from how much I’d been bitching, I stopped because I got it all out, and it felt amazing. Bethany took a long sip of her wine, pulled away, and while staring at the stem of the glass, all she asked was, “What are you going to do about Garrett?”

  All that and she only cared about Garrett? I shrugged my shoulders and downed the glass, immediately refilling it afterwards. “I don’t know. What do you mean?”

  “You clearly have feelings for him…despite the inconvenience of who his brother is,” she added quickly. “I can see it in your eyes, so when are you going to act on it? If he’s that good with his tongue, imagine what he can do with his cock.”

  For a brief few moments, I just stared at her. I couldn’t wrap my head around sweet, innocent Bethany Howell saying the word “cock.” I answered, “He has a pregnant wife and a beautiful, little girl. I can’t screw that up. Besides, I’m not going to be hiding around corners and slinking in the shadows just to spice up my sex life.”

  “He sounds worth it, and it sounds like you need to blow off some steam,” she grabbed her purse and began digging through it. “Did you ever think you’re so tense all the time because you need to be a little more spontaneous? Garrett sounds like he’s exactly what you need, and an orgasm would be just what the doctor ordered.”

  I downed my new glass of wine in one, long gulp. Bethany was right, and I was starting to like her more and more. Gloria always told me to play it as safe as possible. She said I had already gotten myself in enough trouble, but maybe, she was wrong. A little danger could be a lot of fun.

  Bethany pulled a dime bag out of her purse and shook it in the air. “Speaking of just what the doctor ordered…” She took a second to examine my reaction. “Did you want to smoke? I promise it’s good stuff.”

  Yes, I was definitely starting to like Bethany Howell…and very much so. Frantically, I nodded in her direction, and then, I grabbed some rolling paper from my bedroom. I laid everything out on the coffee table and set to work. After I rolled it up, I lit the end and sucked in the sweet taste of marijuana. Every nerve in my body relaxed.

  As I blew out the smoke, watching it dance in the air, I breathed, “Maybe, I could be just a little bit bad.” I smirked. “I am very good at it after all.”

  Chapter 9

  I sat in my bedroom at my mom’s house while Whitney, my stylist, curled all of my hair and clipped it, so it fell down my right shoulder. I didn’t like people (especially people who Dennis hired) doting on me, but Whitney and I had an understanding. She’d work quickly and efficiently, and I’d put up with it without complaining. Besides, one of the conditions to attending these functions was looking both glamorous and sophisticated enough to arrive with the Dennis Darth. Whitney accomplished that while respecting my space. The last thing I wanted to do was get her fired and have someone e
lse come in who I disliked.

  “Close your eyes,” she instructed once she finished my hair. She started rubbing liquid concealer on my face. “How do you want to look tonight?”

  She always asked me that question, and normally I’d tell her to do whatever she wanted. Tonight was different though. My mom and Dennis joined forces to throw a Charity Christmas Dinner in their plush mansion. It was an annual event held the week before Christmas where they collected donations and toys for a local children’s hospital. It would take days for the house to be transformed into a winter wonderland, and this year, it was made even more extravagant for the sake of Dennis’s reputation. This was my first year attending, and after skimming through the invitation list, I noticed a certain “G. Holden” was confirmed for the night.

  “Sexy,” I answered. “Make me look irresistible.”

  She started brushing my face with quick strokes. “Is there anyone specific you’re trying to impress?”

  I couldn’t help but grin. “Sort of. I have an agenda tonight, and I need to make sure I look my best.”

  Whitney chuckled and grabbed a new brush. “Pucker.” She slid some gloss on my lips. “Well, let’s make you look irresistible then.”

  When she was done with my makeup, Whitney helped me slide into my midnight blue, strapless, chiffon gown. Two slits were on either side, testing the limits of too revealing. They crept up to nearly indecent-exposure heights. After spraying my hair one more time, I was ready to join the party.

  Guests arrived for the cocktail hour in waves. For the most part, people were actually prompt and on time. They liked networking with each other, and the prospect of gossiping with one another was even more appealing to them than teenage girls. As usual, I made my rounds with Dennis and my mom, shaking all the right hands and flirting with all the right men. They’d compliment my voluptuous personality, and I’d pretend to not notice them staring straight at my tits.

  After some time, Dennis made a speech thanking the guests for attending and bringing donations that I was bored with from the moment he opened his mouth. With a martini in one hand, I searched the crowd of listeners for the one man I was interested in seeing, but he wasn’t here. I slung back the rest of my drink in disappointment. Of course the one evening where I put effort into my looks specifically for Garrett, he doesn’t show. Disappointment couldn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling.

  Dennis finally stopped babbling on, and the crowd went back to turning into small groups of conversationalists. It was hard pretending to be interested in these people’s lives, but my role was to be witty and engaged, even if I did think every person in this room was a superficial asshole.

  Finally, I spotted Garrett, standing by himself with a drink in one hand, gazing over the crowd with his forest eyes. He was dressed impeccably in a black suit that hugged the large muscles of his sculpted body. Instantly, I was drawn to him, rudely walking away from one of the guests while she was in the middle of a story about nothing interesting.

  Once he spotted me though, his face blanched, and he gulped. The last time I had seen him he had been between my legs, ignoring a phone call from his wife. I guess I’d be nervous to see me, too, but in my eyes, there was nothing but lust. Tonight, Garrett Holden would be mine. I was sure of it.

  “Hey,” I said, doing my best to refrain from any public displays of affection. It was hard though when he was looking the way he did. “I’m really glad you came tonight.”

  “Are you?” He narrowed his brow like he didn’t believe me but then shook it off. “Networking here has been great for us financially. We want to continue to do business with these people, but my brother thought it’d be inappropriate for him to show up.” Garrett gestured to himself. “So now I get suckered into doing all the events. Oh well, Holden Industries has to survive somehow.” He downed the rest of his drink.

  “Listen,” I said playing with the curls of my hair. “We should talk about what happened the other day.”

  “Yes, and I couldn’t agree with you more, but this isn’t the place or the time,” his voice lowered. “See me after. We can go to your apartment and talk where it’s private.”

  Before I could answer, the familiar voice of a woman called my name, “Adriana, is that you?” My heart stopped. Michelle approached me with her pregnant belly and wrapped me into a hug. She was followed by an older couple. She turned to them, putting her back to Garrett, and simultaneously turning me by the shoulder to face them. “I’m sure you know her, but this is Adriana. Her mother and stepfather are hosting the dinner.”

  “Of course, we know Adriana,” Mr. Dawson or Dickson (I’m not really sure of his last name) said. He was a good friend of Dennis though, so it really didn’t matter to me. “She’s always here supporting Dennis and his endeavors. She’s such a gorgeous girl.”

  “She is and so sweet,” Michelle added with her arms still wrapped around me. Her touch felt like acid on my skin. Michelle was dressed in a flowy, mango colored dress that fell tastefully over her baby bump. I wasn’t sure how I was even standing up straight. Just the sight of her made me feel sick. “Um, oh, and this is my husband, the one I was talking about.” She grabbed at Garrett, so he was standing next to her. He extended a hand to each of the people in front of us, admittedly looking awkward and uncomfortable. I wanted to run in the opposite direction. “He’s the one you should talk to about your son’s birthday party. Garrett, this is Tim Dalton.” Oh, Dalton, my guesses were close.

  “H-Hello, Tim, what kind of, um, event are you looking to do?” Garrett asked with a little less charm that usual. My skin was burning, pricking me with discomfort.

  “My son’s turning forty, so it’s a milestone for him. I want something youthful though, lots of alcohol and fun to bring him out of his slump,” Tim laughed. “He’s a bit bitter about turning forty. He thinks it means the end of everything for him. I keep telling him when he turns sixty-five, forty will sound like a wonderful fantasy.”

  “Well if you’re looking for youthful and fun, you should try our newest location in Philadelphia,” Garrett said, fumbling over his words in the process. The muscles between my legs clenched at the sound of that bar. The memory of his tongue…fuck, I needed a drink. “It’s newly acquired by my brother and I and very much what you’re looking for. I’d be happy to set up an appointment for you next week to look it over and go over some details. We can discuss a plan of action and see if it’s a good fit for what you’re thinking.”

  The discussion continued in a lull with Garrett clumsily mulling through the conversation. I managed to get a hold of a couple glasses of chilled raspberry vodka, and I didn’t stop drinking until one of the glasses was empty. Finally, Tim and his wife left, leaving me alone with a drink in each hand and Michelle and Garrett standing in front of me. Michelle caressed her stomach. The sight of it made me knock back the other drink. Garrett stood wordlessly before us.

  “You could have at least tried a little harder to be articulate,” Michelle spat. Immediately, I turned my back to them, offering some kind of privacy to this conversation even though that didn’t seem like it was a priority for her. She hissed. “You talk like you’re a damn idiot sometimes. I came here for a fucking reason, not to watch you piss away an opportunity because you don’t feel like being around these people. God, Garrett, you make me physically ill and exhausted.”

  “Shelly,” he huffed. “Let’s not do this here.”

  “Whatever, I regret coming. As usual, you’re not trying…but why should I be surprised?” She seethed. “I’m going to the bathroom. Try not to stand here like a loser. Maybe, for once, you can actually make an attempt at networking, so I don’t have to do it for you.”

  The click of her heels became distant, and I turned around to meet Garrett’s hard gaze. Sadness loomed in those eyes. Before he could even open his mouth, I said, “You came here tonight…with her? Don’t you think you should have told me?”

  “She insisted on coming. Believe me when I sa
y, I wish it was just you and me tonight. I really tried to get her to stay home. You and I left things so poorly that I just wanted to talk to you, have fun like at the gallery, forget about all of our problems,” he looked like he wanted to touch me, but that couldn’t happen here…especially not now. I stared at his left hand, the one with the ring secured around his finger. “Adriana, I have a part to play, but I promise it’s just a part. You’re what I want.”

  “Play a part?” I asked, still staring at his finger. He immediately dug his hand into his pocket, hiding the eternal symbol of love, and nodded his head. I hissed. “I guess I should play too then.” Michelle returned from the bathroom, forcing a smile on her face. “Excuse me you two. I have to find myself some more vodka for now and a new boy for tonight.”

  Garrett pressed his lips together into a hard line. He glared at me. Michelle beamed, “Good for you, Adriana. Get out there and have a blast.”

  Without another word, I left them and went straight for the kitchen. Waiters and chefs buzzed around me in preparation for the dinner. “Excuse me.” I offered as I passed through the crowd. I dug into the freezer until I found a half full bottle of vodka that would go down nicely in preparation for dealing with tonight. I took it and walked down the hall.

  As I made my way, I spotted Bethany in a short, cream colored dress with ruffled skirt and sweetheart neckline. I motioned for her to follow me, and without complaint, she did. We went into the library and locked ourselves inside.

  “I’ve been looking for you,” she said while I twisted the top off of the bottle. “Are we having a private party or what?”

  “Yes, I’ll need it,” I took a long swig out of the bottle and passed it to her. She followed my direction. “Garrett showed up here…with his wife.”