White Lies Read online

  “Come on, let’s get you changed. I got us on the list for this great club tonight,” she told me as she walked over to my cupboard to look for glasses.

  “I can’t, I really need to study. I’m working the dinner shift tomorrow and I have no time to get caught up.”

  “We haven’t been out in weeks, you’re becoming a hermit Breanne and I know how hard the breakup was on you. Life is about more than work and studying, you need to have a bit of fun too.” I opened my mouth to protest but she raised a hand and cut me off. “I’m not taking no for an answer. Look at me. This is my serious face. Now get changed,” she said pouring a glass of wine and handing it to me.

  I sighed and took a sip, resigning myself to the fact that I never won in an argument with Tabitha. She had planned a girls night out, and I was a part of it whether I wanted to be or not. “Alright, what should I wear?” I asked as she followed me over to my closet. I sat on the bed and pulled my hair free from my ponytail, running my fingers through it and loosening my natural waves. She poked around before smiling and pulling out a body skimming red dress.

  “This, definitely this,” she told me holding it out. It was a far cry from the sweatpants I was wearing.

  “You mean I can’t go like this?” I teased, standing up and doing a twirl. Tabitha laughed as I started to strip out of my lounge wear and took the dress from her, pulling it over my head and fastening the zipper up the side.

  “You didn’t mention where we were going,” I said as I picked up my makeup bag and started to touch up. I figured red lips and winged eyeliner would be a good look.

  “Skyview Lounge,” she told me with a smile. I stared at her, wide eyed.

  “You’re not serious. How on earth did you get us on the list there? That place is the most exclusive club in Chicago.”

  “My dad plays racquetball with the manager, mentioned his daughter was a student in the city and they offered to put me on the list with a guest. Aren’t you excited to go now, see what it’s like?”

  “I don’t think I’m going to fit in at a place like that. You grew up going to private schools and going to gala events, I’m just… me,” I told her, feeling suddenly insecure.

  Tabitha dismissed my worries with a wave of her hand. “You look absolutely beautiful, and you’re one of the most kind and charming women I know. We’re going to have a great time. Now finish your wine and let’s go!”

  I finished the rest of my glass in two deep sips, wanting the liquid courage, then I touched up my lipstick and picked up a black clutch. I stepped into a pair of black heels then Tabitha led me by the arm out the door and downstairs. We flagged down a taxi and gave him the address.

  “Not to bring up school,” Tabitha began, “but did you figure out what you want to do your paper on?”

  I nodded. “I think I’m going to write about visual cues related to deception. How you can spot a lie sometimes before you can hear it.” I guess you could say my awful ex had at least provided me with useful inspiration.

  “Oh, that’s a good one,” Tabitha told me. “I was thinking about doing something about personality types and conflict. But I’m not sure exactly what yet.”

  We pulled up along a massive building stretching towards the sky and got out where a man was waiting with a clip board. I followed Tabitha as she walked past the line and smiled at the doorman.

  “Tabitha Bates, plus guest,” she told him.

  The man scanned his sheet then nodded, unclipping the rope and letting us inside. I got a few nasty looks from the girls waiting behind the rope, but didn’t have time to dwell on them because Tabitha pulled me inside. There was a private elevator that took us right to the top floor. I looked around and my jaw dropped. There was a wrap around terrace and plush cream seating throughout the open space. The lighting was low, casting the bar in an intimate glow, and pulsating music played through the speakers while attractive people moved together on the dance floor.

  Tabitha walked towards the bar and I followed her. There was a crowd and after a moment a bartender walked up to us.

  “What can I get for you?” he asked.

  “I’ll have a double cranberry and Stoli,” Tabitha told him.

  “Same,” I said, a bit overwhelmed by the wall of bottles in front of me. The bartender grabbed a couple of glasses and scooped in some ice. He poured a couple of shots in each and then added a splash of cranberry juice, garnishing our glasses with a lime. We picked up our drinks and Tabitha handed the man a few folded bills.

  “First round is on me,” she told me with a wink.

  “Thanks,” I said as I took a sip. It was sweet with a hint of tartness and a great deal of alcohol. Someone called her name and we turned around.

  “Tabitha, is that you?”

  “Mister Jones, hello,” she said turning to the man who was approaching through the crowd. “It’s so nice to see you. Breanne this is William Jones, he’s the manager here.”

  The man scooped up my hand and shook it, then hugged Tabitha. “They told me you arrived and I wanted to come say hi, make sure you were well taken care of. In fact Tabitha, there is someone here I want you to meet. I know you expressed interest in theatre, the owner of the Cadillac Palace Theatre is a regular here and I’d be happy to introduce you.”

  Tabitha’s eyes lit up and she turned to me. “Do you mind Breanne? I’ll come and find you.”

  “No problem,” I told her. “I’m going to go out on the terrace, take in the view. It was nice to meet you Mister Jones.”

  I watched as they walked away, feeling happy for Tabitha. She was obsessed with theatre and I knew how excited she must be right now. I held my drink and walked through the crowd, finding my place on the terrace against the railing while groups mingled around me. I sipped my drink, looking out over the city with a sigh. Chicago had become my home, I was falling in love with its character and bustle. I was leaning forward, letting the breeze whip through my hair when someone approached me from behind.

  “Are they just letting anyone in here now?” said a familiar voice. My body tensed and I turned around to see Eric, my ex-boyfriend, with a tall blonde standing beside him.

  “Hi Eric,” I said, turning to face him. “I’m here with Tabitha.”

  “Of course you are,” he told me. “How else could you get into a place like this if it wasn’t for your rich socialite friend?”

  I tried to keep my head high, but my insides were lurching. The breakup had been particularly nasty. I found out he was cheating on me and I put an end to it immediately. He had responded with a shrug and told me all I was to him was a piece of ass. After a few months together I had assumed I meant something to him. I had been wrong.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, how rude of me,” Eric said brushing the arm of the woman at his side. “Breanne this is Vanessa, my date. Vanessa this is Breanne, a waitress I used to sleep with.”

  Vanessa looked me over and arched an eyebrow. My skin was crawling, I wanted to be anywhere but there. I was wracking my brain for something, anything to say when I felt someone grab hold of my arm. I turned, expecting to see Tabitha but was surprised.

  “There you are, I’ve been looking for you,” said Nicholas, the man I had met at the restaurant, as he stepped beside me. “We have a seat in the private area of the terrace.”

  “Oh,” was all I could manage to say. I saw Vanessa and Eric look from me to the polished and elegant man in a navy suit.

  “Nicholas Blackstone,” he said extending a hand towards Eric. Eric arched his eyebrows in surprise, taking his hand.

  “Nicholas Blackstone, as in the newly appointed CEO of Blackstone Enterprises?” Eric asked, the look of surprise still evident on his face. When he mentioned the title, Vanessa visibly thawed and pointed herself towards him smiling seductively.

  “That would be me, and if you’ll excuse me I think Breanne is in search of better company this evening.”

  Nicholas guided me by the small of my back away from both of them, and I couldn’t help
myself but smile and wave goodbye as we crossed the terrace to a roped off area. When we were out of earshot I turned to Nicholas.

  “Thank you for that, I really appreciate it. But I don’t want to impose on your evening.”

  “You’re not. I was walking past when I recognized you. I apologize for eavesdropping, but I couldn’t stand by and watch him talk to you that way. Why don’t you join me for a drink? They’re still watching us you know.”

  I looked over my shoulder and sure enough Vanessa and Eric were watching after us. A man stepped forward to unclip the rope and I walked past with Nicholas. There was a group of four people seated on plush cream chairs, engaged in a lively conversation.

  “Breanne,” Nicholas said. “Let me introduce you to everyone.” He pointed towards a pair of girls, one with the same dark hair he had and the other a redhead wearing a fantastic sequined dress. “This is my sister Evelyn and her friend Lilly.” He turned towards a couple seated in the corner. “This is my other sister Sasha and her husband Liam.” I gave a smile to the group.

  “Hi,” I told them, feeling a bit out of place.

  “How do you know Nicholas?” Evelyn asked me.

  “We’re friends,” he answered before I had a chance to speak. “Breanne, why don’t you sit down? Would you like another drink?” I nodded and Nicholas reached for a bottle of champagne, pouring a glass and holding it out to me.

  “I was just telling everyone how much work you’re about to have thrust on your plate, Nicholas,” Liam said. “We really should sit down to iron out what exactly I can take on for you. We both know you’d rather be out on some adrenaline junkie adventure than stuck in an office anyways.”

  Nicholas groaned and took a drink from his glass. “Talking business was the whole reason I walked away before I ran into Breanne. I doubt she wants to be bored hearing about things like that and I know I don’t want to talk about it. So let’s talk about something else.”

  “What do you do Breanne,” Lilly asked me.

  I took a drink from my glass, not wanting to feel out of place by telling the group I was a waitress when Nicholas himself had clearly avoided it. “I’m a student at the University of Chicago studying Psychology,” I told them. Nicholas watched me and cocked his head, interested.

  “And what do you do with that degree, what are your plans when you graduate?” Sasha asked me.

  “Well I’m not entirely sure yet, but I think I’d like to pursue a career as a forensic psychologist,” I told them.

  Lilly looked at me wide-eyed. “Like work with murderers and psychopaths? Are you serious?”

  “I think the human mind is incredibly complex,” I told her. “I would love to study the criminal mind and get to the bottom of abnormalities. Maybe then we can help them before they go too far past the point when they can be redeemed as contributing members of society.”

  Nicholas was leaning back in his seat, watching me with a smile.

  “Well you couldn’t pay me enough to get anywhere near a murderer,” Lilly said with a shudder.

  Liam laughed. “With your trust fund Lilly, no one needs to ever pay you to do anything you don’t want to do.” She rolled her eyes and shrugged as the group laughed.

  “There are some scary things that I’d be open to trying, if I was asked the right way,” Lilly replied with a long look at Nicholas.

  Sasha laughed. “Oh god Lilly, I can just picture you standing on an open plane ready to go skydiving with Nicholas. You would literally die of a heart attack.”

  “Maybe not that,” she said defensively. “But we could go boating or riding sometime. Those are fun too. Not everything has to be about cheating death.”

  “Speaking of your hobbies Nicholas,” Liam jumped in. “Jeffrey told me you wouldn’t sign the forms over breakfast the other day. Actually, what he told me was some bimbo waitress ruined them before you had a chance to sign them. So why don’t you come down to my office tomorrow and we can get that all sorted.”

  Nicholas raised a hand to stop him. “Seriously, no more business talk or I’m out of here,” he said assertively.

  I squirmed in my seat. Skydiving, boating, riding? I did not belong with these people and felt like an outsider. Enough time had passed that I could probably slip past Eric and keep my pride. I stood up.

  “My friend Tabitha must be wondering where I went, I should go and find her,” I told them. “It was really nice meeting all of you, and thank you Nicholas.” Before anyone could object I walked towards the rope which was unclipped for me. I saw Tabitha by the bar looking around and waved at her.

  “There you are!” she exclaimed when I walked towards her. “Where were you?”

  I looked back over my shoulder and saw Nicholas watching me as I walked away, until Lilly pulled him towards her and started talking to him.

  “I ran into someone I knew and had a quick drink, it’s not a big deal.”

  Tabitha followed my line of sight then leaned over to my ear, squeezing my arm. “Breanne, do you know who that is?” she whispered. “That’s Nicholas Blackstone. His father just passed away leaving him in charge of Blackstone Enterprises. He’s one of the youngest, and wealthiest, CEO’s in Chicago. How do you know him?”

  “I don’t really,” I said with a shrug. “He came into the restaurant for brunch and I was his waitress, that’s it.”

  “Well clearly you made an impression,” she said.

  “Yeah, I bet. It was probably when I spilled a glass of water all over their legal documents. That went over really well,” I told her with a roll of my eyes. Tabitha’s hands flew up to her mouth and she tried to stifle a laugh. “I know, ha-ha, very funny,” I said. “Come on, let’s have another drink and dance.”

  We went over to the bar and I ordered us a couple shots of vodka. We clinked them together then tossed them back and made our way arm-in-arm over to the dance floor. She was right, it felt good to be out and enjoying myself. We swayed our bodies to the music, at one point Tabitha convinced the DJ to play one of our favorite songs and we high fived while dancing to the beat and mouthing the words. I had the odd sensation that I was being watched, and when I turned and looked at the far corner Nicholas was staring at me with a curious expression. It was distracting and made me feel a bit self-conscious.

  The night wore on and we enjoyed our time out, sipping more drinks until my head became warm and fuzzy. My problems evaporated into the air as I forgot all about my broken heart and my hectic course load. While waiting for the bathroom I was swaying slightly when I felt a hand reach out and caress my hip. I turned to the side and saw Eric, then pulled away in disgust.

  “Don’t touch me!” I shouted at him. He looked me over and chuckled in response.

  “Why? You know you miss me, how I made you feel. I’m willing to give you another chance, Breanne. Do you realize how lucky you were to have me? Come on,” he crooned as he leaned forward to kiss me. I stuck my hands out to push him off but he was too strong and I was a bit drunk. I struggled against him, until he flew backwards off of me into the far wall with a hard slam.

  Nicholas stood beside me. “She clearly doesn’t want you to touch her,” he said glaring at Eric. Eric pushed himself off the wall and shot me a look, then walked away back into the crowd. I was about to thank Nicholas when he turned to me. “You’ve had too much to drink, I think you should go home and go to bed.”

  I blinked, caught off guard, when he took me by the hand and started to lead me through the crowd. I almost tripped and he held me by the waist, steadying me and guiding me to the elevator. As we went downstairs the air between us was charged. I looked up at him, but his jaw was set in a firm line and his eyes focused straight ahead. He seemed angry and annoyed. When we reached the bottom floor he flagged a taxi and asked me to give my address. Once I did he gave the driver a handful of cash and insisted I get home safe.

  The taxi pulled away from the curb and I watched Nicholas through the glass, my vision was slightly blurry. I mouthed ‘thank you�
�� and his expression softened as the car drove away. When I arrived at home I dropped into bed, still wearing my dress, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

  3

  I woke with a throbbing headache in the afternoon, having slept most of the day away. When I glanced at the clock I had just enough time to change and make myself presentable for the dinner shift at work. I groaned, the light through the window was causing me to squint, and I headed for the bathroom then washed my face before brushing my teeth and applying makeup. I changed into my uniform and tied my hair up into a ponytail, heading outside to my stop. While I waited I checked my phone and saw that I had a message from Tabitha.

  I saw you leave with Nicholas but then he came back upstairs alone. What happened between you two? I need details!

  I didn’t have the mental energy to explain the situation to her, and I decided I would reply later. On the streetcar I tried to focus on my textbook but every movement and bump made my stomach lurch. It was impossible to study when I was feeling the way I was, and I immediately felt foolish for staying out as late as I did, having as many drinks as I did. The memory of Eric pressing against me caused a shudder of revulsion to tear through me. What would have happened if Nicholas hadn’t been there? The thought made me too uncomfortable and I pushed it from my mind. If I had any lingering heartbreak over Eric last night settled it. The man was scum.

  At my stop I got off the streetcar then went into a small corner shop and ordered a bagel, thinking I should have something to eat before a long day of work. I ate it as I walked, feeling a light breeze on my skin and breathing in the fresh air. The bagel was chewy and delicious, settling my stomach and calming my nausea. By the time I arrived at the building I was feeling a bit better as I slipped into my heels then headed upstairs.

  I made my way over to the serving station and tied an apron around my waist when Anna, another waitress, came up to me.

  “Hi Breanne, someone came in looking for you.”