Lies in Love (2 page)

“Wade
picked the flowers. I just put them together for you.” Talia’s
job was so ironic. She hated love, or at least the idea of it. She
wasn’t truly sure that real love existed. And here she was on
Valentine’s Day putting together last-minute flower
arrangements and filling balloons for doe-eyed men and women on this
puerile day.

“They’re
beautiful. The most beautiful I’ve ever received on
Valentine’s. Thank you, Talia.” Reina hugged Talia, her
coal hair brushing Talia’s cheek.

“You’re
welcome. Now get back to work. All of these orders aren’t going
to fill themselves.” Talia walked away to return to work. Her
job came first, making it easier to bury her feelings when they tried
to rise to the surface. She’d followed in her father’s
footsteps working through her stress and worry. Like him, the
business came first in her life. She wanted to see it succeed as it
did when he ran things. She returned to a pile of red roses waiting
to be primped and presented to the next sappy customer in line.

“I
don’t know what to do with her anymore.” Twirling a
candy-striped carnation, Sara grumbled to her coworkers, Camey and
Reina, while they arranged flowers alone in the back room. The girls
had grown up together and came on after Talia took the shop over from
her father. Camey, all petite and willowy with turquoise eyes and
that little mouth of hers, brought life to the shop. She always had
stories to tell about her conquests that had them in stitches. And
Reina, with her Latin spunk and take-no-prisoners attitude, kept them
all in check. “She has to be hiding something. She’s
definitely not herself. The new stud in her nose is proof of that.
There’s just no other good reason for her to be so frigid.”
Talia had inadvertently broken Sara’s heart each time she
pushed her away a little more.

“I’ve
tried talking to her, but I can’t get through. Something just
isn’t right with her. It’s become more evident each time
we go to
Satin
.
I’ve seen some pretty hot guys look her way and she gives them
this death glare that promptly scares them off. It’s like she’s
completely closed off to men.” Camey placed a pale pink rose in
a vase before reaching for more baby’s breath.

Sara
looked down at the carnation she’d been abusing. Its stem was
now broken in half. “I don’t know what to do, but I can’t
continue to see her like this.”

“Mami
needs to get laid.” Reina was still grinning over her flowers
that sat just a few feet away. “I’m never cranky after
Wade rocks my world.”

Camey
chuckled at Reina’s assumption. “I’m not sure
that’s possible if she’s scaring all the men off with a
look.” Tying organza ribbon around a crystal vase, Camey
finished her arrangement. “It’s going to take some
serious convincing to get Talia laid.”

“We’ve
got to try. She needs something to get the stick out of her ass. I
can’t handle her bitchiness much longer.” Sara had thrown
the carnation away, her usual bubbly mood completely gone. “We
need a plan of attack for tomorrow night. There’s bound to be
at least one guy at
Satin
that is up to taking on Talia’s eternal PMS.”

“We’ll
see.” Camey grabbed her arrangement and carried it to the back
cooler for pickup.

“It’s
worth a shot, mija. I don’t think she can get much worse.”
Reina kissed Sara on the cheek as she passed her with her completed
arrangement. “You better get that order done before she comes
back here and chews your ass.”

Sara
waved her off. “Yeah, yeah. I’m on it.”

The
girls were all dressed in short, clingy dresses, with the exception
of Talia. She wore a knee-length denim skirt, a black button-up
blouse safeguarding her akin to a nun, and a pair of ballet flats.
There was definitely nothing about Talia that said
fuck
me, now.
Sara
knew the girls would have their work cut out for them tonight.

Sara’s
plans seemed more difficult to carry out when she saw the
post-Valentine’s crowd bumping and grinding on the dance floor.
Couples filled the place and Sara’s idea was smothered. Talia
groaned in Sara’s ear but Sara tried to make the most of the
evening, slipping her arm through Talia’s and leading her to
the tables overlooking the dancers below. She winked over her
shoulder at Camey, hoping she’d have some luck finding a
willing party to sweep Talia off her feet. She knew she couldn’t
rely on Reina, as she had already made her way to Wade, who was
occupied behind the bar.

Leading
Talia upstairs, Sara found a single table with two vacant seats. As
they approached she surveyed the men at the other tables, but they
all had dates. The pickings this evening seemed to be rather slim.
This might not have been the best night to try and put their plan
into action.

Rising
from the table, Sara was determined to do something. “I’m
going to get drinks,” she yelled over the raucousness of the
crowd.

Talia
didn’t speak. She stared daggers into a couple at the next
table and waved Sara off. It was rather discouraging.

Sara
squeezed past patrons and finally found Reina at the bar gawking
googoo-eyed at her boyfriend of fourteen months. There was just
enough room for Sara to squeeze in next to her. She ordered her
sister’s usual vodka martini, adding a margarita for herself,
then spoke. “I’m afraid tonight isn’t going to be
the best night to put our plan in motion.”

Reina
sipped at her mojito as she turned to survey the club. “Just
wait. Fate is on our side.”

Sara
anxiously stared at the crowd, watching with a heavy heart. The
realization that her concentrated focus on her sister had taken away
every ounce of drive she had to find a man of her own niggled her.
Sure, she had dated the occasional guy, but she was never capable of
committing herself to anything serious when her every concern was
focused on Talia’s happiness. Her sister’s personal life
had become her highest priority.

It
took an elbow jab to the ribs to pull her thoughts away from her
regret.

“Mira.
Over there.” Reina pointed at a couple across the way. The
woman was waving her arms and shouting, although the voices didn’t
carry over the loud beats of the music. Her date looked confounded as
she laid into him. He didn’t speak or move, only standing with
his mouth agape. “Poor maje didn’t know what hit him.”

Sara
pitied the poor guy. He had potential, with his sparkling green eyes
and stark-raven hair. He may have needed a little maintenance, but
surely he would do. She just needed to decide how to approach him;
after all, he seemed in a fragile state.

Before
Sara made a move, Reina ushered her on, “Ándale,
before he leaves.”

Sara
approached him cautiously as he continued to stare after the woman
that was now leaving the club. His hands were tucked in his jeans
just below where his Polo shirt fell away from his long torso. When
she got closer she saw his shoulders fall. What was she going to say
to make him feel better and convince him to help with her plight? She
searched her brain but the answer didn’t come. When she was at
his side, she gently touched his arm before she said the first thing
that popped into her head. “I’m so sorry.”

His
head jerked her direction and Sara was finally able to see tears
forming in the corners of his eyes. There was no way this was going
to work.

“What?
Who are you?” His brow creased.

“I’m
Sara. I was watching you from the bar and I saw what happened.”
Wow, could
I come off as more of a creeper?
“I’m
so sorry.” She was repeating herself.

“I
guess it wasn’t meant to be.” His head dropped and he
started to walk away, but Sara stopped him.

“Look,
I’m sure you’re not up for it, but my sister is kinda in
the same situation and I thought maybe you guys might keep each other
company.”

He
stopped, his head still hanging. “What happened to your
sister?”

Great,
she was going to have to lie. Talia didn’t get ditched, but
Sara had to tell him something. “She and her fiancé
split up. She could really use a friend.”

He
turned around and looked Sara in the eye. “What’s her
name?”

“Talia.”
Sara began to smile.

“Shawn.”
He held out his hand to Sara and returned her smile.

Maybe
all hope wasn’t lost. Maybe he would be the one to bring Talia
around, even if it was solely for revenge or on the rebound. “She’s
upstairs at a table by herself. I was just down here getting her a
drink when I saw you. Would you mind taking it to her for me? She’s
wearing a black shirt and denim skirt. I’m sure you can’t
miss her in here with all these hearts and flowers.”

“Sure.”

Sara
led him to the bar and grabbed Talia’s martini then passed it
off to Shawn. “Remember, her name is Talia.”

“Got
it. Thanks.”

Sara
nodded, concern flooding her as he walked away. She hoped this wasn’t
a totally bad idea. Anxious about the outcome, Sara followed him,
hanging back a bit so he wouldn’t notice. From a few tables
away, she saw the whole exchange between Shawn and Talia. He was
genuinely trying to be nice, setting the drink before her and asking
if he could sit down.
Of
course she said no
.
She’s
so hard headed.
Shawn
was still standing, staring at Talia. Sara wished she could hear what
was being said. Shawn looked so sincere and Talia looked what,
pissed, sad, amused? She’d become so hard to read since the
breakup.
What
is going on in that head of hers?

Shawn
reached for the seat again and Talia threw her drink in his face.
Seriously?
What is her deal?
Shawn
marched away, wiping the martini from his face and looking worse than
before. Sara chased after him, trying to find out what happened. She
felt like this whole thing was a disaster, a lost cause.

“Shawn,
wait.” Sara was practically running, pushing through the bodies
in the club. Obscenities were screamed behind her as she continued on
after him. “Shawn.”

He
stopped and spun, seething. “Was this some kind of sick joke?
Did Avery put you up to his?”

“Who?”
She could only assume he meant the girlfriend. “Look, I don’t
know what she said, but I’m sorry. I really thought you guys
could be good for each other.”

“Whatever.
You might want to reevaluate her sexual preference, because she
definitely has
no
interest in men.” Shawn didn’t say any more. He turned
and walked away, leaving the club.

Sara
felt terrible for doubly ruining his evening. Sending him in blind
was a terrible idea. She returned to the bar in search of Reina, who
was lost somewhere in the chaos. The bar was now three people thick
with the barstools concealed. On tiptoes, she walked behind the
crowd, looking for the top of Reina’s coal hair. She found her
behind a group of men placing their orders and flirting. “Reina!”
she yelled over their heads, trying to get her attention.

Reina
turned on her stool and stood on the leg supports to see over the
crowd. “Sara?” She pushed through the mass of people and
appeared at Sara’s side. "¿Qué
pasa?"

“That
guy was a huge mistake. Talia threw her drink in his face.”

Reina
tried to suppress a giggle, with no luck. “¡Que mamada!”

“This
is so frustrating.”

“Why
don’t we find Camey and see if she’s had any better
luck.” Reina took Sara’s arm and squeezed past patrons
who were now a little more intoxicated than before. They found Camey
grinding on the dance floor with a very attractive blonde who had to
be in his mid-thirties. Reina tapped Camey on the shoulder, stilling
her rhythmic movement.

“Hey.
What’s up?”

“I
take it you didn’t have any luck?”

Camey’s
eyes shot open. She’d obviously forgotten all about their plan.
“I’m sorry. I met Ken and Talia totally slipped my mind.”
She gave her signature puppy dog eyes and pouty mouth. It was her way
of getting out of trouble and, for some reason, it always worked.