First Lie Wins(8)

Not surprisingly, Rachel is up first. “Okay, so since I missed dinner the other night, catch me up! Tell me all about you.”

I lean back in my chair, wanting as much distance as I can from them, and say, “There’s really not that much to tell.”

They expect me to keep going, throw in a few details at least, but they’re going to have to work harder than that.

Sara fidgets with her glass, her napkin, her phone. “She’s from Alabama,” she says, looking at Rachel, answering for me. Sara is the girl who just wants everyone to get along. She probably had pale pink roses at her wedding and purposefully chose the same china pattern as her mother-in-law.

“What part of Alabama?” Beth asks.

“Outside of Tuscaloosa,” I answer.

“Did you go to Bama?” Allison asks at the same time Rachel decides to be more direct. “What’s the name of the town you’re from?”

I look at Allison, deciding to go for the less aggressive question. “I went there for a bit.”

Weary glances around the table show me how frustrated they are.

There’s an old saying: The first lie wins. It’s not referring to the little white kind that tumble out with no thought; it refers to the big one. The one that changes the game. The one that is deliberate. The lie that sets the stage for everything that comes after it. And once the lie is told, it’s what most people believe to be true. The first lie has to be the strongest. The most important. The one that has to be told.

“I’m from Brookwood, which is really just a suburb of Tuscaloosa. I went to Bama for a couple of years but didn’t graduate. My parents and I were in a bad accident a few years ago. I was the only survivor. When I was released from the hospital, I realized I needed a change, so I’ve been moving around ever since then.”

Their expressions change instantly. This should end the questions, because they’ll look like assholes if they keep prying.

“I’m so sorry to hear about your parents,” Sara says, and it’s obvious she means it.

I nod and chew on my bottom lip, my gaze not meeting anyone at the table, my body language telling them I’m one step away from losing it if I’m forced to continue talking about it.

Rachel gives me a small smile, like she understands my sadness, while the other three squirm in their seats, clearly uncomfortable. They were expecting to find out some gossip, maybe something that could help them dig deeper and possibly unearth dirt that could be used against me later, if needed. But now they realize they might be stuck with me, because how do you run off the poor little orphan girl?

It’s quiet at the table for a moment, then Rachel presses on, no matter how awkward it makes things.

“How did you end up in Lake Forbing?”

I’m starting to see how she could get on your ever last fucking nerve. This is the question I’m most careful about answering. This town isn’t big, and it’s not a place you’d randomly pick to settle in if you didn’t already have family or friends here.

“Came across an online listing for a job. Applied for it and got it so I moved. The job fell through, but I was already here so I made it work.”

“Where was the job?” Rachel asks.

“At the hospital,” I answer.

“Oh,” Rachel says. “Which department?”

Yeah, definitely getting on my last nerve. The other women are nudging one another, each one wanting one of the others to stop this train wreck.

“The billing department,” I answer.

Sara, obviously done with our back-and-forth, chimes in, “I can’t imagine how hard things have been for you. But I am happy that you found Ryan and that Ryan found you.”

The food is delivered, and I’m granted a reprieve when everyone starts eating. Rachel keeps throwing looks my way, trying to figure me out. Good luck.

After several minutes, she spears a tomato on the end of her fork, then points it at me. “It’s surprising to see Ryan get serious so quickly. Beth says you’ve already moved into his place. You’ve known him what, two months?”

I’m done playing nice.

“Rachel—” Allison whispers.

I hold my hand up, letting Allison know I’m okay. “I get it, I really do. You’ve known Ryan forever and then here I appear, out of nowhere.” A smile stretches across my face. “He’s lucky to have you. To have friends who care so much about him.” Looking directly at Rachel I say, “So ask me what you really want to know. Am I after him for his money? I mean, that’s the real concern, right? That I’m using him?”

Sara stutters out, “No, no, no . . .”

But Rachel says, “I’m worried he’s thinking with his dick and not his brain.”

Allison drops her head in her hands, clearly embarrassed, while Beth rolls her eyes and says, “Rachel, that’s enough.” At this point, they are probably glad they don’t know anyone else in this restaurant.

Truth be told, while Rachel annoys me, I admire her the most.

I lean forward, pushing my plate away so I can rest my arms on the table. They automatically lean forward too.

“You have no reason to trust me. No reason to believe my intentions are good. But trust your friend. While I may not be comfortable telling you everything you want to know, I’ve told him. That’s the best I can give you today.”