Tell Me No Lies Read online

  He was a few sheets to the wind by the time I arrived and, between sets, bellied up to the bar for another fix. “And don’t water this one down, sweetheart,” he called to the bartender, who was a busty, tall blonde who looked like she’d had enough of his shit.

  “Fuck you. I don’t water my drinks.” She poured him another and slid it to him. “Now fuck off, Piano Man.”

  “Still making friends wherever you go, I see.”

  Clay turned around, and his brown, bloodshot eyes widened as he saw me. “No fucking way! Zane Ballard, you son of a bitch.” He grabbed me and hugged me close. “It’s been months. Where the fuck have you been?”

  “Working in the oil fields. What about you? Mom told me that you got kicked out of this place.” I looked at his eye, which was still a nasty shade of yellow peeking out from under his shaggy brown hair. He also had stubble I’d never seen, another sign that all was not the same in his world.

  “Yeah, but they let me back in. I guess they realized I’m worth the trouble. Either that, or it’s because I’m the only true talent within a hundred miles of this place.” He tasted his drink and made a face. “Hey, I’ve meant to get in touch. Guess who I heard from?”

  “I’m not guessing.” I followed him as he took his drink and went to a table near the piano.

  “Fine, because you never would. And I’d tell you anyway.” He smirked, his cocky grin making me feel like I wanted to punch him in the face. I probably would have if I didn’t love him like a brother. He took another drink, and I thought I was going to lose my fucking cool wondering. It had to be one of the old crew from college—The Five.

  “Are you going to tell me or nurse that drink?”

  Clay chuckled. “Easy, big fella. It’s Grady Black. He sold his software to some company for millions, and now he bought a big house in Vegas. He wants us to come out. He said he wanted me to call you, but I didn’t know how to reach you out in the field. You’ve been a stranger lately. I don’t like it.”

  “Yeah, it’s not easy. We had an injury today, though, and it bought me some time off.”

  Clay’s eyes widened. “Oh, fuck yeah. We have to go then.”

  “Go? I don’t know, man.” I thought about leaving Mila, but then it dawned on me that she would be leaving for her trip too. “When would we leave?”

  “Tomorrow. He wants to show the place off and take us out on the town. You know, he’s got that pact to fulfill.”

  Pact? I thought for a moment, trying to remember which pact he was referring to. “We made so many.”

  “You know. The first one of us to a million had to pay for a Vegas blowout.”

  I was pretty sure at the time, we all just wanted a blowjob in Vegas, but I nodded like I remembered the same as he did. Maybe it had just been too fucking long since I had the company of a woman? Regardless, I was in.

  “Sure, I’ll go.”

  “Really?” He grabbed me and tried to hug me but ended up slapping my back and laughing instead. I was more like a mountain. He wasn’t going to move me. “Damn, you’re solid, you big son of a gun. God, it’s so good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too, friend.” Now I just had to see Mila off and pack for Vegas. I was long overdue a break, and getting to see my old gang was going to be the perfect way to unwind.

  Chapter 4

  Tara

  The next day, after having worked the early shift, I decided to hit the pool before going home. Mondays were always fairly private at the pool, and I was content to soak up some sun in peace outside in my favorite lounger.

  This particular seat was in the corner on the side with little traffic, near the waterfall, and in the breeze. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine I was out on a beach somewhere.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” said Karen. “Are you still mad at me?” She gave me a big-eyed stare with her baby blues and a pleading look that was irresistible.

  I hadn’t had much of a chance to speak with her while at work, and I guessed she thought it was because of the incident with the older men the day before. “I’m not mad at you, Karen. Why would I be?” And if she thought I was, didn’t that say a lot about her conscience? You’d think.

  Her shoulders loosened up as she relaxed. “Thanks Matilda,” she said, never wanting to take the Lord’s name in vain. “I thought you were upset with me for being a bad girl.” She took the lounger next to me, her usual spot as well, and popped on her shades.

  She looked like a blonde goddess in the sunlight, and I was ever envious of her tan.

  “You’re not a bad girl. You’re just a bit more adventurous than me.” There was nothing wrong with that. “Honestly, Karen, I just worry about your safety more than anything. It’s a dangerous city.”

  “And I love you for caring. But I won’t live a life of fear. But if you’re so worried, why don’t you join me sometimes and keep me safe. What’s that old adage about safety in numbers?”

  “I doubt I’d be able to do anything to protect us both but nice try.”

  She shrugged it off as she glanced over beside my chair. “You don’t have a drink? They look so delicious.” She spotted an older couple at the bar ordering drinks with tiny umbrellas. “Let’s get one.”

  “Nah,” I said, shaking my head as she called the waiter over. “It’s okay. I’ve got water.”

  “Water? Boring. Let me get us something.” She turned to order the drinks, ignoring my protests. “I just love anything with fruit and an umbrella. We can pretend we’re in Hawaii or on a beach in the Bahamas.”

  “You don’t have to,” I said, trying to get her to not order me yet another drink I’d never be able to pay her back for. She took care of me way more than I was able to take care of her, and that made me feel bad.

  “Nonsense. We’re best friends. I’m buying you a drink. Besides, it’s just mimosas, and this is last night’s winnings.”

  “Fine.” I didn’t feel like arguing, especially since she already thought I was upset with her. “You just know how I feel about you paying my way.”

  “Relax. Don’t think of it as me. Think of it as that tall graying hunk from last night buying it. I won a ton of money off of him. He wanted to challenge me. It was cute. Then I won another hundred all on my own.”

  “I still can’t believe you went out with them.” She had gotten more and more addicted to the night scene, and I missed the days when it was just the two of us enjoying shopping or a movie. Now, it was damned near impossible to get her to do anything but party.

  “Sorry, Mom,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean to disappoint you.”

  I gave her a sideward look. “It’s not that, Karen. It’s just this is two nights in a row. Don’t you think you should slow down a bit?”

  “Those two nights are helping me pay the bills, and I didn’t even have to take off my clothes. It’s just for fun. There’s nothing against meeting new people and making new friends. Even if it’s just for the moment. I swear you’re going to die alone if you don’t start putting yourself out there.”

  Those words hurt a lot more than I expected them to, but I had to defend myself. “It’s just that you used to want to fall in love and have a boyfriend, and lately, it’s more about who you can get to buy you a free dinner. Don’t you still want to fall in love?” We had talked about our dreams a lot when we were younger, and never once did she let on that she wanted to lead a party life.

  “Love is just an illusion anyway. We trick ourselves into believing it’s real, and then we get let down.”

  I pointed to an older couple who were walking hand in hand out to the poolside across the water. “Tell that to them.”

  She smiled at the sweet couple. “Okay, maybe for some people, assuming he’s not some scam artist hoping to steal her dead husband’s money. Or she’s not blowing him for his pension.”

  I glanced back at the old man, who didn’t seem to have anything but love for the woman next to him. I had a feeling I knew where this at
titude was coming from, but I wasn’t going to mention her last relationship.

  She had dated a man named James and thought it was going to be forever, but James dragged his feet and never would pop the question. He was a loser anyway, but she had been devastated. She hadn’t had a boyfriend or a real relationship since.

  She began to laugh. “The look on your face. I’m sure he’s a sweet old man.”

  “I guess I’m just old fashioned. I want true love, a love to last me when I’m their age.”

  “Haven’t you ever just saw a hot guy and wished you could walk right up and kiss him?”

  The thought of it had my cheeks burning. “No, I couldn’t do that.” I wasn’t about kissing strangers.

  “You need more confidence. You’re a gorgeous girl, with perfect skin, teeth, and I’d die for your hair.” She reached over and brushed my hair off my shoulder.

  “You’re supposed to say that. You’re my best friend.”

  “It’s the truth. So I’d say it even if I wasn’t.” She took the drinks from the waiter and passed me one. They were orange with a dash of grenadine and two cherries hiding beneath a colorful umbrella.

  I sipped it and closed my eyes, enjoying the first taste. The champagne made me smile.

  “You should really take me up on my offer. You need to meet someone and lose that V card. Take a chance.”

  “I’ll think about it.” I did want to get out now and then but on my own terms, in my own time.

  She laughed and shook her head like she would believe it when she saw it. “I won’t hold my breath.” She made a face that made me want to muster up the courage. “One day, I hope you see a man that you want so badly that you throw all caution to the wind.”

  “And I just hope that if I do decide to do something that harebrained, I don’t fall on my face at his feet and get my heart trampled.” No one was going to notice me the way I noticed them. At least, they hadn’t. But part of me hoped that she was right. I would love to meet my dream man. And maybe if I was lucky, he would take me away from Vegas. But things like that just didn’t happen in the real world.

  We finished our drinks and sat talking for at least an hour more while more and more people came.

  “Well, this is getting a little too busy for my tastes,” I said as a little boy ran past me and jumped in the pool, splashing water all over my feet.

  “No running or diving, little man!” shouted Karen. She turned to the kid’s mother and gave her a dirty look.

  “I’m going to go too,” she said after the woman took her son aside and yelled at him. “Do you want to go hang out later?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ve got a lot to do.” I had put off doing my daily chores for days but only because I’d been trying to pick up extra shifts whenever Ben would let me.

  “Like what?”

  “Laundry for one, and I have to scrub the oven. I cooked a frozen lasagna, and now there’s black stuff on the bottom. I think it must have bubbled over.”

  “That’s really exciting,” she said as she faked a yawn. “And those are all things you’ll have done by tonight. So be ready. I’m dropping by to get you.”

  “Karen, I—”

  “No protesting. We’re going to have some innocent fun. Besides, it’s Monday. What kind of trouble could we possibly get into on a Monday night?”

  The magic of Vegas was that it didn’t adhere to the regular day of the week logic. “Tell that to the tourists.” They didn’t care what day it was. They were just trying to forget their regular life for a while.

  She let out a sound of frustration. “Fine, we’ll do something boring if you want. Maybe you will meet Mr. Right at the Cineplex.”

  “Ha ha. You make it sound like I don’t know how to have fun.”

  “I’m not sure you do anymore. But how about proving me wrong?”

  “Maybe I will,” I said. On second thought, maybe I wouldn’t.

  Chapter 5

  Zane

  As a tough man, as most people said I was, it still pained me to see my little girl getting into the car to go on her first long trip without me. She was all ready to leave with her little suitcase packed and a big smile on her face.

  “Don’t forget my travel pillow, Pop-pop,” she said as I put her in the booster seat behind my dad.

  I knew she was in good hands. My father handed her the pillow, and she hugged it close with her stuffed unicorn.

  “Now you’re all set,” I said, securing the seatbelt. “You be a good girl for Daddy and mind your grandparents.”

  “She’ll be fine and so will we,” said my mother. She had been handling classrooms full of children for over thirty years, so I decided to take her word for it.

  “I’ll miss you, Daddy. Are you sure you can’t come with us?”

  I felt my heart tug, but my mother shook her head as if to tell me not to change my plans. “I can’t, sweetheart, but when you get back, we’ll be together. And Daddy will be home a while with you.”

  “Good. I like my room and miss my toys.”

  I knew being between two houses hadn’t been easy on her. And with all of the time I was gone after losing her mother, that had been rough too.

  “Your daddy needs to go and see his friends while he has the chance.” My mother gave me a look like she was worried I might change my mind and stow away. But after all that time in the man camp, I needed a lot more than just my friends’ company. I needed the company of a woman. And I had a pretty good idea that I’d find one in Vegas.

  After they drove away, I went back into the house I hadn’t spent more than two hours inside over the past two months.

  It had been so closed up, it needed a good airing out, and while I had popped in to get ready the night before, I had gone back to my parents’ house to sleep in my old room.

  When I got to the airport where Clay was supposed to be waiting, I glanced at the time and looked around the terminal. “Where the fuck is he?” I mumbled.

  If he stood me up, I was going to be so pissed, but before I could really get angry, I spotted him coming in the main entrance with his overnight bag in tow. At least I hadn’t been the only one to pack light.

  “Hey, Insane Zane, waiting on me?” He had a big personality and was dressed just as nicely as if he was performing.

  “Don’t call me that,” I said, giving him a hard look. “Unless you want me to remind you why I was given that name in the first place.”

  Clay laughed. “Oh, I remember, and I’m pretty sure that guy you went off on remembers it too every time he looks in the mirror.”

  “He shouldn’t have put his hands on my woman.” I didn’t like people trying to take what was mine.

  “Well, I guess you wouldn’t care now, would you?”

  “No, now he could have her. He can go bust her out of the pen for all I care.” She’d be his problem then instead of mine.

  “So is there anyone else you’re talking to?”

  “Nah. I haven’t even flirted with a woman in months. No time for it with Mila, you know? What about you? I heard about you and Beth.”

  “Yeah, well, hasn’t everyone?”

  “Well, you know you can talk to me, right?”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “It’s just, you’re a father now, man. It might be time to calm down and stop fucking around. You can’t do that forever. You have to think of your son.” He and his wife had a little boy he had named Jack after his grandfather.

  “Bethany hates me, so I’m pretty sure that’s over. It’s time to move on, and I’m hoping that Vegas at least helps me move on.”

  I hated to hear it, but I knew how he felt. The feeling of being unwanted was a total headfuck. “Well, I’ve been in the fucking oil field too long, so maybe we’ll both get lucky.”

  Clay laughed and patted me on the back. “That’s my boy,” he said. “I’ve already been assured that Grady knows all of the hot spots for the hottest chicks.”

  “I bet he does.” Grady Black had bee
n the only one of us men who hadn’t found love, had a kid, and ended up in a terrible relationship. The rest of us were on a losing streak, and all he could seem to do was win.

  It made perfect sense that he had hit a million before the rest of us. There was nothing and no one holding him back.

  And I wouldn’t trade my life with his for anything because I had Mila.

  “He’s hosting a little welcoming party at his house, and then he’s got us all suites at The Golden Shower. You know, in case we get lucky. I guess no one can fuck in that big house of his but him.”

  “The what?” I knew he was just fucking around. There was no way there was a real place with that name. “You mean the Golden Tower?”

  “No, it’s the Golden Flower actually. Don’t ask me. I’ve never heard of it, but it’s supposed to have the best accommodations, and I think Grady said he knows the owner. Nick’s company built the place, so he said he’d been there before. We’re in good hands. I hope that means we’ll get a happy ending.”

  I sighed. It was going to be a long trip.

  We boarded the plane, and as it took off, I prayed to make it back down to earth to my child. It wasn’t that I was afraid of flying, but with so much going on in the world, it was better to be safe than sorry.

  “I can’t wait to see everyone. It’s been a while since I saw Nick. His construction company must be doing well because he’s as busy as you are. Rylen, he’s been so busy caring for animals that I’m pretty sure he lives in the back room of the clinic now. That awkward fuck.” Clay laughed, and I couldn’t help but think of my old pals.

  We had all gone to college together and shared a house off campus. Since none of us belonged to a fraternity, we called ourselves the Five.

  “Hey, do you remember that time when Rylen got drunk and pissed in the neighbor’s bushes. She found his BVDs there a week later. And he couldn’t even deny it because they had his name written in them.” He gave a belly laugh that was earning us strange looks.

  I was the strong silent one of the bunch, and I didn’t really like people gawking at me, especially when he didn’t know how to act. He ate it up, though, and the more attention he got, the better.