A Kind of Truth (25 page)

“What’s on your mind?”

He smiled at me. The gesture was tinged with a hint of sadness that instantly alarmed me. I wanted to squelch his melancholy before it took over. I wanted him to smile like he had all afternoon as we strolled through shops. We had sampled gelato and let an ardent salesgirl on Prince Street wash our hands with French soap, then moisturize them with cocoa butter. We’d laughed about nothing in particular and found endless entertainment in silly things, like trying on hats at J.Crew and checking out headphones at the Apple Store. Days like today made me grateful I wrote lyrics. I’d typed phrases into my cell to remind me of how I might capture the way I felt just being with him.

“I love this. Being with you.”

“Me too. Why do you look sad, then?”

“I’m not. I—my mom’s coming mid-August. I don’t know the exact date yet, but she mentioned something about making a family appearance at a rally in September. I think she wants to make sure I’ll cooperate. She asked me for my student loan statements. Told me to send them over for Dad to take care of immediately.” His tone was almost bored, but his words sounded like a grenade going off in my brain.

My heart thudded in my ears. “What did you tell her?”

“Nothing. I told her I took a summer job and wouldn’t be home to visit. She said she was disappointed, but honestly I think she was relieved. She kept talking about where I’d live when I come home in September. It was weird.”

“Don’t they know you’re going to grad school?”

“I told her. I just think she assumes I’ll change my mind or that they’ll change it for me.”

“Don’t these people know you? They’ve obviously never gone furniture shopping with you.”

Will chuckled. “No complaining, O’Malley. I finagled a deal
and
got you same-day delivery.”

“And I was suitably impressed.” I brushed his hair out of his eyes and leaned in to kiss his brow. “They aren’t going to talk you into moving to Indiana, are they?”

“No. I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I figured you should know and—”

“Did she say anything more about Marty erasing your debt?” I fought the urge to yell or scream that his parents had no right to him. To his time or his consideration. Why was Will the one expected to make sacrifices?

“Yeah. It came up. She talks about him a lot. It made me wonder if you were right about there being something between them.” I raised my brow curiously. “And she brings that thirty grand up like it’s more pressing a worry than the two hundred thousand I owe in student loans. I don’t get it.”

“Maybe she’s trying to keep him quiet and happy so your dad doesn’t find out.”

“It seems like too much trouble. Would she really get into bed with him to keep him quiet about the money he lent me?”

“Maybe it didn’t start out as a money issue. Maybe it’s the fact she helped you in the first place. At one point, it sounds like she tried to give you what you needed to stay in college. Maybe it was for altruistic reasons or maybe she wanted you out of the house. Who knows? Now your dad’s running for office and she has to cover her tracks. One lie feeds the next until you aren’t really sure what the truth was in the first place.”

“It just seems like a lot of work.”

“I agree. It’s hardly worth it.”

“It is if you’re trying to project a squeaky-clean family image with no hint of gayness.”

“I know this is all speculation, but I think she asked the wrong guy for help. Marty sounds like a real creep. And I can’t help but wonder about your mom. Why would homosexuality register as an issue if extramarital affairs and bribery were in your closet?”

“Hmm. Like I told you before… everyone likes to rank their sins. Sometimes it’s their so-called version of morality, and other times it’s according to the effect it has on their bank account.”

I bumped his arm playfully. “You’re a wise young man. But this is a downer. Let’s talk—” A buzzing noise interrupted me, and for once I didn’t mind. “I’ll be back.”

I kissed his nose, then made my way to the great room naked to answer the intercom. If I were to move in for a long-term stint, I’d have to have the speaker system wired for access all over the condo.

“Hey, Keith, what’s up?”

“There are a few guys here to see you. Your bandmates, they said. And a couple of ladies too.”

I squinted at the speaker in confusion, then at my watch. It was nine p.m. on a Saturday, which meant the night was just getting started for my friends. Usually for me too, I thought absently. But ladies? Fuck. “Uh. Okay.”

My skin prickled with panic. This was the kind of moment I’d lived for before I met Will. If my friends showed up unexpectedly when I was “entertaining,” I would have thought it was hilarious to see everyone’s reactions to interrupting a booty call. Not now. Will would freak out. We had to get dressed, get our stories straight, and hope like hell the place didn’t smell like sex.

I ran back to the bedroom to find Will sitting naked in bed cradling his guitar. He gave me a quizzical look as I hopped into the jeans I’d left lying on the floor next to the bed.

“We have company. Get dressed pronto.”

“What?” He set the instrument down and scrambled out of bed.

“You heard me. Hurry. What did I do with that condom and—what are you laughing at?”

“You’re wearing my T-shirt. Inside out. Who is it?” he asked with his hand outstretched.

I threw his
Big Bang Theory
tee at him, thinking I ought to get myself one of those when I realized he was still waiting for my response.

“The guys. And the girls. Just hurry and”—I grabbed his guitar and moved toward the door—“gimme this. We can’t tell them we’ve been making music in the bedroom. It’s too fucking corny.”

The sound of his laughter dispelled my anxiety… until someone pounded on my front door a minute later. I gave Will a thumbs-up sign when he moved into the bathroom and waited for him to close the door before I let the gate-crashers in.

“To what do I owe the honor?” I asked sarcastically as I stepped back to let everyone inside.

“We brought you food,” Cory said, holding up a pizza box. “I thought you said you were heading to Johnny’s. We decided to join you, but Benny told us he hadn’t seen you so… we brought a couple slices of tonight’s special.”

“And some Pinot,” Leah said with a sexy grin as she pulled a bottle of wine from a paper bag, moving toward me like a cat. “Show me where you keep your wineglasses.”

“Uh… right. Kitchen. I’ll be right there.”

I gave Tim a death glare and turned to head to the kitchen when Benny stopped me with a hand on my arm.

“I’m sorry. I tried to stop them, but they’re wasted. When they decided to surprise you, I figured I should come along for William’s sake. The girl with the pretty ink is a shark. If you weren’t fucking my friend, I might say she’s perfect for you.”

“You think I’m a shark?”

“I’m not sure about you, but I know she is. And she is gorgeous in a Stevie Nicks meets Kat Von D way.”

“This is professional only.” I scoffed.

“Oh please. She can practically smell the money.”

“I don’t have money.”

“It’s coming and she knows it. Look out, Rand. But more important… don’t fuck with William.”

“What’s that supp—?”

“Enough about you. Tell me about the dreamy new music man,” Benny said as he averted his gaze to Isaac, who was busy tuning a guitar he’d picked up from one of the stands at the far end of the living area.

“Back off, little guy. He’s straight.”

“That’s what they all say. Including you.”

“I never said I was straight.”

“No, you didn’t say anything at all. But that’s because you know you don’t have to.” Benny chuckled at my irate expression. “Oh relax. I’m not blowing anyone’s cover, and I won’t throw myself at the new ‘straight’ boy, but I might not have to anyway. I think he likes me.”

“Don’t scare him away, Ben. We need him. And as far as she’s concerned—” I said, surreptitiously watching Leah make herself at home in my kitchen. “She’s working for the label now. It’s complicated.”

“The best things in life are simple. Maybe you’re making it more complicated than it has to be.”

I started to ask how the hell I was supposed to keep anything simple with all this distraction when Leah called my name. Her tone was playful and sexy, but it made my blood boil in all the wrong ways.

“Hmm. She sounds real professional. You better go see to her. Where’s Will?”

“Bathroom. I—”

“Rand!”

“Go on… before she starts reorganizing your shelves. If I know Will, he spent a lot of time deciding which glasses went where.”

I rounded the island just as Leah was opening the fifth cabinet. I only knew that because she’d left them all open. Benny hadn’t been joking about Will’s organizational technique. He might have insisted he didn’t live here, but he was the one who’d decided what went where… from the forks and spoons to the cutlery and wineglasses.

“Here they are! I was beginning to think I should give you wineglasses for a housewarming gift,” she purred. “Bottle opener?”

I pointed to the drawer she was leaning against and crossed my arms in a deceptively casual manner. “I haven’t seen you much lately.”
It’s been nice
, I mused.

“Miss me? I’ve been traveling for work. Did Ed mention we’re trying to pull together some preliminary meet and greets for you guys in LA next month?”

“He said something about visiting the Hollywood offices, but I didn’t get details.”

“They’re in the works. Should be fun. I’d love to show you around.”

She moved into my space so we stood a foot apart. Her sultry expression and blatant overture set off a big alarm in my head. She was obviously drunk and didn’t care about client boundaries or the fact there were at least five other people in the next room. Though the one I was most concerned about had yet to make an appearance.

“That sounds cool,” I said, setting my hand on her forearm and stepping to my right.

She moved closer with her eyes locked on mine before hooking her fingers in one of my belt loops. She tugged at the fabric and slipped an arm around my waist. “I actually think ‘hot’ works better. Don’t you?”

“Leah….” She swayed into me and molded her body against mine. I pushed her back gently, then turned to grab a beer from the refrigerator.

“Want one?” I offered.

“No thanks. I’ll stick to wine. Did I tell you I talked to Terry recently?” She asked in a low voice, like she was telling a secret.

I popped the top off the beer bottle and took a swig before answering her. “Nope.”

“He’s a mess. I wasn’t sure if he was strung out and high or just really bitter. He said something strange about you.”

“Surprise, surprise.”

“He said you’re gay.”

“I’m not.”

“That’s what I told him. I could tell when we kissed at the bar that nigh—”

“I’m bi,” I added. “And I’m hungry. I’m going to grab a piece of pizza. See ya.”

“Wait!” I halted midstride and took a deep breath before turning around. When Leah closed the distance I could tell she’d put on her PR hat. She no longer seemed drunk and out of control. She was calculating and cool. “That’s sexy actually.”

“Huh?”

“Sexual fluidity is the rage. People are captivated by the idea but….”

“But what?” I took a swig from my beer bottle, making sure to keep my expression carefully bored.

“It can be a PR nightmare unless… you’re with a woman first.”

“People keep telling me that, but I’m beginning to wonder if anyone really gives a shit.”

“They do. Think about it. The majority of the population is heterosexual. They expect guy-girl, not guy-guy. They might not have a problem with it per se, but as an unknown, new artist, bi works as long as you’ve been associated with someone of the opposite sex first.” She dropped the professional tone for a blatantly seductive one. “I kind of wish I was bi. Women are sexy. They just don’t do it for me in bed. I’ve tried.”

“I’m not sure how to respond to any of that,” I said with a half laugh.

“You don’t have to.” And like a switch, her tone was all business again. “From a purely professional point of view, I’m glad I brought it up. I have the perfect solution.”

I took another long drink. My gaze darted longingly toward my friends. Where the hell was Will? “I don’t think—”

“I’ll be your beard.”

I gulped. Oh fuck. “Leah.”

“Listen. It’s a good plan. You told me you’re seeing someone, and since that someone is never around and you’re super secretive about it, I’m going to assume your someone is a guy. I’ll be your girl.” She chuckled a little evilly at my obvious dismay. Damn, this chick had some balls. “Don’t freak out. It’s the best plan to make sure Spiral doesn’t get derailed over something silly. We’ll take couple-y photos, and I’ll make sure to distribute them for the personal-interest angle to prominent blogs and websites. I’m not going to be around much before our LA trip. I’m traveling for work… but that’s okay. It’s better not to saturate social media with—”

“Leah, stop. You’re getting carried away. I don’t want to begin my career lying.” She didn’t need to know I’d made plans to do exactly that when I first arrived in New York.

“Trust me, this is the right kind of lie.” She pulled out her cell and came to stand at my side like she wanted to show me something. My brow furrowed.

“What are you doing?”

“Smile,” she instructed, standing on her toes so she was closer to my height. When I turned to give her a puzzled stare, she sealed her lips over mine and snapped a picture with her phone. “We’ll start with this.”

I put my hands on her shoulders, intending to gently push her away, but she was all about forward momentum. She took advantage of our proximity and slipped her arms around my neck.

“And maybe I can persuade you to make it something closer to the truth.” Her tone dripped with sexual innuendo.

And because timing is everything, that was exactly when Will walked into the kitchen.

“Hi, Leah. How’s it going?” he asked, banging a cabinet door closed.

Leah started and jumped back a step, leaving me enough room to maneuver to the other side of the island. “Oh, hi, Will. I didn’t realize you were here.”