The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga) by Jeanne McDonald Page B

Kelly manner.  
    Holding tight to the sign, he extended his arm out as if to say he was okay.  I sat back down laughing at him.  Red faced, he smiled, and wiggled his fingers at me before walking away.
    Ignoring Jared’s examining eyes; I leaned back in my chair, and followed Drew until he was out of sight.  “Interesting,” he muttered.
    I threw my hands open in a defensive manner.  “What?”
    He opened his mouth to reply when the sound of my phone interrupted him.  I pulled my phone from my purse.  It was Drew.  
    I lifted my index finger.  “Hold that thought,” I told Jared.  I pressed the accept button on my smart phone.  “I see you survived,” I answered, my timbre light and playful.
    “Survived?” Drew questioned. 
    “Yeah, your head on collision with the traffic sign,” I reminded him.
    “Oh, that.  I meant to do that.  I wanted to show you how great of a pole dancer I am.  I got the moves, girl.”
    A loud laugh exploded from my chest.  People in the restaurant stopped their conversations to stare at me.  “Um, I’ll take you at your word on that.  What’s up?”
    “You said to call you, so here I am.”
    “You do realize you just saw me, right?”  
    “Your point?”
    I bit my bottom lip trying to think of something coy to say, but nothing came to me.  
    “You sure you’re okay?  You’re not hurt, are you?”
    “Me? Hurt? Nah.  I’m resilient. How do you southern girls’ say it? ‘Takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin.’ Well, that’s me.”
    “Makin’ fun of me now, are we?”
    “Not at all.  Like I said, I like your accent.”
    I rubbed my hand over my face, trying to wash away the permanent blush that inflamed my skin.  “What did you need?”
    “Nothing.  I just wanted to hear the smile in your voice.  Did I make you smile?”
    What a silly question.  Of course he made me smile.  His mere presence made me smile, which made me feel a twinge of jealousy toward Olivia.  Having barely known him twenty-four hours, it was clear to me why she fell for him so easily.  He had a magnetic personality.  No one was safe from his charm. 
    “You did.  But now I have to go.  I gotta get back to work.”
    “Me too.  Have a good day, Mickie.  I’ll call you later.”
    “You too, Andy,” I replied.
    Drew’s groan reverberated through my phone, as a loud horn resounded around him.  “I really hate that name.”
    “I know you do, that’s why I use it.”
    “Ugh, fine.  I guess I’ll endure it.”
    Triumphant, I giggled.  “Talk to you later, Andy .”
    “You bet you will.”
    He hung up the phone and I felt Jared hovering over the back of my chair.  “Someone’s got a crush,” he intoned.
    “I do not!”
    I got up from my seat and followed Jared out of the restaurant.  “Yeah, you do.”
    “Oh, hush.  I haven’t known him long enough to develop a crush.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
    “If you say so, but you should know you’re not the only one with a crush.”
    I tilted my head, cocking an eyebrow.  “You have a crush on Drew?” I responded almost too innocently.
    “Psh.”  Jared waved me off.  “I meant Drew has a crush on you, silly woman.”
    For the space of a heartbeat, my mind allowed me to consider that as a possibility.  Reality filtered back in reminding me that it wasn’t possible for more than one reason.  He was in a relationship, and since he was with Olivia, I obviously wasn’t his type of girl.
    “Nah.  I’m not his type.  He like girls like Liv.”
    Jared laughed.  “Not from what I just witnessed.  The Gila monster is definitely not his type.  Take it from me, that man likes you.”
    “Pft, whatever.  Liv’ s every man’s type.”
    “Not mine,” he argued.
    I shot him an evil eye.  He raised his hands in self defense. 
    “Fine.  She’s gorgeous.  I won’t deny that, but so are you.  You need to see that in yourself.”
    I wrapped my arm around Jared’s waist unable to respond to