Page 73 of Love and Lies

“Absolutely not. She looks as if she wants to sock him one with the champagne bucket.” Sarah grinned back. “Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll get to witness it. Chances are high if she finds out he preordered a reduced-calorie dessert for her birthday.”

“If it happens let me know; I don’t want to miss that.”

She headed back to the bar with a smile and a nod. Samara took a sip of wine, looking amused.

“What?” I asked her.

“Oh, nothing. It’s just… you’d be the perfect restaurant owner.”

“I am a restaurant owner. This restaurant, to be precise.” I adopted a smug expression; I really didn’t want to talk about Harper’s. “Are you impressed, babe? Or maybe I should send my drink back?”

Sam laughed. “Give it a rest, chief.”

“Okay, so talk to me about your thing.” I flashed her a smile. “But I’m telling you right now, if it doesn’t involve a champagne cooler, I’m out.”

33 Helena

“You what?!” I stared at my parents, aghast. At least they had the decency to look a little guilty. “It’s my birthday, and you’ve set me up on a date? With a guy I don’t even know?”

“You do know Edward Masterson, darling,” said my mother in that tone I hated—so condescendingly chipper, as if I weren’t quite all there. “You went to the same school, don’t you remember?”

I wanted to throttle her. “Yes, I remember. He was the guy who bullied the weaker kids with every trick in the book. Valerie even lamped him for it one time, I think.” In fact, I was sure she had. Not that it made a difference.

My mother laughed somewhat shrilly. “That was years ago. Edward is an adult now. He majored in economics, and his family has high hopes for him. He has impeccable manners; I was seated near him at the last memorial society fundraiser. He’s perfect, Helena.”

No, he really wasn’t. That was somebody else.

“For whom?” I asked caustically. “Me? Or you?”

“It’s just a dinner, Len,” my father weighed in. “No one expects you to marry the guy. Give him a chance. You’re not the same person you were five years ago, either.”

That was true. But I had my doubts that Edward had changed for the better.

“I just don’t see why it has to be today.” My birthday had been a disaster anyway. Okay, Mary had made her usual chocolate cake, but there had been no family breakfast: Lincoln was traveling, and my dad had only gotten back an hour ago. I’d been given a necklace, but what I really wanted was a little bit of the magic that this day used to have before I’d gone away.

Before, Valerie always used to organize something for my birthday—a surprise party, an excursion, a spa day. She’d never caved and given anything away about it beforehand, and those were some of my best memories of the two of us. Today was shaping up to be the opposite. I also couldn’t forget what Carter had said about my sister. She wasn’t the saint you clearly took her for. You should leave this thing alone, if you ask me.

I should have called Malia about it long ago, but I was afraid she’d say the same thing—not about Valerie, but about the investigation.

“You said you wanted to go out.” My mother’s voice jolted me out of my bleak thoughts. “Now you’ve got the chance, and as a bonus you’ll be socializing with the right sort of people.”

Yes, I wanted to go out. But not with Edward Dumbass-of-the-Decade Masterson.

But much as I wanted to, refusing wasn’t an option. The truce between me and my parents was shaky, really more of a ceasefire. They didn’t trust me one bit, and the feeling was mutual. It was incredibly sad, but it seemed it was a state of affairs I’d have to get used to.

“When’s he coming?” I muttered.

My mother beamed. “Seven. I got you something to wear; it’s upstairs in your room.” She gave me a hug and kissed the crown of my head. “It’ll be wonderful, darling.”

Yeah. Sure it would.

It came as no surprise that the dress laid out on my bed was high-necked, in a delicate shade of green, and made me look as prissy as it did pretty. But it was ideal for a date where I didn’t even want to impress the guy, let alone give him any ideas. I picked out some gold jewelry and was just searching in my closet for a pair of heels to go with the dress when my phone rang. I straightened up, went to the vanity, and took the call.

“Happy birthday!” Malia yelled, but I could only manage a tired smile. Hardly surprising, considering what lay ahead.

“Thanks, that’s really sweet of you,” I said a little lamely.

“Whoa. You don’t exactly sound in a party mood. Aren’t your parents even letting you go out for your birthday?” She sounded disappointed.