Page 50 of Lies You Told
I watch as Chloe opens the door and lets Danny in.
“Good, you passed my first test,” said Danny. “Something tells me this isn’t the first time this has happened.”
“No, my old boss' team had a case that went sideways last year. We all had a protective detail for a week.”
“That wasn’t relayed to me.” Danny looks pissed.
“The firm hired someone. I never told Greyson. He was working in London at the time.”
“He’s going to be pissed you didn’t tell him.”
“Yeah, well, he can wait in line. I’m pissed with him right now, too.”
I pour coffee into my travel cup and kiss Chloe on the cheek. “I’ll see you later. I need to stop by my apartment on the way home, but I should be here by seven-thirty at the latest.”
“Okay, see you later.” She kisses me back.
“Danny, look after my girl, okay?”
I don't need to look at Chloe to see her eye roll. I can hear it from here.
Greyson’s name flashes on my caller ID as my phone buzzes about on my desk.
“Greyson,” I say, answering the call. My tone strained. I’m usually friendly with Greyson. Over the years, we’ve gotten to know each other. But I could still see that look on Chloe’s face this morning when she checked her phone to see if he’d been in contact with her.
“What the fuck is going on?” He shouts down the phone.
“I don’t know what…”
“Don’t mess me around, Jax. What’s this I hear about Danny returning my cheque?”
“Oh yeah. I’ll be taking over that account. Chloe is my responsibility now.”
“Why are you fucking with her? She’s going to see right through you.”
“Greyson, he was outside her firm’s building.”
The line goes quiet. I check my phone to see that he’s still on the line. I seem to have shut him up for the first time–ever.
“When?”
“Yesterday. It shook her up.”
“She told you?” He asked, and I swear he sounded like a distraught parent.
“Yeah, we’ve gotten close the last couple of weeks.”
“Franchesca didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what happened, but I think they’ve fallen out.”
Franchesca was a poison to the group in college. I’m lucky I’ve had very limited contact with her. Of course, it helped me to live a million miles away. Ryan, I, and the guys usually hang out without the wives and girlfriends.
“Why did you never tell me the truth?” I say, and I realize that Greyson could have told me years ago. He could have pulled me up on my jack-ass behavior. I’ve been friends with his son-in-law since college.
The six of us all met in that class.Hisclass!
“It wasn’t my story to tell. I also thought hell would freeze over before you two would be in the same room as each other.”
