Her Little White Lie (BWWM Romance) (3 page)

4

“Mikey! Mikey. Can you hear me?”

I called Mikey on my way to work. I figured he'd already be on the site by now and heeded my warning about not taking too many days off.

“Grace. You're gonna get me fired. What is it? You know I can't take personal calls.”

“I know, Mikey, I'm sorry. I was up all night thinking about this party.”

“Don't worry, I'm all over this thing. I'll be the perfect gentleman.”

“That's the problem, Mikey. You don't know the people I work with. They can be highly critical. They'll ask questions about us. How we met, all that kind of thing. I don't think we can pull this off, not by tomorrow night.”

“What do you mean? It isn't Shakespeare in the round. I pick you up Thursday and we go over a few things. You just fill me in and I'll say what you tell me.”

“That's just it. We only have tonight to get our stories straight. You'll have to meet me here on Thursday straight after you get off the site. You'll have to freshen up, take your suit into work and be here by about 6.30.”

“Suit? No one said anything about a suit, Grace.”

“Jesus, Mikey. Don't you have suit or a formal shirt or anything like that?”

“You know I don't do formal, Gracie. Can't I just wear a clean t-shirt and some jeans?”

“Well, I guess so. But just make sure they're clean and don't forget to iron your t-shirt.”

“Iron my t-shirt?” Mikey sounded as though he was about to laugh or, worse, back out altogether

.

“Look do your best okay? I finish at three today so come over this evening and we can rehearse our story.”

“Rehearse our story? Ah, come on, Grace. Can't you just make up a profile for me and text it over?”

“No. We need to work on this Mikey. You're not gonna let me down now are you?”

“No, Grace. I won't let you down. I'll come over to you tonight. I'll bring us some beers.”

“Not too many, Mikey.”

I hung up and felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Mr. Iglesias behind me with a big smile on his face.

“
La Princesa Negrita
. ¿
Como estas
?”

“
Bien, Snr Iglesias. Muy bien, y usted
?”

“Ah,
bien, bien
.” He replied. “You making plans with your fiancé?”

I looked at him out of the side of my eye and smiled.

“Mr. Iglesias, you know that-”

“That one day you will be married to the ideal partner and live happily ever after?”

“That's not what I was going to say. It's just that-”

“Don't worry, Grace. The Christmas party will be fine. You have nothing to worry about.”

We were at the staff entrance and Mr. Iglesias tipped his hat and carried on his walk to the main door. He had a small package in his hand, more last minute Christmas shopping, I assumed. Mr. Iglesias normally bought all his presents back home in Argentina and handed them out to his daughter and his son-in-law after having dinner with them.

This lovely old gentleman was, it would seem, my co-conspirator.

Later that evening the buzzer to my one-room apartment sounded.

“That you, Mikey?

“Sure is, and I come bearing booze.”

“Come on up.”

Mikey joked around all night. I was worried that he wouldn't retain any of the fake story I had given him, especially as he kept asking me to go over it 'one more time' for him.

“Look, it's easy. You work in marketing. You are a junior member of the team who is just learning the ropes. Mainly you have to sit in on meetings and do the coffee run.”

“Why can't my secretary make me coffee?”

“You don't have a secretary.”

“Why not?”

“Because you're new to the firm and you work in an open plan office.”

“Is there a coffee machine?”

“Yes.”

“Well, why can't everyone get their own coffee? Why do I have to make it?”

“Because you're the junior member of staff.”

“Well won't my time best be served learning how to do marketing rather than making drinks all day? I've got a better idea. Why can't I just work in a bar? I know about drinks. Real drinks. I'd be much better as a barman. I've actually really been a barman, you know?”

“Mikey, please. This is serious. Are you taking this seriously? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Is that your underwear hanging over the bath in there?”

“Well who else’s, underwear could it be?”

“I just didn't realize you wore such sexy
,
lacy panties under that strict exterior.”

“Strict? I'm not strict.”

“So why can't I just work in a bar?”

“You are in marketing. Your name is Mikey, we've been together six months, and we met at the top of the Empire State Building, which was a set up by a mutual friend. You're vegetarian... Mikey? Are you even listening to me?”

“Yeah, but I'm just picturing you in that sexy underwear.”

“All right. I think we're done here. Just smile at anyone you meet and walk away. We'll stay half hour, tops. It'll be enough to convince them. Oh, and put your arm around me as much as you can.”

“Okay, got it. You gonna be wearing that underwear?”

“Mikey, I think it's time for you to go. Tomorrow show up at 6.30, clean, at the staff entrance and give your name to security. Got that?”

Mikey saluted me, kissed me on my cheek and left.

I figured nothing could go seriously wrong and then decided that we'd just stay ten minutes and say we're meeting his family for supper.

I didn't sleep a wink praying that Mikey wouldn't let me down. There was no going back.

Thursday was my day off. The Christmas Party was never a big deal. It lasted between six pm and nine pm and everyone was expected to attend, even for just a half hour if you happened to have to work a shift around that time. The hotel would operate on a skeleton staff and sometimes they would hire in a few agency people just so more of us could attend. There was always a DJ, a free bar and all the finger buffet food you could eat, all courtesy of the Great West International. Everyone made an effort to dress up and not look anything remotely resembling a
busboy
, a bell hop or a lift attendant.

I got ready slowly and with bated breath. My dress was calf length, a shiny, cherry red dress in a slinky 1950s style like I was Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones. I styled my hair in a 1950s movie star updo with large silver earrings, show-stopping red lipstick and with smoky eye makeup. My perfume was expensive, a present to myself when I was feeling a little down, but I'd never worn it until that night.

My heels were high and made a loud, clacking sound when I left the building and looked around for a taxi.  I just hoped Mikey wouldn't let me down. What if I was all dressed up like this and he didn't show? I'd die of embarrassment. Or what if he showed up in his work clothes and forget to change before he got there? I only hope he was able to wash his face at least.

“Hey, Grace!”

Alicia and Suzette were right by the door as I pushed it open to enter the banqueting suite, each holding a cocktail.

“Look at you.” Suzette exclaimed. “You look like a superstar, girlfriend.” Her head rotated on her neck and her eyebrows were raised. “But where's lover boy? He not coming?”

“He'll be here,” I said. “He's still at work.”

With every ten to fifteen minutes that went by, either Alicia or Suzette would look at their watch and then at me and make an, “Mmm-hmm,” sound.

“He's coming,” I told them.

I went out to the bathroom to try to text him because it was now seven thirty and he should have been there nearly an hour ago. I got a text straight back from Mikey saying, 'I'm in the hotel, just on my way to the party.'

I was relieved but immediately panic stricken, because the moment had arrived. Mikey and I would have to put on the performance of our lives to convince the girls. If they sniffed a lie it would be all around the hotel by morning and I'd never live down the shame.

I made my way back to the banqueting suite and to the bar to line up a cold beer for Mikey when Alicia came running towards me.

“Now I know why you kept him hidden. That man is gorgeous! Girl, where you find a man like that and has he got a brother or a friend who looks just like him.”

“What do you mean?”

I turned to look at the door. I saw a tall, broad and good looking man with neatly combed, fair hair looking around for someone. His suit looked like Armani and his shirt and tie were from the Jean Paul Gautier collection I'd seen in a magazine. This guy spotted me at the bar and raised his hand. I turned around to look behind me to see who he was waving at and stopped in my tracks.

Turning back, slowly, I recognized him at last. It was Mikey. I could not understand how he could have appeared looking so well turned out, so smart and so darned
hot
. I never knew he could look like that.

He walked towards me like a model on a catwalk. One hand in his trouser pocket the other swinging confidently at his side. Everyone was staring at him and when he reached the bar his smile widened.

“Sorry, I took so long. I got held up in a meeting,” he said

“Oh, that's all right.” I stammered my words because I just couldn't get over the transformation.

Was that really Mikey? I never knew he was so tall and well built.

“You look beautiful. Grace. I love that dress,” He spun me around and Alicia gasped.

“I'm Alicia,” she blurted out.

Mikey took her hand and kissed it.

“I'm Mikey, nice to meet you.”

“I've been dying to meet you. Maybe I could steal you away from Grace for a while. I've got some questions I just can't wait to ask.”

“Sure, Alicia, but I haven't seen Grace all day and I just want to tell her how much I missed her if that's all right. And then I'm all yours.”

“I'll be waiting,” she said.

I was still in shock when Mikey led me out to the hallway.

“How did you manage all this?” I pointed up and down at his clothes.

“Shh, just go with it. I met this Spanish guy out on the sidewalk outside the hotel. He asked if I was Grace's fiancé and I said yes. He gave me a brown envelope and sent me to get fitted with a suit at some swanky shop across the street and said you'd arranged it with him.”

“Mr. Iglesias.”

“That's right, that was his name and he told me to tell you to have a wonderful night.”

“I swear he's like my guardian angel. Well come on, let's go back in. I'll have to thank him later. Now we got to convince Alicia and Suzette about us. I hope you remember your lines.”

5

Before I knew it, Alicia and Suzette had each grabbed one of Mikey's arms and whisked him into the bosom of the highly decorated banqueting suite. There was a large tree at one end of the suite which blocked most of a very extravagant window whose curtains were pulled back and looked down to the busy street outside. The noisy traffic couldn't be heard above the DJ who had turned up the music for the last hour and disco lights were flashing off and on, in time with the music.

I looked and saw Mikey dancing with Alicia. Where the hell he learned to dance I had no idea but he really knew how to move.

“So, you gone and taken yourself of the market?”

I turned around and Damion was holding a plate piled high with buffet food in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other.

“I'm sorry, Damion, if I waited for you to propose I'd be a very old lady.” I smiled at him with one eye on Mikey's moves.

“Well, I can't restrict all this to just one woman, Grace, it just wouldn't be fair.”

I looked down at Damion's extended waistline and thought there was definitely lots of Damion to go around. But Damion was certainly not my type. If I even knew what that was.

“So where did you meet this guy?” Ramon was next with the questioning.

“It was a blind date. We met at the top of the Empire State Building.”

“Romantic, but a little contrived.” Ramon sighed.

“What you know about romance, fool?” Damion shouted at him and that started an argument between them which got me off the hook.

I moved away and bumped into Miss Poole.

“A very handsome young man you have there, Grace. Where is it you said you'd be spending Christmas Day?” she asked me.

“Oh, with his family.” I smiled. The party was almost over and no-one suspected anything so far.

“How big is his family?” Suzette asked.

“It's his Mom and Dad and one sister, that's all,” I said, imagining in my head Mikey's real family and all seven of his brothers and sisters.

“Well let's hope you all have a happy holiday.” Miss Poole left the party then, staggering slightly but at least she was convinced by my story.

Suzette was still lurking beside me and Alicia hadn't let go of Mikey.

“Mom, Dad, and sister?” Suzette said. “That all sounds really cozy. And what does Mikey do?”

“He's in marketing.”

“I see,” she said. “So, anyway, a few of us are heading over to Brown's for a nightcap. You and Mikey should join us.”

“Oh it's getting late. We both have early starts so we better call it a night.” I said, looking at my watch. The party was due to wind up in ten minutes.

Just then Alicia came back with Mikey. He looked happy and was smiling at me.

“So,” Alicia said, “Mikey just said you guys are coming over to Brown's with us.”

“He did? You did?” I said, staring at him. “I thought you'd be tired, and you know you have that early meeting tomorrow morning and I'm on the early shift myself – Red.”

“Oh don't be such a spoil sport, Grace,” Mikey beamed. “Let's keep the party going. I'm sure we'll be fine tomorrow.”

“No, Mikey, you know you're not a morning person.” My eyes were bulging out of my head but I couldn't get Mikey to read the signals. We needed to get out of there.

“Grace,” Alicia said. “I think if the boss is late he can get away with it.” She looked up at Mikey, impressed by the notion that Mikey was the boss.

“The boss?” I looked at him but he was too busy knocking back the remains of a scotch to notice.

“So,” Suzette edged her way towards Mikey with her back to me. “You're the boss of this marketing company?”

“What marketing company?” Alicia asked. “He ain't no boss of no marketing company, he the owner of a restaurant.”

Suzette swung straight back to me as I was trying to catch Mikey's eye, he was shrugging his shoulders.

“I thought you said marketing, Grace?”

“Of course I'm in marketing,” said Mikey. “It's all part and parcel of the job. You own a company then you're in charge of marketing, sales, food and things like that, am I right, Alicia?”

“Damn straight. So when you two gonna take us to Mikey's restaurant? Maybe we can go there instead of Brown's.”

“It's closed!” I blurted out.

“Closed!” both Suzette and Alicia said at the same time.

“Um...” I looked at Mikey.

“For refurbishment,” Mikey added. “Yes, that's what the meeting is about tomorrow. Got to get those slackers working hard to get the place finished. You know what the construction crew can be like?”

Suzette and Alicia were looking at each other. Damion and Ramon came over to us.

“So what gives dudes? We heading outta here or what?”

“You know what?” Mikey said. “I think Grace and I will call it a night after all. I think we might like to have our own night cap.”

“Ooo, but you so romantic,” Alicia said, not wanting to let go of Mikey. Suzette, on the other hand, did not look too impressed.

“Just one more thing, Grace – and” she cleared her throat. “Red.”

“Yes,” I said, pulling Mikey out of Alicia's clutches.

“Grace said she doesn't wear her engagement ring to work so I just wondered why you're not wearing tonight and, could either of you describe this ring?”

She looked from me to Mikey.

“Well,” I said, “it's kinda a ring with a, a stone that...” I looked at Mikey and all four of them were lined up in front of us, as quiet as stone. Suzette crossed her arms.

“Well,” Mikey said. “I can do better than describe it. I can show it to you.”

“You can?” I could feel beads of sweat collecting on my upper lip and I took a deep breath in.

“Sure. I noticed you left it by the side of the bed. Here.” He put his hand into the inner pocket of his slick and expensive suit. What was he doing? He would blow the whole thing. I knew there was no ring, I just didn't know what Mikey was playing at.

He pulled out a red, silk handkerchief and opened it into his open palm. There in the middle was a gold ring, slender and elegant with a small but quality, diamond stone. I looked up at Mikey and exhaled a quiet, staggered breath. My eyes were asking, 'Where the hell...?' and his eyes were saying, 'Trust me.' I decided to do just that.

While the others were all exclaiming things like:

“How much you pay for that thing, dude?”

“That thing real or what?”

“Grace, you so lucky, girl, he a romantic!”

And

“My, my, my. She got her a rich husband.”

Mikey picked up the ring and placed it on the third finger of my left hand. It was a perfect fit. My hand began to tremble and Mikey held it while he put the silk handkerchief into his pocket.

“Shall we?” Mikey gestured towards the door.

“We shall,” I told him and we left the four of them open mouthed while we made our way to the door and just kept on walking all the way to the emergency staircase where we both burst out laughing.

“We did it!” I let out a deep sigh. “But where did you get this ring? What a brilliant idea and it looks so real.”

“It is real,” Mikey said. “Mr. Iglesias said it was for you. It's an early Christmas present he said and he thought you might need it tonight. Turns out he was right, you did.”

I looked at the ring on my finger. It was beautiful. How could Mr. Iglesias have been so perceptive?

“I can't keep this,” I said, still admiring it and holding my hand up.

“Why not? Looks good on you.”

“Well, he was only trying to help. The suit, this ring. It's all got to go back.”

“I think he wants you to keep the ring, Grace. In fact I know he does. I mean, I'll return the suit, no problem, but the ring really is a present to you.”

“But we're not allowed to accept presents from guests. It's a strict rule. I could lose my job.”

“Who's gonna know? Besides it's your engagement ring and when you and I break off our engagement, I'm going to be good enough to let you keep it.”

“You are such a generous boyfriend. No wonder I agreed to marry you.” I looked at Mikey and smiled and for a second, just a second, there was a strange current that passed between us and made us serious for a while. I don't know about Mikey but what flashed through my head was spending a Christmas with him in our own apartment and drinking champagne by an open fire with a huge pine tree in the background.

“We should go,” Mikey said and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, the way he always did when we were walking together – a real, 'one of the boys' hug that I wished could be a little more than that. At least for that night anyway.