Playing Pretend by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

Forty-Four

Eliza

After all thedrama that went down at the office earlier, the girls weren’t willing to accept ‘no’ for an answer this evening when they invited me out for a quick round of happy hour drinks.

So now, I’m perched at a sleek high top table at Club Mermaid with Sera, Desiree and Nadia huddled around me. The drinks are flowing and we haven’t had to pay for a single one. When we were leaving the office together this evening, Liam insisted that everything be put on his tab.

I’m not complaining. It’d be a crime to let these twelve dollar cocktails go to waste.

I could see a twinkle in my husband’s eyes as he stood near the elevator, watching me walk off with my coworkers. Something like a proud parent watching his kid amble up the school steps on the first day of pre-school. Okay, weird image. But what I’m trying to say is, I think he’s happy that I’m making friends.

Music blares from the speakers, vibrating through my body. It’s an upbeat rhythm and I find it impossible not to wiggle around to the tempo from my seat.

Sera leans in closer to me and her dark hair falls around her shoulders. She’s yelling over the bass. “I’ve gotta ask, Eliza—and I’m not even going to apologize for it—is he just as bossy in the bedroom?” She waggles her brows suggestively.

I throw my head back and roar out a laugh. Desiree swats Sera on the shoulder while Nadia smiles subtly and shakes her head in disbelief.

My tummy does a little flip, thinking about what Liam did to me this morning—fucking me in front of the mirror and enjoying watching every minute of it. Yup. He sure as hell is a bossy bastard and kinky to boot.

“Let’s just say that Liam Kline is totally incapable of turning off his bossy tendencies in any area of his life. And in the bedroom, I’m totally okay with that.”

Sera gives the table a triumphant smack. “I knew it!” She throws her head back and cracks up. “I just knew it!”

The girls have been pestering me with questions about my relationship with the boss for the past half hour. Now that the cat is out of the bag at the office about my secret marriage—thanks to Charlotte Varner—I imagine that everyone has questions. These girls are the only ones brave enough to ask. And I appreciate them for being direct with me instead of making assumptions behind my back.

“This is just too much information,” Nadia lifts her empty cocktail glass, signaling the waiter over for a refill. “How am I supposed to make eye contact with him at work now?” The rest of us laugh.

Sera smirks. “I know right. We’ll be reviewing a multimillion dollar contract and I’ll be picturing our boss going all daddy-dom on poor Eliza.”

Desiree leans back in her seat and yawns. “I totally knew something was going on between you two.”

I lift my drink to my lips and take a sip. “You did, huh?” I flinch a little around my straw. Hubby and I really got careless about hiding our tryst after a while.

She bobs her head. “You two were so freaking obvious. Liam’s eyes would undress you every time you walked into a room. And you’d do this cartoon-deer-eyelash-batting thing every time you’d peek at him in his office. It was so juvenile.” She laughs. “But lordy, I would have never guessed you two were married. Like, marriage certificate, exchange some rings married. The whole she-bang.”

Nadia and I share a flash of eye contact before we both glance away. There are aspects of my marriage that I still can’t speak about. My non-disclosure agreement is still in force, after all.

In fact, Nadia is quiet throughout most of the evening, while the other two gab on. Every time Sera and Desiree ask anything too touchy, Nadia makes sure to send me a cautionary look to keep me from stepping into legal landmines. Y’see? Sometimes, it’s good to be nice to lawyers.

Eventually, Sera picks up on Nadia’s silence.

“You’re unusually tight-lipped tonight,” Sera remarks. “Is there something you want to tell the court, counselor?”

Nadia takes another carefully-timed sip of her drink. “Hmm, me?” she asks innocently.

Desiree drills her with a look. “Nadia! Are you kidding me? You knew all this before we did, and you didn’t say anything?!”

The lawyer holds up her hands in appeasement. “Professional secrecy, girl. It sucks for my social life but it keeps me gainfully employed.” She shrugs unapologetically and we laugh.

As the company’s in-house counsel, she’s been in a tough position with this mess from the very beginning. But she has handled it with grace and her friends are good sports about it all.

“Paychecks over henpecks, huh?” Sera teases. “I see where your priorities are, Nadia.”

Desiree pats her friend appeasingly on the arm. “Sera, you’re gonna need to slow down with the drinking, honey, because that joke made zero sense.” The two of them giggle.

“I’m just so glad Eliza finally decided to come out with us.” Sera grins at me. “We’ve been trying so long to get you to have drinks.”

“I’m glad you didn’t quit inviting me.” I frown. “And sorry I turned you down a zillion times. I guess I was just a bit shy, being new in town and all.”

These girls are so much fun and I’m so glad I finally accepted to hang out with them. I’m starting to think they’re the wing-women I’ve needed in my life. Especially these past few months since I’ve been away from home.

I’m happy to the tips of my toes. I’m making friends. I’m making friends. I’ve craved this for so long.

Desiree tells me what Liam was like in high school. She says he was never the romantic type, always focusing on his business pursuits and shunning dating and relationships completely.

She lays her hand on mine. “You’re special, Eliza. No woman has ever made it past Liam’s hard shell. So you must be special to him.”

My heart is soaring too high, too free. These feelings I have for the grumpy billionaire are growing deep and wide. I’m becoming attached all while knowing that once the Varner deal reaches its conclusion, everything I’m building with Liam will be uprooted and I’ll have to start over again.

Desiree continues singing my man’s praises. She says that he’s good, kind, reliable. She tells me that he’s allowed her to stay in one of his comfortable four-unit buildings in a safe neighborhood ever since her ex left her and her son with nowhere to go. With every word she says, I fall deeper for this man I’ve married.

It’s almost like he can feel me thinking about him because he text messages me right then.

Liam: I’m waiting for you.

Eliza: Waiting for me? I believe there’s been a misunderstanding, Mr. Kline. My day at the office starts at 8:3o a.m. tomorrow.

Liam: Stop playing games, Eliza.

Liam: You know I’m desperate for your body.

Liam: Don’t go back to that shitty apartment tonight, Wifey. I want you in my bed. Come home to me.

I can feel his pull through my phone screen. I just want to be near him. In his arms.

The girls must see it written on my face as I read his messages.

“Oh, I know that face.” Sera giggles. “That’s the face I make when Jace starts sending me dirty texts during girls’ night, while he’s back at home, waiting for me in nothing but his silk robe and a bottle of wine.”

Nadia cringes. “You and Jace are kind of weird.”

I laugh. It’s great to see that Sera happy with a great guy after getting left at the altar by her ex-fiancé.

“Go on!” Sera shoos me away from the table. “Go to your man. Don’t keep him waiting.”

The other girls chime in, encouraging me to cut the night short to spend sexy time with my husband. I don’t need much convincing until I’m slinking out of my seat and saying my ‘good-nights’.

I’m a fiend for the man. I’m addicted to the rush of being near him.

Still, as I’m heading for the exit, my inner voice cautions me to be careful. I’m married to the most high-profile man in Sin Valley. And now, I’m making friends. I’m not being very careful about guarding my past.

It’s starting to feel like it’s only a matter of time until my secrets come out.