Started With a Lie

Chapter Twelve

Started With a Lie – Chapter Twelve

Lee’s birthday bash is today. We returned to New York City a few days ago. Lee checked us into the same suite again. Over the days, we didn’t really speak. He always left for work and I watched television, went on my phone, or slept. I also didn’t mind calling in room service whenever I wanted, or the fact that the hotel has arcades and an indoor pool.

            I stare into the dresser mirror and comb through my hair. I notice some split ends forming. I need a trim soon, I think.

            I’m in a light orange dress that goes up to my knee. It’s tight up to my torso before it frills out. There are no sleeves. This is what I’m wearing to the birthday bash.

           I feel so insecure, though. Am I dressed too much or too little? I’m too scared to ask Lee. It feels like after he’s been so nice to me at my house, he’s back to his old self: the cold-hearted CEO of the hotel business.

              “Ivory, are you ready?” Lee says through the door of my guest room.

I jump startled, and regain my composure. I put the comb down. I hadn’t done anything to my hair since it was behaving today, so I just let it down and just put in some clips here and there. “Yes, I’m ready.”

            Unlocking the door, I see Lee standing there in a dark gray suit holding an orange tie. How’d he know I was wearing an orange dress? I eye him weirdly. He just smirks. Yeah, definitely back to his old self, I think sadly.

            “You want to help me put this on, girlfriend?” Lee asks, holding the tie out to me. Now, I’m really confused. Is he making fun of me? Is this some kind of joke? I had already apologized about the last incident.

            “Can’t you do it yourself?” I ask with a straight face.

            “Well, we’re going to have to act like a couple later. Let’s get in some practice now so we don’t mess up. We wouldn’t want to get caught, right?” he says, the smirk never leaving his face.

            I snatch the tie out of his hand and wrap it around his neck, tight. Lee coughs and I let it go a little. I angrily fix the tie into place. Why couldn’t Lee just be nice? Why was he so bipolar that he couldn’t act nice to me unless we were alone?

         When I’m almost done with the tie, I look up and freeze. Lee’s staring down at me with the most intense look ever. I gasp. My hands freeze on his tie. His eyes look so… sincere. I realize I’m breathing hard now. What? I try to calm my breathing but Lee’s still staring at me and I don’t know why but it’s keeping me frozen into place.

       His hands go up and rest on my hands on his neck. It stays there for a moment and I’m so confused that my mind is blank. He moves my hands from him and says, “Are you done?”

          I snap back into reality and jump away. “Y-Yeah. I’m done.” Without meeting his eyes, I go back into my room to grab my coat and phone. When I’m about to reach my coat, I stop. What was that? It needs to stop. The awkward moments when we both just stay in place and this weird feeling is in the air. I don’t like the feeling.

          Maybe I should confront Lee about it. But then I think maybe not. It’s already so awkward between us after what happened at my house.

       I shrug it off and head back into the hallway. I don’t have time for silly imaginations. I don’t want to give myself false hope and just like Lee even more. It’s time to put my feelings away. I nod and tell myself, you don’t need him. You don’t need anybody.