Read Online Her Little White Lie (BWWM Romance) by Cj Howard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cj Howard
Tags: United States, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Urban, African American, Two Hours or More (65-100 Pages)
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their eyes big and doleful. That's when I noticed that my eyes had glassed over. I blinked several times and started staring into space so the tears wouldn't fall.
The crazy thing was, I shouldn't have been singing my fake boyfriend's praises, not if I was supposed to be breaking up with him after the holidays. This could have been my perfect opportunity to begin my Oscar winning performance of the girl who got dumped at Christmas. But instead I was talking about the real Mikey, the Mikey I loved.
“Anyway, guys, let's not all get sentimental and mushy.” I picked up my pastry and took a large bite out of it. I did my best acting, trying to show that I was fine.
At the end of my shift I put on my coat, hat and scarf and headed for the staff entrance.
“Merry Christmas, Duke,” I said to the security guard.
“Merry Christmas, Grace.”
He picked me up, inches from the floor and spun me around. I couldn't stop the squeal of laughter. He spun me so much I got nauseous.
“Put me down, Duke!” I could hardly catch my breath.
“I been waiting to do that all year,” he said. “You go on and have yourself a wonderful holiday, you hear. Take that sad look off your face.”
“It's gone. Look.” I showed all my teeth in the widest smile I could muster. Even just faking seemed to take some of the sadness away.
I had to tip up high on my toes to kiss Duke on the cheek.
“Say, hi, to your family,” I said, looking back at him over my shoulder as I left the staff entrance.
I turned back to the street and stopped suddenly. Standing there, with his hands deep in the pockets of his thick jacket, was Mikey. His hat was pulled far down over his head and the tip of his nose was pink as though he'd been standing out in the cold for ages.
“Gracie,” he said.
“What are you doing here, Mikey?”
“I needed to see you.”
“You look cold.”
“I am cold. They couldn't tell me exactly what time you finished so I been waiting here an hour. I didn't want to miss you and I figured you might not answer my calls.”
“You figured right.” I began walking and Mikey followed.
“Listen,” he said, catching up to me, “Can we get a drink somewhere, or something? I need to talk to you.”
“There's no need, Mikey. I understand everything.”
“Please, Gracie.”
I took Mikey to the little coffee shop Mr. Iglesias had taken me to the week before when he had his heart attack. I thought about him now and hoped he was nice and settled back home with his only remaining family. I wondered when I'd see him again.
“What can I get you?” Mikey asked.
“Hot chocolate,” I said.
“Make that two,” he said to the waiter.
“Listen, Gracie, I just wanted to explain about the other day. You know, when Delores came round like that.”
“I think the way she looked at you explained it all. What I don't get is why you feel you need to keep things from me? We're supposed to be friends aren't we? Why can't you open up with me a bit more and tell me what's going on in your life. I wouldn't have made such a goddam fool of myself if I'd known about her.”
“I know being open isn't one of my strong points. I'm sorry. It's just that I met Delores months ago. It was just a bit of fun at first and then she started getting all serious.”
“And then you did too, right?”
“Well not as much as she was. She kept giving me ultimatums and when I didn't bite she'd break up with me. Days later she'd come around or call. I told her I didn't want anything heavy. She'd say that was fine and the next minute she'd be walking me down the aisle.”
“But you're spending Christmas with her. That's a serious thing. Well, it will be for her,” I said.
“That's just it. I broke it off with her. For good this time.”
“You're a bastard, Mikey.”
“What d'you mean?”
“It's the freaking holidays and you break
The crazy thing was, I shouldn't have been singing my fake boyfriend's praises, not if I was supposed to be breaking up with him after the holidays. This could have been my perfect opportunity to begin my Oscar winning performance of the girl who got dumped at Christmas. But instead I was talking about the real Mikey, the Mikey I loved.
“Anyway, guys, let's not all get sentimental and mushy.” I picked up my pastry and took a large bite out of it. I did my best acting, trying to show that I was fine.
At the end of my shift I put on my coat, hat and scarf and headed for the staff entrance.
“Merry Christmas, Duke,” I said to the security guard.
“Merry Christmas, Grace.”
He picked me up, inches from the floor and spun me around. I couldn't stop the squeal of laughter. He spun me so much I got nauseous.
“Put me down, Duke!” I could hardly catch my breath.
“I been waiting to do that all year,” he said. “You go on and have yourself a wonderful holiday, you hear. Take that sad look off your face.”
“It's gone. Look.” I showed all my teeth in the widest smile I could muster. Even just faking seemed to take some of the sadness away.
I had to tip up high on my toes to kiss Duke on the cheek.
“Say, hi, to your family,” I said, looking back at him over my shoulder as I left the staff entrance.
I turned back to the street and stopped suddenly. Standing there, with his hands deep in the pockets of his thick jacket, was Mikey. His hat was pulled far down over his head and the tip of his nose was pink as though he'd been standing out in the cold for ages.
“Gracie,” he said.
“What are you doing here, Mikey?”
“I needed to see you.”
“You look cold.”
“I am cold. They couldn't tell me exactly what time you finished so I been waiting here an hour. I didn't want to miss you and I figured you might not answer my calls.”
“You figured right.” I began walking and Mikey followed.
“Listen,” he said, catching up to me, “Can we get a drink somewhere, or something? I need to talk to you.”
“There's no need, Mikey. I understand everything.”
“Please, Gracie.”
I took Mikey to the little coffee shop Mr. Iglesias had taken me to the week before when he had his heart attack. I thought about him now and hoped he was nice and settled back home with his only remaining family. I wondered when I'd see him again.
“What can I get you?” Mikey asked.
“Hot chocolate,” I said.
“Make that two,” he said to the waiter.
“Listen, Gracie, I just wanted to explain about the other day. You know, when Delores came round like that.”
“I think the way she looked at you explained it all. What I don't get is why you feel you need to keep things from me? We're supposed to be friends aren't we? Why can't you open up with me a bit more and tell me what's going on in your life. I wouldn't have made such a goddam fool of myself if I'd known about her.”
“I know being open isn't one of my strong points. I'm sorry. It's just that I met Delores months ago. It was just a bit of fun at first and then she started getting all serious.”
“And then you did too, right?”
“Well not as much as she was. She kept giving me ultimatums and when I didn't bite she'd break up with me. Days later she'd come around or call. I told her I didn't want anything heavy. She'd say that was fine and the next minute she'd be walking me down the aisle.”
“But you're spending Christmas with her. That's a serious thing. Well, it will be for her,” I said.
“That's just it. I broke it off with her. For good this time.”
“You're a bastard, Mikey.”
“What d'you mean?”
“It's the freaking holidays and you break
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