Liar Liar

This is a short story based on the song "Everytime you lie" by Demi Lovato.

Maison Robert.  Now this is what I call a classy place.  It even sounds classy.  May-sohn Ro-behr.  The candle �"light, the chic furniture, the maitre d’s with their fancy accents; the ambience just screams classy and romantic.  This is the kind of place you go to when you want to celebrate something special, like an anniversary.  True, I may not be married to the guy, but the fact that I’ve stuck with him for a whole year deserves a proper celebration.

Tony wanted us to go to some cheap motel for the weekend.  How sleazy is that?  After all we’ve been through in the past year; the least we can do is celebrate this the right way.

As we enter the restaurant, I slip the host a $20 and insist that he gives us the seat near the wide display window.  It’s the closest to the door which makes for an easy exit.  Besides, I’ve always thought those little window seats were charming.

The menus arrive and Tony begins to squirm in his seat.  I hope he thought to borrow his parents’ credit card because he’s certainly going to need it.

“What’s the matter, hun?” I ask, as he’s practically chewing a hole through his lower lip.

“I don’t know what any of this stuff is,” he admits before putting his menu back down on the table.

“Don’t worry hun.  I’ll order for the both of us.”  I hide behind my menu, hoping he won’t see my less than innocent smile.  The waitress writes down the order as I place it, then takes our menus and disappears.  “You’ll love it, I promise.”  And he will too; I have excellent taste.  It might put a hurting on his wallet though….

Throughout the entire meal, Tony keeps mentioning how beautiful I am and how happy he is, how great we are together.  I smile and respond in the manner that is expected of a “loving” girlfriend.  But even I know that his sentiments are just lies spewed up from a guilty heart.

“So, hun, is there anything else you want to tell me?” I ask as the waitress clears away the dishes and refills my water glass. 

“Like what?”  All of a sudden he’s glancing out the window and tugging at his shirt sleeves.

“Like how’s Rosie doing?”

He turns away from the window long enough to try- and fail at- giving me a blank stare.  “Rosie?” My ex-girlfriend, Rosie?  “I don’t know.  I’d assume she’s doing fine.”  She was fine when I left her a few hours ago.

“Hmmm…”  I take a sip of water, carefully considering my next question.  “So word on the street is that the two of you have been getting real chummy lately.  What’s that about?”

“Chummy? I wouldn’t exactly say that.”  Intimate maybe, but not “chummy”.  

I raise the glass to my lips again, gesturing for him to continue speaking.  “I ran into her the other day,” About six months ago.  “and we talked for a while.”  Until the wee hours of the following morning….  “But that’s it” Except for the part where we started dating behind your back.

“Really now? Because I’ve been hearing something different. And I would’ve never believed it if I hadn’t seen you with my own eyes.”

He blinks once, twice, three times.  “What? What are you talking about?”  Where could you possibly have seen us?

I raise an eyebrow and stare him down silently.  If he wont give up any more information then I wont either.  He stares at the lit candle on the table, probably thinking up his next lie.

“I’m so sorry. I-we never meant for this to happen.”  We never meant for you to find out…  “We ran into each other, then one thing lead to another… but she means nothing to me.”  I’m only in love with her, that’s all.  “I’m so s-“

“Save it.  I’ve heard more than enough.”  I grab my purse and get up to leave.  “She better have been worth it because I’m leaving and you wont be seeing me again.”

Back in the parking lot, I sit in my car waiting for the tears to come.  It doesn’t take me a full five minutes to realize that I’m actually more relieved than hurt.  When I drive past the display window, I see that Rosie has already taken my seat.

Nice.

Well they deserve each other.  Me, I deserve better