Dirty Little Lies (Dirty Little #2) Read Online Free

washes over me, and I let out a long exhale. “Thank god. No offense taken. That’s probably shaping up to be one of your better business decisions, don’t you think?”  
    “Marisa…”  
    He has this look on his face that most people get when I try to make light of the situation, but it’s the only way I know how to deal with this. “It’s okay. I know joking about it makes it awkward, but I’m not really sure how to deal with it otherwise.”  
    Caleb nods; I know he understands. There was a time when he knew me well enough to understand my coping mechanisms, and it looks like that knowledge has carried over through the years. He knows exactly where I’m coming from.  
    “So, what have you been up to? Ben filled me in on the mini empire you’re building,” he says casually. “He said you have a new site up and running. I checked it out earlier. The functionality is amazing. My girlfriend loves it.”  
    I’m sure my mouth is hanging open, because he just casually dropped a Ben bomb and then moved right along with the conversation. I’m having trouble processing the information. Ben is aware of what I’ve been doing with my business? He knows about my site?  
    “Ben…” I can’t quite figure out what I want to say next, or which question out of the thousands that are floating through my mind I should ask first. I settle on, “What?”  
    “Caleb!” Mitzi sidles up right in between us.  
    Caleb schools the exasperated irritation that flashes across his face in a second. “It’s so good to see you! I’m glad you decided to come despite the…” she shoots me a dirty look, her perfectly lined beady little eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Circumstances.”  
    With a tight smile, Caleb says, “It’s a pleasure to come out and support a cause that my friend is so passionate about.”  
    Mitzi preens under Caleb’s compliment, and the sight of it turns my stomach.  
    “And,” Caleb continues as he steps to the side, “I was in the middle of talking to that friend, so if you’ll excuse me.”  
    If I could bottle up the look of undignified horror on Mitzi’s face as she realizes that Caleb has just dismissed her, I’m pretty sure I could live off of it for a year.  
    She walks off, scandalized, and I just want to hug Caleb again.
    “Thank you,” I say gratefully, as I grab a flute of champagne off of the tray of a waiter passing by.
    “My pleasure.” He grins in that playful way I remember, whenever he, Ben, and their other friend Oliver were up to something. “I know she was pushing to have you removed from the committee.”  
    I furrow my brow. “How did you know that?”  
    “Ben filled Oliver in on it, and they, in turn, told me. Oh.” He pats at his breast pocket. “Oliver couldn’t come, but he sent me with a check.”
    I smile. “Thank you. And I’ll be sure to thank him, too. But…Ben. How did Ben know about the committee? How did Ben know about my site, and-”
    “Hey.” A pretty brunette in a stunningly gorgeous dress slings her arm around Caleb’s, and he beams down at her like she’s the sun.  
    “Hey there.” He gives her a kiss, followed by this dopey little grin. It’s such a far cry from the detached, closed-off guy that I knew in college that the whole exchange takes me back a bit. Still, I can’t help but smile at them. They’re one of those disgusting couples who just radiate bliss.
    Apparently they’re also one of those couples who forget about the world around them when they’re around each other, because it takes Caleb about a full minute to remember that there are other people in the room.  
    He shakes his head, remembering himself.
    “Marisa, this is Mia, my girlfriend. Mia,” he says purposefully, giving a pointed nod in my direction, “this is Marisa.”  
    Mia’s whole face lights up at the mention of my name; she reaches out and enthusiastically shakes my hand. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she says. “I’ve heard so