One Last Lie Read Online Free Page A

One Last Lie
Book: One Last Lie Read Online Free
Author: Rob Kaufman
Tags: thriller, Romance, Gay, Contemporary, Mystery
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it acceptable to laugh with someone who was ridiculing herself? He wasn’t sure of anything except his rising level of discomfort. He pasted a smile on his face, watching her move back to Philip’s side. She’s a little strange , he was thinking, when out of the blue her puffed out face displayed a glimpse of what she must have looked like all those years ago. For a fraction of a second the smile in her eyes changed into a sorrowful grimace; the corners of her mouth turned down, and her self-ridicule transformed into a challenge: no one can laugh at me now. It was as though she’d coughed up remnants of a person she despised and was asking Jonathan if he despised her, too.
    Before he had a chance to react, the beautiful woman returned, her hand grabbing Philip’s shoulder, her lean body pushing against his side. “I can’t wait to catch up with both of you. But first, how ‘bout a Double G and T?”
    Philip gave her a peck on the cheek and practically skipped into the wet bar area, a short hallway that led into the expansive living room. He lifted the glass-paned door of the cherry wood cabinet that held nearly every kind of liquor imaginable. Although neither of them drank often (one or two martinis and they’d usually find themselves slurring over one another), they kept a fully stocked cabinet for get-togethers and impromptu parties. “Grey Goose and Tonic.” Philip held up a three-quarter full bottle of the vodka and a tumbler he’d filled with ice. “Double G is Grey Goose and T is tonic,” he informed Jonathan as he returned to the kitchen.
    Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Duh,” was all he could think of to say. He was still trying to feel out the situation. Who was this girl and why was she here? No doubt she had an attractive flair about her, an élan of sophistication combined with apparent zeal for her new, thinner life. His uneasiness in new social situations was a given — both he and Philip had accepted it years ago. Philip blamed it on some deep-seated insecurity; Jonathan blamed it on the simple fact that people were strange and couldn’t be trusted. He’d gradually learned to accept their current circle of friends. But when a new face entered his life, Jonathan would always step back and wait for the newbie to prove himself.
    Tonight’s new face had been thrust upon him without sufficient warning — his internal uneasiness attested that fact. To make matters worse, this newbie arose unannounced from Philip’s past and was someone Jonathan had no clue existed before tonight. Feeling the sweat on his palms, he recognized the absurd direction in which his thoughts were heading and decided to stop them in their tracks.
    “Give me a Double G and T, too.” He blurted, and then smiled at Philip’s surprised expression.
    “You sure?” Philip headed toward the wet bar. “You know how you get sometimes…”
    “What’s this?” said Angela, “Do we have a lightweight among us?”
    “ Two lightweights,” Philip said before Jonathan had the chance. “I’m not the partier I used to be, Angie.” He grabbed two tumblers from the cabinet. “And since I’ve been working so hard at preparing our meal, I’ll have one, too.” He set the glasses on the counter next to Angela’s. “And I mean only one.”
    “Oh, Philip, I’m disappointed in you.” Angela rubbed her palm against his back and gently caressed between his broad shoulders. “But I have to admit, since I lost all that fat, I’m kind of a lightweight, too.”
    Jonathan felt a sense of relief. Finally, someone mentioned the word fat.
    Philip mixed their drinks like a scientist in a lab, carefully measuring each ounce of vodka with his eyes. After placing the lime wedge atop Angela’s Double G and T, he spun around and set it in her open hand.
    “Speaking of fat, you must tell us what you did to lose all that weight. I mean, you look unbelievable. There’s no way I would have…”
    Jonathan crept ever so slowly toward his
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