Page 32 of Once Upon a Lie

“Oh yeah,” I say through a snort. “You need to stop by soon. Cher was asking about you the other day. Pretty sure she applied an entire tube of lip gloss just in case you showed up for your favorite bagel.”

Without any consideration for the current conversation, Dad launches into a story about a trucking route out of Memphis that Leo apparently saved. Nico and I sit there and listen because Dad is clearly determined to paint Leonidas as some kind of hero tonight, and going with the tide is easier than fighting it.

All the while, my stomach churns over the HOA violation from Rita. It’s the first I’ve gotten in three years, and absolutely nothing in the context of real life, but my dad doesn’t need much of a reason. He’s been trying to pull me back to Bellevue for years, into his house and his full-time matchmaking with Leo.

Eventually, the waiter brings our entrées, and Nico excuses himself to take a phone call outside. Dad, unsurprisingly, fills my plate up with way too much food, but when I roll my eyes, he pinches my cheek affectionately, and for a moment I feel like I’m a nine-year-old little girl again.

At that age, my dad seemed like the mightiest, smartest man in the whole entire world. It’s not that I don’t love him now, but . . . it’s different.

I suppose it always is when you grow up.

Nico sits back down at the table, and the three men start discussing Cordone Freight business in words that sound like hieroglyphics look.

Whatever call Nico took outside was evidently important. As for me, I’m grateful for the distraction it provides for my father.

He spends the rest of the meal focused on work instead of my head on a chopping block, and dessert is left to the cannoli.

Besides a few words overheard in hushed tones between my father and Leo about pulling Leo’s father, Damon, into the conversation, I’m blissfully unaware until we’re all standing to go.

Dad tucks cash into the waiter’s hand and kisses my forehead. “Try to work less, Teeny Girl. And have some more fun. Let Leo take you out soon.”

“Okay, Daddy,” I say because appeasing him right now seems like the quickest way to an exit route.

Leo holds the door for me—I thank him with a smile—and then offers to drive me back to my condo, but Nico takes my elbow and butts in before I have to turn him down again.

“How about a nice little after-dinner walk, sis?”

I snort. “Sure.”

My brother doesn’t say much for the entire ten minutes of our stroll, but talking wasn’t the point anyway. Both of us understood that.

“Love you, sis.” He gives me another warm hug when we reach Magnolia.

“Love you too.” I pinch his cheeks, and he groans. “Stay out of trouble.” He’s so damn mysterious that he might as well be a “Come Try to Save Me” Batman signal in the sky for single girls everywhere. And as much as he worries about me, I worry about him more.

“Pretty sure I’m supposed to be saying that to you.”

“Guess I beat you to the punch this time.”

I unlock the secure door to my building, and his grin turns serious as he pulls me to a stop. “Listen . . . if you ever let that fucking dickwad Leo take you out, I’ll kill him.”

We tease all the time about this—hello, dinner—but this seems like a much sharper threat. My eyebrows draw together. “Hey, tell Dad, not me. I’m not interested in him at all, and frankly, I’m a little exhausted from explaining that.”

“Good. Just . . . keep it that way. I’ll try to talk to Dad.”

I nod, and without another word, he turns and walks away, his hands sinking into his pockets and his eyes upturning to the sky. I watch him for a beat and then shove inside, shaking my head to clear the weird interaction.

As I walk through the lobby, the fatigue begins to set in, and a yawn escapes my throat.

I barely make it inside the elevator before my phone starts lighting up with Magnolia Connect notifications, and a heavy sigh leaves my throat unchecked.

​​Rita Fortune: Reminder: HOA violation tickets must be paid within 48 hours. Repeat infractions trigger probation review.​​

Stanley (Unit: 1007): ​​Has the maintenance hall stopped smelling like raccoon yet?​​

Callie (​​Unit: 1205): I kind of miss him ​​

Rita Fortune: ​​Callie.​​