Page 4 of Shadow Lies

“Yes. Of course, but I didn’t feel right making overseas calls on the phone the company provided.”

“Overseas?” Her mother brightened. “Really. That’s exciting. Where did they send you?”

“Oh, all over. Taipei. Hong Kong. So many places I can’t even remember them all.”

“For what?” her mother asked.

“It was mostly just a tour of all the offices abroad. And you know meetings, meetings, meetings.”

“And they wanted you there?” Pride colored her mother’s words.

“Yup. As the, uh, designer of the new tech, I had to be there to, um, explain everything to the management. You know upper-level executives. Have to hold their hands and walk them through anything new.” She rolled her eyes as her own lies got even more elaborate.

“Hold on, Alexis. Your father just walked in.”

She waited as her mother repeated to her father, almost word for word, what she’d just said.

When her mother was done relaying everything, she took the opportunity to steer the conversation in another direction.

“You know who I was thinking of the other day? The Lees. Do you still hear from them ever?”

“Yes. We still get a card from them every Christmas.”

Kane’s parents had emigrated to the States before he was born. The few times she’d met them, she could see how Kane’s upbringing must have been an interesting one.

Her sister had said they’d enrolled him in Chinese language classes and martial arts from when he was little. But the family had also embraced all the holiday traditions of their new country—including Christmas.

Thank goodness they had since it meant her parents were still getting holiday cards from them.

“Oh really? Where are they living now?” she asked, as casually as she could.

“Florida. On a golf course, if you can believe it. They sold the house in New York.”

“Do you have an address or a number for them?” Realizing that sounded like an odd request, she quickly added. “I, uh, wanted to ask them for Kane’s phone number.”

“Kane, huh?” There was a smile in her mother’s tone.

“Why do you say it like that?” Alexis frowned.

“Oh, come on, Alexis. I’m not blind. A mother sees things.”

“Sees what? What was there to see?”

“You know. You had a crush on Kane the whole time your sister was dating him.”

“Mom. I was like thirteen.”

“That’s old enough to have a crush.”

It didn’t matter if it were completely true. That her pubescent self had been completely in love with Kane Lee. That didn’t mean she wanted her mother to know then or tease her about it now.

Next month’s rent. Paid.

The memory of Charley’s words reminded her what was at stake. The payoff was worth giving her mother the satisfaction of being right, even if she did hate it.

She let out a sigh. “Fine. Yes. I liked Kane.”

“Well, then, lucky for you I know where he is.”

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