Page 17 of False Pretenses

He opened the door and gestured for her to precede him into the house. Alyssa wondered what else she’d have to learn about rich people and how their worlds did not mesh before the end of her foray into fantasyland ended.

Chapter Six

“Our turn,” Nathan announced and stood to pull Alyssa from her seat. She followed him to the middle of the floor and glanced over to his dad and mom, sitting side by side, with Piper sitting nearby in a recliner, bare feet drawn up to her chest. Alyssa could not believe they were playing charades, but she had to admit it was fun. Leo didn’t participate, but enjoyed laughing at their antics. Alyssa, who didn’t get out to social gatherings that much where she might have learned better skills at these types of games, sucked royal ass at it and despised whoever had suggested the entertainment. Then again, it might have been Nathan, and she glared at him. She speculated on whether he’d suggested the game because he thought it was something she as a middle-class woman would enjoy. On another thought, the three Cordes were decent at picking up each other’s clues, while she missed most.

“You can do this, honey,” he encouraged her. “Just remember tugging of the ear means ‘sounds like.’ If I hold up fingers, it indicates the number of words, or if we’re down to a single word, number of syllables.”

She grumbled at him, “I remember that part.”

“I can’t believe you haven’t played this more than once in your life, darling,” Lydia said, making her feel worse.

Alyssa stabbed an accusing finger toward her pretend boyfriend. “Nathan’s acting stinks. I need a better partner, that’s all.”

“You will pay for that remark, woman.”

“Gag,” was Piper’s single comment.

Nathan took the hat from his father’s hands. “It’s your turn to act it out, Alyssa, so make it good.”

The game continued, and Alyssa found out it wasn’t Nathan’s impressions of scenes and words that presented the problem. They soon had to admit defeat, and Lydia, gracious hostess that she was, offered the best player to pair with Alyssa for the next round—Piper. Nathan’s younger sister popped up from her chair and strode with purpose over to Alyssa. She all but dragged her toward the door, calling over her shoulder, “Quick strategy session,” and the others, including Leo, burst out laughing.

The second the door clicked closed behind them, Piper dropped her hold on Alyssa’s arm. The woman’s entire visage transformed into one of dislike and suspicion. “What are you waiting for?”

“Excuse me?”

Piper lowered her voice. “You heard me. What are you waiting for? We both know what you saw back at the restaurant, so why haven’t you told my family? I thought that’s why you kept Nathan talking in the car after Mom and I got out, but he didn’t say anything to me or act like he knew my secret.”

Alyssa rocked back on her heels and folded her arms over her chest. “It must have killed you waiting for us to come inside, huh?”

“Don’t play games with me, bitch.”

Alyssa laughed. “Go ahead. Please get in my face. I dare you.”

Piper seemed to think better of stepping to Alyssa, and she took a couple steps in retreat. “I get it. You want to hold it over my head a while, waiting for the right time, when it benefits you the most.”

“Wow, is this how you all are? Trusting no one, assuming the worst?” Alyssa shook her head and turned toward the living room, her hand on the knob. “I don’t give two figs about what you do with your personal life. If you haven’t come out to your family, that’s your problem. If you think I’m lying and that I’m just waiting for the right time, I don’t give a crap about that either. Stay in the hall sulking like an infant if you want to. I’m going in.”

Alyssa put on a smile and rubbed her hands together as if she had the greatest plan in the world to overthrow Nathan and his mom. “Ready, you two? You’re going down. Just want you to know this.”

Nathan cast her a curious glance, but then smiled in return. “Not on your life, baby. You’re beautiful, but I have to show you who has the upper hand.”

“Aw, that’s the sweetest thing to say,” Lydia purred.

“My boy,” Leo echoed.

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “How was that sweet? The man wants to control me. You don’t know who you’re dealing with, Mr. Nathan Corde.”

A challenge reflected in the hazel eyes locked with hers. “I’m beginning to find out, and I think I will continue.”

The game progressed, and a short while later, Alyssa whooped in triumph. “See, I told you! We schooled you, Nathan and Lydia.”

“Yes, you did school us, dear,” Lydia admitted.

Alyssa burst out laughing at the woman’s use of slang. Nathan conceded defeat with less aplomb. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he nabbed her before she could scurry away. He captured her chin and lowered his head as if to kiss her, when Lydia cried out.

“Leo, are you okay?” The terror in those high-pitched words tore across Alyssa’s chest. Nathan released her and spun on his heel to his father.

“Dad?”

---