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The thought struck her that maybe Piper didn’t know. If she didn’t realize "Jay" already had a significant other, then it was Mia’s duty to tell her. She owed it to her friend to reveal the truth. But if Jay wasn’t Jeffrey Alan Wright then Mia didn’t want to scare Piper unnecessarily. Trying to be as unassuming as possibly, she asked, "What’s his last name?"
Piper turned away slightly to pick her can up. She stalled a few seconds, drinking heartily, staring at her six roses as she set the can back down. Then she turned back to Mia with a frown. "Is it my turn to cook tonight or yours? I can’t remember?"
Mia’s lips parted, stunned. "Uh … It’s mine."
"Thank God," Piper went on. "I told a friend I’d eat out with her. We’re going to that new deli on the mall."
As she gabbed on, Mia could only stare. She couldn’t believe Piper would so obviously evade her question. It was like she was protecting him, which meant she already knew about his marital status.
Piper couldn’t seem to look her in the eyes as she talked about the sandwich she wanted to taste test tonight. "It’s supposed to have melted mozzarella and this special sauce … "
Suddenly feeling disconnect from her friend, Mia eased a step back. Piper was lying to her, or at least she was avoiding the truth.
The realization hurt.
If Piper couldn’t share a secret with Mia, then how strong was their relationship … really? How long could Mia continue depending on Piper for her emotional support if they couldn’t trust each other?
Too dizzy to
listen to any more bull, she cleared her throat and turned to go. But at the last second, she spun back. "Is-he-married?" she rushed out the question, making it sound like she’d uttered one word instead of three.
Piper froze, then slowly frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Is he married?" Mia repeated, straightening her spine. "Does Jay stand for Jeffrey Wright? Is his wife’s name Mandy? Do they have children together?"
Chapter Five
Piper’s mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again. "I … how …" She closed her mouth once more. But her eyes were wide with guilt and surprise.
"She knows about you," Mia said, her voice soft. "His wife. Mandy. She knows he sent you the roses."
Piper shook her head a single time to deny it, but then her shoulders dropped. "Oh, no," she whispered and plopped into a chair, staring up at Mia with a bleak expression. "How does she know? How do you know she knows?"
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell all. Reveal Drew’s deceit and his involvement in the entire, sordid mess. But at the last second, she held back. Piper hadn’t been honest with her recently, keeping a secret as big and awful as adultery, so Mia didn’t mind stretching her own bit of truth. Besides, she didn’t want to reveal what an idiot she was for being taken in so completely by a liar like Drew Harper.
"She came here," she said. "Yesterday. While you were at work. She accused me of sleeping with her husband, of receiving your roses. She was upset, Piper. She was so upset."
"Oh, no," Piper said again, covering her gaping mouth with both hands. "She came here? What’d you tell her?"
"I told her the truth. I’m not dating anyone’s husband."
Piper waved her arms, impatient. "What about the flowers? What’d you tell her about the roses?"
Jaw going hard, Mia said, "I told her she must be mistaken because no one had sent any flowers here."
"Thank God." Pressing her fingers against her temples, Piper sent Mia a tremulous smile. "Thank you, Mi Mi. I owe you big time."
"You owe me an explanation," Mia said, setting her fists on her hips.
Piper’s smile died. She eased to her feet. "What do you mean, an explanation?"
"I lied for you," Mia said through gritted teeth. "I lied to an innocent woman while you were out there, with her husband, doing God-knows-what."
Her roommate didn’t speak, just stood there, looking ashamed as she stared down at her feet.
"How could you?" Mia whispered. "He’s married to another woman, made commitments with another woman, had children with another woman. How could you break up a family, Piper?"
"I …" Expression going stubbornly shuttered, Piper lifted her face. "He’s miserable, okay? He wants to leave her."
