“I have a high threshold for awkward.” That damn hair is in his eyes again.
My smile widens. “I believe that.”
“Does that mean I should go?”
“You absolutely should go. I suspect Grandma will be very disappointed if you’re not there.”
“You think so?” He looks flattered.
“Absolutely.”
“Okay then. I will be there tomorrow.”
“Can’t wait.”
“And we’re doing our first interview on Monday?”
“Our first interview? We’ve talked several times.”
“First interview where we really get into things. Your grandma said you’ll be here through next week?”
I let out a long sigh. “She did, did she?”
“Is that wrong?”
“No. She’s right.” She’d bought me a one-way ticket, which should have been a sign that she’d planned on my staying longer than she let on. I could book my own and hightail it out of here, but I’m invested now. I can’t stop thinking about what Grandma said—that Ben is actually going to figure this out.
I feel like I owe it to Savvy to stay until he does.
Not to mention that I have nothing to go back to. I’m still fired, my boyfriend is now my ex-boyfriend, and I’ve yet to sign a lease on a new apartment. I might as well be here, even if here makes me want to punch myself in the face.
“Good,” he says. “I’m starting this new thing next week, changing up the podcast format. I’ll be dropping a bunch of miniepisodes instead of just doing two a week, so we can get stuff out in real time. I think people are really going to like it.”
“Great,” I say dryly.
He cocks an eyebrow.
“Fine. Whatever. Monday,” I say. “First interview. I’ll be ready.”
“I’m always ready,” the voice sings. “Let’s fuck someone up!”
Listen for the Lie Podcast with Ben Owens BONUS EPISODE 1
Hey, guys. I know that you weren’t expecting a new episode until tomorrow, but I need to update you about what’s going on with the show. First of all, I am currently back in Plumpton, Texas. And second, I am in contact with Lucy Chase.
I know that a lot of you already know this, because you saw the picture of us together at the diner. To answer the question that approximately ten thousand of you asked on Twitter—Yes, Lucy has agreed to an interview.
In the interest of full disclosure, I wanted to let you guys know that I’ve always been counting on getting an interview with Lucy. Her grandmother assured me that she could get Lucy to do it, and she wasn’t wrong. According to Beverly, it didn’t even take that much convincing. So far, Lucy has been direct with me.
And, to be totally frank with you guys, I’ve had to scrap or totally rework some of the episodes I had planned for the rest of this season. Lucy being back in town has completely changed things, and we’ve learned a lot of new information recently.
Want to know what some of that new information is? Tune in tomorrow to hear an interview with Matt Gardner.
Yes, that Matt Gardner. Lucy’s ex-husband, giving his first interview ever.
And keep an eye on your podcast app, because I’ll be releasing some quickie bonus episodes—like this one—to keep you fully updated on everything that’s happening over here.
For now, I leave you with this interview with Nina Garcia.
Nina:?????????????Yeah, of course I know Mrs. Chase. Or—Kathleen. I always called her Mrs. Chase in high school, when I’d go over to Lucy’s house. Hard habit to break.
Ben:???????????????Are you two friendly?
Nina:?????????????I mean, I say hi when I see her around, but we’re not friends or anything.
Ben:???????????????Do you remember seeing her at the wedding?
Nina:?????????????Sure, vaguely.
Ben:???????????????The whole time? Later that night?
Nina:?????????????I couldn’t say. It’s been too long.
Ben:???????????????What about Colin Dunn? You know Colin?
Nina:?????????????A little, yeah, back when he lived here. Why?
Ben:???????????????You heard on a recent episode about Colin having sex in a car with a married woman after the wedding?
Nina:?????????????Yes.
Ben:???????????????I have several sources who claim that Kathleen and Colin had an affair.
Nina:????????????? … What?
Ben:??????????????Did you know about that?
Nina:?????????????What? Who said that?
Ben:???????????????They’ve asked to remain anonymous. Though I was able to verify it.
Nina:?????????????Colin? Colin Dunn?
Ben:???????????????Yes.
Nina:?????????????She’s like thirty years older than him.
Ben:???????????????Thirty-two years, yes.
Nina:?????????????I …
Ben:???????????????I was told it was a bit of an open secret here in Plumpton.
Nina:?????????????Seriously? No one told me. But I guess …
Ben:???????????????What?
Nina:?????????????Well, now that you mention it, I remember him saying once that he liked older women. I thought he meant Savvy, because she was like four or five years older than him. I guess he meant like … older.
Ben:???????????????It’s a bit weird, isn’t it?
Nina:?????????????Sleeping with a woman thirty years older? I don’t know, whatever does it for you, I guess.
Ben:???????????????No, that everyone knew that Kathleen had an affair with Savannah’s boyfriend, and no one thought it was important to mention.
Nina:?????????????Well, it wasn’t while he was with Savvy, was it?
Ben:???????????????No, according to my digging, they actually did overlap. And like I said, mystery married woman in the car …
Nina:?????????????… Oh. Then, yeah. That’s kind of weird.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LUCY
I fully expect Mom to cancel the party.
I listen to Ben’s miniepisode in disbelief the first time, and with more than a little amusement the second.
I didn’t know Mom had it in her.
I should maybe be a little miffed on Savvy’s behalf, but she was never that serious about Colin, and I honestly think she’d be amused as well.
I wait, clenched, for Mom to explode.
But she doesn’t. The next morning, I come downstairs to find her cheerfully sewing lace onto a baby blanket she made for one of the girls from church.
Denial always did work well for her.
So, I say nothing, send Ben a text message that just says damn, son, and pretend like nothing happened.
* * *
Mom insists we get to the restaurant an hour early so we can micromanage the employees in charge of setting up the party. They don’t seem particularly put out by this, like they’re used to women in loud flower-print dresses fussing over the exact placement of mason jar candles.
Mom missed her calling as a wedding planner. She would have been so good at projecting a happy image for one day.
We’re in a large room for special events at the back of the restaurant. They’ve set up a long picnic-style table, with said mason jar candles and flower arrangements dotting the middle.
Mom doesn’t mention the daisies. Probably because they look so nice. Or she’s totally forgotten that they were supposed to be pink roses.
Grandma arrives right on time, escorted by Ashley and Brian (my cousins, the asshole grandchildren). They’re both younger than I am—early twenties—and neither of them look particularly happy to be there. Brian barely looks up from his phone to say hi.
Their parents, Keith and Janice, follow them inside. My aunt Karen, the youngest of my mom’s siblings, sulks in after them, the usual sour expression on her face. She has an unfamiliar man in an ill-fitting suit with her.
I don’t know when they all got into town. Mom mysteriously disappeared a few times over the last couple of days, so I assume they’ve been here for a while. No one had any interest in seeing me early, apparently.
They all glance at me and then quickly away. Except for Ashley, who looks me up and down and then squints, like she disapproves.