Asher wanted me to tell him that I wasn’t involved in a swimsuit contest. All I had to do was lie to him, and he’d calm down, but when I opened my mouth, the lie did not come out.
I said, “Maybe it won’t be as bad as you think.”
I hadn’t realized he was still holding the television remote with one hand, until the pieces of it clattered down onto the floor. The temperature in the room dropped.
If I didn’t do something, Asher would go ballistic. I hated to lie to him, but to protect him, I had to smudge the truth some.
“I’m wearing the one piece,” I said quickly. “And it’s at a nice location, not… a bar.”
“Where?” he asked, voice so deep and rough, he barely sounded like himself.
“A restaurant,” I said. “Mom and Pop place. Very tasteful.” I nervously hooked my fingers together. “The co
