The Naked Truth (The Honeybrook Hamdens)

“What exactly happened there?”

“I don’t…”

Chase raised his eyebrows. “Don’t you? I mean, have you even talked to anyone about it since it happened? Whatever it was?”

She looked him up and down, weighing her options. Then, at last, “There’s not really much to tell. My boss stole my design book and passed my sketches off as his own. To, like, this big important person. Who was also his brother.”

“Why didn’t you call him out?”

“You think someone would believe a stranger over their own brother?” She sighed. “It was stupid of me to show him my stuff, that’s all.”

“Why did you?”

“I…” Because I’ve always been an idiot when it comes to men. “I don’t know.”

“So, what did you do when you found out he’d stolen from you?”

“Nothing,” she lied, but it was no use. Chase wasn’t buying it, not even for a second.

“I find it hard to believe that Julie Hamden let someone take something from her and get away with it.”

“I, well, it’s a little embarrassing.” Now she really was blushing, red and hot. “I Xeroxed a few…unflattering truths about him and posted them around the office.”

“Such as?”

“He has a collection of Barbie dolls.”

“No,” Chase said.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t take them so seriously. They all have names.”

“Does he play with them?”

“Are you kidding? He’d have to take them out of the box for that.” She snorted a laugh, then covered her mouth. “Anyway, it wasn’t kind of me. I’m not proud of it. I’m also not proud of what I did to his desk.” She glanced away, then added. “Or what I left in his car.”

“Well, I think it’s great. You should stand up for yourself. You were always good at that.”

Julie let the silence stretch between them for a moment, then she said, “Yes, well, I’m learning my lesson. He’s setting me up to fail with this fashion show and then he’ll have his revenge.”

“You’re going to be great at the fashion show.”

She guffawed. “How could you know that?”

“Because I know.” He answered simply, and she took another big bite of her burger and chewed as she looked anywhere but at him.

It’s not too late to go back…

“What about you?” she asked. “What about the bar? And working with Luke? Do you like it?”

“I do,” Chase said. “I really do. I feel like I belong there. It’s nice, you know? To have a place of my own.”

“I’m happy for you,” she said.

“Thanks. I’m happy for you, too.” Something thick hung in the air between them and Julie tried to breathe deep, to rid herself of the feeling that somehow she’d signed on for something she couldn’t handle.

Desperately, she scrambled for a new subject.

“I wonder if that old pond has dried up,” she said.