Bad Liar

Chapter -Three

Quentin didn't know what he did, but he knew that look of being in trouble with a woman, and Billie had that look right now. She hung up her phone and yelled...

"You bastard! You have two minutes to explain yourself."

Quentin shook his head. "I'd love to. Except I have no clue what the hell you're talking about."

Billie couldn't believe he was choosing to deny it. "The lobby is full of photographers salivating to get a picture of you leaving my apartment. Gee, I wonder how they got there?"

"Photographers? Look Billie, I don't know why there would be..."

He really intended to play innocent? Unbelievable. "You need to understand something. I don't know the caliber of the women you're used to dealing with, but I'm no joke. I graduated from M.I.T. with a Master's degree in Engineering and Engineering Technology. Not only can I dream the shit up, but I could also build it if I had to. So please don't treat me like one of your bimbettes you'd pick up at the club to screw around with."

"Wow!" Quentin exclaimed. "Nice, Princess. I guess we can't all be as high and mighty as you."

Quentin so wished he could storm out of this woman's apartment right now but he couldn't without playing right into the hands of the photographers downstairs. "But thanks for that. It's nice to get a clear picture of how you really see me. Now that I know how low your opinion goes, I understand why you turned me down earlier."

"I turned you down because there is no way I'm having sex with a man I just met! I don't care how good-looking you are! And are you seriously going to deny that you called them when I was in the bedroom? You're the only person who knew I brought you here."

"Really?" Quentin scoffed, happy she found him attractive but too intent on proving a point at the moment he asked, "What about the doorman?"

"Mitch? Who do you think called, to warn me, about the photographers downstairs?"

Damn. "What about your boyfriend Carlos then? I don't doubt he knew where we were going."

"Carlos would never betray me and he's NOT my boyfriend."

"So that's it, right? It has to be me. Couldn't be someone who saw us walking here or some other reasonable explanation?"

Billie had to admit it could happen but it was too much of a coincidence. No one ever cared who she brought back to her apartment before, and suddenly there's interest just because he's here? No. Something was up.

"Just admit it. You and your father won't be happy until you ruin me. My whole life I've been fighting to be taken seriously and in one afternoon you'll have me reduced to some brainless slut. You'll take my reputation and your father my company. Was that the plan?"

His father? Shit, his father! In a flash it all made sense. When Billie was in the bedroom talking to her Dad, his father had called him to ream him out, demanding to know where he was hiding. Quentin had told him he wasn't hiding anywhere. That he was with Billie at her apartment this entire time. It really was his fault and his father really was out to ruin her. Damn! Damn! Double damn!

Quentin crossed the room took Billie's hand and dragged her back to the sofa. He sat down and pulled her with him. It surprised him she didn't fight him dragging her all over the place.

"Billie?" Quentin let a long and sorrowful sigh. "You're right."

Finally, a confession - Billie knew she should have felt vindicated but she didn't she just felt deflated.

Quentin wondered why she looked so dejected. "I know you're not likely to believe me but I didn't do it on purpose. My father called me when you were talking to your Dad. He wanted to know where I was and I told him. I didn't know he..."