Lie To Yourself

25

"Ermm I don't know Luke, I kinda have a house mate right now"

"It's just for one night, Katie, my parents are being really unreasonable but I can stay in a hotel from tomorrow, I'm just struggling to find one for tonight" Luke pleaded as I tucked into a margarita pizza.

"Fine, but you'll have to sleep on the couch." I looked up at him, trying to show him my serious eyes.

"You are the best!!! But ermm...who's your houseguest? Did they hear he last week? Girl or boy"

"Jesus Luke, her name is Brooke, no she only moved in on Sunday and even if she did she's gay so I don't think what we did would interest her" I said nonchalantly as I could to try and sound convincing.

"Ah fair enough, but are you saying we can't you know 'destress' tonight incase she hears?"

"Yes Luke that is exactly what I am saying. I am also sort of her boss at the moment so that would be inappropriate if she heard me having sex with you" but Katie it's so fine with you to have sex with her yourself?!?

"You're a boss? Why is that such a turn on?" I threw a piece of dough ball at him and talked him through the circumstances that lead to Brooke now staying in my spare room, but carefully omitting the piece where she fucked me, and I rode her thigh...

I drove Luke and I back to my flat and chatting comfortably as we always did. It turned out that his mum had caught him having sex with a girl on their kitchen table so had kicked him out until he 'grew up'. I must admit, it did make me chuckle. She'd soon forgive him, if there's one thing I know about Luke. It's that he's hard to stay mad at.

As we walked through the door, I noticed a pair of baby pink converse that I did not recognise or assume would be Brooke's, I assumed they would be her 'friends' so my good mood had taken a turn.

I proceeded to get Luke a duvet and a pillow out of the boiler cupboard and set him down on the couch with a cup of tea.

"Mwah sweet dreams" I kissed his forehead and headed off to my bedroom. I wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone. I wanted to know if Brooke's friend was really a 'friend' and I also couldn't risk accidentally telling Luke anything, so I laid on my bed, scrolling through Facebook.

Before I knew it my 7am alarm clock was going off. I got ready in my room before heading out to the kitchen.

Silence? No Luke, no pink shoes. Where was everyone?

I texted Luke hoping that he'd managed to leave for work on time before grabbing a croissant in my mouth and knocking on Brooke's door. No answer

Hmm maybe she's gone to work without me? Am I going mad?

I slipped my shoes on and I rang Brooke just incase she was asleep but I couldn't hear the ringing of her phone so off to work I went.

I was very busy that morning, me and Tim had a breakfast meeting at a hotel, which meant I didn't have to eat lunch at the office. Always a treat. Tim had worked his magic with this client and managed to sell himself for 15% of their future business.

He really is an inspiration.

When I headed back to the office it was already 3pm. I could see Bob in the office kitchen on his laptop. Hmm I thought he took his lunch at 12?

"Hey bob, everything okay?"

"Katie, I've been trying to ring you, have you seen Brooke? She didn't come in this morning."

"Oh shit I'm sorry bob, I've been in a meeting with Tim I've not had chance to check my phone yet. I'll try and call Brooke now"

"Probably not worth it. I've been trying all morning"

"Oh really? I hope she's okay! Leave it with me and I'll pop home on my lunch and go see if she's there."

I grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen fridge and then headed to the car. I don't remember seeing any shoes at the front door this morning so I just assumed she'd had to leave for work earlier than I had.

Pulling up at my flat I got a nervous feeling in my tummy. After all, this friend that she invited I'd never met, I didn't know their name. Christ I didn't even know if it was a boy or girl and they could have murdered her. I could have been sound asleep last night whilst she was getting murdered. Ok, Katie, it's not Miami CSI. I tried to talk myself down as I turned the key in my door.

But in all sincerity, what I had expected to find, was not what i had. And in that moment, my heart, for whatever reason broke...