Big Fat Liar 3 (Big Fat Liar #3) (2 page)

Swallowing, Callie smiled shakily. "H-hi there. Didn't see you come in. I was just...uh..."

"Dancing?" Chris offered.

"Um. Yeah. Be right back." She flew back into the bathroom and slammed the door closed. Callie faced the mirror and breathed, "Oh my god! Oh my god! How embarrassing!" She quickly fixed her hair back up, face flaming red.

"Cal?" Chris knocked on the door. "You ready?"

Callie opened the door and stared up at him. "Ready."

"Then...shall we?" He swept his hand towards the front door.

"Yeah. Sure."
Oh my god
, she mouthed as she walked past him. She was so embarrassed!

Behind her, Chris's eyes twinkled with laughter.

Chapter Fifteen

Callie was surprised to find herself in a fancy restaurant smacked dab in the middle of downtown Seattle close to the Space Needle. She could see the tall needle from their position by the window, the beautiful orange-purplish sky a breathtaking view as the sun began to set.

"Wow," she murmured under her breath.

"What was that?" Chris asked, sitting across from her in front of the fine and round black clothed table with a single slim vase in the middle that contained a perfect single white rose. The rest of the restaurant was decorated in black and white, giving off an exotic European feel to it with strange black and white paintings on the walls. With the dimmed lighting, Callie felt like the whole room was meant to seduce the senses.

Leaning forward, she whispered, "How did you get us in here? I thought you had to book reservations to get in a place like Mershachi's."

Chris shrugged casually, opening the black menu with the gold imprint of
"Mershachi's"
, the restaurant's name on the top front. "I know the manager."

"Oh." Calle settled back on her seat and fidgeted. She couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable. Around them were couples dining and wining, sexual tension everywhere. When people looked their way, she thought that they'd immediately assume them to be a gay couple because only couples went to dine in a place like Mershachi's. What Callie didn't realize was that to most of the guests, she looked like a woman, not a man.

Blushing when she found several eyes looking at them with interest, Callie ducked her head under the protection of the large menu. It's not like she's never been to a fancy eatery before...it was just she never went as a guy...with another guy, who thought she was a guy when in fact she was actually a girl.

Complicated
, Callie thought ruefully.

"Is something wrong?"

Callie peeked up over the edge of the menu to look at Chris. He didn't look out of place at all. In fact the sensual place seemed to welcome him with open arms. A sensual environment for a sensual man.

"N-no," she stammered.

Chris studied her before focusing his attention back on the menu. Callie shifted on her seat and tried to read the menu but her thoughts were distracting her. Though Chris was so close and polite, he seemed so far away. He was still distancing himself from her and that hurt. Why ask her on a date if he was going to act so...so...nonchalant?

And what an odd place to take her on their first "date." Callie straightened and pretended to examine the menu. Every few seconds she would glance at Chris, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

I feel so...stuffy
. Callie glanced back at Chris.
Chris?What are you really thinking under that gorgeous blank face?
He really wasn't showing any type of expression on his face at all, not since they were seated ten minutes ago by a waitress who nearly devoured Chris with her eyes. The waitress hardly acknowledge Callie's existence. The perky, dark haired waitress had finally spoke to her only to ask what beverage she wanted.

Callie stared at the menu and looked back up to find Chris staring at her. She smiled at him but he didn't smile back. He just seemed lost in thought with furrowed brows. Okay, she just couldn't take this silence anymore. It was killing her!

"Chris." She placed the menu on the table. "What's going on?"

He blinked at her. "What?"

"I mean," she hesitated, "why are we here?"

"We're on a date."

"Yeah, I get that part but why are we on a date?"

Shifting on cushioned seat, Chris looked away from her probing eyes. "To eat."

Callie stared at him. "You asked me out on a date, took me to this fancy restaurant...just to eat?"

"Isn't that what restaurants are for?" He sounded evasive and sarcastic. Callie wasn't aware of it but he was trying hard to cover up his own discomfort.

She stared at him a few seconds longer before standing. "Where are you going?" Chris demanded, shooting up from his own seat when Callie started to leave. He grabbed her wrist to stop her.

Callie sighed. "Chris, if you took me out just to eat, we could have went somewhere else. No sense in wasting money on this place."

Chris frowned. "You don't like it?"

"The restaurant?" Callie looked around. "It's great, very...exotic, but it isn't me. Even though you look like you fit right in....this isn't you either. I know you and I would rather sit in front of my flat screen watching some stupid movie we could make fun of while eating pizza and drinking Budweiser."

"You don't drink Budweiser," Chris pointed out.

Callie cracked a smile. "True but you also know what I'm saying is true. Chris...why are we here?"

Adam's apple bobbing, Chris stared down at her with confusion and frustration. Callie didn't know if he was confused and frustrated with her or with himself. Either way he had to tell her what this was all about or she was leaving. Simple as that.

"Sit down," he finally said. "I'll try to...explain." Chris sat down and waited for her to sit down before adding, "just remember 'try' is the word here."

Callie just stared at him, watching, waiting.

Chris sighed. "This is the usual place I take my dates."

I bet
, Callie thought with jealousy towards the faceless women Chris had brought to Mershachi's on his quest to seduce them.

"Cal," Chris paused and swore under his breath. "Damn, I don't know where to even begin."

"Start with the kiss," she urged. "Why did you kiss me?"

"Why did you kiss me back?" He shot back at her.

"You already know that I have...have feelings for you." Callie refused to look away from his gaze though all she wanted was to blush and hide. "The question now is why did you initiate the kiss?"

"You know why," he muttered darkly.

"Maybe, but I'd like to hear why."

Chris glared at her. Callie refused to budge. Outside she looked calm and composed but in the inside her heart was racing and her stomach was burning with butterflies. Still...she needed to hear his reason and hoped she wouldn't be disappointed.

Seeing that she wasn't about to let it go, Chris groaned. "Cal, give me a break here, buddy. I'm as confused as you are."

"Just answer the question," she said. "Why did you kiss me?"

He stared at her. "Because...I wanted to."

"Why did you want to?"

"Because I'm...attracted to you?" He made it sound like a question.

"I don't know," Callie said, "are you?"

"Yes," he bit out. "God help me, I'm attracted to you." Chris slumped against his chair. "Why? I have no fucking clue. In the beginning it was all good, you know? We were friends, you were my new buddy. I wanted to help you lose weight and gain confidence. I wanted you to get up and fight back to the world, not be oppressed by it. I knew that under all that ball of shyness was a good guy, someone who was strong and intelligent."

Chris closed his eyes, as if something was torturing him. "Then things started to change. I don't know when and I sure in the hell don't know how...it's just you...you..."

"What about me?" Callie asked, voice barely above a whisper. Seeing Chris like this both excited yet frightened her. Excited that he admitted that there was an attraction between them but also frightened because this man, this beautiful being could break her heart.

"You're just so different," he finally said, opening his eyes to stare at her. "You're different from any other man or woman I've known. The way I feel around you is different. I don't know when it started but I'd find myself thinking of you, of how you make me laugh, how your smile is so shy yet brightens up the place. How your eyes, the color of melted milk chocolate with a hint of gold would light up whenever they looked at me or how they twinkle whenever I say or do something you think is funny."

Chris leaned forward, face serious and open. "Sometimes I find myself staring into them for too long, caught up in your odd mixture of sweetness, naivete and intellect. You're a walking contradiction but I can't seem to get enough of you. It took a while for me to realize that it was strange to constantly think of you or what you were up to when I'm not around. Even my co-workers can't help but notice how much I bring you up in every conversation I have with them."

Hell, just the other day I was outside helping one of my patients walk and wondered out loud what you'd be making for dinner." Chris laughed dryly, "can you believe that? Don't you see? My thoughts towards you isn't normal. Not a guy thinking about his best buddy but a guy thinking about his...his...lover."

Callie flushed at the sound of "lover" rolling from his lips. But Chris wasn't done ranting. It seemed like she had turned something on that wouldn't be shut off until it was completely satisfied.

"It's driving me fucking crazy," he continued, "why? Why would I suddenly start taking an interest in another man? What is so special about you?" Chris ran a hand down his face. "I keep thinking and thinking about it but it makes no sense, my attraction to you. I've never ever had an attraction to another man. Ever. I love women, all shapes, all sizes. Black, white, Mexican, Asian, you name it."

Chris looked at her, expression looking so tortured and confused that Callie wanted to get up and hug him, soothe his nerves and fears. But she didn't. Instead she remained where she was and stared at him, waiting for him to finish.

"Cal, buddy," Chris croaked, "I don't know what it is about you but the more time I spend with you, the more time I want to spend with you and it's not...not normal. Not for me. But I can't fight it anymore. I'm too tired of fighting it, these feelings I have for you. I brought you here on this date because...because I give up. I give in. I wanna see where these feelings will take me. Take us."

"But I'm fat," she mumbled pathetically. "And I'm not beautiful and I-"

"Stop." Chris held up a hand. "Cal, did you not listen to a word I've said? Did it sound like your appearance was all I cared about? Sure, you're on the heavy side but you're working on that and you're succeeding. Look at all the weight you've lost so far! But even if you stay the way you are now, I wouldn't give a damn. Ever heard the saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Cal, if I can get over the fact that you're a guy and be attracted to you, then what makes you think that your appearance will put me off?"

Callie's mouth went dry at the desperate, passionate look in his blue eyes. His eyes were piercing right through her and god help her...she never wanted him to look away from her again. Never wanted to see him look at another woman the way he was looking at her now. She could learn to live on that look alone because through his eyes, she was the only thing he could see.

Moistening her lips, Callie was the first to look away because his gaze was just too intense. She stared at her hands on her lap, pulse racing, body on fire. She had looked away but she was all too aware of his hot gaze on her. Finally, she looked up from her lowered lashes.

"Chris," she began, "I-"

"Ready to take your order?" The dark haired waitress was back, smiling down at Chris. Chris ignored her, still staring at Callie but he did say, "we're leaving."

"What?" The waitress blinked, dumbfounded.

"We're leaving," Chris repeated and stood. He grabbed Callie's hand and tugged until she had no choice but to stand with him.

"B-but sir," the waitress protested weakly as they brushed past her. "Sir!"

"Where are we going?" Callie asked as soon as they reached the outside. She could feel many curious eyes following their movements.

"You have the keys to the roof of our apartment building?"

"Yes." As the owner of the building, she did.

"Good, then I don't have to pick the lock."

Eyes widening, Callie followed him to his car. Fifteen minutes later they were back at their apartment with Chris hurriedly leading them to the stairs that led to the apartment roof. "Open it," he said, nodding to the door.

Getting in front of him, Callie fished out the keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. Silently, they both went through and the breathtaking view of the twinkling lights of the city greeted them. Inhaling the fresh hair, Callie walked on the flat surface of the roof and stopped by the railed edge and stared at the twinkling lights of her neighborhood and beyond.

"I come up here when the nightmares wake me," Chris said from behind her. "To clear my head."

Callie glanced behind her. "Nightmares?"

"Of the war."

"Oh."

"It's beautiful right?" Chris stood beside her.

"Yes." She looked thoughtfully at him. "Chris...you still get nightmares of the war? It's been years."

Chris didn't meet her eyes. "It's not as bad as before. When I had come back, the nightmares were frequent but it stopped as the months past by. Still, sometimes it would creep up on me." He glanced at her with a small smile. "Since I met you, the nightmares stopped."

Killer line
, Callie thought, all but melting at his words.
Tell him the truth, Callie. Tell him now. He deserves it.