Filed to story: Once Upon a One Night Mistake Book PDF Free by Simone Shirazi
He smiled as he stared down at her, unbelievably relieved to have something so normal in his life. “No, still here,” he said, dipping his head to brush his lips against hers. She’d get the whole story soon enough.
“Where did you run off to for so long? Michael brought back drinks in under a minute. Twice.”
He’d been hoping to put that topic off, not wanting to think about it again tonight. He just wanted to enjoy the party and the time with her. Maybe that was still possible. “We can talk about it tomorrow.”
Her brow lifted. “Sounds serious.”
You have no idea.
35
Two Truths and a Lie
Taliana was convinced she’d become a zombie overnight. Well, either that or she was hungover, but she was leaning more toward the former, only because it sounded cooler.
The clock on the bedside table read seven thirty-nine when she glanced over, eyes slowly adjusting to the sun streaming in through the blinds. It wasn’t until the red numbers morphed into seven-forty that she realized it was Monday morning, and school started in exactly twenty minutes.
That sent her into panic mode.
She stumbled to the bathroom and quickly freshened up before rushing into her closet. It took a pitiful five minutes to pull on her uniform and another five to find a pair of tights to ward off the March chill. She was in the middle of trying to zip her skirt when her phone rang, Sebastian’s name appearing on the screen.
“If you’re calling to see why I’m not outside yet, it’s because I just woke up,” Taliana said as she answered, managing to balance the device between her ear and shoulder as she tugged the zipper into place. “Give me two minutes and I’ll be there.”
“Good morning to you too,” Sebastian laughed. “But I’m not outside. Something came up and I can’t drive you to school today, so I sent Michael instead.”
“That’s fine,” she replied. “And you know, I could’ve driven myself.”
“Since when do you drive?”
“Screw you, I have my license. I just didn’t have my car shipped here when I first moved.” Taliana bent to grab a pair of black flats from underneath her bed. “See you in class, then?”
“I probably won’t be there until lunch, but I’ll explain everything then, I promise.”
“Okay, fine, cool,” she mumbled distractedly, slipping on her shoes and grabbing her backpack before rushing into the hall and down the stairs. “Talk to you then.”
Sebastian probably had more to say, but Taliana hung up before he could utter another word, throwing open the front door. She dwell on what he’d said, mainly because her gaze had just landed on Michael, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of her house and staring slack-jawed at the car in the driveway. His eyes snapped to Taliana a moment later, but his expression didn’t change.
“What the hell is this?”
Had she not been stressed that they were about to be late for school, she would’ve laughed at his blatant disbelief. Instead, she offered a weak shrug, barely sparing a glance in the direction of the Lamborghini parked a few feet away.
“My new car,” she said simply, moving in the direction of his Ferrari. Jesus, there were too many disgustingly expensive cars on this street. “Well, not exactly new, since my mother had it first.”
Michael’s wide, hazel eyes darted between her and the Lambo. “And she just gave it to you?”
“You didn’t think I was going to do all those shoots for free, did you?” Taliana asked, shooting him a dry look. “Please. This was the bribe.”
Admiration filtered through the disbelief. “You scheming little hussy! I knew there was a reason we kept you around.” Michael shot her a wink before turning back to the car. “Do you think I could take it for a test drive? I’ve never driven a Lamborghini before.”
“If by ‘test drive’ you mean ‘drive me to school,'” she corrected, tossing him the keys. “Just don’t wreck it, please.”
“Never,” he swore, but the glint in his eyes made Taliana doubtful. She sincerely hoped this wasn’t as terrible an idea as it seemed. “You wanna race later, sugartits? Maybe see who has the better car?”
Yeah, and maybe die in the process? “I’ll pass, thanks.”
“Spoilsport.”
Rolling her eyes, Taliana slid into the car and slammed the door before he could offer to shut it for her. A few seconds later he was seated beside her, brimming with excitement.
“All right,” he murmured, running his hands over the steering wheel. “Let’s see what you can do, baby.”
Taliana said a silent prayer as she put on her seatbelt, tightening it as much as she could stand. She offered up another plea to the heavens when he started the engine.
To his credit, the ride wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined it would be. Yes, he tested the car’s zero-to-sixty capabilities one too many times, almost running down an old woman in the process; and, yes, he took a handful of corners a little too tightly for Taliana’s liking, but other than that, it wasn’t so bad.
“That was fun,” Michael practically gushed once they were parked in front of the school. “I’m almost excited to drive you home later.”
“No way,” she said quickly, climbing out of the car. She wasn’t eager to spend more time than was absolutely necessary with him in there. “I don’t have a death wish. Give me my keys back.”
“You’re no fun,” he complained as he joined her on the sidewalk, pressing the keys into her palm. “Seriously, why don’t we-
Oh sweet baby Jesus . Brace yourself, sugartits, here comes trouble.”
The sudden shift in conversation left Taliana momentarily confused, but when she turned and followed his gaze, it made sense.
“What the hell,” she murmured, watching carefully as Zak Huntington made his way through the crowd. “Why is he here? Please don’t tell me Trinity decided to take him back.”
“Definitely not,” Michael assured her as he edged closer. “I even heard rumors that Blair told him to back off of you, but I can’t imagine her doing anything that nice.”
“Me either, but I also can’t believe he would give up just with a word from her.”
“Sugartits, you’d have to be crazy not to listen to Blair,” Michael laughed, reaching out to pinch her cheek before he took a step back. “I’m out of here. I’ll see you in class.”
Taliana looked up at him, frowning. “What, you’re leaving me?”
“I’m sure you can handle it.” He spared a glance in Zak’s direction, a smirk edging its way onto his face. “You’re a big girl.”