His Betrayal Her Lies by Angel de'Amor

straight home and planted herself on the love seat, spending
hours on her iPad researching the industry moguls who might be at
tonight’s event. She needed to make the most of this networking
opportunity.
    Fortunately, she hadn’t had to worry about
what to wear. A week before, she was in Neiman Marcus when she fell
in love with a flowing brown Donna Karan gown covered with
rhinestones and pearl beads across the front. It hung low in the
back and an inch off the floor in the front. The sweetheart
neckline molded to her full breasts, but the waist needed to be
taken in just a bit to make it perfect.
    Thankfully, she had taken it to Mr. Chow for
alterations the day she bought it. It was going to be just right
for tonight’s affair. After work she had dashed into the small
brown brick building located on Palm Avenue and approached the
short man behind the counter. “Hey, Mr. Chow. I’m coming to get
that sequined dress I dropped off last week.”
    In his Korean accent he spoke, “Hello,
Taylor. I got that dress especially ready for you.” He disappeared
behind the curtain and came back with it. “For your many years of
service, I’m going to give this to you on the house.”
    “You’re the best, Mr. Chow. Thanks a
million.”
    He raised the dress high enough to clear the
counter, then gingerly laid it across her two outstretched
arms.
    “Somebody up there must like me,” she mused
as she opened the door and the cowbell above it clanged
noisily.
    Two feet away from her BMW, she stopped dead
in her tracks. The back windshield had been busted out. Damn!
Who the fuck busted my car window? Taylor looked up and down
the street to see if she saw some kid who might have done it or
someone who might have seen what happened. The trunk served as a
table to hold her gown while she reached for her Blackberry to call
Ari. He picked up on the first ring.
    “Hey, baby. You called to let me hear that
sexy voice of yours while I’m out of town?”
    “Ari, someone just busted my car window—I
mean, they busted it all the way out—while I was in the
cleaners.”
    “Say what?”
    “Yeah, you heard me.” She hit the remote and
opened the passenger door, leaning in to examine the damage. “The
glass from my back windshield is all over the back seat of my car.
And I have the magazine conference tonight.” Preoccupied, she
almost caught her finger in the door as she closed it. “Shit,” she
shrieked. “Who the hell would want to bust out my car
window, Ari?” She had her suspicions but she couldn’t be sure.
    It sounded like he dropped his phone. A
second later his voice was in her ear. “I don’t know, baby.
Just … just settle down.”
    “Ari, how am I going to settle down when the
conference starts in three hours? And I still have to get home and
get dressed, plus find a way to get to the conference.”
    “Well, we can’t leave the car in the parking
lot like that, babe. Okay, wait a minute. Let me think.” The line
went silent, then he blurted out, “I’ve got it. I’ll call AAA and
get the car towed to Safelite. It won’t take the tow truck long to
get to you ’cause I’ll call Sonny. He owes me a favor.”
    “Who’s that?”
    “You know Sonny,” he answered.
    “Right, but I mean who is Safelite?” She
paced around the car.
    “The people who do emergency repairs on car
windows and windshields.”
    “Oh, them. Okay.”
    “I can call the insurance company and line up
a rental for you to pick up.”
    Taylor didn’t have time to wait on a rental.
“I need to be headed home quicker than that. I’ll just call Libby
to pick me up.” She wiped her hand down her face as she thought
about the next problem. “But then, I will still need a ride to the
convention.”
    “Don’t sweat it, babe. I’ll send a limo to
pick you up at home. What time?”
    “Uh, 6:30 on the dot.”
    “Okay, I’m on it.”
    She gave a quick I love you, ended the call,
and dialed Libby’s number.
    Libby came pulling up an hour