Page 20 of Nothing But the Truth

But maybe she should just go down with the ship, since it was surely sinking anyway.

Annie turned for the door with a click-clack on the marble floor. She stopped and looked back. “Thanks, Lucy.”

When she left, Lucy sighed and pulled her phone from her pocket. A major perk of her sundress: pockets burrowed in the skirt to squirrel away necessities. None of that shoving-her-phone-between-her-boobs-while-she-peed nonsense. She dialed Nina’s number because she needed an outside party’s perspective. She’d hash it out with Oliver, of course, but she wanted to talk to someone who didn’t witness the scene.

“You okay?” Nina immediately answered, and Lucy was thankful. Trying to reach Nina at work during the day was always a gamble.

Lucy heard hospital sounds in the background: squeaking shoes, an intercom paging Dr. Someone, Nina chewing a granola bar, likely between patients.

“Well, I probably just lost my job, but I don’t have another bloody nose or anything.”

“What? Lost your job? What happened?”

Lucy sighed and turned around to lean on the sink. “Something very strange has happened to me, Nina, and I figured out what’s going on. It’s totally nuts, but I swear, it’s real.”

A pause while she chewed. “I’m listening.”

“I can’t lie.”

“Okay, then tell me the truth.”

“No, that’s it. That’s what’s going on: I can’t lie.”

“I’m lost.”

Lucy knew Nina would struggle with the logic, mainly because there was none to be had, and Nina’s brain thrived on rational things like equations and common sense.

“Look, ever since I woke up this morning, I’ve been unable to be dishonest about anything.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Yes! Well, in some aspects, I guess not, but for the most part, yes.”

Another pause. “Does the most part have to do with you losing your job?”

Lucy studied her face in the mirror. Her complexion actually looked fresh and supple. Sure, her eyes were smaller without the drama of flared lashes and liner, but with her pink lips and the rosy glow of natural skin, she looked more like a relaxed day at the beach than the wearied hag she expected.

She sighed. “Yes. I just had a meeting with Jonathan, and he asked me how committed I am to getting my promotion and touched my knee.”

“Gross.”

“Yeah. And then I basically told him he sucks and I hate him.”

“Again, that’s a bad thing?”

Lucy grumbled. “Ugh, Nina. He’s my boss. I don’t know how things work in the medical field, but in publicity, it’s generally not a good idea to threaten your superiors.”

“Yeah, but, Lucy, he does suck. You’ve been putting up with shit from him for years. Maybe what you did was a good thing.”

“I doubt it.”

“Are you still having lunch with Lily?”

“As far as I know, though I haven’t been back to my desk yet to check for you’re fired emails. I came straight from Jonathan’s office to the bathroom to cry like a true pillar of feminist bravada.”

“You’re too hard on yourself. That guy’s a dick, and he totally deserved whatever you said to him.”

Lucy let the reassurance of a best friend’s unconditional support warmly fizz in her heart. It was the exact reason she’d called Nina, whether she was aware of it or not.