Sweet Little Lies Read Online Free PDF Page B

best friend; the next day everybody’s talking about him. The power of publicity, right?
    As for Jesse…well, it’s been less than a week since the story broke, but during that short time our Jesse’s been busy. He’s been spotted at Crown Bar with some blonde, then Les Deux with another girl.
    I guess someone’s trying really hard to prove that he’s over Jane.”
    “Interesting,” Madison said, although really, it wasn’t interesting at all. Who cared about Braden or Jesse? She wanted to get the subject back to what really mattered:her. “Listen. About our deal.”
    “Deal?”
    Madison felt heat rising to her cheeks. “Yes, deal. You told me that if I got you dirt on Jane, you would put me in your magazine.”
    “Yes, yes, of course. I’ll have one of my reporters call you first thing tomorrow. Oh, except…it’s Christmas, right? Maybe the day after.” Veronica cocked her head. “Funny, isn’t it?”
    “What?”
    “That you, Madison Parker, are spending Christmas Eve plotting against one of your best and, as I understand,only friends.”
    Madison glared. “She’snot one of my best friends. I have other friends. Lots of them. Besides, Christmas Eve isn’t over yet. I have plans.”
    “Of course you do.” Veronica picked up her scotch and took a sip, never breaking eye contact with Madison.
    Madison looked away, wanting so badly to say what she was thinking, which was that it didn’t seem like Veronica had any warm, fuzzy Christmas Eve plans, either. But Madison knew better than to bite the hand she was hoping would feed her.

    “Bitch,” Madison murmured.
    “What?” Derek rolled over from his side of the bed and gazed at her, confused.
    Madison shook her head. “Nothing. Sorry. I was just thinking about this woman I had a drink with tonight.”
    “Oh,” he said, glancing at the clock on her nightstand. “Damn. I’ve gotta go. It’s almost midnight, and…” His voice trailed off.
    “Don’t worry about it. Go, go.”
    Derek stood up, picked up a dove gray Zegna dress shirt from the floor, and shrugged it on. “Hey, I left your Christmas present under your tree.”

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    Madison grinned. “You did? Am I gonna love it?”
    “You’re gonna love it. Oh, and I mailed in yourother Christmas present this morning. January rent.”
    “Awesome. Thanks, sweetie.”
    “No, I’m the one who should thankyou. ” He leaned over, cradled her face in his hands, and kissed her.
    Madison kissed him back, as always managing to (almost) ignore the cold touch of his platinum wedding band against her skin.
    5
    CHRISTMAS EVE WITH THE HARPS
    “Could you pass the smoked trout, darling?” Scarlett’s father said to her mother.
    “Yes, of course, sweetheart. Scarlett, would you like another oyster with mignonette sauce?”
    “Umm…sure.”
    Silence followed, filled with only the clinking of silverware against dishes. Scarlett glanced over her shoulder at Dana, who was making a frantic rolling motion with her hands, which Scarlett translated to mean,Please keep the conversation going, already . Any second now, she would be sending Scarlett another text: CD U TALK ABOUT CHRISTMASES FROM YR CHILDHOOD? ANY FUNNY
    STORIES? WHAT ABOUT THE BEST AND WORST PRESENTS U EVER GOT? WHAT
    ABOUT…
    “So…skiing was awesome today, wasn’t it?” Scarlett managed as she slurped down another oyster without grimacing. (Why did they have to have the consistency of snot?) She would normally ignore Dana’s TMs, but she didn’t want to come across as being even more awkward and conversationally challenged than her parents.
    “Yes, excellent,” her father agreed.
    “A little crowded for my taste,” her mother said.
    More silence. Scarlett stared at the hideous all-white centerpiece (tall white candles, twinkling white lights, and a pair of fake white kissing doves nestled in a bed of white leaves and berries) and tried to think of something