Page 62 of Tell No Lies

On the way to Liv’s, I made a list of every possibility I could think of. Asking them would only lead to teasing, so I didn’t know how close I was, but I figured I could cross off parasailing, a bay cruise, and basically anything to do with the ocean, since the marine layer was already setting in like a blanket.

After we picked up Liv, and Mike confirmed their reservation for the mystery place, we finally pulled up in front of a shabby restaurant right off the Pacific Coast Highway. I knew the place only by its reputation. It had the best seafood in the area and rarely worked to maintain its run-down exterior in order to fend off tourists. A person driving by would likely overlook it, saving it for the locals to enjoy.

Mike jumped out once we parked and ran around to open my door. When I stepped out and looked through the window to Liv, I laughed at her expression. She looked completely horrified. Apparently, she hadn’t been let in on the secret.

Brandon pushed me aside and opened her door. “Liv, come on. You know I would never take you anywhere I didn’t love.”

Her wide eyes settled on him, and a single brow rose. “You have got to be kidding me! This place looks like it hasn’t passed a health inspection in decades!”

Mike grabbed my hand and pulled me with him toward the entrance. I could hear Brandon trying again to reassure her he wasn’t trying to kill her.

We checked in with the hostess and stepped back to wait for Brandon and Liv. Just as she called our name, they walked in. Liv was searching every inch of the restaurant skeptically, and Brandon looked overly pleased with himself. Liv was not the type to be talked into something, so the only reason she was in here was because she’d decided to take the risk.

Moments after we sat down at a plastic-covered table, a waiter wearing a T-shirt and stained jeans came by to take our drink order. Liv was sitting in her chair pin-straight to avoid touching as much as possible. Her face didn’t hide her disgust at the décor or table settings. There were four bibs waiting for us.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She repeated her disbelief.

My hand shot up to cover my giggling, and Mike couldn’t contain his smile.

Brandon shook his head in defeat. “I swear, Liv. This is the absolute best seafood I’ve ever had in my life. Please, please just trust me!”

Liv’s eyes locked on mine. She was silently asking my opinion.

“I’ve heard from tons of people at school that this place is so good they have to disguise it to keep the tourists out.”

“You’re joking.”

Mike nodded in agreement. “Yeah, my family has been coming here for years. The owner wanted to keep it as local as possible, so it’s all by word of mouth now.”

Slowly, her body began to relax, and her back hit the chair. “That’s actually really smart.”

“I told you!” Brandon was looking among the three of us as if he was wondering how he’d missed the boat.

“No. You didn’t. You never explained why it looked like this, or why our waiter looks like he hasn’t bathed in weeks. I get it now.”

Mike began chuckling. “Actually, that’s just how Adam always looks. He thinks the ocean is the same as a shower.”

Liv groaned while raising the menu to cover her face.

Brandon watched her then turned and caught my eye. Drama queen, he mouthed, and her arm shot up and slapped him in the arm. He yelped in surprise.

“I know you well enough, Brandon, to know you just made fun of me.” The menu never lowered. This woman was a ninja.

Mike and I shared a look before bursting out laughing. Brandon shot us each a glare while rubbing his arm.

“Now who’s being a drama queen?”

Brandon jerked, and Mike yelled out. “What was that for?” He looked a mix between mad and containing his laughter.

My quiet chuckles exploded, causing Liv to finally drop her menu. With a look at the three of us, she swatted Brandon with the folded menu. “What did you do to the children? We’re supposed to be their chaperones, not get them kicked out of the restaurant.” She looked around at the other tables with an overly apologetic expression.

I followed her motion and realized we had the attention of every person in the surrounding area. Using one hand to cover my mouth and, hopefully, my laughter, I used the other to wave apologetically to the guests.

“You are a menace!” Liv whisper-yelled at Brandon.

He looked truly remorseful for about half a second, before pointing a finger across the table. “She started it!”

I gaped in shock. Did he really just try to pull that? Was he three?