Big Fat Liar Read online

  Big Fat Liar

  Book 1

  Copyright © 2015 CookieMoretti

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means such as electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  To request permission and all other inquiries from the author of this book, please contact the author at [email protected]

  Prologue

  "Callie, honey, when are you going to come down and visit us? It's been forever!"

  Callie Picket took a bite out of her strawberry filled glazed doughnut and glared at the answering machine where her mother, Annie Picket, went on and on dramatically about how she was neglecting her family.

  "Is this about Greg? Honey, we all knew he wasn't the right one for you. Don't take it so hard."

  Callie made a face. Greg? They still thought that she was hung up about Greg? For God's sake! Greg wasn't the reason why she moved out of town. Okay...maybe he was part of the reason why but it was mostly her own family who had driven her away with all their nagging about her...everything! Her looks, her weight, her job. EVERYTHING. The thing that went down with Greg was just the catalyst that she needed to make her decision to skip out of town before anyone could stop her..

  "Callie," her mother's voice went on, "Greg was too much for a sweet girl like you to handle."

  Meaning that her own mother had thought that Greg was too good for her.

  "He was too ambitious..."

  Meaning she lacked the ability and assets to help him go places. Her mother seemed to forget that it had been her wealth that Greg had been after. She was pretty sure he had planned to use it for his 'ambitious' plans.

  "...and he was far too handsome. You know handsome men like that are no good heartbreakers."

  Translation: He was wasted on you. The fat girl everyone called "Callie the Cow" behind her back since middle school. Even some of her own family members called her that.

  "Callie, just come home. There was no need for you to move out on your own. It's been three months already. We miss you."

  Callie snorted and pointed an accusing sugar covered finger at the answering machine. "You mean you miss me slaving away for you."

  All her life, as far back as she could remember, her mother and her two socialite sisters had taken advantage of her. Do this, do that! Cinderella thought she had it bad? HA! Two minutes alone with Callie's mother and sisters and Cinderella would have poured gasoline all over herself and set herself on fire.

  Callie thought of all the times she was mistreated, not physically but emotionally by her relatives. Her mother and sisters would always make snide remarks about her looks and weight, as if they thought her skin was thick enough to block all the hurt in their words.

  They were wrong of course. All their criticisms cut like a knife.

  Callie swallowed the last remains of the doughnut and washed her hands in the kitchen sink. She stared at the flowing water, feeling her own eyes begin to sting with bitter tears. All the sweetness of that doughnut couldn't drive away the bitter hurt her family had given her.

  To them she was never pretty enough nor skinny enough like her two sisters. Blonde and picture perfect Sarah with her model-like figure and pretty face. Though behind that pretty face was the cold heart of a backstabber. Callie should know.

  And then there's Hannah, petite and cute as a button with her short strawberry blonde curls. She wasn't as vicious as Sarah but she too could be quite convincing and manipulative if she wanted to. Their mother saw to that.

  Only Callie, the youngest had turned out to be a disappointment. She wasn't pretty nor was she skinny. Callie has always been "thick"...now she was just fat. To please her mother she had tried to go on diets and had almost been successful but the more her mother and sisters put pressure on her the more she had eaten until she was finally over 100 pounds overweight.

  Sniffing, Callie rubbed away her tears with the back of her chubby hand and turned off the water. Silently, she dried off her hands on the dish rag hanging on the refrigerator door and walked into her room.

  Closing the bedroom door, she faced the long mirror glued on the back of it and studied herself. The girl in the mirror stared back at her, chubby face solemn, brown eyes sad. Short dark hair framed that chubby pale face, a face that couldn't even pass for cute.

  Those sad brown eyes lowered, taking in that wide, bloated body beneath a extra extra large white shirt and extra extra large grey sweat pants. Everything that this body had to wear is extra extra large because no other size smaller would fit.

  In truth, her only best feature were her eyes. Brown eyes that weren't too dark to look black, instead they were soft chocolate brown eyes with a hint of gold. Before her father had died when she was twelve, he had used to call her his cute chocolate eyed bunny. With her father gone all these years, she's been no ones bunny...just a fat sister and daughter.

  Callie thought of her snooty step-father Richard, the bastard who had introduced her to Greg, her former fiance. When they had met almost a year ago, Greg had been so sweet, so attentive. He hadn't seem to notice what everyone else did. To him, she wasn't "that fat sister", no...she had been his princess.

  That is until she found out what he'd really been after. Her inheritance. Her sisters and mother had always begrudged her for receiving money and property from their grandmother, their fathers mother. When she died she had left Callie with a small fortune and properties all over the world. It would all belong to Callie on her 21st birthday. When her step-father found out, he had set his plans in motion, enlisting Greg to seduce her so that when they get married, he'd own half of her wealth. What they had planned to do with her money, she didn't know. All she knew was that Greg had lied to her. Used her. And he hadn't felt sorry about it.

  She had to learn his betrayal from her sister Sarah, who had overheard them talking in their step-fathers office. Sarah had been so smug when she revealed the lies, not bothering to hide her glee because she had her own eyes set on Greg and had always wondered what he had seen in her fatty sister. Now they knew.

  Callie shook her head, pushing back the memory of her confronting Greg and her step-father. Neither of them had even tried to deny it.

  "Buck up, Callie," she said to the girl in the mirror. "You're finally living on your own with no mother, step-father and sisters. Just you. You're an independent woman now. Do whatever you want to do. Your life is in your hands."

  Maybe she'll start dieting again. When her belly protested with a loud rumble, she grinned. Okay, a diet after ordering a large pepperoni pizza with extra sausage and olives.

  Humming, she opened the door and walked into her small living room, grabbing the cordless phone and speed-dialing the nearest pizza place. She should have kicked herself for having a pizza place on speed dial but she was too hungry now to care.

  After ordering the pizza, she began to tidy up her apartment just to keep herself busy until the pizza arrived. Fifteen minutes later, when she was already beginning to sweat with moving around so much, the doorbell buzzed.

  "Pizza's here!" Callie sang cheerfully. Her favorite comfort food had always been pizza and with no mother or sisters to nag at her about calories,
she could eat as many as she wanted. It wasn't healthy but damn it was good.

  Taking money out her purse, Callie practically skipped to the front door, opening it without bothering to look through the peep-hole to see who it was.

  "Wow, you got here fast this time, Manuel," she was saying as she pulled the door open, wide smile on her face. "It usually takes you long-" Callie froze.

  HOLY MAMA!!

  Eyes going round, and mouth dropping open, Callie stood rooted on the spot, unable to make any comprehensible words to come out because of the sight before her. With just a small white towel wrapped around his waist, the naked guy before her was no Manuel, the skinny pizza delivery guy who always delivered her orders to her door. No, this guy...this guy....sweet baby Jesus!

  "Hi," the sex god said with a wicked smile. "Do you mind if I use your shower? Mine just broke down on me so no water is coming out."

  Callie tried to speak but no words would come out. Instead her eyes remained fixed on his luscious mouth before traveling down to his impressive chest and abs. He must have just gotten out the shower because beads of water still clung to his sun kissed skin and his dark blonde hair was still damp.

  She watched, mesmerized, as a bead of water began to travel from his chest down to his abs...and down some more before it disappeared into the white towel around his waist.

  Callie wanted to moan at the sight of him. She wanted to lick the beads of water clinging to his skin, she wanted to dip him in chocolate and-

  "Hello?" His deep amused voice broke through to her. Callie's eyes flew up to meet his laughing blue eyes. "So...about that shower?"

  Callie blinked, envisioned him in her shower and nearly had a nosebleed. Her heart was racing so fast that she was surprised it hadn't bust out of her and started tap dancing.

  "Y-you're naked," she finally managed to squeak out and nearly groaned at how stupid she had just sounded.

  The sex god quirked a dark brow, still looking amused. "Not really. I have a towel on."

  Callie swallowed and bit her tongue to keep herself from voicing that she wished that he didn't have a towel on.

  "So do you mind?" He asked her again, placing a hand on the doorframe and leaning forward. "I really need that shower."

  Callie stared into his eyes and kept staring...and staring...and staring.

  "Please?" His deep blue eyes pleaded with her and she found herself slowly nodding as if in a trance. Right about then, if he asked her for the moon, she would have given it to him.

  "Thanks!" He flashed her a another wicked smile and brushed past her. He walked into her apartment as if he had every right to be there, dripping wet and heartbreakingly gorgeous. Callie stared at him, hardly believing that he was in her apartment, whoever he was.

  Was he a gift from God? A hunka hunka burning love sent to end her miserable lonely nights? Callie rolled her eyes heavenward and thought, Thank you, before closing the door with a soft click. She shoved the money she'd been holding in her sweat pants pocket.

  "Thanks man," he said again as he stopped in her living room, hands on hips and eyes scanning her apartment. "I knew you'd be cool about it."

  Callie remained silent, devouring the sight of him in her living room.

  "The name's Chris, by the way," he said when his eyes landed on her. "I moved in next door a couple of days ago."

  Callie blinked. Next door? Yes, that's right! The apartment next to her had been vacant for a while. She had no idea someone had moved in til now.

  "I saw you the other day from my window," Chris was saying, examining the small tea set on her glass table in the living room. He picked up a tiny white cup with floral patterns and frowned at it. "Hey, what's this?"

  "A tea cup," she answered, still staring at him. "I inherited it from my grandmother."

  "Huh." Chris looked impressed. "You must have loved her a lot to display it out like this. Seems a little girly." He put the tea cup back and straightened, a smile curving on his lips when he spotted her large plasma T.V mounted against the wall.

  "Damn," he whistled with appreciation, "nice."

  "T-thanks."

  "So where's your shower? In the bedroom?" Chris looked around, pausing to eye the flowery curtains covering her window with another frown. "You got that from your grandma too?"

  Callie nodded. "Y-yeah."

  "Huh." Chris stared at the curtains a few second longer before shrugging. "Okay. Shower's in the bedroom right?"

  Callie nodded again.

  "You have no idea how much I appreciate this, man," Chris told her, walking towards her bedroom door. "I have a date."

  Callie's heart fell. "A date?" Of course a gorgeous hunk like him would have a girlfriend. Not that a guy like him would give her any time of day unless he was like Greg and was after her money.

  "Yup." He shot her a grin and wiggled his brows. "Ashley. She's super hot and super stacked." He cupped imaginary breasts in front of him and winked. "If ya know what I mean."

  Callie's jaw dropped. She didn't know whether to find him irresistibly charming or down right rude. She watched him enter her bedroom and disappear from around the corner but he was still talking.

  "The damn water stopped running right in the middle of my shower. Then I remembered you and you seemed like a nice fellow." Chris walked out her room, holding a fluffy pink towel that had been in her bathroom.

  He gave her a funny look. "Pink?"

  "I like the color," she answered defensively. Honestly, what's up with him and judging her stuff? She's the one doing him a favor by letting him use her shower. Thank god she had tidied up earlier though, or he would have found more than just a pink towel in her bathroom.

  Like say, a couple of her pink granny panties. Callie blushed. Damn, she should have just told him no but she had let that body and those blue eyes distract her.

  Chris shrugged and walked into her room again. This time Callie followed after him, determined to tell him that she had changed her mind. She didn't even know him! He could be lying and--Callie froze and made a choking noise.

  Chris stood completely butt naked, his white towel on the floor in front of her bathroom door. His broad back was facing her, giving her a delicious eye full of his taunt butt. When he leaned forward to turn the shower on, his muscles flexed and it was all Callie could do to keep her hands to herself.

  Oh lord help her. She wanted to touch him. Just a touch, just one touch. Just one moment to grope that butt and feel it sculpted around her hand. Callie moaned. Oh lordy, lordy. Right then Callie started chanting every prayer she could remember in her mind.

  ...And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

  "Hey," Chris said, turning around with a pink bar of soap in his hand, "do you have any manlier smelling soap? Cause this smells like flowers."

  Callie squeaked and nearly passed out at the sight of his...his thing. Ohmegod, ohmegod, ohmegod. Breath Callie Breath!! Ohemegod, ohmegod, ohmegod!

  Chris frowned at her expression, noting her reddening face. "Hey, you okay, man?"

  Callie couldn't even speak, her eyes glued to his thing. She couldn't even look away from it even if she wanted to! Besides, he didn't even have the decency to turn around! He was standing proud and naked before her like it was a thing to do!

  Chris followed her gaze down to his impressive private part before looking up at her again. He squinted his eyes at her and suddenly looked suspicious. "Hey," he said, the strange sound in his voice made her eyes snap up at him. "You're not like...gay, are you?"

  Callie blinked. Gay? What the hell was he talking about!?

  "Cause ya know," he kept on saying gravely, "I don't swing that way, not that I have anything against gay men, my brother is gay. I'm just saying that I'm a ladies man, not a man's man. Know what I mean?"

  "I'm not gay!" Callie cried, still confused. What!? He thought that she was a lesbian? What on earth gave him the idea that she was...w
ait. Callie's eyes widened. What did he just say?

  I don't swing that way...I'm a ladies man, not a man's man. And before that he had said I have nothing against gay men.

  Wait...no, no way! He...he thought that she was a guy!? What!?

  Chris eyed her, as if not believing her words. "You sure?"

  Callie's mouth clamped shut and she glared at him. He had just insulted her and had no clue! He really thought that she was a...a he!

  "I'm sure," was her clip reply.

  Chris grinned. "Sorry man, had to be sure. The way you were staring at me like that all. No hard feelings right?"

  Callie smiled tightly. "Of course not."

  "Cool, cool. Well, I'll be out in a few minutes. Thanks again." He closed the door on her face.

  Still smiling, Callie turned right around and didn't stop walking until she reached her kitchen. There, she pulled a drawer open and took out a large knife.

  "I'll kill him," she said simply, examining the sharp blade. "Yup." When she caught her the reflection of her angry eyes on the knife, energy just seemed to drain from her. Sighing, she put the knife back in the drawer and closed it. She leaned her back against the counter and bowed her head.

  God...how humiliating! He thought that she was a guy! Callie groaned and covered her face with her hands. Was she that fat that he couldn't tell her gender? That was just...just...so embarrassing!

  Callie sniffed, fighting back tears. No wonder he had seemed so relaxed around her, walking around naked. He had assumed all that time that they were both males. Another male probably wouldn't mind seeing another male nearly naked...then he asked her if she was gay.

  Callie laughed. Oh god! She just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her fat white ass hole. She felt so ashamed...so mortified!

  No wonder he had thought that her tea cup and curtains and pink towel had been too girly. He didn't see her as a woman. He saw her as a really fat man. If he would have found one of her large bras he would have probably assumed that it was to support her fat man boobs.

  She should hate him for humiliating her like this, but she couldn't. It's not his fault that she was so fat that he couldn't tell that she was indeed in fact a girl, not a guy. She's always dressing in sweats and stuff so when he had seen her from his window the other day, he must have just assumed she was a guy. There was really nothing feminine about her to give her gender away.