To Tells

A sideways glance. A small cough. Fingers drumming on the table. Joke telling. Silence. 

 

Everyone has one.

We lie.

Could be a poker game. Could be a late night out. Maybe we’re in a meeting and we suddenly remember we were supposed to contact the head of another department for some numbers and we didn’t. We feel the collar against the back of our neck. Our hands warm. Our mouth is a little dry. We stutter.

We tell lies all day. Some are so easy, they feel like the truth. I’ll get right on that. I didn’t see your email. You didn’t hurt my feelings. No, no, you’re fine. I love cupcakes. You have a good point there. I never thought of that before.

But then there are the real lies. The lies we never dreamed. The lies we find as frantically dig deeper into our memories for something to pull us out of whatever nightmare we’ve just found ourselves in.

It was a mistake.

I didn’t mean it.

That wasn’t me.

I never meant to hurt you.

Cough.

No, I won’t. I promise I would never. I could never.

That small tell. That little giveaway. We pray they don’t see it.

We hope they do.