Page 103 of Perfect (mis)Match

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VINCENT

“Idon’t know why he suggested a hotel restaurant for lunch,” I said to Piper as we strolled into the Mandarin Oriental. “Something’s up.”

“Like what?” she asked as she tripped along beside me, holding my hand tightly. “Wanting to try something different is bad?”

I frowned at her. “Not at all, it just isn’t the sort of thing he’d normally do. He has his favorite spots around the city, and he sticks to them. This is unusual.”

I felt uneasy as I tried to guess what his reason might be. Did my father want a neutral space for delivering his latest bombshell? He’d been more grounded than usual since the bike messenger accident, both physically and emotionally, but I still didn’t trust that his adrenaline junkie days were over.

We threaded through the crowds of tourists and travelers in the lobby to the elevators, where we mercifully managed to catch one with just the two of us. I pulled Piper into my arms once the doors closed.

“Did I mention that you look beautiful?”

Her pretty mouth twisted as she looked up at me. “Hmm, not sure. Maybe you should say it again?”

“Well, first there’s that dress,” I began. “I thought my favorite from your latest shopping haul was the flowery one, but this one isreallyworking for me.” I slid my fingertip in behind the silk draped across her breasts.

“Mmm,” she sighed as I brushed against the lace of her bra, then dipped below it. “Don’t do that. I can’t hang out with your father while I’m horny.”

I laughed and pulled my hand away. “You’re right. Down, boy.”

I smoothed my hand across the front of my bulging pants.

The elevator chimed, and I was thankful when we walked out into a deserted anteroom. By the time a hostess came out, we were both presentable again.

She led us to where my dad was already seated at a marquee table for four overlooking Central Park. He was in a blazer, dressier than normal for a casual lunch.

“There they are,” he beamed. “What a beautiful couple!”

He pulled me into a back slapping hug, then gave Piper an equally long one, like he hadn’t seen either of us in months even though we’d met for yoga the week before.

“Sit, sit,” he said, pulling out a chair for Piper next to him. “Vincent, you sit there.”

He pointed to the chair across from Piper.Whywas he arranging a seating chart for a simple lunch?

I sat down, eyeing him. He seemed jittery. Yeah, something was definitely going on. My heart sank as I braced myself for what I was now certain was about to come.

He’d met someone.

“What’s happening?” I asked him. “Who’s joining us?”

He gave me an impish smile. “Who said someone’s coming?”

The waitress arrived to take our drink orders, which shifted his attention away from the question. But I knew I was right, and I felt preemptively angry that he was rushing into romance yet again.

“Tell us what you’ve been up to,” Piper said. “I feel like you pack a million adventures into every single day.”

He chuckled. “I’ve been getting intobirdingof all things. It’s fascinating! Did you know that Manhattan has a vibrant and active birding community? We meet right in Central Park.” He pointed out the window to the park thirty floors below us.

“And what does that involve?” I asked, not hiding the skepticism in my voice. “Are you climbing trees? Piloting bird-watching helicopters?”

“Would you stop?” he chastised me gently. “You’ll be happy to hear I’m keeping my feet on the ground and only my eyes on the skies. I bought phenomenal binoculars. And I downloaded a bird song app so I can identify them by sound alone. I’m getting quite good at it.”

“What a wonderful hobby,” Piper beamed at him. “Maybe I’ll come sometime?”

He placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. “I’d love that.”

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