Page 79 of Is It Casual Now?

“Can we go now?”

“Soon baby.” Siena laughed and ruffled Harley’s hair. “Let’s get you cleaned up. And I better change as well.”

“Why is it just Aunt Piper and not Aunt Bunny?” Harley asked as she pointed out the dress she wanted to wear at the park. Siena had to think hard about how many times Harley had actually been with only one of them and not both of them, and she had to admit, it was rare. Bunny and Piper were always together.

Siena didn’t enjoy lying. Not even when she walked the fine line between bending and crossing the truth at work, she never enjoyed it. And the idea of lying to her daughter made her stomach churn. “I think Piper wants to keep it a secret.”

“Secrets are bad, Mommy.”

“Not a secret, sorry baby. Piper wants to keep it a surprise.”

Harley pursed her lips as she thought, but she must have understood the difference this time. “Did you get Aunt Piper the deal for these pictures?”

“You know about the deals I get my clients?” Siena hadn’t realized just how much Harley was paying attention to what she did.

“Nah!” Harley shook her head and sat on the floor of her room, focused intently on scrunching up the sides of her sock with her one good hand to make it easier to put on. “I justknow you help Aunties with them sometimes. That’s right, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, baby. You’re right. And so clever.”

“Okay, you need to get changed, and I need to put on my socks.” Harley looked at Siena until their eyes met. She gave one sharp nod, and then returned all her attention on getting her socks into line, and hopefully on her feet.

Siena wanted to stand at the threshold of Harley’s room and simply watch her. But Harley had been correct. Siena did need to go get dressed. She also needed to figure out if what she planned to do was going to be worth the fallout if she made the wrong choice.

Once she’d put on some going-out clothes, Siena sat down on the end of her bed. Memories of being fucked to within an inch of her life threatened to steal her focus. And for just a moment or two, she let herself indulge in them.

But Harley wouldn’t be much longer before she came in search of Siena and wondered why they weren’t leaving yet. Before she could talk herself out of it. Again. Siena grabbed up her phone and dialed the number.

“Siena. Hi.” Jamie sounded distracted on the other end of the line.

“Hey, did I call at a bad time?”

“Nope, not at all. You just got me out of some more confetti making for Jessie. Please, by all means talk away.”

“Right.” Siena chuckled. She wondered at which of the upcoming Christmas events at the school she would find herself covered in said confetti. “I was wondering if you’d be interested in a different sort of article to write.”

“What kind of article?” Jamie had a way of saying so much, even when she said so little. The hint of hesitation Siena heard couldn’t hide any of the curiosity and excitement that seeped through the phone.

“It’s a fake piece. That’s the first thing you need to know.And it’s not going to be published immediately. It might not need to be published at all.”

“What on earth are you scheming?”

Siena laughed. She really enjoyed how much she did that when Jamie was around. It seemed more natural than ever before. “It wasn’t my idea. I’m simply helping my client make it happen, which is perhaps what I thought you might be interested in.”

“Which client?”

“Piper,” Siena replied. Was it crazy that while Jamie’s excitement remained, there also seemed to be a hesitation, a distance she hadn’t anticipated?

“Right. So what would you like me to do in relation to this fake news?” Jamie asked, and Siena couldn’t pretend anymore that it was just her paranoia. Everything about Jamie seemed strange tonight.

“Are you okay?” Siena wanted to smack herself in the forehead as the words slipped out as they entered her mind. There had been no process between thought and tongue.

“Absolutely,” Jamie replied in the voice that told Siena that something was definitely not okay. “What do you need in a professional manner from me?”

“Profession…” Siena’s heart seized in her chest. They had talked. Well, she had talked. She had ended on such a high after her night with Jamie she hadn’t checked. She hadn’t made sure without a doubt that they were on the same page.

She was fucking it all up again.

But this time, she wanted the person and not just the idea of what they could offer her.

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