Page 100 of The Wrong Date Deal

“I didn’t tell you anything but you still thought it was acceptable to talk about me having sex with Piper.”

“Hey, phone sex is hot, and she was the one being loud.”

“I beg you, stop talking about her like that.”

Shea cackled. “You’re so protective. She’ll like that.”

August closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “Do you sleep with men?” she asked.

“Oh, I sleep with anyone, babe.”

“I’m not hitting on you.”

“I know. You’re happily taken.”

August shook that comment off, even though her stomach tightened excitedly at the prospect. “I’m praying it’s not one of Piper’s parents.”

“It is not.”

“Which leaves Hermes or Massima.”

She hummed. “It does, doesn’t it? Or, to look at it another way, HermesandMassima.”

“Have you slept with them both?”

Shea held her gaze for a moment before she burst out laughing. “I have not.”

It could have been either of them. There were reasons it could have been neither of them, but here they were. August was more curious than she should have been. Maybe that was just the way people were.

“Should I worry that Ford’s next on your list?” she asked with a laugh.

Shea shot her a look. “If I sleep with your brother, do you want to know about it?”

“Ugh. No. Not even a little bit.”

Shea laughed freely. “Well, you’ll be delighted to know he’s not really my type, but I am a deeply open person, so, you never know.”

“Fantastic.” She shuddered. “If you do sleep with him, please refrain from telling him anything about my love life.”

“I’m pretty sure he already knows about your love life. You’re clearly into Piper.”

August sucked a slow breath in through her nostrils. “Fine. My sex life. Do not talk to mybrotherabout my sex life.”

Shea grinned. “Your secret’s safe with me. But I will be thinking about it when I get off later.”

“Oh, my god.”

Shea laughed again and wandered back towards her spot on the cabinet. “Just kidding.”

August shuddered and tuned back into the discussion of what needed to happen today and who was being assigned which job. If she focused on that, maybe she’d forget the ridiculous conversation with Shea. She knew Shea was mostly just messing with her, but it was a fact that Massima had heard her and Piper having sex last night. And that she’d told the others about it.

August couldn’t quite bring herself to be annoyed about that. She’d never had friends who were so open about such topics, and it might take a little getting used to, but she liked having friends. She liked friends who were open and welcoming, and who treated her like she was already one of them.

They finished getting their assigned tasks and everyone was sent to work.

So many people for one man and one room had seemed like a lot at first, but, the day wore on quickly as they moved furniture and belongings, built a desk and a bookcase, and did some minor redecorating, and August was glad so many of them had shown up—for the physical labor, but also, she found, because it was great having people who cared. It was nice watching Ford have a set of parents fuss over him. It made her realize just how cold their own parents had been, how much more Ford had deserved, and how you were never too old to have people love you out loud like that.

It wasn’t difficult to see why Piper was such a warm person. She’d been raised by two of the best.

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