Page 47 of The Wrong Date Deal

“Yeah, right,” she said, laughing. “I do what I want.”

“I’m sure you do,” August said, shaking her head.

Piper laughed. “I’ll… see you out.” And she headed towards the door with August, shooting Massima a look on her way.

Chapter Eleven

Massima was eyeing her more than a little excitedly when Piper re-entered their apartment, having walked August most of the way back to her car.

“That was a long goodbye,” she said, grinning widely.

Piper shook her head. “I was walking her back to her car. She doesn’t live around here.”

“And that’s all it was?” She sounded genuinely disappointed.

“Yes? Why would it be anything else?”

Massima scrunched her face up momentarily. “Because you never get this attached to your dates.”

“Ah, but she wasn’t a date.”

“You met her on a date.”

“With someone else,” Piper said pointedly.

Massima rolled her eyes. “I mean, I guess, but does that really matter?”

Piper shot her a look. “A bit, yeah.”

She shook her head. “You have to admit, it does look a little… interesting. You meet her on a date, you text her all the time, and now, I find you two alone here, looking awfully comfortable on the couch together…”

“If we weren’t part of the same friendship group, I’d think you didn’t have any. People hang out. It’s not that weird.”

“Oh, my god. You know that’s different.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not attracted to my friends.”

Piper tilted her head. “And you’re suggesting August and I are attracted to each other?”

“You sure looked like you are.”

Piper sighed and flopped down onto the sofa. “I was just helping her get used to… opening lines.”

Massima failed to suppress her smile. “You were helping her practice flirting?”

“Not the way I would describe it.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s not.” She laughed. “But you do have to admit, it does sound a little… suspicious.”

“If I happened to be coaching Hermes on online dating, would you feel the same way?”

“Ha. No. As if anything would ever happen between you two.”

Piper held her hands out, palms up in confusion. “So, what’s different with August? I’m bi. On paper, I’m equally as likely to go for Hermes as I am August.”

“Absolutely not. Even putting aside the fact that he’s gay.” She laughed, clearly imagining the train wreck that would be Piper and Hermes being interested in each other romantically. “I don’t know, you just… look at her differently than you do him.”

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