Page 64 of The Wrong Date Deal

Ford laughed. “And, hey, you joined that app because Meilíng had luck on her first date. Maybe you did too. You just didn’t realize it until now.”

“I realized it, I just didn’t think it was likethat.”

He grinned. “So, you admit you like her?”

“Jesus Christ, Ford, can we not?”

“You like her,” he teased, laughing. “You like hersomuch.”

“I’m starting to not like you.”

“Sure, sure. We’ll pretend I believe that.”

“Pretend what you want. I know the truth.”

“That you like Piper.”

August groaned.

Ford was an annoying little brother sometimes, but, honestly, could she say he was wrong about this?

Not at all.

Chapter Fifteen

Piper hurried to slip through the front entrance of the sleek, glass apartment building before it locked behind somebody who had just left. It wasn’t until she arrived at a wooden door, brass numbers glinting in the hall lights, that she fully realized where she’d brought herself.

She knocked hurriedly and was unsurprised when Shea eventually opened the door wrapped in a brightly decorated satin robe.

“Good evening, Piper,” Shea said, slightly amused. “What can I do for you at this late hour?”

Piper didn’t answer immediately, but she did stride into the apartment and flop down on the bright orange armchair when Shea stood aside and gestured her in.

“Ah,” Shea sighed, stifling a smirk and twisting herself up onto the adjacent couch. “August.”

Piper blinked at her. “What?”

“The reason you’re here: August.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

Shea laughed. “Because this isn’t the first time we’ve ever met?”

Piper rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

“Oh, seriously? Seriously, yes. You’re hung up on her, you’re slightly furious but not in a way that suggests something bad happened to you, and you’ve shown upherelate at night. The easier option would have been going home, but you’re not yet ready to have this conversation with Massima, which means you know she’s going to be insufferably happy for you.”

Piper’s lips puckered. “And yet, maybe that would have been easier than this.”

Shea laughed. “Nah. You know I’m going to give it to you straight and let you process what you need to so that you’re ready to face Massima’s joy and Hermes’... fear? Stress? Whatever it is he feels when he’s worried about losing you.”

“You know, there are people charging a fortune as mediums who do a worse job at this than you do.”

“And there are plenty that are better. It’s easy to be good when the person you’re reading is one of your best friends.” She paused. “So. August. You want to jump her bones, right?”

Piper spluttered. “Shea!”

“What? Like I’m wrong?”

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