Page 66 of The Wrong Date Deal

Piper stared at her. “And you just… thought that the whole time?”

“Obviously.”

“Why wouldn’t you say something?” Piper winced at how high her voice came out.

“Because I didn’t think I needed to. How could you possiblynotknow that?”

Piper flailed her arms helplessly. “It wasn’t romantic chemistry.”

“Sure it wasn’t.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Piper. You’ve been on more than enough dates to know that chemistry is not easy to come by. You meet her and it’s immediately like sparks flying? How was that ever not going to be sexual chemistry?”

“Friendship chemistry is a thing,” she insisted desperately.

“Agreed. We have it in spades. Have you ever, once in your life, flirted with me like you do with August?”

“I don’t flirt with her…”

Shea laughed. “You so do. And she flirts with you.”

“You haven’t even met her.”

“Met you, though. And heard enough about her from you.” She looked over her glasses at Piper. “Have youeverspoken to me like that?”

“Well… no.”

“Exactly. Because we have platonic chemistry. Believe me, if there was anything remotely sexual between us, I’d have addressed it long ago.”

Piper laughed, honestly a little flattered but also glad there wasn’t that tension between the two of them. She loved Shea too much as a friend. The idea of them doing anything more than that felt oddly incestuous.

And wasn’t that the point?

Not once had anything with August felt like that. Sure, there was the obvious flirting and dancing and tension they’d had tonight, but there hadn’t been one conversation, one single moment where she’d felt like the idea of being with August was uncomfortable.

“Ah,” Shea said, grinning widely. “The penny just dropped, huh?”

Piper scowled. “I’d be annoyed with you, but I guess I chose to come here.”

She laughed. “You did. And this is why. Because I’m not going to bullshit you when you’re clearly into the woman and she’s into you. You know, though, I am curious what prompted tonight’s visit specifically?”

“The fact that I didn’t know you were in the middle of having sex.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be having more sex when you leave.”

“So glad to know that,” Piper deadpanned.

Shea laughed. “You’re only jealous because you’re not having sex tonight.”

“Neither of you is my type, actually.”

“Oh, I know. We’re not namedAugust.”

Piper frowned. “I’m not attracted to her name. Though, it is a nice name.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s hot as hell. Looking forward to putting a face to the name on Friday, but that wasn’t my point.”

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