Page 71 of The Wrong Date Deal

Well, at least she could now identify Piper without throwing a drink all over her.

August gestured Ford in the direction of the table and her pulse raced as she walked over.

She tried to look around the table at everyone gathered there, but her eyes pulled back to Piper, smiling sweetly at her.

“Hello,” August said, mostly to Piper, when they made it over.

Piper smiled wider. “Everyone, this is August and her brother, Ford.”

They went around the table doing introductions, but August’s own introductory conversation with Shea was interrupted when Hermes’ first question to Ford was whether he was straight.

Ford laughed as August looked at him. “Bi, actually. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, of course. I was just curious whether it’s possible to be the sibling of someone so ridiculously sapphic and pining while being straight,” Hermes said, shooting a look in August’s direction.

August felt like the room had flipped her upside down. And a little like she might throw up.

Shea chastised Hermes, but he simply shrugged and said, “What? Like we don’t all know?”

“That’s not the point,” Shea replied, her voice hushed and razor-sharp. “And you know it.”

Hermes rolled his eyes before looking back at Ford. “It’s very nice to meet you. How’s the roommate situation?”

Shea glowered at him for a second before turning back to August. “Sorry about him.”

“That’s fine,” August said, her tone more than a little off.

Shea shot her a look. “He’ll… Well,relaxisn’t the right word for it, but he’ll calm down as he gets to know you both.”

“It’s really okay.” August cleared her throat. “Ford might have made similar comments to me before we left.”

She wasn’t sure why she was admitting to that. At all.

Shea quirked an eyebrow. “Did he indeed? Well, I guess none of us are skirting around the topic, then?”

“Um. I don’t know why I said that.”

Shea laughed. “That’s fair. Meeting the friends is a big deal.”

“Piper and I are just friends.”

“For now.”

“Oh, I don’t know—”

“I do.” She grinned.

August blew out a breath, her cheeks puffed. “I don’t really know what to say to that.”

“I can see why she likes you.”

“Can you?” August stared. “I’m pretty sure I was cooler than this the first time I met Piper.”

“Like I said, meeting the friends is a big deal. People act awkwardly, they feel self-conscious, but they’re still them. And, believe me, I’ve heard plenty about you.”

August breathed a laugh. “Is that supposed to be comforting?”

“Not necessarily.” She flashed a dangerous grin. “Kind of depends on how much you want to talk about how ridiculously sexy it is to slow dance with a woman in your living room…”

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