Page 74 of The Wrong Date Deal

It took a moment before Piper sucked in a measured breath and said, “Me too, as it happens.”

August let herself smile freely. “I’m glad.”

“So… next Thursday?”

An actual date. With Piper. And she was the one asking. August could hardly believe it. “Um. Yeah. I can do… rumba class. With you.”

“Fantastic.” Piper held August’s gaze for a moment, acting as if the world around them didn’t exist, and she stepped a little closer. “Shea’s got a whole theory about dancing.”

Something about her tone and her proximity had August’s heart racing, her stomach dropping, and all of the moisture leaving her mouth. She cleared her throat, trying desperately to muster the physical ability to speak. “Does she?” she eventually managed to utter.

Piper grinned, her eyes gleaming. “She does indeed.”

“Should I ask?”

“Oh, you definitely should.”

“Okay. So…?” August’s heart was beating so hard she could hear it pounding in her skull.

“Oh, not me. You should ask Shea.”

“That’s a genuinely terrible idea, isn’t it?”

“Where’s the fun without a few terrible ideas?” Piper asked, stepping even closer, almost pressing into August, and all August could think was that she’d go along with any terrible idea if Piper was the one inviting her.

Chapter Seventeen

Shea caught Piper at the bar, nodding at the fond expression on Piper’s face as she watched Massima enthusiastically recount some story to August from across the room.

Piper reluctantly looked at Shea instead.

“You’re such a goner,” Shea said with a laugh.

“How so?”

She rolled her eyes. “As if you don’t know.”

Piper shook her head. “Do you think we’ve managed to scare her off yet?”

Shea scoffed. “Not at all.”

Something swooped in Piper’s stomach. She’d really wanted tonight to go well, even if she hadn’t said it out loud. She’d worried the group might come on too strong with theirexcitement and reluctance to pretend she and August were just friends with no attraction in the mix. “Yeah?”

Shea nudged her lightly. “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about. At least, not when it comes to August fitting in with the group.”

Piper paused, nodding slowly as she watched the bartender serving patrons, before whipping her head back to Shea. “Wait. WhatdoI have to worry about?”

Shea smirked. “She’s hot.”

“Yes, thank you. I think we’ve covered—at length—that particular topic, don’t you?” she said, referencing the many, many texts Shea had sent her about August since Tuesday night.

“Oh, we’ve covered thatyouthink she’s hot.”

Piper shook her head, scowling slightly—mostly for show. “I see. Now, you’re telling meyouthink she’s hot.”

“She objectively is.” She laughed. “But, yeah, if I didn’t respect the fact that she’s here with you, I’d shoot my shot.”

“So, you’re saying, if I do start dating her, I’m going to have to contend with you constantly wishing you’d met her first?”

---