Page 77 of The Wrong Date Deal

“This is the first time you’ve ever met her.”

“So? It’s easy to see how much she’s into you.” Shea nodded over to where August was laughing with Massima. “She’s even laughing at Massima’s weird penguin statue story. You don’t do that if you’re not interested.”

“It’s a funny story,” Piper protested.

“It’s a penguin in someone’s bedroom. It’d be funny if it were alive, maybe.”

“You’re telling me a life-size penguin staring at someone’s bed wouldn’t turn you off and make you want to leave?”

“Not at all. I’ve done weirder.”

“Maybe I should be getting more stories out of you…”

Shea laughed. “You’re not ready for those ones. If you and August start getting into really kinky stuff, hit me up.”

“We haven’t even—”

“It’s only a matter of time.” She grabbed the tray, turned, and headed back to their table.

Piper wasn’t even upset at being cut off. All she could really think was that she hoped it was only a matter of time, too. She absolutely needed to cancel that date on Saturday. Even if August wasn’t interested in pursuing something with her, Piper was so hung up on wanting her that she’d be a terrible and unfair date for anyone else right now.

She followed Shea back to the table and was delighted when August stepped away from Massima to claim her attention.

“Having fun?” she asked, smiling softly.

Piper hummed. “Yeah, you know, just getting… told off, maybe, by Shea.”

“Told off?”

Piper laughed. “Perhaps that’s not the right term for it. Just… Shea being Shea.”

August shot her a puzzled look, but Piper wasn’t sure she wanted to explain in further detail that Shea’s whole thing had basically been telling her to pull her head out of her ass and get with August.

Instead, Piper shook the conversation off, smiled, and stepped a little closer to August. “Speaking of Shea, have you asked her that question yet?”

August ducked her head, and, while the lights were too low to be certain, Piper could have sworn August was blushing. “Not yet. The fact that you’re bringing it up again makes me absolutely certain I don’t want to ask.”

Piper laughed. “Yeah, might be for the best, honestly. She’d probablyenjoyyou asking a little too much.”

August’s head whipped back to her, confusion written across her face. “How so?”

Before Piper could answer, a group of people came bustling past them, accidentally pushing August closer to Piper. Piper’s hand flew up automatically, gripping August’s side to help steady her. And, while she knew, once they passed, that sheshould move it, when August didn’t step away, Piper couldn’t bring herself to pull her hand back.

“Sorry, how so?” August prompted again, still not stepping away and resolutely not addressing Piper’s hand on her side.

Piper breathed a laugh. She felt her pulse racing in her hand where they were connected. “She thinks you’re hot.”

“Oh.” August’s eyes were wide. “Does she, indeed?”

“Apparently. So, you know, if you were interested, she’d definitely be up for it.”

“I’m not interested,” August said a little too quickly. She cleared her throat. “I mean, she’s lovely, but she’s not… I’m not… Shea’s not really my type.”

Something inside of Piper felt like it relaxed. She hadn’t expected August to be interested—not least because the two were looking for very different things—but it was still a relief to hear her say it. If she’d been interested, Piper wouldn’t have stood in her way, but it would have made things more than a little awkward.

She flexed her hand slightly, pressing her palm closer to August and wrapping it a little further around August’s back. Feeling August shudder against her was far more erotic than it had any right to be. As was the way August avoided her gaze but still didn’t move away or address the touch.

“So,” Hermes said, stepping into their tiny personal bubble and looking between the two of them.

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