Page 83 of The Wrong Date Deal

“You’re not going to screw it up. She’s been on more than enough bad dates. I think she’s ready for one she gets to enjoy. Hell, the woman traveled halfway across the city just to be there for you on your bad date.”

“It wasn’t quite that far.”

“Yeah, that’s the part to focus on.” He shook his head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You too, but I guess it’s genetic.”

He laughed. “I suppose, if that’s what the genetics gave us, it could have been way worse.”

“You’re… not wrong there.” August shuddered.

He paused, watching her for a moment. “Just try to have fun on Thursday, yeah? Try to… let go.”

“I suppose a dance class is a good place to relax.”

“Mm. Yes. Besides, Shea’s got a whole theory about dance—”

“What?” August whipped herself up into a sitting position again at rapid speed. “How do you know that?”

Ford stared at her wildly. “Because she mentioned it when we were talking about the fact that you and Piper were going to take a rumba class together…”

“Ugh. Do I even want to know what it is?”

Understanding lit up his expression. “Ah. I see.” He laughed. “Yeah, you should ask her.”

“I’m not—”

August’s phone lit up on the floor next to her.Shea.

What timing the woman had.

Ford laughed as August picked the phone up and opened the message.

I was told I wasn’t allowed to ask you this at the bar, but we’re not at the bar now, sooooo… you’re into Piper, right?

August groaned. It was very Shea to work around the request like that. She was certain Piper must have been the one to tell her not to ask, and she was pretty certain the sentiment had applied to simply not asking at all, not just avoiding doing it in the bar.

Before she could reply, a second text came in.To be clear: I mean sexually. You’re into her sexually, right?

And another.Also romantically. That too, right?

August groaned, feeling herself flushing.

“Everything going well?” Ford asked, clearly amused.

“No. Not even a little bit,” August replied, ridiculously embarrassed.

Ford laughed loudly. “That means it’s going great. Let me see?”

“Ugh. Why not? What difference does it make? You’re all on the same page.” August shut her eyes and handed him the phone, blushing harder when he laughed. Even she couldn’t deny there was something sweet about it, though.

In her last relationship, she’d felt kind of alone. Meilíng hadn’t been keen on her ex. None of her friends had. Ford had hated her, though he hadn’t fully revealed that until it was over for fear of losing August. Her parents liked her, but August had since decided that wasn’t a good sign. She’d felt very muchlike she was segmenting her life for a relationship that wasn’t actually making her very happy at all.

Now, she and Piper hadn’t even had their first proper date but the people around them were all in. They were welcoming her and Ford. They were reaching out, connecting, embracing her. And, even if they were being a little forward, she found she didn’t mind it. She knew they’d stop if she asked. And that was when the lack of control felt okay.

Her whole life was already changing, but the changes were good. Maybe any future changes with Piper would be too.

She pulled in a deep breath, preparing to text Shea back, but the air was sucked straight from her lungs when Ford pulled out his phone and laughed.

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