by Kris Bryant
“Yeah, I kind of cut somebody off. Completely my fault. Anyway, sure, a movie sounds great. Do you want to come my way? There’s a pretty nice theatre with assigned seats only a mile away from my house.” I gripped the steering wheel and waited for her answer.
“Sure. Is there a particular movie you want to see or any genre you really like?”
“I haven’t seen a movie in months, so everything is new to me. I like comedies, romances, action. There aren’t too many movies I don’t like.” I wanted to be agreeable, but I knew a comedy was the best idea. I didn’t want a horror movie because my nightmares were still happening. And I definitely didn’t want a romance where the leads made out. That would just be too uncomfortable. We settled on a comedy that had been out a few weeks. “I’ll text you my address and just come over whenever.”
I ended the call right when I pulled into my driveway. Thankfully, the lawn was freshly mowed and the annuals were in full bloom. My Tudor-style had curb appeal. It didn’t hurt that I had money and plugged a lot of it into my house. Being single had some advantages. I had more money to spend on things for myself. Big television, hot tub, and even an old Galaga upright video game. My house was relatively clean, but I unloaded the dishwasher and dusted the entire downstairs. I liked having a clean house so it never got out of control. When my mother was here, she cleaned incessantly. We were not an idle family.
My phone rang, but I didn’t recognize the number. I knew it was Lani. My stomach didn’t flutter like it did when Piper called, but it couldn’t hurt to give her a chance.
“Hello?”
“Hi. Is this Shaylie?”
At my confirmation, the strong but sweet voice continued.
“It’s Lani, from Bodhi. Piper gave me your number. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course. How are you?” I was participating in the conversation, but I was wondering what I was going to wear when Piper came over later today. I texted her my address as soon as I walked into my house so the window of time for me to get ready was closing.
“I’m well, thanks. I wanted to invite you to a food festival tomorrow afternoon. I figured it would be a nice time to hang out, talk, and eat. Three of my favorite things,” she said.
“That sounds great. Where is it?”
She gave me directions and we agreed on a time and place to meet. When I hung up, I was happy to have something to do. I hoped Lani could take my mind off Piper. She seemed engaging.
* * *
By the time Piper showed up, my anxiety was off the charts. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.
“Hi, come on in.” I stood back to give her access. When she walked by, I smelled lavender. I almost sighed.
She stopped a few feet inside and waited for me to close the door. “Your house is so beautiful, Shaylie.”
I blatantly looked her up and down and, dammit, I liked what I saw. She was dressed in skinny jeans and a sleeveless black top that showed a hint of cleavage. She was wearing date clothes. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and I smiled when I noticed red highlights. Those were new. A thin necklace with a small silver heart charm rested against her throat. She was definitely dressed for a date. Nobody looked this good unless they were trying. I glanced at my slacks and blouse and realized I was dressed for a date, too.
“Thank you. It’s nice to have somebody with connections when dealing with real estate. Even though I’m in commercial, I have a lot of friends who do residential. I bought this for a steal and fixed it up myself.” I was proud of my work. I watched as Piper ran her palm over the woodwork leading into the living room.
“Can I get you something to drink? Water? Soda? Wine?”
She smiled when I said wine. “Water would be great.”
“Have a seat. I’ll be right back.” I pointed to the couch and headed to the kitchen. I could’ve used a glass of wine, but I didn’t want to be the only one drinking. I grabbed two glasses, filled them with ice and filtered water, and walked back to Piper. Her head was slightly tilted up as she looked at the artwork. I handed her the glass and sat on the other side of the couch.
“I like that painting.” She nodded her head in the direction of the mass-produced copy of Childe Hassam’s Boston Common at Twilight.
“Well, sadly, it’s only a print and my house is boring compared to your place. You have such flair and life in your decor. I got home after spending time with you and Clifford and I was completely disappointed in my lack of excitement,” I said.
She laughed and touched my arm. “The very first thing I thought when I walked in was how peaceful and quiet it is. I can’t hear anything. At my place, I hear traffic and people all of the time. Quiet is nice.”
“You can come over any time you want. Even if I’m not here. I understand the need for quiet,” I said.
“Thank you, but I couldn’t impose,” she said.
I stopped from rolling my eyes. “We are getting to know one another, right? We’re friends, we’ve been through a lot together. Marisa has a key and she comes over whenever she wants. Her car is in my driveway at least once a week when I get home.”
“You must have a ton of friends.”
I stared at her for a long time, counting the people I talked to weekly. Nope. Only Marisa and her. I shook my head. “Marisa and you. Wait. Jason. I’m friends with Jason.”
“Stop it. You mean to tell me you don’t hang out with people from work or people you’ve met doing fun things with Marisa?”
“That makes me sound awful, doesn’t it? I’m really not a bad person to know. I guess I just work and hang out with Mar.” I never really thought about how alone I was until just then. “I need to get out more.”
“Well, Lani said you two are getting together tomorrow, so that’s something, right?” Piper asked.
I read nothing but happiness in her expression. It hurt. I took a deep breath and smiled. “Yeah, she wants to go to some outdoor food event. It sounds like it will be fun.”
“Lani’s nice. She’s a tiny bit bossy, but I think you can handle her.” She smiled and her eyes twinkled. Piper had the prettiest, lightest brown eyes I’d ever seen.
“Wait. Am I bossy?”
“Oh, no. I meant you’re just strong and resilient. I don’t think you let a lot of people walk all over you.” She looked down at her lap. “I wish I had half your confidence.”
“We are more similar than you think.”
She looked up at me. “Oh, stop. I’m good at one thing. Yoga.”
“Are you serious? You’re good at yoga, biking, teaching, being nice. I think you’re adorable.” I cringed at the surprise look on her face and realized I’d said too much. I had to do some serious backpedaling. “I mean, you’re such a sweet person and you’re pretty.” Gah. I was sinking fast. “You know what I’m trying to say.” The blood rushed to my cheeks and stayed there. “You’re quietly confident.” Her eyes met mine and the look she gave me sent chills over my body. I really needed to get her out of my system.
“Thank you. It’s nice to hear compliments about myself and not…” She let the sentence fade away.
“I know everything is still hard for you. It’s only been a few months. I really hope it gets easier for you. I’m not Emma, but I’d like to be a friend you can turn to when you need one. Hell, even when you don’t need one. Like how annoying Marisa is sometimes, but I still love her.” I couldn’t stop myself. I sounded desperate for more friends.
She touched on my arm. “I would love that, Shaylie. I need a friend who isn’t somebody I work with,” she said.
“Done. We’re friends. That means I can tell you anything and you can tell me anything.” I gave her a devilish smile and lifted my brow.
She laughed. “I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends.”
My heart danced in my chest. Goddamnit. Why did I have to meet this wonderful woman this way?
Chapter Thirteen
“Is there anything you don’t eat?” Lani and I were looking at the vast array o
f meats cooking on a huge grill. The heat was almost overwhelming, but I was hungry and everything looked delicious. The sweet, spicy smell of barbecue sauce tingled the back of my throat. My early morning ride with Piper had ramped up my appetite. It was nice to see her again after last night’s movie, but it tainted my time with Lani. I knew Lani and I were doomed before the date even started.
“I’m not a fan of ribs, but the chicken breasts have my interest,” I said.
She hitched her eyebrow at that and gave me a look that said she read entirely too much into that comment.
I blushed. My habit of blurting out dumb words at the worst possible times continued. I understood how Lani could’ve mistaken that for flirting, but I didn’t intend it that way. “Seriously. The food. Only the food.”
She laughed. “Mmm-hmm. Okay. We’ll take an order of ribs and a chicken breast. And how about some baked beans?” She looked at me.
“Sure. I’m easy.” Fuck. As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew. Thankfully, Lani kept quiet.
“I know you probably have told your story a billion times, but I’m really interested in what happened with the plane crash. Is that bad that I want to know?”
We sat on a bale of hay that was harder than it looked and I shifted my weight from hip to hip until the stalks weren’t painfully poking through my jeans. I wished I had brought a jacket or a blanket to soften the seat. I’m sure if I said that, Lani would take it the wrong way, too. “No, a lot of people are curious about it. Hell, I would ask if I knew somebody who survived a plane crash. What do you want to know?”
She didn’t waste time getting to the meaty questions. “Did you think you were going to die? Did they notify you of what was happening? How bad were your injuries again?”
I finished my bite, washed it down with a sip of beer, and did my best to answer her without revealing too much. I understood the curiosity, but she was bombarding me with too many questions, all at the same time.
“Yes, I totally thought I was going to die. Right before the plane hit the ground, the pilot yelled ‘brace for impact’ several times. As far as my injuries, I had a few broken bones and needed a lot of stitches.”
Lani placed her hand gently on my knee. “I’m sorry it was so bad for you and I’m glad you survived.”
And just like that she was back in my good graces.
“Did you see all the dead people? I can’t imagine what that must have been like. I feel so bad for Piper. I was more upset that Emma died than Robin. Piper took Emma’s death harder. I mean, she loved Robin, but I really didn’t think Robin was her forever girl.”
I almost choked on my bite. I was torn between barraging Lani with a bunch of questions about Piper and playing it cool. I took another drink of beer. “Oh?” I wanted information and hated gossiping, but I just had to know more about Piper and her relationships.
“Robin was nice, but she was too smooth. I felt the need to protect Piper from her sometimes. Piper is wonderful and she deserves someone who will love all of her, not just her body or her ambition,” Lani said. She slid off the bale to throw away her trash. I wasn’t done eating, so I shook off her offer to throw mine away as well.
“I like Piper and I hope she can heal from this,” I said. I completely ignored the question about what I saw at the crash scene. Certain things were better off between only me and my therapist.
“I’m sure she will. She’s quiet, but she’s strong. She didn’t have a problem standing up to Robin sometimes,” she said.
Nope, I wasn’t going to take the bait. I didn’t feel comfortable knowing more about their relationship than Piper had told me, even though a part of me wanted to know every single detail.
“So, tell me how you came to be an instructor at Bodhi?” If Lani picked up on me changing the subject, she didn’t let on.
“Well, I also work part-time at the gym a few blocks away. I took all of Piper’s classes and when an instructor position became available, I applied. The gym I work for is very accommodating and since I’m a personal trainer, I can pretty much set my own hours,” she said.
If nothing else, Lani knew what she liked and loved her life. “What do you do for fun?”
“I love being outdoors, riding my bike, hiking, camping. Colorado is the best place for me. My parents moved here when I was young, so I’ve never really known any other place.” She offered to take my plate again.
I gave up and handed her my half-eaten chicken and barely touched beans. Apparently we were done eating or she thought I could skip a meal.
“I’m anxious to walk around. There will be plenty of food everywhere,” she said. She reached for my hand and helped me off the bale. I could tell she wanted to hold my hand, but I pulled away under the guise of having to clean up. I held the napkin in my left hand so it was impossible for her to hold it. We walked around the tents sampling all different foods and ended up near a stage where a band was playing cover songs.
“They sound pretty good,” I said.
Lani found a spot far enough away for us to talk and still hear the music. “Now that we’re settled, tell me a little bit about yourself. You’re in real estate, right?”
Piper must have told her that. “Yes. Commercial real estate, not residential.”
“You have your own house and you drive a nice car,” she looked me up and down before saying, “and great fashion sense. Tell me why you are single?”
I shrugged. “I guess I just focused on my career too much. Suddenly, I’m thirty-two and I missed out on a lot.”
“I don’t think you missed out on a lot. Your twenties are for all of the mistakes.”
I laughed. “My college years were for all of the mistakes. My friend Marisa and I learned from one another’s mistakes.”
“I’ve heard that name before. Piper mentioned her,” Lani said.
“She’s my best friend. After one of the meetings a few of us went to dinner, including Piper. She met Marisa then.” I didn’t have to explain what kind of meeting. Lani knew what I meant.
“Oh, she’s the pretty blonde, right?”
“Yes, she’s gorgeous.” I hated that people relied so heavily on looks. “But she’s so much more than a pretty face. She’s my rock. You’d really like her. She’s outgoing and fun to be around.”
“My best friend moved to Texas last year.” Lani’s smile faded. “I miss her, but her company gave her a promotion and a nice raise. It was hard for her to say no.”
“I don’t know what it is about Texas, but my aunt, uncle, and cousins moved there, too. Even my parents left Colorado. Who would volunteer to leave this gorgeous place?” I asked.
Lani nodded. “We have everything from nature to culture. Denver is the best place to live.”
“Do you own or rent? And I’m not being a real estate agent right now. I’m genuinely curious.” I hoped she didn’t think I wanted to go back to her place.
“I have an apartment about a mile from the gym that I share with two guys.” The horrified look on my face made Lani laugh.
“Oh, they are a couple and keep the place immaculate. They just kind of adopted me after I helped Steve get into shape. I was his trainer for about a year. When I broke up with my girlfriend, I didn’t really have a place to go. I stayed at the studio for a few weeks and once Steve found out, they offered me a room.”
“That’s really nice of them, and Piper was sweet to let you crash,” I said.
“Oh, nobody was happy with her when that happened.” Lani rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a tiny, tiny apartment in the studio. It’s more like a room with a futon, a television, and a half bath. It’s not luxurious at all. I wasn’t planning on living there forever, but Emma wanted me out.”
I immediately deduced that the tiny apartment was Emma and Robin’s hookup place. Lani was putting a cramp in their affair. I stretched out my fingers to keep my hands from balling up. “How long ago was that?”
“About four months ago. At some point, I’ll get my own place, but the boys don’t mind that I’m there, so I’ll keep saving money until they get tired of me. We have a good dynamic. I like sharing space with them.” She reached over and touched my hands. “It’s okay. It’s sweet how you care.”
As much as I wanted to correct her, I had to keep what I knew private. At least keep it between me and Marisa. “It sucks that Emma kicked you out, but at least you have your own place now. Roommates are nice to have. Helps keep the boredom to a minimum.”
“It worked out for the best. I really love where I am,” she said.
I looked at my phone, partly because I wanted to know the time and partly because I was curious if Piper texted. I was disappointed all the way around. It was too early to end the date, and I didn’t have a single text. I really needed to make more of an effort on the friendship thing. Maybe instead of vying for Piper’s attention at yoga, I could reach out to more of the students. Bridget seemed friendly. Boring, but friendly. I was such a snob sometimes.
“Do you need to go?” Lani asked.
I looked at her and chose my words carefully. I didn’t want to upset her, but I didn’t want to encourage her either. “I probably should. I’m sorry to cut this so short. Maybe I’m just not ready to be around a bunch of people.” The excuse was lame, but she accepted it.
“I understand. I’m going to hang out here for a bit.”
And just like that, it was over. We shared an awkward hug and I went one way, and she went the other. I picked up an ice cream cone on my way out of the festival and took my time getting back to my car. What I hoped to accomplish was to separate myself from Piper, but the only thing this date did was make me feel even more protective of her. I was going to have to try harder. I thought about the dating app that Marisa suggested and I hated everything about it. I couldn’t remember a single good blind date. And wasn’t app dating like a blind date?
Total bust. I told Marisa I would text her when we were done with our date. She responded with several different emojis that made me laugh out loud.