Must Love Wieners

by Griffin, Casey

  Piper didn’t want to think about it. She’d entertained Holly’s conspiracy theories enough for one day. “I’ve heard enough. I’m going.”

  “Wait!” Addison cried, grabbing Zoe and locking the gate. “We’re coming too.”

  Holly looked like she was about to have a fit from all the excitement. “Ooh, confrontation.”

  Zoe held up a hand. “Not you, Jerry Springer.”

  “We’ll take my car!” Addison unlocked her MINI convertible with the remote.

  The soft top was down, and Piper controlled the urge to Dukes of Hazzard it over the hood and flip herself into the car. Instead, she opened the passage door, threw her bag on the other seat, picked up Colin, and scrambled into the back. She wanted to get away from Holly and her badgering questions as soon as possible. Questions that made her uncomfortable. Yes, they might have sounded like conspiracy theories, but the worst part was they were starting to make sense.

  She gripped her knees, digging her nails into her bare skin as Addison and Zoe got in and buckled up. Not soon enough, the little four-seater car pulled out of the parking space, kicking up gravel that ricocheted off the new sign. Piper’s short red cape sticking out of her jacket caught the wind and flowed out behind them as they flew off.

  The last thing she heard Holly yell as she ran after the car was, “I get the exclusive, right?”

  Addison’s blue eyes flicked to Piper’s reflection in the rearview mirror. She gave her a confident we’ll-get-you-to-the-ball-Cinderella look. “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding.”

  Piper held Colin close, for her own comfort and his protection as Addison took the next corner like they were in a high-speed chase. “I hope so.”

  Zoe remained silent, staring out the passenger window, but Piper could see her expression in the side mirror. It didn’t look like she agreed with Addison’s point of view, but she kept her mouth shut, throwing worried glances at Piper now and then.

  Addison cranked the wheel, tires squealing. “He cares about you, Piper. Anyone can see that. He’s your Noah.”

  “Her what?” Zoe asked. “Oh, I get it. As in Noah’s Ark, right? A reference to their two dachshunds?”

  “No. As in Noah from The Notebook. You guys are soul mates, Piper.”

  “I thought he was my Richard Gere.”

  “No, he’s much more than that.”

  He was. At least, she thought he’d been. But Holly’s words chased her all the way to the Financial District. No matter how fast the MINI went, the girls couldn’t outrun them.

  She didn’t want to believe it. Aiden was no attempted murderer or cold-blooded businessman. But facts were facts; he was trying to destroy her beloved center, to take away the home of her friends.

  Over her dead body, she thought. She just hoped that wasn’t a real possibility.

  32

  Snoop Dog

  The MINI convertible whipped into the underground parking beneath Aiden’s office building. Piper’s heart began leapfrogging in her chest. She wasn’t sure how it could still beat so fast and break into a million pieces at the same time. Aiden knew what the rescue center meant to her, and yet he planned on taking it away from her.

  No, she told herself. There had to be another explanation for it. Holly was trying to get a rise out of her again. Nothing more.

  Addison pulled into a visitor-parking stall and killed the engine. She turned around and gave Piper a hopeful look. “Here we are.”

  “Thanks for the lift,” Piper said. “I won’t be long. I promise.”

  Zoe spun around in her seat. “Oh no. You’re not going in without us.”

  “Yeah, we’re your reinforcements,” Addison said.

  Piper couldn’t help but smile, grateful for friends’ support. “This is Aiden’s office we’re talking about. Not Fort Knox. I’ll be fine.” She rearranged her raincoat to make sure it hid her costume. Because while Supergirl would be formidable considering her powers, Piper had none to speak of, you know, besides the ability to make men’s pants grow tighter.

  Zoe gnawed at her lip. “Unless, of course, Aiden really is somehow involved in all this. And I’m not saying he is.” She threw her hands up. “I’m just saying that this person, whoever it is, tried to kill you twice now. There’s a connection. I’m trying to think logically. And I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

  “But to be fair. The car thing was more of a spur-of-the-moment maiming rather than a planned thing,” Addison argued. “Maybe.”

  “Yeah, much better.” Zoe hopped out of the front seat before Piper could protest.

  Addison leapt out of the driver’s seat. “This is like an action movie. Or maybe some spy operation. We’re like Charlie’s Angels.”

  “Who’s Charlie in this instance?” Zoe asked.

  “I guess that would be Marilyn.”

  Piper turned to Colin. She couldn’t leave him behind. “Well, Colin. I guess that makes you Bosley. But you’ll have to hide in here for now.” Unzipping her backpack, she emptied the contents and tucked him inside, leaving an opening big enough for him to watch her back as they headed for the elevators.

  Piper fidgeted all the way up to the fortieth floor. Addison used the mirrored doors to pretend she was a Charlie’s Angel, pointing her fingers like a gun. Zoe remained silent, thoughtful.

  The doors slid open to reveal Veronica arranged behind her glass desk. Piper wondered if she practiced poses and held them all day or if she waited for the elevator ding before positioning herself like she was in a game of musical chairs.

  When she saw it was just Piper, she slumped back into her chair and threw her head back, cackling at something someone said into her Bluetooth.

  “She did not. No way. No way! OhmyGod,” she said like it was all one word.

  Piper tried several times to get her attention, but Veronica spun her chair, angling away from them, as though if she didn’t see the three girls she couldn’t be accused of ignoring them. However, Piper lacked the patience for her today. Leaning over the desk, she plucked the Bluetooth from her ear and tossed it onto the desk.

  She smiled sweetly at Veronica’s Botox-petrified expression. “I need a word with your boss.”

  “He’s in a meeting at the moment, and can’t be interrupted.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “It’s a long meet-ing.” She enunciated each word like Piper didn’t understand English.

  Piper’s eyes narrowed. “Then I guess he’ll need a break,” she shot right back.

  “They ordered in for lunch.”

  But Piper wasn’t about to back down. “I need to speak with him. So hit that little button of yours and let me through. I’m sure he’ll understand. This is important.”

  Veronica’s bleached smile didn’t reach her eyes. “So is his meeting, and he doesn’t need you coming in here at all times of the day interrupting him. Tamara’s told me all about you.”

  She rolled her eyes at the mention of the PA. “I’m sure she has. Now let me through those doors.” She reached around the desk to hit the release button, but Veronica slapped her hand away.

  “This is not a dating service. This is his place of business.” Veronica straightened in her chair and clipped the Bluetooth back to her orange ear.

  What exactly did Tamara tell her? “Well, unfortunately, I’ve discovered that his recent business involves me.” Piper grabbed the Bluetooth again and tossed it over her shoulder. She was done playing nice.

  Veronica bolted upright. Her chair flung back, rolling away on the polished floor. She glared at Piper across the glass desk, her skin flushing until her orange tan appeared peach. “I don’t understand why you should have any business at all talking with a sophisticated man like Mr. Caldwell, far less dating him. You’re an uncouth, uneducated, and uncivilized…”—her eyes raked over Piper, pausing at her neckline—“prostitute.”

  Piper glanced down. The telltale S peeked out from beneath her coat. Grabbing her collar, she ripped her coat open f
urther like it could transform her into the superhero. She was certainly mad enough to lift the desk up and throw it at the orange girl. “I’m not a prostitute,” she said between clenched teeth. “I’m a telegram singer.”

  “And she’s educated,” Addison said. “She’s going to be a veterinarian.”

  “Yes. A doctor,” Zoe added. “And she also happens to be your boss’s girlfriend. So are you looking to get fired? Or are you just stupid?”

  Colin chose that moment to poke his bony head out of Piper’s backpack and give Veronica a growl of disapproval. Yeah, because toting around an oversized purse dog like the trailer park version of Paris Hilton helped Piper’s argument. She tucked his head back in.

  “Well, Supergirl. I’m the administrative assistant to the CEO of this company. And I say that unless Aiden has a sick cow in his office, you won’t be seeing him today.”

  “We don’t need to go into his office to see a cow,” Zoe muttered. “We’ve got one right here.”

  “Excuse me?” Veronica leaned on her desk like she was ready to stab a pen into Zoe’s eye.

  For a skinny Japanese girl, Zoe was tall, with looks that could kill. In fact, she’d persuaded more than one cold-footed groom down the aisle with nothing more than an arch of her eyebrow. And right now she looked like she wanted to rip Veronica’s hair extensions right out of her head.

  Piper’s focus was on the catfight in the making, so she didn’t notice Addison sidle to the other end of the reception desk until she heard an innocent, “Whoops.”

  Then came the crash.

  All three girls turned from the desk. Colin poked his head out in curiosity. Next to Addison’s ballet flats sparkled the shattered remnants of the giant crystal vase and its scattered Casablanca lilies.

  “It was an accident?” And it would have been believable if Addison weren’t grinning mischievously.

  Veronica stomped her heel. “All right. All of you need to leave before I call security.”

  “I can’t,” Addison said too cheerfully. “I’m afraid to move. What if I cut myself on all this glass?”

  “It’s not glass. It’s Swarovski crystal. Or rather, it was. Now get out!”

  Addison crossed her arms. “I could bleed to death. Lose a toe. How would your boss feel about an amputation in his office?”

  Veronica huffed. “Don’t move. I’ll get a broom.”

  Heels clicking on the marble floor, she walked to the side of the room and slipped her hand into a notch in the wall. Like magic, a hidden door appeared to reveal a room Piper didn’t know existed. Apparently, even the closets were modern. Veronica ducked inside, the wall sealing off again behind her.

  “Now’s your chance,” Zoe hissed. “Hurry.”

  Piper glanced back at the wall. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, we’ve got you covered,” Addison said. “There’s plenty of stuff to break in here.” And by the look in her eye, Piper knew she’d do it.

  “Okay, but don’t hang around too long. I’ll meet you down at the car.”

  Eyeballing the wall, Piper scurried past the invisible door and hit the button behind the desk. The lock on the door clicked open and she slipped through. She slowed her pace, strolling down the corridor of glass-walled offices. Nothing said “I don’t belong here” like frantically bolting through a building.

  Gaze forward, she strode to the end of the hall until she stood in front of Aiden’s office. She couldn’t see inside. The shutters were drawn shut, probably because he was in a meeting. Taking a deep breath, she tapped on the glass door, not wanting to alert anyone else in nearby offices.

  There was no answer. Either he didn’t want to be disturbed or his meeting was being held elsewhere. Piper glanced over her shoulder, shifting from foot to foot. Colin sensed her growing anxiety and he squirmed in her bag, digging his little paws into her back. The longer she stood out in the open, the more likely it was Veronica would come searching for her. Or worse. Security would.

  A loud crash followed her up the hall from the reception area and Piper cringed. Addison sure made one hell of a distraction. A chair squeaked in an office nearby. Someone had stood up to go investigate the ruckus.

  Body frozen in indecision, heart hammering, Piper finally tried the door. It was unlocked. She supposed it wasn’t like anyone would dare break into the CEO’s office. But, as he’d once pointed out, Piper wasn’t one for rules.

  She hurried inside and closed the door behind her. It latched shut only a second before footsteps thumped outside. Piper’s muscles tensed and she held her breath until the sound receded down the hall, away from Aiden’s office. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  The office was empty. The lights were off, but she didn’t dare turn them on in case someone noticed. The light filtering in through the tinted window overlooking Montgomery Street was bright enough to see by. Now that she looked around the room, at the fastidious arrangement of pens, notepad, and coffee cup, at his neatly hung jacket on the back of the door, the invasiveness hit her. She had no right to be here, in this world. Without him, it felt so foreign and wrong.

  She considered escaping before anyone noticed, but then she heard another loud crash from up front and decided against it. Digging into her bag, past Colin’s squirming body, she grabbed her phone and texted Addison.

  I’m in. Get out. Will meet you guys at the car.

  She hit send, hoping they wouldn’t be leaving in handcuffs.

  Feeling like an intruder, Piper took a seat across from Aiden’s desk and let Colin out of her backpack. She wasn’t doing anything wrong if she just sat there, right? Surely Aiden wouldn’t mind if she waited for him in his office. At least … so long as he had nothing to hide. So long as he wasn’t trying to kill or maim her, that is.

  And if he was? Then what? She’d call the cops, of course. Testify against him in court. But that was the easy part. No big deal. It was the resulting misery that she pondered as she waited, dreading her heart being crushed like possum roadkill on the side of Highway Sixty-Six. Then there would be the accompanying emotional baggage that an African elephant couldn’t lift. Not to mention, a very likely future filled with too many cats that would eat her face after she died alone in her apartment.

  No biggie. She’d be fine. Fine. Fine. Fine…?

  Unable to suppress the growing anxiety, she took out her phone and texted Aiden four little words that no one liked to hear. But how else could she put it? There was nothing else to say.

  We need to talk.

  Hoping he would respond, she paced around the room, growing more uncertain of her plan by the moment. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she was taking things too far. She should force him to sit down and explain everything, business or not, like she should have done a long time ago. But she knew that wouldn’t work. He’d been keeping secrets from her all this time, and not just because it was business. Why would he be honest with her now?

  But why would he lie? This was Aiden, after all. Aiden. She hated to even think these things about him.

  Colin sniffed about like Sherlock seeking clues, but after uncovering nothing more than a dust bunny under the desk, which he took a moment to chew on, he curled up next to the chair.

  Piper wanted to take this to be a good sign, an undeniable affirmation of Aiden’s innocence. Animals had a way of knowing these things, of sensing danger and evil. Right? Colin’s danger radar was off the charts. And Colin had taken to Aiden right away. Whereas Holly Hart loved to stir up trouble. She was only toying with Piper’s emotions again.

  Feeling ridiculously gullible, Piper grabbed her bag and tried to coax Colin back inside.

  He stared up at her like, Do I look stupid to you?

  “Come on, we gotta go.”

  She reached out for him, but he took a couple of steps back, stubbornly digging his paws in. Pulling out a treat from the front pocket, she tossed it into the bottom of the backpack.

  And with that, Colin leapt in without another complaint, munching away happi
ly.

  Plopping the bag on Aiden’s desk to zip it up partway, she knocked a folder off. The papers scattered across the floor and under the desk.

  “Crap. Way to go, Watson,” she mumbled to herself.

  Desperate to leave before anyone knew she was there, she scrambled to pick the papers up. She arranged them into some semblance of order, tapping them to align their edges, and slid them back into their file. Once the folder rested on his desk, lined back up with the corner, the label at the top caught her eye. It was an address. One that was all too familiar. The rescue center’s address.

  Her hand hovered over the paperwork for a second as she battled with her conscience. It was wrong to snoop. Piper knew that. Especially since it was important to Aiden to keep his business separate from his personal life. But hadn’t she come there to find out the truth? And if Holly was telling the truth, Aiden might not be forthright about it.

  She cared for Aiden, and wanted to trust him. But trust went both ways, and she found out that afternoon there were already things—major things—he’d kept from her. She’d vowed to protect the rescue dogs, she’d promised Marilyn, and that was what she was going to do.

  Flipping the folder open, she riffled through the forms. There were property assessments, graphs, contracts from builders. Finally, she came across conceptual drawings. Condos. Multi-level, sky-rise condos right where the Dachshund Rescue Center was. Just like Holly said.

  Piper’s legs gave out and she fell into the desk chair. Her stomach shriveled up like a raisin and she wanted to throw up. She’d trusted Aiden. She’d put her faith in him, relied on him, opened up, and let him into her life, and he took advantage of her. She felt a complete fool for it.

  That wasn’t the worst of it. If that was all, she could walk away angry, swearing and calling him every name in the book. But it wouldn’t be so easy, because deep down she knew how she really felt about him. To avoid the looks of pity in their eyes, she’d deny it to Addison, to Zoe, even to Colin, but every time she would call Aiden an asshole inside it would cut her, because underneath the nasty name-calling what she’d really mean was that she’d loved Aiden.