Piper Dreams: Dream it, Seize it, Live it. (Dreams Series Book 1)

by Duncan, Amélie S.

  My own joy in Brody’s embrace was short lived, as I suspected. When Frank descended, I felt Brody moving, leaving me alone and empty in his absence. I tensed my jaw and folded my arms. Though Jay had slipped back in next to me and got me to look down at the houses below as we descended. We touched ground in a different field to where we took off. When we finally landed, and the crew members came along to help, this time, it was Jay who helped me out of the basket.

  “That was remarkable,” Fiona gushed, as the group headed over to the tent where more drinks and snacks were available. Brody was already moving with Seren, leaving me staring after him. Once again, it was like I wasn’t even there. Or was I just a friend? Were these feelings only me? I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t want to go over to join them. There was a large van waiting to take us back to the first field. I decided to go there instead. I turned to Jay, who was patiently waiting for me.

  “Would you mind taking photos for me? I want to get back to the van,” I said.

  “If you’ll ride on my bike and be my date this evening,” he said giving me a crooked smile.

  I frowned at his blackmail, but that only made him show off more of his white teeth. “Fine.”

  “Alright,” he said and with a lift in his step he went back to the group. Now that was the reaction I was used to from men. Too bad I was getting too hung up on the one not giving it to me. I sat in the van and closed my eyes leaning my head against the window.

  The door opened. “Come on out. I’ve got you a plate of pastries and hot chocolate,” Seren said.

  “I’m not hungry,” I responded.

  “I didn’t ask you. Now get up, Piper,” Seren ordered.

  My brows went north, but I did follow her and sat on the ground by the van, eating in silence.

  “Okay. Brody is being a dick, but I hear you are going out with Jay tonight?” Seren asked.

  “I just agreed,” I replied. He told them already? His telling had me thinking he only wanted to show up to his friends. “I’ll probably cancel.”

  “Don’t,” Seren said. “It’s getting to Brody.”

  I stopped eating. “I don’t want to play childish games with Brody. He doesn’t like me, so I’m over it.”

  “Why are you lying? He’s scared. He was burned hard, by his ex. So much so he doesn’t want to get close to anyone and hasn’t,” she explained.

  “He doesn’t have to get close to me. I’m only here for a short time,” I responded.

  “So are we all. It doesn’t mean we have to stop living and enjoying ourselves,” Seren said. “Let’s have fun tonight. When we get to the lodge. Let’s get dressed up. Riley has her tattoo kit with her. What do you think about temporary tattoos?”

  “What about tattoos?” Riley said on approach.

  “Put some on Piper for tonight,” Seren said.

  “Alright,” Riley agreed.

  I plastered on a smile. “Okay.”

  We got in the van. The rest of the group joined us, and we were driven back to the bikes. When we got there, I walked over to where Jay stood with his and climbed on the back. He took my hands and moved them over his chest down to his abs. When he tried to get my hands to go lower to his junk, I snatched them away.

  “Can’t blame a man for trying,” he said.

  I heard Brody’s bike start and peel off down the road. The rest of us moved on out. I was forced to hold on tighter to Jay as he moved fast down the motorway. Although we were the last to arrive at Green Forest Lodge. It was a little village of pine cabins. He parked at the registration office, I asked for a single room and was shocked at the prices. Nevertheless, I paid for it on my ever-depleting debit card and walked out.

  “Jay and I are going to shoot pool. I don’t know where Brody wandered off too,” Zack said.

  “Not before you get our stuff to our cabin,” Riley said.

  “Doc and I are going for some rest,” Fiona announced. “See you tonight for dinner and drinks.”

  “We’re giving Piper a biker makeover. We’re in room 304 if you want to come by around five,” Seren broadcasted before she disappeared into the caravan.

  “I want to do some shopping, but I’ll see you all tonight,” Fiona said.

  “I’ll meet you at your cabin soon. See you all tonight.” I waved a goodbye and went to leave, but Jay stepped in my path, blocking it. “See you tonight,” I repeated.

  Jay rubbed his hands together. “I can hardly wait, date.”

  I LOOKED AWAY, collected my things from the caravan and went down the wood chipped path to the row of cabins where my room was located. The exterior gave the appearance of an old-fashioned log cabin, but with modern touches such as a bay windows and highly decorated doors. Mine was on the end. Room number 114. The room was a bit more expensive because it had a private bath. A luxury I’d decided was worth splurging on. I opened the door and took off my shoes, then walked over to the full-size bed and laid down on it. I purred. Soft mattress. So much better than the campground air mattress. That was roughing it. Then again, Gilmore mentioned global journalists slept in doorways if the situation called for it. Well hmm. I suppose I would do it if I needed to, but tonight I didn’t. I could take a limitless, hot water shower and sleep in a warm bed. The low lights coming from the windows in the room were inviting. The décor was a natural, open design. Nothing in there was too cluttered, loud, or busy. Perfect for peace. Besides the bed and neutral bedding, there was a small table with a flat screen television and one leather chair with a small wooden bookcase. A couple of medium sized framed photos of nature scenes and that was it. It was perfect.

  Nonetheless, I needed to do some laundry. I groaned as I got up, unloaded my dirty clothes from my suitcase and set off to the end of the row where there was a laundry room. I sat there with my laptop and wrote about the ride. Sadness had seeped into my writing, which surprised me. I closed my eyes. I was hung up on Brody. I’d barely spent any time with him, but he was stuck in my mind. It was the times I had spent under his attention and care that had me wanting more and dreaming of what it would be like to have it, like Seren, all the time. I blew out my breath. No matter what she told me, he was hers, and that was how he wanted it to be.

  Once the laundry was done, I loaded up my stuff and went back to my room. I took a minute to inhale the clean fabrics before repacking then walked to the bathroom and took an as-long-as-I-liked shower. I then took a picture of the room, and sent it to Jorge before setting my alarm to rest with a 4:30 p.m. wake up for our night out.

  I woke right before the alert and dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a loose fitting t-shirt since I was getting temporary tattoos. I always thought about getting one. My mother had one that said she was the property of my father, but Royce paid to have that removed when they were dating. Royce, my insides cringed. I didn’t want to go there. Picking up my purse, I put some makeup in it before leaving the room and heading over to Seren and Brody’s cabin. I knocked, and to my surprise, Brody answered the door.

  “I’m here for Seren,” I mumbled, looking past him into the room. And what a room. This one had a natural theme like mine, but with a rustic and modern living room with leather couches and chairs and a stone fireplace. Wow. I heard Seren’s voice, just as Brody said from behind me, “She’s in the first bedroom straight ahead, with Riley.”

  “Thanks,” I said, proud of making it past without getting caught up in ogling him. When I got to the bedroom, I saw Seren was lying across the bed, and Riley was adding to a vibrant floral cluster already on her back.

  “Hey, Piper is here,” Seren said.

  I walked in and closed the door. “That’s beautiful. Did you do the whole thing?” I asked Riley.

  She nodded. “I did the one on Brody’s arms and a couple on Zack. One, I’m not sure you saw on dipping night.”

  “Come and have a seat,” Riley said.

  “Have you thought about what you want? How about a tramp stamp?” Seren asked.

  “How about not,” I said an
d folded my arms as I sat down on the bed.

  Seren tried to move, but Riley scolded her to stay in place. “It doesn’t mean you’re one, and so what. We don’t slut shame. I’m getting one tonight. We can match.”

  “Hell, I got one permanently. Cole did it. These men love ink. Cole has shops. That’s how we met,” Riley said, twisting around to show me the lower section of her back that was covered in delicate wings and flowers.

  “It’s beautiful, but I don’t think I have anything to wear to show them off,” I said as Riley started drawing on me.

  “I’ve got a leather skirt and top you can borrow. I had hoped to fit in again,” Seren said.

  Riley was studying her handiwork on Seren’s back. “You know I like this as it is, Seren. You can wear a halter top,” Riley said.

  Seren got up and went over to a floor-length mirror. “I agree. This is hot. Thanks, Riley.”

  Riley motioned for me to lie across the bed and I did. She gathered up my hair. “Ever thought about selling your hair? I’d love to make a wig out of it.”

  “I’d donate it,” I said.

  “Well, wait and see if we can grow you another inch or two; leave something for Jay to grab on to when he fucks you because, trust me, he’s good in bed,” Riley said as she folded up my shirt and I lowered my yoga pants.

  “You’ve slept with him?” I asked.

  “Sleeping wasn’t what we did, but yeah,” Riley said, matter of factly. “Threesome crossed off the bucket list.” She high fived Seren.

  Seren settled down on the bed with her back against the headboard and started painting her fingernails. “We aren’t the kind to wait around. Seize the day and shit. You want to enjoy life; cut the bullshit and games and have fun,” Seren added.

  Her words were wise, but Jay sounded like a manwhore and that definitely crossed off on any sexy times for me. Not that I was interested in having sex with him. Riley started etching on my back. It felt a bit weird, but it didn’t hurt.

  “She’s not fucking Jay. If she’s fucking, it’ll be Brody. Did you see the way he looked at Jay when Piper got on his bike?” Seren shook his head. “The poor man has no idea what to do with you.”

  “I don’t think so,” I mumbled.

  “Because of the skinny dipping night? That had more to do with my and Cole’s crazy ideas, roping Brody into caring because he was getting too hard, after what happened with his ex. Like I told you in the van, she was a bitch. He was working hard to try to keep her happy, but nothing was good enough for her. He was about ready to dump her before what happened,” Seren said and stopped speaking.

  I waited for her to continue, but she didn’t say anything more, so I asked. “What happened?”

  She covered her mouth and cursed. “Shit. It’s not my story to tell, just know Brody has lost a lot, and he’s not usually so conflicted. He’s actually a lovable sweetheart. Probably the sweetest heart I ever met, next to Cole,” Seren assured.

  “Yeah and that’s why he ended up with a bitch,” Riley said.

  I made a noise, and my face warmed.

  Riley giggled at me. “Hey. I’m not a bitch; I’m protective of my friends.”

  “I didn’t say anything,” I said, and she swatted my butt, and we all laughed.

  Once we stopped, Seren said. “He lost his sweetness. Cole thinks I can bring it back, but I’m not the one making that man smile. You were the first woman I saw him really look at and cause him to smile since I’ve been on the road with him. What do you think, Piper?”

  My lips parted. What I wanted to say was Brody hadn’t lost anything. He was sweet and brave, and I couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting him. But he wasn’t interested in anyone, including me. “You heard him. He’s not looking for a relationship and neither am I. I’m in college. He’s on the road.”

  “You could get him off the road,” Seren said. “What is your ultimate plan after college?”

  “I’m going to be a global journalist. I plan to travel the world and bring the stories to the masses,” I presented.

  “Can’t you do that now? What’s stopping you?” Seren asked.

  I puckered my brow. “A degree. A job. Life isn’t that simple.”

  “It can be. You can write and see the world without a degree. There must be more to it,” Riley said.

  I frowned. “Of course there is. With a degree, I could write for reputable magazines and expose injustice. I could make a difference.”

  “So you’re after fame,” Seren said sadly. “Well, there is nothing to compete with that. It’s something to be experienced. I’m out here for now because I’m seeking the experience, but honestly, I don’t want to stay forever. I want to have a home with love and kindness. Something I never had, I guess. I want to continue building my brand of bike wear and own a small shop, get married and have a little dog. The end.”

  “Sounds good. Me and Zack will leave L.A. and move next door to you, but we’ll need Fiona nearby to cook for us,” Riley said.

  “I’m hoping to find this experience is kind of like the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy went through her journey, and she discovered that the next time she would go looking for her heart’s desire she wouldn’t need to go any further than her backyard,” Seren said dreamily, blowing on her nails.

  We all went quiet. Riley continued to work on my tattoo, and I thought about what Seren had said. Was I seeking fame? I wanted to argue that she had it wrong. Hell, she was out here chasing dreams and experiences herself so who was she to criticize my desire to seek out experience and adventure. It didn’t stop me from imagining how nice it would be to settle down and have friends around. I hadn’t even discussed plans for after graduation with Jorge. If I went abroad for a story, what would I return to? Would he be married and moving on? Would it be the same? Even after these few days, I didn’t believe it would be so.

  “What I meant, was sometimes, you think the best and greatest part of life is far away, but sometimes they appear when you’re not looking. I wasn’t looking for anyone when I met Cole. I was out at a strip club watching out for my friend Vicky. Cole was there, all horny and silly with his Navy Seal buddies. He asked my friend Vicky for a lap dance, but I went back, instead. We fucked there; and like crazy, for a week. Best fucking week of my life. Hell, I’m still sore from that,” Seren said.

  “You still bragging about your fuck week. Try a month,” Riley proclaimed.

  “Now who’s bragging? He was a toe curler. You ever have a toe curler, Piper?” Seren asked.

  I shook my head.

  “Stay still or this will look ugly,” Riley scolded. “Her answer is no. What a shame. Jay will change that.”

  Seren shook her head. “Jay is too much of a slut. He’d have to get tested, like the rest of us and still I’d wait a while before going there. Did you ever get tested, Piper?”

  “Yes, at college there was a lot of talk about safe sex. Yes, I’m on the pill if that’s your next question,” I said.

  “It was,” Seren admitted. “Good, then Brody’s all set. You don’t have to sign up to forever, just make the both of you happy for now.”

  “I’m done,” Riley announced, and I sat up. She and Seren went through a bag and pulled out outfits for the night. She held out a leather bustier and addressed Seren. “Maybe this would be better?”

  Seren shook her head. “I’m flat chested now.” She looked at me and handed it over to me. “Piper should wear it. She’s got big perky tits like Fiona.” I blushed but went about removing my clothes to try it on. Riley tied the back in place.

  “Cole was going to get me implants if I wanted them, but I decided to skip them. They would just be another thing to bother with if the cancer comes back,” Seren half-lidded her eyes.

  I touched her arm, and Riley went and hugged her.

  Seren broke away and grinned. “Stop this, you two. I’m fine. Cole doesn’t care. He told me he’s a pussy and ass man.” She moved me over to the full-length mirror where I looked over at my tattoo. The pat
tern was a familiar tribal one.

  I groaned. “Riley, it looks like Brody’s.”

  “Sorry, Seren wanted me to put it there, but Jay won’t care,” Riley said pushing Jay again.

  “You his sex pimp now, Riley?” Seren asked and rolled her eyes.

  “Why not? You’re Brody’s,” Riley quipped.

  “Thank you, both, but I’m not sleeping with either one of them,” I declared.

  “Jay’s awfully persuasive,” Riley warned handing over a short skirt. “This will make both of them crazy.” I put it on, and Seren brushed and curled my hair. Riley put on more makeup than I ever wore. We all put on similar outfits. We were all leather and a lot of skin showing.

  “Won’t this all be too much for the lodge bar?” I asked.

  “There’s a bike fest a town over, and I saw a few coming in. There will be a few people dressed like this tonight,” Seren adjusted her long pink wig. “Anyway, I doubt you’ll even make it that far once Brody gets a good look.”

  I put on the loaner heels from Seren whose shoes were close to my size. “Jay is my date.”

  “The little devil,” Riley said amicably. “Seren is right though. Let yourself have some fun.

  Yeah, fun. I’ll do it. I told myself. Jay was nice, and he did like me. I could just ignore Brody and have fun tonight.

  We all finished getting dressed and walked out. Zack and Jay were sitting in the living room area. When they saw us, they both whistled.

  “Wow, you three look hot,” Zack said. They both looked good themselves, having changed into leathers and fitted muscle shirts; tattoo displaying wear, similar to ours.