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“Mmmm,” he said.
“Close enough,” I said, and we all laughed.
“Do you want some snacks?” Natalie asked him, and Piper pulled over the highchair so Natalie could put him down.
Piper set out his snacks on the tray and I dug into my sandwich.
“You want one?” Natalie asked her.
“I’ll make it myself. You’re off the clock,” Piper said, grabbing the bread.
“How did you get into your line of work?” I asked. I couldn’t remember exactly what her job title was. Oops. Brand…something.
“Well, I have a degree in marketing and advertising, and then got an MBA, so it was kind of a natural fit. My parents owned a hardware store when I was growing up, so I never really thought about anything other than having my own business. They’re retired now,” Piper said, keeping her eye on Preston so he didn’t shove all his snacks in his mouth at once.
No wonder she and Natalie had gotten along. They had a lot in common.
“How did you start doing your shell art?” she asked me.
“Um, my grandmother, actually. She collected so many shells and would make fun things out of them. She was a really talented painter, so she’d paint these little scenes on the insides of the shells. I have a whole box of them that I use for Christmas ornaments. She’d bring me with her when she’d go collecting, so it makes me think of her.”
She’d died when I was ten, and it was a struggle to remember what her voice sounded like sometimes, or the exact features of her face. Fortunately, I had plenty of pictures of the two of us together that I could pull out when I wanted to remember.
“That’s lovely,” Piper said, as Preston began to fuss for attention.
“Okay, yes, you are upset the conversation isn’t about you, we get it,” she said, picking him up out of the highchair and then feeding him the little puffed treats.
“I remember picking up shells with her,” Natalie said. Granny Margaret had loved Natalie. She’d take the two of us to the beach in her rusty old minivan that smelled like her perfume.
Natalie leaned in and gave me a kiss and I forgot that we were in someone else’s house.
Her eyes were sparkling when she pulled back and I knew that look. She wanted me.
I shoved the last of the sandwich in my mouth, even though it probably wasn’t cute. Natalie’s hand slid down my side, almost making me choke.
“Well, we should let you have your house back,” Natalie said, taking our plates to the dishwasher as I struggled to chew through a massive chunk of sandwich in my mouth.
“Thank you so much for letting us impose on you,” she said, as I finished swallowing at last.
“Seriously, really appreciate it,” I said.
“No problem. Let me know if you need to come again,” she said as Natalie started shoving our shit back in bags. Someone was in a hurry.
“I’ll see you on Monday,” Natalie said, going over to tickle Preston under his chin.
“Bye, Preston,” I said, waving to him.
“Bye bye!” he said in the cutest little voice as he waved to us.
Natalie hurled our stuff in the trunk of my car.
“Someone is in a hurry,” I said, amused.
“Sorry,” she said. “I just…I really want you right now.”
“Well, you can’t have me right now because I have to drive, so keep your hands to yourself,” I said.
“Are you sure you want me to do that?” she said, stroking her hand over her shorts.
“Jesus Christ, don’t do that unless you want me wrapping us around a tree.” Good thing I hadn’t turned the car on yet.
Natalie laughed. “I can be a good girl and wait.”
“I really wish it wouldn’t be totally inappropriate to fuck you in your employer’s driveway,” I said. Her excitement had ignited mine, and now all I could think about was getting my hands on her body.
“Yes, it would. So drive,” she said.
“I’m going to get you back for this,” I said, focusing every single cell of energy on the road so I didn’t think about what we’d be doing as soon as we got back to the cabin.
“I’m counting on it,” she said with a laugh.
