AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ifshekeepsmakingsounds like this every time she eats something good, we’re going to have a problem.
That’s all I can think as Piper takes one bite of the French Dip in her hands and lets out a guttural moan.
“First the drink, now the food,” Seer observes, crossing her arms in front of us. “She sure knows how to flatter a girl.”
“Speaking of,” Piper says, completely ignoring the fact that I haven’t touched the plate of Mediterranean chicken in front of me. She holds up her empty glass.
“Another of the same?” Seer asks, and Piper shakes her head.
“Whatever you think will go best with this.” She points down to the sandwich in front of her, and Seer tilts her head.
“Any hard no’s?”
“Pineapple,” Piper replies, and I know there’s confusion on my face, as well as Seer’s, when she says “Allergic.”
“Noted.” And Seer steps away, pulling several things in front of her and working on a drink to go with Piper’s meal.
“I like her,” Piper muses, looking at me and grinning. “I mean, I know she’s your sister’s friend, but I may claim her too if she comes up with things like this.” She gestures down to the food and empty glass in front of her.
“Frannie will probably fight you for her.” She snorts, taking another bite of her food, and I finally dig into my own.
It’s refreshing, seeing her enjoying herself. Probably because, for the better part of a decade, I’ve been watching Olivia half-heartedly pick at kale salads and plain chicken. And don’t get me wrong, that fact is one of the only reasons I’m still in decent shape after this long, having shared in a lot of similar meals, but if growing up around José has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes the best things in life happen around a good meal and better company.
“I’ll be right back,” Piper says suddenly, breaking me out of my thoughts long enough to see her hop off her stool, grabbing her purse. She gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze before heading in the general direction of the restroom.
“You hurt her,” Seer mumbles as she sets down Piper’s drink and another Blue Moon in front of us, “and I’ll murder you myself.”
“Ditto, I’ll help Carla hide your body,” Chloe calls from her spot wiping down the bartop a few feet away. I fix them both with a look that I’m hoping portrays my 0% intention on ever hurting the woman with me, but Seer just raises her eyebrows.
“Need I remind you that she isn’t the first person we know that you’ve hooked up with?”
“We aren’t hooking up,” I choke out, having just taken a sip of my beer. It spills down my chin and I pick up a napkin, trying to mop up the mess.
“You and Savannah are - or, were,” Chloe says plainly, and my stunned silence makes her laugh. “You think she wouldn’t tell us?”
“I, uh,” is all I can manage.
“Shit.” Seer throws the rag she’s holding down on her workstation. “Speak of the fucking devil.” She’s peering over my shoulder, toward the staff entrance by the kitchen, and when I swivel in my seat, I see Savannah standing against the wall, arms crossed, craning her neck to see over the crowd starting to gather as José’s band finishes their first set. As fast as I turned, I’m back facing Seer in a second.
“Did you call her?” It comes out more accusatory than I mean, and she crosses her arms, too, raising her brows at me.
“No,Fitzwilliam, I didn’t call Savannah to tattle on you.”
“One of the girls up front may have called her,” Chloe offers. “She’s still pretty tight with most of them.”
I hadn’t considered that when we’d made it through the lobby, not a care in the world, earlier this evening. But the last thing I need on my first date with Piper is my sometimes-hookup making a scene. Sure, we’d set some boundaries from day one. But in this moment, I’m realizing I probably should have actually verbalized that we weren’t seeing each other any more - even if it was over text.
I move to get up from my seat, but Seer lunges forward and puts her hand on my forearm.
“Don’t,” she says, and tucks her hair behind her ear, looking genuinely concerned.
This close up, I notice something I hadn’t before. Nestled inside her ear is a hearing aid, nearly the exact color of her skin, so small I wouldn’t have seen it normally, but in this corner of the bar, the light is just right. Before I can ask her about it, she puts her bar key down on top of her rag.
“I’ll deal with this.” She turns on her heel and goes through the back of the bar, appearing a moment later near the staff entrance. I watch with Chloe as she approaches Savannah, who’s dressed like she just came from a much wilder night out than anyone would have in the chill vibe here.
Piper chooses that moment to emerge from the restroom hallway, and as she passes Seer and Savannah, I’m reminded just how short Seer is - it’s easy to forget, because honestly, she’s kind of terrifying. I’ve seen enough clips of her swinging a sword in a full renaissance gown to know not to fuck with the tiny bartender.
As Piper slides into the seat next to me, she looks between me and where the other two women stand on the other side of the room.
