Though she had no trouble telling Josh about the familial reasons for needing a stand-in date, Piper didnt mention Charlie. Josh knew that shed once dated Rebeccas current mayor, but Piper had downplayed the seriousness of the relationship. She was embarrassed that she, a modern independent woman, had been slowly altering everything from her work schedule to the way she wore her hair. It wasnt something she liked to think about, let alone discuss.
So. Josh cleared his throat. Youre really going to take some guy home with you?
If I can find one, she said as the waiter approached. He set their pizza on the table, and Josh distributed the first cheesy slices. They ate in silence, mulling over her situation. At least, she was mulling. For all she knew, Josh was checking out a cute waitress.
To some, asking Josh to accompany her might seem an obvious answer. Hed certainly been willing to do her favors in the pastfrom free labor on her car to late-night assassinations of Texas-size spiders in her apartment. But this was different. While Josh came across as a people person who could shoot the breeze with anyone, he was intensely private. Piper had watched more than one woman lose him after pressuring him to open up. A few days of Pipers meddling relatives interrogating him would doubtless be his idea of hell. Besides, how insensitive would she have to be to invite a man whod never had a real family to a large family reunion?
So, with Josh out of the question, who was she going to ask? Instead of eating with her usual gusto, she nibbled her food, thinking out loud. Most of the men I know are from work, and I cant ask any of them.
Josh nodded. They might misconstrue the invitation, and youd be in violation of the companys fraternization policy.
Plus she couldnt ask any of them for a huge favor when she wasnt exactly Ms. Popular at the office. She couldnt afford to chat in the break room when she was determined to prove herself, to get ahead in a field dominated by men. And she deliberately minimized any feminine assets, which some people had interpreted to mean she was aloof and hard. Though she and Josh had always gotten along professionally, they hadnt truly become friends until theyd run into each other in their buildings laundry room.
You know any nice guys? she asked.
I keep in touch with a few frat brothers from college, but Im having trouble picturing you with anyone I once watched do a keg stand, then throw up on the front steps.
What about that guy you coach softball with every spring? Adam?
Josh worked with kids from underprivileged neighborhoods from March to June, and Piper had met Joshs co-coach during last years district playoffs. Good-looking man, but she and Josh had agreed never to date each others friends after an awkward situation when hed broken up with one of Pipers former college classmatesanother casualty of the Joshua Weber charm. Piper really pitied those women.
An unexpected thought struck her. Sure, she pitied them now, but how would she feel toward his dates if he ever showed a real attachment to one of them? Her stomach churned, but she told herself it was just the stress of her reunion predicament, nothing more.
Adam would actually be a great choice for you to take to your parents, Josh agreed, but hes in Vancouver on an extended business trip until after Halloween. Besides, what would I say? You remember my friend Pipershe needs a fake boyfriend.
I have to find someone. She sat back, staring blankly across the table.
What would happen if she just told her family the truththat she was single and liked it that way? You know what would happen. Charlie. The man had blond, all-American good looks and had been born into Rebeccas top social level. Granted, Rebecca wasnt big enough to have many levels, but the point was, he was used to getting his way. Hed seemed more bemused than upset when shed broken their engagement, and she got the impression he was waiting for her to come to her senses.
Josh swallowed nervously. Exactly why are you looking at me like that?
Blinking, she chuckled at his wary tone. Relax. Im not asking you to come with me. I just needed a sympathetic ear.
He quickly replaced his guarded expression with a smile meant to be casual, but his relief was so palpable it was practically a third person in the booth. Hey, heres an idea, what about a man from the gym? Youre there every other morning. Youve gotta know some guys.
No, I spend most of my time with Gina. Or working out alone. I avoid eye contact with men so I dont end up trapped on the treadmill, fending off unoriginal lines like, Come here often?
I cant help but notice you avoid men most everywhere you go.
The last thing I expected from you is the Piper-needs-a-man speech. She drummed her fingers on the table. I get it from plenty of other people.
Sorry, I didnt mean to imply that. You definitely dont need a guy. Youre the most together woman I know. He flashed a wicked smile. And I know lots of women.
She rolled her eyes.
Give me something to work with, he prompted. What did you tell your mom about this mystery man?
I told her he had dark hair
Good. Thousands of guys must have dark hair.
and that he was tall
He laughed. Compared to you, everyones tall.
and I said he had green eyes. As the words left her mouth, she realized Josh had green eyes. Deep, forest-green with flecks of shimmering gold.
Not that shed paid much attention.
Hating the sudden warmth in her cheeks, she blurted, I think green naturally sprang to mind because my own eyes are green.
Yours are blue.
Blue-green. She ducked her head. Close enough.
Okay, maybe she had subconsciously described a man who bore a slight, vague, infinitesimal resemblance to Josh. Made sense. He was the only guy she spent much time with.
It didnt mean anything. Yet her pulse refused to resume its normal rate. She almost pressed a hand over her rapidly beating heart, willing it to slow. After two years of observation, Piper knew that any woman foolish enough to let Josh affect her heart ended up with a broken one.
JOSH WALKED ACROSS the nondescript industrial carpet of the main workroom at Callahan, Kagle & Munroe, absently acknowledging greetings from a couple of draftsmen at their respective drawing stations. But his attention this Wednesday morning wasnt really on any of his co-workersat least none of the male ones. He hadnt been able to focus his attention on work, either, which was why hed decided to get a soda from the vending machine, motivated more by the chance to stretch his legs than by thirst.
As he approached the break room in the back, he glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window that boasted an impressive view of Houstons skyline. Of course, it would be even more impressive without the ubiquitous road crews and bright yellow machinery below and the gray blanket of smog overhead.
Not smog, just cloud cover. He hoped his cranky mood was due to this being the third consecutive day of autumn drizzle. Because the only other explanation for the irritability that had plagued him since seeing Piper home last night was her dating dilemma.
Her dilemma, he reminded himself. Shed said flat out that she wasnt asking him to go with her, thank God. After the last twenty years of being on his own, Josh wasnt sure he could stomach a weekend of parents and cousins, aunts and uncles all wanting to get to know the man in Pipers life.
Piper would figure out something. She was a determined, resourceful woman. Too bad she was gorgeous, as well. Her intelligence and sense of humor made her entirely too likable, and when combined with the incredible body she tried to hide under severe work attire and baggy weekend clothes
Incredible body? He was not going there. Not now, not ever.
Except that lately, he had been. A lot. In the beginning of their unexpected friendship, her no-men oath and his own contrastingly busy love life had been a sufficient buffer, guaranteeing that neither of them would get any ideas about messing up their perfectly safe relationship. So what had changed? She still wasnt interested in romance in any form or fashion, and he stillCome to think of it, he hadnt been on as many dates lately. When had he slowed down?
Hed never intentionally set out to break Houston dating records, but it had only taken him a couple of breakups to realize he wasnt cut out for long-term relationships. The emotional distance that had helped protect him while being shuttled from one foster home to another didnt work well in romances, but the loner attitude that had been years in the making hadnt magically expired at age eighteen along with the states wardship.
Though women might be attracted to him, more than one had decided he wasnt worth sticking around for; he was too used to keeping his own counsel, too guarded for real intimacy. Maybe hed been hurt once or twice when a woman walked out on him, but he wasnt complaining about the way his life had turned out. As long as he kept his relationships casual enough that no one heard wedding bells, he could have plenty of fun.
But that fun did not and would never include Piper. Their friendship had sort of crept up on him, originally built on a few chance meetings at their apartment complex, some venting about work and a shared affection for baseball and action movies. He wouldnt do anything to jeopardize their friendshiplike hit on her.
Entering the break room, he reached for the spare change in his pants pocket, but froze when he realized he wasnt alone. Clearly, the universe was testing him. Piper stood in the otherwise empty room, bent at the waist and peering into a cabinet below the sink. The short caramel-colored jacket she wore had risen above her hips, and the matching slacks hugged her curves in a taunting way that left him struggling not to look at her caramel-covered backside.
Poor choice of words. The color she was wearing didnt really resemble a sweet, sticky dessert topping, he told himself. It was morewell, hell. Women always seemed to have twelve words to describe one color, but he couldnt think of anything but caramel and the thick, sugary taste it left on his tongue.
He wasnt sure if he made a sound or if shed just experienced that Im-not-alone-anymore feeling, but she straightened suddenly, glancing over her shoulder.
Josh! I didnt realize anyone was standing there. Hey, you dont happen to know where the extra coffee filters are, do you? I could have sworn they were in here.
Uhcoffee filters? No. No idea. No alternate locations sprang to his hormone-impaired mind, but he needed something to distract her from resuming her under-the-sink search. Lord help him if she bent over again. So, any new thoughts on how youre going to solve your problem?
She leaned against the counter, her smile rueful. You mean this weekend? Maybe. I think when I get home tonight, Ill call a few of the guys Ive dated here in the city. I might not leave a relationship with your finesse and have them come back begging for more, but I think Im still on speaking terms with everyone.
Oh. Even though he knew Piper had dated, the thought of her with a guy jolted him. Well, thatsgreat.
If one of them actually says yes, she said. I just hope it isnt Chase. I figure I might get desperate enough to ask him, but I wont be brokenhearted if he says no.
Chase? The only ex Josh remembered was Bobby. Or maybe it had been Rob. Definitely something in the Robert family.
Yeah, Chase is one of those people with a strangely apt name. He spent the duration of our very brief relationship trying to get in my Suddenly, Pipers expression changed. If he didnt know her and her forthright nature better, hed say she looked almost self-conscious. Well, you know what I mean.
Joshs eyes met hers, and he hoped like hell his expression held no sign of the thoughts hed been having so recently. Yeah. I know.
Neither of them seemed to have anything to add then, so they stood without speaking, gazes still locked. Though probably not even a full minute passed, the silence stretched on too long to be entirely comfortable.
Piper looked away, glancing at the empty coffeepot on the counter. I think Im just gonna grab a soda and get back to work.
He pulled the forgotten change out of his pocket. Me, too.
They both stepped toward the vending machine, then drew up short. Josh motioned with his hand, indicating that she should go firstmostly because it gave him a chance to regain his composure.
He was glad she was going away for the weekend. Maybe hed just been spending too much time with her lately. Maybe his dry spell had boggled his thinking and was the logical explanation for the effect Piper was having on him. Sure, that was probably it. And once he found a date for this weekend, and Piper spent some time out of town, Josh would be fine.
He just wished his jaw didnt clench involuntarily every time he thought about Piper spending those days cuddled up to some faceless guy from her past.
3
PIPER WAS DOOMED.
After several fruitless phone calls and a long shower Wednesday evening, she was ready to concede defeat. As shed rinsed shampoo from her hair, shed mentally cast about for a last-minute possibility, but the truth was, shed exhausted all her options. One ex hadnt remembered her, which had been a big ouch to the ego. Chase was busy this weekend, but seemed to think they should get together sometime soon and have sex. Robbie, her last hope and most amicable breakup, had happily informed her he was engaged. Apparently his fiancée would frown on the idea of his running away for the weekend with an old flame. Go figure.
I cant believe hes getting married next month. Has it really been that long since we split up?
Piper pulled on a pair of sweatpants, assuring herself that she didnt mind that her last date had been eons ago. She wasnt one for wasting time, and when you werent actually looking for a relationship, dating was pointless. Why should she suffer through those pauses in conversation, those realizations that the person seated across from her was never really going to get her, when shed rather be at home with her laptop and computer-assisted drafting software, getting ahead in her chosen career?
She supposed some people dated for companionship, but she had friends she could call on for company. Others might want dating for sex, but her experiences had left her convinced the whole thing was overrated. Pleasant, sure, but worth neither the awkwardness and risks of a casual affair nor the changes to her life to accommodate a relationship.
Maybe it was the guys shed been with. Maybe a more experienced guy who knew women better, like, for instance, J
I do not need sex, she informed her empty apartment and dead ficus tree.