I stomp over and shut the window. After it’s secure, I turn to her. “Will you keep your voice down?”
“What? Are you afraid that everyone will know you’re still pining away for Tanner? Hate to be the one to break it to you . . . everyone’s aware.” She pushes herself off the bed and walks to the window.
“Now, who’s sneaking a peek?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Your tits are about to pop out. Seriously, since when do you dress so . . . revealing?”
My head tilts down, and I examine my dress. It’s cute—yellow, tight-fitting across the breasts, cinched at my waist, and then flares out until mid-thigh. Cocking my head, I can see what she’s talking about now. I’m usually a just-above-the-knee kind of girl. “I bought it yesterday. You don’t like it?” I ask defensively.
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It’s just more their style.”
Her head points to the outside, to Bayli and her friends.
“Don’t be upset. I get you want him to realize what he gave up, but I think you’re going about it wrong.”
“I did not get this dress for Tanner,” I say with false conviction.
Bea stands up and walks toward me. Taking my hands in hers, she fans them out to my sides. “You don’t need to look like a slut to grab his attention. I witnessed the whole sordid unfolding of the two of you out there. He only looked at your face until you backed away from an extremely loving hug, might I add. You should really be happy that Curtis wasn’t out there because everyone felt like they were intruding in your moment.”
“Bea?” I ask her to remain on task, which is impossible to accomplish sometimes.
“Yeah, right. So, Tanner likes this.” She drops my hands, and they flop to my sides. She shadows my body, which negates her point that Tanner only wants my mind. Seeing the confused expression splashed across my face, she laughs. “The whole you, Piper. He loves your sweet side, your smart side, your mad side—well, maybe not your angry side too much.” She shakes her head to focus. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure he loves the package you come in, but it’s not what sold him on you. So, take this ridiculous dress off, and be yourself. Once you’re comfortable, I pray it will help the tense atmosphere lingering overhead ever since Tanner walked through the door.” She giggles, going back toward the window. “And I’m mighty pissed I never met this Dylan previously.”
I laugh. “I knew you liked him.”
I point my finger at her, and she shakes her head before sneaking another peek.
“I lust him. Very different. Now, if I could just muster the confidence to say two words to him . . .”
Her honesty is refreshing, and I’m positive that I’m the only one who ever sees this caring side of her.
“He’s so sweet. Don’t let his bad-boy facade fool you. Under all those tattoos is a big heart.”
“Shit. Forget it then. I want the bad boy who is going to sneak me into the corner and finger me until I bite a chunk of flesh from his shoulder.”
“Bea!”
“I love getting a rise out of your innocent ways, but seriously, I’m not looking for some sappy clinger.” She sinks to the floor, propping up on her knees while staring outside.
“Number one, I’m not some innocent virgin coming back from confession. Number two, you need a little sap.”
I kneel down next to her by the window, and we look out like junior high girls spying on their crushes. I guess we aren’t too far from that analogy.
“I wish I had a picture to show you. Dylan has definitely changed over the past two years I’ve seen him.”
Bea’s interest is all on him in this moment. “Yeah, well, training for the Olympics has stepped Tanner up to a whole new level. I’m worried it’s gone to his head a smidge. Just do me a favor, Piper. Make him beg.”
She never turns her attention to me, and my shoulders slump from her assumption that I’ll forgive him.
“You don’t have to worry about me falling to my knees,” I say quietly.
Bea turns to me, taking my now melancholy self into account. “I wish I didn’t, but you can’t help it. If he comes after you, you’ll cave.” When I don’t respond, she places her hand on my shoulder. “I’m not saying it’s good or bad. It’s just the way it is. You love him, and if he loves you, you’ll need to forgive him.”
I don’t say anything. Instead, I stand up. “I should get back to Curtis.” I open my door to emerge out of the room.
“Piper,” she pleads.
But I double-time it down the stairs to get away. She’s right and we both know it.
But the question is, does Tanner know it?
By the time I walk through the door, Tanner’s already sitting down with Curtis, Dylan, and our dads. He’s leaned back into his patio chair with an ankle propped up on his knee, taking a long pull from his beer. I nibble on my cheek and walk over to the empty spot between the Tanner and Curtis. Since Dylan is on the other side of Curtis, I have no choice.
Turning my body, I cross my legs toward Curtis, ignoring my body’s reaction to Tanner’s gaze currently pinned on my back. I’m amazed that, after so many years, I can still sense them on me. The worst part is, I like it—strike that, I love it. I can’t help but enjoy the fact that Tanner is staring in my direction.
“So, Curtis,” Tanner begins.
My hands knot in my lap, worried what this conversation is going to bring.
“When do you take over your daddy’s company?” The disdain in his voice is easily heard.
Curtis offers his attention, grabbing my hand in the process. He leaves me with no choice but to swivel my chair to face Tanner. Tanner smiles before he notices Curtis’s hand entwined with mine. Raising his vision back to us, he cocks his jaw to the side and swipes his beer from the table.
“I will be joining him, not taking it over.”
Everyone quiets, and I concentrate on my leg bouncing up and down under the table.
Sitting up straighter, Tanner places his bottle down and rests his elbows on either side of his chair. “He doesn’t trust you with it?”
“Tan,” Dylan interrupts.
Tanner disregards him with a hand in the air.
“That’s not it. When my dad retires, it’s ours.” Curtis releases my hand and mimics Tanner’s poised position on the edge of his seat.
My leg bobs faster.
“Ours?” Tanner questions.
I unscrew the cap to my water, guzzling the coolness down my dry throat.
“My brother and me. We’ll be partners,” Curtis clarifies.
Tanner chuckles. “Oh, I thought you might be talking about you and Piper.”
I almost spit out the sip of water I was about to swallow.
“You okay there, Piper?” Tanner draws his attention back to me.
I nod, attempting to swallow the water before it lands on the table.
“How did you two meet anyway?”
“At a charity event.” Curtis straightens his back, proud of his family’s work with numerous charities.
“How generous. All dressed up in your tux, and I’m positive Piper was a knockout in some expensive gown.” Tanner’s eyes don’t waver from mine.
“Well, no. Piper was working the event. She was the coat-check girl.”
My eyelids fall, and my shoulders slump from his admission.
“Oh.” Tanner chuckles. “Coat-check girl?”
He looks at me, and I bite my lip, my nerves frazzled from the complete embarrassment.
Then, Tanner’s hand covers my knee under the table, stopping it from shaking up and down. With one squeeze of his hand, my knee halts bouncing. I should stop him. Curtis could notice, or worse, he could touch my leg at the same time. The feel of Tanner’s hand on my skin is more than I can bear, and damn, I wish he’d venture further up my leg.
“How cliché. Rich boy saves worker girl,” Tanner says.
As good as his hand felt a second ago, it’s like scolding hot water burning my skin.
“Screw you, Tanner,” I whisper.
“Damn, Tanner,” Dylan remarks, shaking his head.
Not wanting any of this drama, I stand up, Tanner’s hand falling off my thigh. Resorting to childish behavior, I disappear past the side of the house to come to grips with what he said.