“Come on,” he said, standing and pulling her up by her outstretched hands. “It’ll be next Wednesday night before you know it. I’ll be honking the horn outside your house and we’ll be on our way back here.” Bobby poked his head back through the screen door and called a goodbye to Betty who was drying the dishes and humming a song.
“Bye kids, drive safe.” Betty walked out on the porch as they got into Bobby’s big red truck and waved at them as she always did. Piper loved that about Betty. She loved that she stood on the threshold of her house and waved all of them off every time they left.
There was something so comforting about knowing no matter how many times you looked back she’d still be there. She’d stand with her dishrag draped over her shoulder waving her hand and smiling until you were out of sight. Piper felt like she had waited her whole life for gestures like that.
Being a passenger in Bobby’s truck was oddly exciting. It was an antique but so comfortable and well-kept that you’d never know how old it really was. It was nice not to have to navigate the dark country roads, and to simply sit back and watch the world go by. They usually talked about how work was going for both of them, how much of an idiot Scott was that night, and occasionally about Betty and Stan. Piper had learned their love story was one you might see in a movie. Bobby painted them as the perfect parents and fiercely loyal to each other. He had mentioned on more than one occasion that he would never settle for a relationship that was less than what Betty and Stan had.
“So I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Bobby started timidly, and Piper could tell he was feeling a little awkward about his question. “Did Jules give you the same speech about how we have her blessing if anything should happen between us?” Bobby looked straight ahead, focusing on the road.
“She did. It was strange and uncomfortable but very sweet. Don’t worry though, I told her nothing was going to happen.” Piper was desperate to move on from this conversation. She hated any deep discussion that didn’t come with an exit strategy, unless she considered diving out of a moving truck an acceptable form of ending a chat. She knew everything she had been doing over the past weeks was playing with fire. She couldn’t go around blending herself into this peculiar but delightful group without them wanting more from her. And she couldn’t go around swinging on a porch swing week after week with a gorgeous cop and not think he’d expect something to come of it.
“Well that’s not completely true. We kissed.” Bobby felt a small pang of disappointment at Piper’s reaction. He had hoped this conversation might be a jumping off point for something more.
“That wasn’t really a kiss. It was a thank you between friends. It didn’t mean anything. It was how you would kiss your grandmother for goodness sake.”
“I guess the next time I kiss you I better not leave any doubt about my intentions then,” he smiled unapologetically at her.
“There isn’t going to be a next time. I’m not sure how to put this so bear with me while I think of the right way to say it.” She bit her lip and searched out her window, hoping maybe the right words would be painted on the passing trees.
When Piper remained silent for several moments, Bobby spoke up. “You’re very beautiful when you’re speechless. Let me see if I can help you. Are you dating that lawyer guy you’re doing all that research for? Because that won’t stop me from pursuing you. I’m not above stealing another guy’s girl,” Bobby said with a forced seriousness that broke into a smile.
“No, Michael and I are barely even friends. We’re more like acquaintances. That isn’t it at all.” She looked down at her lap still searching for the right words to say. She fiddled nervously with her hands until Bobby reached over to hold one.
He intertwined his fingers with hers, and she was taken aback by how warm and large his hand felt. Her hands were always cold regardless of the outside temperature. It seemed to be ages since she had felt the warmth of another person in this intimate way. She let the comfort and connection of his hand take over for a moment before realizing what she had to do. She pulled her hand away and began to speak.
“I’m not even a whole person, Bobby. I’m no Betty to your Stan. There are some girls out there who are worth the fight and the hard work, but you’re going to have to trust me when I tell you that I’m not one of them.” She had her hands back in her lap now and stared down at them. It had only been a minute and she already missed the feeling of his hand enveloping hers.
“I’m a pretty insightful guy, Piper. By now I’ve realized that you don’t talk about your past. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve stopped asking. I can see that you’ve got some history that maybe you’re still dealing with. That doesn’t make you some damaged girl unworthy of a relationship.” Bobby pulled the truck up to the front of Piper’s house. The thought of the conversation ending was relieving to Piper and disappointing to Bobby. She pushed open her car door instead of waiting for Bobby to come around and do it for her as he usually did, another gesture she had always imagined but never expected. Before she could hit the first step of her apartment she heard Bobby following behind.
“Bobby, I know you have this whole hero complex thing, and you probably see me as this great cause you can work on. I don’t need that right now. I need a friend, and you, Jules, and Betty have been wonderful. That’s all I have room for at the moment.” She fumbled for her front door key as she climbed the stairs, not looking over her shoulder to see his reaction or if he was following her. He certainly was.
They were both at the top of the stairs now, her keys in hand and her forehead pressed against the door in frustration. He turned her around to face him and pulled her chin up so he could look into her eyes.
“I’m going to kiss you right now unless you explicitly tell me not to.” He paused, and Piper was frantically searching for the words to tell him to stop, but none came.
Bobby leaned in and kissed her, hesitating slightly as if he were afraid to scare her off. After a moment of passively fighting it, Piper parted her lips, inviting him to kiss her passionately. Bobby’s warm hand was resting softly on her cheek. His tongue danced lightly across her lips. He used his free hand to pull her body up against his and she felt herself shake with passion. It didn’t matter how many times she had touched him over the last few weeks she was always surprised by the tightness of his muscles and the width of his shoulders.
Time seemed to cease, until the sound of a honking car somewhere in the distance freed them both from the trance. As their lips moved away from each other’s, their foreheads came together, and Bobby looked into Piper’s eyes, searching for a reaction.
Her face read only stunned. She was surprised at how magical the moment felt, how she had made it all the way into her twenties without ever feeling anything like that before. She was even more surprised that she had let it happen. Bobby kissed her cheek, tucked her frazzled brown hair behind her ear and leaned in to whisper to her, “That was no Grandma kiss.” He took the keys from her hand, unlocked her door, and swung it open. Piper, who was still reeling from the kiss, felt his hand on the small of her back as he nudged her in. For a moment she thought he’d be joining her and the kiss would be only a gateway to a night of passion. But in true gentlemanly fashion, he nodded and winked as he turned back toward the street, pulling the door closed between them.
It took another long minute before she could will herself to move toward the window to watch his taillights as he pulled away. She had kissed and been kissed by men in the past, but none had ever felt so breathtaking. She could still taste the mint of his gum on her lips and smell his fresh, soapy skin. She knew now that she felt something for Bobby that she had never experienced before, and it meant one of two things. Either she’d have to let him in or push him away. Both options seemed suffocating.
Chapter Ten
Piper opened her eyes wide as she brushed mascara across her lashes. It had been so long since she had gone through the entire process of getting herself made-up. She had to dig deep
into her closet to find something edgy enough to wear on a date with Sean. This method of preparation even required a trip to the store for additional makeup supplies and perfume, two things she had almost completely stopped buying years ago. As the picture of her primped self started to come together in the mirror, Piper began feeling warm with excitement. The thought of a date with Sean was repulsive, but the act of getting ready for an evening that didn’t include sweatpants or flip-flops was a little enticing.
The problem was, as hard as she tried to force the memory of her kiss with Bobby out of her head, it continued to creep its way back in again and again. She spread her ruby red gloss across her lips and all she could think about was how nice it would have been for this date to be with Bobby tonight. How he would come to her door with flowers and be floored by how beautiful she looked. She wouldn’t need to wear this black cocktail dress, just something simple. She would feel his eyes on the curve of her hips and his hand on the small of her back as he walked her to his truck and opened the door. They’d have a romantic picnic under the stars somewhere so quiet it teetered on spooky, because Bobby knew her well enough to know that was what would make her happiest, not drinks in some overcrowded noisy bar.
When she was finally done getting ready, Piper stood in front of her full-length mirror and reviewed her handiwork. Her thick hair, which she usually let air dry, was silky and full of volume thanks to forty-five minutes of blow drying with a giant round brush. Her dress was cut low, and it hugged tight to her waist. Piper’s modesty would never allow her to admit it, but she did have the figure for perfectly showcasing a snug fitting dress.
As she walked the ten blocks to the restaurant in heels, she realized this would be daunting to most people in Edenville. People hardly walked anywhere in this town if they didn’t have to. For Piper, however, her whole life had been spent walking the streets of Brooklyn. Her parents never owned a car, and Piper avoided public transportation as often as possible. As a result, she frequently found herself walking miles to her destination. She thought it very funny that she had a car and a driver’s license now. It had all been included in her relocation. The fact that she never took a driving class, passed the necessary test, or had even been behind the wheel, didn’t seem to matter to anyone. Those types of details fall through the cracks when you’re handed a prefabricated new life. She had taught herself to drive in the parking lot of a closed supermarket. It took three weeks before she was willing to venture out onto the streets, but, even now, she walked whenever possible.
Walking in Edenville was so different than walking in Brooklyn. In Edenville, there were no herds of people moving like cattle. You didn’t have to jump to avoid oily puddles loaded with floating cigarette butts. There were no homeless people to step over and passively ignore. Edenville had charm, but Brooklyn had character, and Piper knew there was a big distinction. You could search all of Edenville and still probably not be able to find a group of people to represent every race, creed, and religion whereas in Brooklyn you could find it all walking down the street. No matter what time of night, you could get any type of food you wanted in Brooklyn. A Viennese deli, a food truck, an upscale restaurant—they were all just steps away from each other. For Piper, Brooklyn was full of toxic memories, but they were the only ones she had.
The contrast between New York and Edenville was most glaring in some of the simplest scenarios. Piper would watch a school bus stop every hundred feet in Edenville to gather up children of all ages. Back in Brooklyn once you reached middle school, there were no school buses to transport you. Students ventured out onto the subway, walked, or hopped three or four different bus routes to bravely make their way to school, unaccompanied and trying hard to appear unafraid.
The tallest building in Edenville was the bank, standing three stories high. In Manhattan, where Piper would escape to as often as possible, she’d get vertigo just by staring up at the enormous structures that towered over the busy streets. As a child, Piper’s favorite thing to do was ride the elevators up the highest buildings and stare out the large glass windows at the skyline of New York. There was no shortage of differences between the two places she had lived, but Edenville had one thing New York didn’t—Bobby. She let herself smile slightly at the thought of him, and replayed in her mind for the hundredth time, the kiss they had shared.
Pulling the door to the restaurant open Piper pushed out the thoughts of her past and Bobby. She took a seat at the bar and started to refocus on what her goal was tonight. She was going to attempt to determine through which avenue it would be best to annihilate the judge’s relationship with the Donavans. Would it be Christian’s wife? Would it be his family? She might not get everything she needed from Sean tonight, but even the most general conversation could open up a new door for her to explore.
It was now a full thirty minutes past the time Sean was supposed to arrive and Piper was getting annoyed as she sat looking quite pathetic at the bar. Finally, after telling herself she’d give him five more minutes, the door swung open and in walked Sean. He was wearing dark denim jeans that were a few sizes too big and hung low around his waist, not so low that he could be an extra in a rap video, but low enough to look ridiculous as far as Piper was concerned.
He had on the same green button-up shirt she had seen him in just days before, but now, thankfully, it was buttoned. His hair was combed back and greased in true mafia fashion. She hated that he was good-looking; that she had even the slightest attraction to him infuriated her. The muddled chatter around the bar subsided for a moment as patrons watched Sean approach. When he sidled up next to Piper, conversations quickly resumed, though Piper could now feel a dozen pair of eyes on her.
Sean leaned in toward her and kissed her cheek, lingering for a moment to smell her hair. He pulled out his stool and sat down beside her, looking her over from top to bottom. “Damn girl, you clean up nice.” As a true New Yorker herself, Piper was annoyed by Sean’s attempts to sound like anyone other than the Southern-born kid he was. He tried hard to hide his drawl and speak like one of the Italian tough guys you’d see outside of the bakeries in Brooklyn. He did a terrible job at it, and every word grated on her nerves.
He flagged the bartender down, which wasn’t hard as he seemed eager to serve in a moment’s notice. “Hey Chuck,” he said as the two shook hands across the bar. Piper could read an air of anxiety on the bartender’s face.
“Hey Sean, how’s things going?” Chuck asked, stumbling slightly on his words. “What can I get you two to drink tonight? On the house, of course.” He stood wringing his towel in his hands nervously.
“I’ll have the usual, and she’ll have a seven and ginger,” Sean said, not even looking at the bartender. His eyes were locked on Piper’s body, and he grinned like a child who had found an extra toy in his happy meal. Piper ignored the fact that he hadn’t actually asked her what she’d like to drink. That didn’t really matter, because if she’d had her choice it would have been a root beer. She hated the taste of alcohol and usually struggled to pick a drink for herself.
“Great guess. That’s one of my favorite drinks,” Piper giggled, batting her mascara-laden eyelashes.
“So since I guessed right, does that mean I get a prize? Maybe we should drink these fast and get out of here.” Sean put his cold, clammy hand on her thigh just under the hem line of her dress. It was incredible to her how two hands could feel so different. The night before, Bobby’s hands were warm and comforting, and tonight Sean’s hands felt intrusive and dirty.
“Maybe I gave you the wrong impression over at your house,” Piper explained, trying to slow the night down a bit. “I think you’re a cool guy, and I’m glad we’re out having drinks, but I don’t even really know you. Let’s at least talk a bit before we take this any further.”
Sean rolled his eyes and grabbed for his beer the bartender had just put down in front of him. “I knew you weren’t going to be as easy as I hoped.” He rolled his eyes and took a swig of his beer with his f
ree hand, the other still planted on her leg. “Fine, what do you want to know about me? Bring on the stupid chitchat.”
“I guess my questions changed the minute you walked in here tonight, because originally I did want to ask you some dreary questions about your favorite movies, but not anymore.” Piper leaned in and looked into his eyes, talking barely above a whisper in an effort to seem more seductive. “Now what I really want to know is why the whole bar got quiet when you walked in, why everyone seems a little nervous you’re here, and why you drink for free in one of the only decent bars in this town. I could give a shit what your favorite movie is now; all I want to know is who the hell I’m sitting with here.” She knew what this would do to a man like Sean. She knew making him feel important and bolstering his ego would put him in the mood to talk.
“You’re a very observant girl, aren’t you? I’m guessing you’re not from Edenville because you’d already know plenty about me. If you were smart you’d’ve asked around before coming out tonight.” His finger danced in a circled on the top of her thigh and under her dress as he flashed a devilish grin.
“And what would I have heard, exactly? I don’t tend to listen to rumors much. I like to get my information right from the source.” She slowly reached across and fixed the corner of his collar that was sticking up slightly. She did this partially because she thought it would be a sexy gesture and partially because it was annoying the hell out of her.
“I come from a very important family in this town. We have a lot of history, here. My dad was a businessman until he died five years ago. My older brother and I, we’ve picked up where he left off. Don’t bother asking me what kind of business, you don’t want to know.” He threw his beer back, took another mouthful, and it reminded Piper she hadn’t even sipped her drink yet. She reached for it, pulled some up through the tiny straw and used all of her willpower not to wince.
Chasing Justice Page 9
