Any Way You Slice It
Page 15
Chapter 13
Unfortunately, I still had to be up and in the kitchen at two the next morning. Business as usual. An apologetic and hung-over Lucy arrived about fifteen minutes late.
“I’m so sorry.” She looked like she had dressed herself in the car.
“It’s fine Lucy. I’m glad you enjoyed the party.”
“Too much, I think. You were the model of restraint, though, thank goodness. One of us needs her wits about them.”
“Coffee is brewed. Go get a double.”
She filled her mug. Mine was already half gone.
For a while, we worked in silence. I was on the pastry and she was on the fillings. I’d chosen our simplest fillings for today. No need to get too fancy. A bacon & egg pie, meat of course, spinach and feta, chicken and asparagus, and beef, bacon, and cheese. The dessert pie was apple. Lucy and I were a well-oiled machine. We each knew what needed to be done and we did it.
“So,” she said. “You and Aaron? He looks smitten.”
This was awkward. I didn’t like lying to my friends. “I guess. You know, I’m not really very good at talking about this stuff.”
“What’s there to talk about? The hot guy likes you.”
I shook my head. Maybe I was overcomplicating things. People in my life seemed to have no trouble believing that Aaron could actually like me for real, and wasn’t that the idea? It needed to be believable for the government, and I guess it was. Even Aaron’s family, mother excluded, seemed to buy it.
At that moment, Aaron appeared in the doorway. “Do I smell coffee?”
“Well, hello, Handsome,” said Lucy. “Where did you come from?”
He pointed to the roof as he strode towards the caffeine. “How can you girls be up and bright-eyed after last night?”
“My eyes aren’t so bright,” Lucy responded.
“I held back.” I straightened my shoulders for the full effect. “High on life and all that. Although I think I might need an afternoon nap.”
He walked over and kissed me on the head. “You have certainly earned one.”
I felt self-conscious with Lucy watching us, but it also felt very real having Aaron here, fawning over me.
“It sure smells good in here. All that pastry and bacon.”
“You want a bacon and egg pie for the road? It’s the breakfast of champions. Well, Australian champions anyway.”
“Sure thing. I’m happy to be an Australian for the morning.” He grinned at me, taking the warm pie from me, his fingers brushing mine. “I’m going to need to add more exercise to my routine thanks to your amazing cooking.”
“No need to panic yet. You still look pretty good to me,” I said. Across the room Lucy gave a vigorous nod of agreement.
“Why, thank you.” He took a bite of the pie and sighed. “No wonder they want your business. These are fantastic. Speaking of food, you’re bound to hit a wall later, so come to my place and I’ll make you dinner.”
“And he cooks,” Lucy sighed from across the room.
“I have a couple of dishes that I’m not too bad at. Let’s not exaggerate my skills. Italian or Asian?”
“Italian.” Comfort food was definitely in order.
“Italian it is.” He scarfed down the rest of his pie and chugged his coffee. “Okay, I better head home and get ready to face the world. I’ll have a look through those papers.”
“No rush. My lawyer is checking them out, too.”
He leaned in and gave me a slow kiss. He tasted like bacon and coffee. Not bad.
“Have a great day, Piper. See you later, Lucy.” He called out over his shoulder.
I stood there for a minute. I was losing track of what was real and what was imagined again. That kiss felt very real. Parts of my body had melted as a result. It was six in the morning. No one had ever kissed me at six in the morning and turned me into a puddle. We were going to have to have a boundary discussion before we went to Vegas or I was going to be in a world of heartache in the not-too-distant future. Then again, maybe that was unavoidable.
After I finished for the day, I poured myself a cool drink and read through the pre-nup. I figured we were two days from Vegas and if the paperwork needed altering then I should get on it. First, I read the agreement Aaron had written for himself. It gave him none of my anything unless we were married ten years. As I currently had a truckload of debt, that seemed like a smart choice.
We wouldn’t be married in ten years so that seemed logical.
Next, I read the pre-nup he had written for me. There was no way I could sign it. What the heck was he thinking? It was nuts. He was giving me way too much. It was ridiculous.
This was another discussion we would need to have over dinner.
I was heading out my front door when I heard a familiar voice.
“Going somewhere?”
It was none of Opheilia’s business. I wondered how she’d found me until I remembered that I lived at the business address. Not exactly much snooping required. “Can I help you?”
“I know you think you love Aaron, but you’re going to get your heart broken,” she warned. Although it felt more like a threat than a warning. Her stare was icy and her heels were so high she could have stabbed me with one of those spikes, had she been so inclined. I felt small in my jeans and sweatshirt but despite that, I steeled myself for confrontation. She could say what she liked but I wasn’t going to let her intimidate me.
“What business is it of yours?”
“I’m simply giving you some advice as Aaron’s friend.” The word friend was given special emphasis.
She looked so sad, and I could tell she really loved him. I felt sorry for her. “Well, thanks for letting me know. I think I’m going to take my chances.”
As I turned to walk away she grabbed me by the arm. “You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe, but as I said I’ll take my chances. And so that you know, I already know about you two. I know you’ve been a little more than just friends.”
She looked appalled that he had told me.
“And I think, regardless of what happens between Aaron and I, you need to make a clean break from him, for your own sake not mine.”
That was the truth. She wasn’t going to leave her husband, and even if she did, Aaron didn’t want her. She needed to let go. I hoped this would be the end of it.
I turned and walked away. She was as tragic and beautiful as her name.