“Yes, well, you see, Rachel, Trevor and I are honest with each other. He had full permission to explore his options, as did I, before we agreed to a more serious arrangement.”
Rachel’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, she stood there looking like a fish that had flailed off the hook and now flopped on the dock.
Open, close. Open, close. He’d never seen her speechless. He should be recording this, because Sebastian and Zack would never believe it.
“I see you’re struggling to find the words, and since you are, I have a few of my own. First, how tacky of you to even bring up that weekend.” Piper waved a dismissive hand in the air and continued. “Now, luckily, I’m not a jealous woman. I know what I have to offer, and Trevor can decide for himself if it’s worth a lifetime. And as hard as you may find it to understand, despite the buffet of women Trevor has enjoyed in the past, he willingly traded those opportunities in for a chance to pursue me. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I hate to be rude to the other guests.”
Trevor spent his whole career needing to know just what to say and when to say it, but in that moment, it wasn’t all on him anymore. It was okay that he didn’t have the right words because with Piper on his team, she had his back and together they were unstoppable.
He gladly followed Piper as she led him to the sliders and onto the deck.
“Hello!” she said cheerfully.
“Hi,” Trevor said as he followed her through the door.
“Well, we were wondering where the lovebirds got off to,” Davidson said on a laugh. “We thought we were going to have to send search and rescue.”
Piper wrapped her arm around Trevor’s waist and snuggled in. “With the way you keep him wheeling and dealing, I have to take my time when I can. Not that I’m complaining. As a matter of fact, I’m looking forward to the next few days.”
“I appreciate your enthusiasm,” Davidson said as he flipped the steaks on the grill. “Let’s see if you still feel that way when you see what we have in store for you.” He punctuated the words by pointing his tongs at her.
“Bring it,” she said with a challenging smile.
He closed the lid and handed out a schedule. Trevor leaned over her and scanned the words.
“The Newlywed Game?” Trevor said.
“You got it. Time to see how much you all really know about each other.”
This had to be the longest shots of long shots. Other activities were on the list too, kayaking, a couples’ cook off, tubing…none of them nearly as scary as that Newlywed Game slot.
“We’ve got this, Trevor,” she whispered next to him.
He kissed her temple. “We do,” he said, even if he didn’t believe it.
Within twenty minutes they had all settled in with food. The sun fell in the horizon, casting flames over the last of the gentle ripples dancing over the surface of the lake. Before long, the sur-face would be a mirror putting on a brilliant show reflecting the serene woods at the water’s edge.
Trevor’s shoulders had begun to unclench listening to Piper with his boss and coworkers. She relayed her history, the history he had given her, smoothly, as if she had actually lived it.
Piper hit it off with Mike and Christina right away. Mike had been at the ad agency three years longer, but had only managed to pull in smaller deals. Not that it made him any less valuable. Trevor suspected a lot of this failure in the big deal department had to do with his integrity and loyalty to his wife. Mike chose not to play the game. Trevor couldn’t fault him for that.
Christina's adoration came across in her loving looks and the way she was always touching Mike’s hand, arm, or shoulder. Almost like she couldn’t stand to break that connection.
Trevor glanced down at the weight he’d only just noticed on his thigh. Piper’s delicate fingers rested there as she waved her other hand as she talked. She did it just as casual as can be, as if it belonged there, as if she belonged there.
With him.
He curled his fingers around hers. She gave his hand a light squeeze, but continued on.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the glare on Rachel’s face. Anger and jealousy rolled off her in waves, with the set of her shoulders forward and aggressive. At this point, if anyone was going to cost him this promotion, it would be Rachel.
Mike and Christina chatted about their wedding. Deanne listened with rapt attention and took notes on vendors and food recommendations. Kent nodded at all the right times, but by the look on his face, he hadn’t retained any of the important details.
Surprisingly, Davidson had plenty of advice of his own.
“Come on, a prestigious man such as yourself, you helped plan your wedding?” Piper asked.
He leaned back in his chair and adjusted the waistband of his pants. “That I did. Surprised, are you? Well, let me tell you, my wife, she’s a whole lot younger than me. I’m almost ashamed to admit by how much, but she had never had cause to doubt my deepest love for her. And hell…” he gulped his beer, “she must love me. I’m no spring chicken. I groan like an old man when I get up in the morning, but when she looks at me, there is no doubt in my mind that she loves me to her core.”
Such different people, or at least age-wise, and still, they made it work.
“And she’s definitely attracted to me. Physically, that is,” Davidson said on a laugh.
Okay, time to slow the train. “How many of those have you had Davidson?” Trevor hoped he hadn’t had enough to actually get into the details. Some things he just didn’t need in his head.
Ever.
“When I start referencing my bedroom experience with my wife, too many, young man.”
The man still had enough clarity of mind to know when to call it quits and hoisted himself out of his chair.
They all said their goodnights and made their way to their rooms to settle in.
Door locked and the performance on pause, Piper headed straight for her bag and pulled out a night shirt.
“It’s funny, they’re a lot different than I expected them to be. Mike is so serious and they’re all so traditional. It’s hard to picture you working with them.”
She turned away and pulled her sweater over her head, then unhooked her bra and tossed it on the nightstand. Apparently, the events of the day had loosened up her modesty. He leaned against the door and appreciated the glow of the lamp illuminating the curve of her back.
Right then and there, all talk from the night escaped him and all he could do was stare at her like some peeping Tom as she finished getting ready for bed.
“I can feel your eyes on me.”
“Be grateful you’re not feeling my hands.”
She turned to him. “Why would I be grateful for that?”
Her eyes widened as if the words surprised her just as much as they did him. Blood shot through his veins at her bold statement. “Careful, Piper. There’s only so much I can take.”
She bit her lip and closed her eyes. “I’m sick of being careful.” She opened them again, her gaze hot and heavy. “Aren’t you? I mean, I was careful the night of the prom and look where that got me.”
Ummm what?
She wanted him then?
He shook his head. It didn’t matter what she wanted. “You were too young.”