She blew out a breath, dropped to the bed, and stared out the slider to the lake. “I don’t know. Even if I can keep it under wraps, she’s going to find out that I’m not who Trevor said I was when we meet with her. He didn’t say how long it would take before the new pick for partner was announced. I might be able to hold her off for a week, but not much more.”
“Or you could just not take her on at all.”
“And turn away the kids left high and dry by Blush? I can’t do that. Even if it hadn’t been Blush that let them down, thereby giving me a huge marketing advantage, the kids suffer in this one, and the whole point of what I do, of what I’ve built is to prevent that.”
“I know, I know. Piper, I hope you’ve been practicing your dance moves, because dancing through this situation is going to be more precarious than anything you’ve ever done before.”
“I just need to be my best for one more day. She thinks I’m a teacher and she didn’t ask any questions so I think I’m good there. It’s not too far of a leap from dancewear designer, right? I mean, I do work with kids, it’s just I design fashion for them. It’s a six degrees of separation kind of thing. That’s all.”
Rafe let out an abrupt laugh. “Oh, yeah, totally. How long will it take you to convince yourself of your own bullshit?”
“Hey, I have to believe it and sell it for less than a full day. When this is done, remind me to never do something so outrageously stupid ever again.”
They said their goodbyes and Piper took a minute to calm herself. She ran her palms over her hair, blew out a breath, and dropped onto the bed.
Okay, so Davidson’s wife was “the Marla”, but Piper could deal with that. She’d focus on Trevor, on his career, she’d avoid any deep conversation about herself, and she’d get the hell out.
No problem.
She stared at the door handle wishing she didn’t have to go back out. Biting her lip, she shot to her feet, resolved to put on her big girl pants, and headed to the lion’s den praying she didn’t get devoured.
She joined the small group back in the living room where they were talking about where they went to college.
Christina had a degree in English Literature, but worked in a bank. Deanne had a degree in fashion and design and worked part time as an event planner while she looked for something more permanent.
Piper could give her something more permanent, if she had the talent. Well, and if Deanne didn’t hate her when it eventually came out that Piper was a fake.
Marla glanced to Piper. “So, what about you, Piper?”
“I have my Masters in education from NYU.”
Rachel snorted into her drink and everyone turned to look at her. “Are you okay, Rachel?”
“Yes, perfectly. After all, I know what degree I got in school. Piper though, seems to be confused.”
“Excuse me?” Piper said. She resisted the urge to stand and confront her so she didn’t embarrass Trevor.
Rachel narrowed her eyes and gave her a sly smile. “How does someone with a Masters in education become a dancewear fashion designer? I’m just curious.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Piper said as her stomach dropped to her toes.
Rachel shook her head and tsked. “Such a short memory you have.”
“What’s all this nonsense about?” Davidson said with an air of authority.
Piper hadn’t yet seen that from him. She imagined this was the Davidson they got at the agency.
Trevor gave Piper a hard look.
“It seems Piper here isn’t really who she says he is. Turns out she’s Piper Bradley, the founder of Exclusively Piper. So, Marla, you were looking to get in touch with the woman and here she is in the flesh. You should take advantage.”
Piper flinched. Trevor had warned her not to handle business there. If he had had his way, she wouldn’t have made any calls from the house, and apparently, for good reason.
She watched him go from running a jerky hand through his hair in frustration to holding his head in his hands in defeat, and it was all her fault.
“What the hell is she talking about?” Davidson bellowed.
“She’s not really a school teacher,” Trevor said, locking his eyes on Piper. He stood up and faced them all.
Piper’s mind raced for a solution to this, but came up with nothing. She could maybe say she was trying to hide her celebrity? Ugh, except that made her sound like a pretentious twunt, and it mean more fucking lying.
No more.
Just. No.
It was best for Trevor to just come clean while he had the opportunity. For a brief second, an ounce of self-preservation for the ruse kicked in and she considered interrupting and telling everyone that she kept that part of her life secret for privacy reasons, vague, but hey, not pretentious.
Only, at some point this all had to stop. It had become too tangled.
“Why did you lie?” Marla asked.
“I think their whole relationship is a lie,” Rachel said with a shrug.
“Why would you say that?” Davidson asked.
“Because Trevor hasn’t been in a serious relationship for as long as I’ve known him, but all of a sudden he has a girlfriend of one year? Plus, look at the game. For Piper to get the answer wrong to the first date question is odd. A woman never forgets something so significant.”
“What are you suggesting?” Marla asked her.
“I think Trevor borrowed a date for this weekend.” She aimed her hard stare at him and a sly smirk formed on her mouth. “Well, Trevor, did you?”
Trevor stood up then and joined Piper. He didn’t take her hand. He didn’t touch her. He couldn’t. Everything he had worked so hard for just went up in smoke.
“You’re right, but before I address that, I’d be interested in hearing how you know,” Trevor said, leveling his stare at Rachel.
She glanced away with a nervous smile. “Oh, well—”
“What’s the matter, Rachel? You don’t want to have to admit to our boss that you eavesdropped? I mean, that’s the only way you could know. Piper made a call and you listened in. Did you hide in our closet, under the bed, in the bathroom, perhaps?”
“Don’t make this about me. You tried to con your way into the partnership. This is about you and your willingness to do anything to get ahead, including lie and manufacture a whole fake relationship to leverage your way into the partnership chair.”
“You know what? You’re right.” He turned to Davidson and Marla. “I’m sorry. I was doing anything I needed to do to get a job I’ve already earned. If I’m disqualified for going about it dishonestly, you’ll want to disqualify that snake in the grass, as well,” Trevor said, pointing a finger at Rachel.
“Come on, Piper. We’re leaving.” He didn’t give her a chance to follow, instead he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him out of the room.
They got to their bedroom and loaded their stuff in silence. He just wanted out. The future he’d worked so hard for, sold his soul for, had just been launched on a rocket and shot to another planet with Rachel’s little stunt.
And who had given her the fuel to launch that rocket?