mind by the time I get into the bar. As usual, the lighting is dim, with cozy booths lining the exterior and an empty dance floor in front of the stage. Most of the crowd is huddled along the bar, chatting mindlessly until the show starts. I edge my way through a group of girls to get to the bar, where my regular bartender is wiping glasses. He grins when he notices me.
“Good to see you, Piper. The usual?” he asks. I shake my head no.
“Actually, Tony, I’m looking for Shelley. Have you seen her?” I ask. He nods and points toward a small door I’ve never noticed before. Surely enough, Shelley is standing, hip out; giggling and flipping her hair back, talking to Craig. She’s decked out in a vintage red skirt that’s too short to be legal and a creamy lace camisole. Craig has his guitar hanging over his shoulder, and instead of the plain band t-shirt and jeans I was expecting to see him in, he’s got on a crisp lavender dress shirt under a black vest.
“Piper!” she exclaims when I reach them. I nod briefly at Craig as my best friend hugs me tightly, her breath already layered with a tinge of alcohol.
“When do you go on?” I ask Craig. I ignore the fact that cute boy is up on stage, tuning his guitar. Craig scratches his head lightly.
“Actually, I should already be up there. We go on in five. Shelley, see you after the show?” he says. Shelley nods, and then her eyes light up as if she’s stumbled upon some brilliant, forgotten idea.
“Do you have time to introduce Piper to Asher?” she asks. Craig glances quickly at cute boy, who’s still focused on his guitar.
“Oh, no, no, no,” I say, turning to Shelley, “we’re not playing matchmaker Shelley tonight, okay? You remember what happened last time.” She crinkles her nose before patting Craig lightly on the shoulder.
“Fine, then. Good luck up there!” she says. Craig blushes slightly before heading back through the door. I practically have to drag Shelley away from the stage, where the crowds are starting to mill and the murmur of conversation is growing.
“Why do you always do this to me?” I ask as soon as I don’t need to yell. She rolls her eyes indignantly.
“Is it so bad for me to want to introduce my best girl to a good-looking guitar player?” she asks. I sigh. She always tries to word things like this, making them seem so simple.
“Whatever his name is. Asher? He’s the guy I ran into on the street the other day. The one who stole my merch,” I say quietly. Her eyebrows rise in surprise.
“Asher’s your boy?” she asks. My cheeks flush accidentally, and I lower my head, hoping she doesn’t notice.
“Don’t call him my boy. He’s not my boy,” I reply.
“He’s a prospective boy,” she continues. I groan inwardly.
“Do I even need to go on here? Hello? Just two days ago you were lecturing me on not getting involved with a user and here you are now trying to set me up on a date with him! Please find the logic in this for me,” I say. She puts on a pitiful pout, like I’ve insulted her.
“Maybe I just thought it might be nice if we could double-date sometime. He’s not all that bad, and he’s a wicked guitar player,” she says.
“And he’s incredibly egotistical, he’s related to Darcy, and we can’t forget that he stole from me,” I retort, trying to ignore the little smile creeping up on Shelley’s lips.
“What?” I ask finally.
“You’ve got a crush on him,” she whispers.
“What?” I repeat.
“I know you’re trying to play it cool because you always need to be so bad-ass, but maybe for the first time a guy’s gotten under Piper Madden’s skin. Stole from her without her noticing, makes her blush? Looks like I don’t even need to lift a finger,” she says.
I growl and shove her playfully.
“So how was your meeting with the white knight?” Shelley asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She means Tor. The blond, shining Tor who used to be my knight, once upon a time. I
“Good to see you, Piper. The usual?” he asks. I shake my head no.
“Actually, Tony, I’m looking for Shelley. Have you seen her?” I ask. He nods and points toward a small door I’ve never noticed before. Surely enough, Shelley is standing, hip out; giggling and flipping her hair back, talking to Craig. She’s decked out in a vintage red skirt that’s too short to be legal and a creamy lace camisole. Craig has his guitar hanging over his shoulder, and instead of the plain band t-shirt and jeans I was expecting to see him in, he’s got on a crisp lavender dress shirt under a black vest.
“Piper!” she exclaims when I reach them. I nod briefly at Craig as my best friend hugs me tightly, her breath already layered with a tinge of alcohol.
“When do you go on?” I ask Craig. I ignore the fact that cute boy is up on stage, tuning his guitar. Craig scratches his head lightly.
“Actually, I should already be up there. We go on in five. Shelley, see you after the show?” he says. Shelley nods, and then her eyes light up as if she’s stumbled upon some brilliant, forgotten idea.
“Do you have time to introduce Piper to Asher?” she asks. Craig glances quickly at cute boy, who’s still focused on his guitar.
“Oh, no, no, no,” I say, turning to Shelley, “we’re not playing matchmaker Shelley tonight, okay? You remember what happened last time.” She crinkles her nose before patting Craig lightly on the shoulder.
“Fine, then. Good luck up there!” she says. Craig blushes slightly before heading back through the door. I practically have to drag Shelley away from the stage, where the crowds are starting to mill and the murmur of conversation is growing.
“Why do you always do this to me?” I ask as soon as I don’t need to yell. She rolls her eyes indignantly.
“Is it so bad for me to want to introduce my best girl to a good-looking guitar player?” she asks. I sigh. She always tries to word things like this, making them seem so simple.
“Whatever his name is. Asher? He’s the guy I ran into on the street the other day. The one who stole my merch,” I say quietly. Her eyebrows rise in surprise.
“Asher’s your boy?” she asks. My cheeks flush accidentally, and I lower my head, hoping she doesn’t notice.
“Don’t call him my boy. He’s not my boy,” I reply.
“He’s a prospective boy,” she continues. I groan inwardly.
“Do I even need to go on here? Hello? Just two days ago you were lecturing me on not getting involved with a user and here you are now trying to set me up on a date with him! Please find the logic in this for me,” I say. She puts on a pitiful pout, like I’ve insulted her.
“Maybe I just thought it might be nice if we could double-date sometime. He’s not all that bad, and he’s a wicked guitar player,” she says.
“And he’s incredibly egotistical, he’s related to Darcy, and we can’t forget that he stole from me,” I retort, trying to ignore the little smile creeping up on Shelley’s lips.
“What?” I ask finally.
“You’ve got a crush on him,” she whispers.
“What?” I repeat.
“I know you’re trying to play it cool because you always need to be so bad-ass, but maybe for the first time a guy’s gotten under Piper Madden’s skin. Stole from her without her noticing, makes her blush? Looks like I don’t even need to lift a finger,” she says.
I growl and shove her playfully.
“So how was your meeting with the white knight?” Shelley asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She means Tor. The blond, shining Tor who used to be my knight, once upon a time. I
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