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Jo grinned broadly, her lips curling upward and her eyes lighting as if she’d just won the prize of the year. “Deal.”

TWENTY

piper

“So you had coffee with Bunny?” Piper slid Jo a curious look before turning back to the stove. She wished she could look at Jo to get the full reaction without burning their lunch, but that would be impossible.

“Yeah. It was weird and awkward.” Jo groaned, stretching out on the counter and pressing her cheek to the cold marble. “Is Bunny evernotawkward?”

Piper laughed lightly and wrinkled her nose as she flipped the French toast in the skillet. She could cook—breakfast, that is. Anything else and she was lost. So she’d offered to make breakfast for this impromptu lunch date with Jo. “Bunny is always awkward.”

“Why? I mean, I get there are awkward people in the world, but she’s so smooth on stage.”

“It’s a well-practiced skill that she’s taken great pains and decades to master.”

Jo frowned, a line furrowing in the center of her forehead before she smoothed it out with her hand and glanced at her phone as it buzzed on the counter. Piper suspected it was Mandy, that her advice ofdon’t contact or text backhad beenignored, and that Jo was falling back into the trap that was her ex-girlfriend willingly.

Being with someone who was still hung up on their ex wasn’t something Piper wanted to throw herself into again. Been there and done that one too many times with women over the years. Men seemed to have fewer issues with that.

Still, Piper wasn’t ready to give up on Jo yet. If only because it was clear that Mandy wasn’t suitable for Jo in the least. Plating up their breakfast, Piper slid it across the peninsula counter and snagged the butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. Once they were set up to eat, Piper joined Jo on that side of the counter, sliding into the chair right next to her.

Just in time to see Jo’s phone buzz with another text.

From Mandy.

Piper chose not to comment on it, yet.

“So what did Bunny want?” Piper asked, sliding a fluffy piece of bread between her lips.

“She didn’t tell you?”

“No.” Piper sent Jo a direct look. “She doesn’t tell me everything.”

“Interesting.” Jo played her fingers over her fork, but she hadn’t eaten anything yet.

Piper made sure to take note of that. If Jo was anything like her, then when she was emotionally distraught, eating was the last thing on her mind. Then again, Jo could be the complete opposite to her. They were still getting to know each other, after all.

“So what did she want?” Piper finally broke the silence right when Jo’s phone went off again. That was going to get annoying.

“To negotiate.”

“Negotiate?” Piper shoved another large bite between her lips. Fuck, she loved her French toast. She’d forgotten because it had been so long since she’d made it. No one to cook for andBunny preferred coffee and more coffee prior to eleven in the morning. Maybe they should do breakfast for dinner one night.

“The outfits for the charity event.”

“Oh.” A cold shiver ran through Piper. She’d known that was going to be an issue, but she hadn’t expected Bunny to be so forward in fixing her fuckup either. Normally, she cowered in the corner for weeks afterwards. Then again, she had mentioned something about a meeting with Siena, hadn’t she? Piper would have to flip through her phone to see if that had actually happened or if she was just imagining it.

“She still doesn’t want to wear them.”

“I’ve got news for you, Jo, Bunny doesn’t do out-and-proud events, and those outfits, as amazing as they are, weren’t ever going to go over well. She never would wear them.” Piper moved her food around her plate, her appetite slowly easing away despite how good the food tasted. What had upset her so much? Was it the fact that Bunny was having these conversations without her?

No, that couldn’t be it. They had worked well together for years, and they each knew what the other wanted at this point and where the other stood. They’d worked their asses off to build that kind of business partnership. So what was it then?

“She told me to tone down the gay there, but that she’d tone it up in her duet with Bea.”

“What?” Piper’s fork clattered onto her plate.

“She’s going to change the lyrics to be about two women, explicitly.” Jo finally took a bite of her food.