26. Piper
26
PIPER
Was it stupid to have phone sex with the guy I’m trying to avoid? Maybe.
Do I regret it? No.
I just can’t help it when he purrs like that or says my name in the middle of a dirty little epithet. I try to just pretend it never happened. Even when I pass him at work and remember his offer to help me come again.
Ant doesn’t mention it. I almost wonder if it didn’t mean anything to him. Except that I constantly catch him staring at me.
We start texting more often—trading memes about our favorite Zelda games and playlists full of nerdy songs. He offers to kill Colin for me at least once per week. I laugh them off, but I’m not completely sure he’s joking.
One Thursday, we happen to meet in the hallway at work and end up having lunch together. When I complain that my schedule has made work hours last late into the evening, Ant starts asking me every night if I’ve eaten. If I say no, or don’t answer quickly enough, a green curry from Thai Me Down arrives at my front door. The first time it happens, I almost cry with appreciation. The fourth time I tell him I have too many leftovers already.
He sends egg rolls as an apology.
A couple of weeks later I finally go back to Moonshine. It’s really nice to return to my favorite little bar. Anam, Kelly, and Bailey meet me for a drink one Saturday night. I’m nervous at first but then I spot Ant across the room and wave. He stops by to say a quick hello, then pays all of our tabs without telling us.
I have to stop sending him links to things I find online and think are cool, because those things start to show up at my front door too. A woman only needs one Snorlax-shaped bean bag chair.
Me: Why did you buy this for me?
Ant: Is it the wrong one? Do you want me to send it back?
Me: No! I love him!
Ant: Good! As long as you are happy.
He’s sweet and kind and a bit obsessive. The same guy that I spent a whole weekend falling for. My brain catches on a memory of something Tiffany said.
Me: You don’t have to buy me things.
Ant: I like buying you things.
Me: Okay. But it isn’t necessary to get me to like you. We’re friends. Right?
Ant: Yes, of course we’re friends!
Me: I like my friends. I don’t need bribes.
Friends with benefits, I guess. We did agree to remain friends, but an evil little inkling hits me. I chew on a thumbnail, plotting my next move.
Me: Let’s practice, then. I’ll send you a link to something that I think is really cool, and you won’t get it for me.
Ant: I won’t?
Me: Promise that you won’t.
Ant: Yes. I promise.
Me: Okay, whatever you do, don’t buy me this.
I already know the perfect item. I send him a link to a sexy little lingerie set. It’s yellow mesh, with little daisies embroidered in very strategic places.
The little dots pop up. I grin, watching him try to decide what response to type. I break the silence myself.
Me: Don’t order it.
I end up chewing my thumbnail down to the quick while I nervously watch his dots blinking before he replies.
Ant: It would look really good on you, though.
Me: Yes. It would.
Ant: But, what will you wear if I don’t?
I snicker to my empty bedroom.
Me: I guess I’ll be wearing nothing at all?
The dots appear instantly. This time, I don’t wait for him to decide how to reply.
Me: Good night! I’m heading to bed.
I put my phone on silent and bury it in my nightstand drawer before I even see if he writes back.
Everything seems really great, sweet, easy, simple. We haven’t done anything but flirt since the evening we had phone sex. Until one Monday I’m called into Loch’s office for a meeting. It’s not uncommon for us to discuss the company prospects, so I’m not suspicious until I arrive at his office. The curtains are drawn and the lights are turned down low.
It’s not the way that Loch usually operates. I bite the inside of my cheek when I spot Ant standing in the corner. We have reached a quiet complacency at work, no public displays of affection. But, I don’t know how much the other two board members in the room know about our relationship. Sacha and Loch are wearing the same serious expression.
“Thank you for coming, Ms. Hamilton. I hope you don’t mind the lights. Pontius has a hard time with?—”
“I know.” I swallow hard. Has he told his friends that we’ve been getting closer? That we had phone sex, and flirt regularly? “It gives him headaches.”
Loch glances at Ant but speaks to me. “Would you like to take a seat, Ms. Hamilton?”
“I don’t want you to worry about anything we ask you today,” Sacha says.
I settle into the chair. If they start discussing our relationship, I’m going to squash Ant like a bug. “Why would I worry?”
“We’ve already spoken with our lawyers,” he continues. “Please know, we’ll believe whatever you say on this matter.”
“What does that mean?” I purposely do not look at Ant. I might actually kill him.
“Cryptech received a letter this morning pertaining to your company,” Loch says.
“A letter?” This throws me for a loop. “About what?”
“It accused you of using stolen code.”
I laugh very loudly, but the other faces in the room stay serious. My chuckling slows to a stop.
“Who would even say something like that?” I demand.
“Colin Thompson.” Loch taps a folder spread open on his desk.
I’m on my feet, reaching for the paper before Loch’s finished saying the name. “What did that motherfucker do? I swear to god. I’ll kill him.” I stop myself, resting both palms against the cool glass surface. “I’m sorry. That was hyperbole, obviously. I don’t wish him any harm. If that matters. Legally, I mean.” A nervous laugh bubbles up. I feel like I might actually be sick to my stomach.
Sacha gives half of a grin. “It’s okay. Believe me, we understand your frustration, Ms. Hamilton.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I ignore it.
“Do you know Colin?” Loch asks.
“I didn’t take anything from him. He’s never touched my freaking code.” I manage to pull away from the desk, but I’m too nervous to sit back down. “He’s an ex-boyfriend.”
“Would he ever have had access to your computer?” Ant asks from the corner of the room.
I wince a little at the sound of his voice. It’s the first thing he’s said since I walked in the room. I want him either much further away from me or much much closer.
“No, of course not,” I snap. “I mean, yes, technically, when we lived together. My laptop was in our apartment all the time and—” My gaze flicks between the males in the room. “But he never even touched it! I never touched anything!”
“He knew your passwords?” Ant speaks again. I finally look at him. Really look at him, nearly invisible in the dark corner in a black suit. His bright red eyes mark his location. “He could have gotten on your computer without you knowing?”
“Well—sure. Technically, yes, probably.” Crap. I’m nervous saying this in front of the Mothman. I don’t want him to think anything is going on between me and Colin. “But he didn’t!”
“Do you know why he might be choosing to retaliate now?” Loch turns the papers on his desk around so they are the correct orientation for me to read.
“He—” I pause to look at Ant before I pick up the stack of papers and leaf through them while I pace the room. I should have told him everything the night it happened. Now it seems like I was trying to hide it.
“He—what?” Ant’s voice hits a low tone.
“I ran into him a couple weeks ago. He asked if I would take him back. Like, romantically.” I try to ignore my impulse to look at Ant again, waiting for any kind of response from the other two males in the room. Searching for an indication that they know what occurred that weekend. But if Ant does kiss and tell, then these two men are excellent at keeping it out of their expression.
“You turned him down?” Sacha asks.
“Yes! Of course, I fucking turned him down! I never want to see that ass—” I stop myself, that awkward nervous laugh boiling out of me in place of the rage. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“Piper. It’s okay. They believe you,” Ant says. “We believe you. We just need to know any facts you think would help in this situation.”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Yes, he’s a programmer too, but we never worked on projects together.” I can’t stop my feet from pacing the room. “Sure, we tried working on things together a couple times, but they never panned out. Never got out of the planning stages really.” I flip back and forth between the pages of the document, so frustrated that the words start to go wobbly as my eyes fill with tears.
Fuck him. Fuck Colin. Of course he would do something like this. He’s an asshole. Who’s bad in bed. And he’s going to try and fuck up my life because what? Because he left me and I wouldn’t take him back?
“Piper.” Ant’s voice is right beside me. When I finally look up from the folder he’s standing between me and the other two Cryptids. His beautiful wings spread enough that I’m blocked from Loch and Sacha’s vision. “It’s alright. We’ll take care of it. We can make it all go away.”
“No. It’s my fault,” I manage to say, “I’ll fix it myself.”
The Mothman shakes his head, one of his hands raises tentatively to stroke his knuckle along my arm.
“Sor—ry,” I say again. This time my voice cracks, and I turn my head away, trying to hide the tears from them. How embarrassing to cry at work. In front of everyone.
“Loch and I will talk to the lawyers.” Sacha’s voice is already near the door.
“Take a moment. We’ll let you know anything important we find out.” Loch lumbers after him.
Ant stays where he is. His hand drops to his side. His large red eyes are soft.
“Would you like to be alone?” he asks. “Can I get you any?—”
I don’t let him finish. I throw myself into him, pressing my face into the soft vanilla scent of his shirt and letting it muffle my sob.
“Piper?” His question is quiet.
“Hug me, you idiot.”
His arms circle me, holding me close. Pressing me against him. Solid and comforting, I manage to choke out a ragged calming breath.
“There, there, my girl,” Ant murmurs. “We’ll get this all sorted out. You don’t have to do this alone.”
I want to protest that I am not his girl, but one of Ant’s hands strokes along my back, and then he begins to purr. The gentle rhythmic vibrations have me pushing myself further into him.
All of that helps. Soon, I’m breathing much easier all wrapped up in him. I’d almost forgotten how easy it is to be in his arms. I could let him hold me like this for hours.
My phone buzzes in my pocket again. I ignore it. Whoever it is can wait.