Spicy Sapphic Christmas

1. Bunny

ONE

bunny

“Don’t you ever just want a break?” Piper asked.

Bunny jerked her head up, making eye contact. A shiver ran through her because this conversation was coming up. Again. Just about this time of year, every year, Piper wanted them to take a break from work, stay off the road, stop doing so many gigs. Then January would hit, and she would be right back on track to work every single day throughout the year.

“Not really, no.” Bunny rolled her shoulders as she stepped into the dressing room, Piper following her.

This venue was much smaller than their normal ones, but Siena, their production manager, had scheduled them here and cranked up the charge on the tickets to make it a more intimate affair. And it had paid off. The seats were full, they’d been able to interact with fans in ways they normally couldn’t, and it had been amazing.

But this time, when Piper asked that question, a small tug pulled at Bunny’s heart. Was she ready for a break? Or at least to slow down? If they could do more of these intimate affairs, then would it ease the heavy weight on her shoulders to make everything a huge production and more?

“I don’t believe you,” Piper whispered into Bunny’s ear.

Wrinkling her nose, Bunny pulled at the zipper on her leather jacket and jerked it down harder than she intended. “You say this every year.”

Piper snorted. “I never get Christmas with my family. I know you don’t want that, but some of us people out here do have decent families you know. You’re always more than welcome to come home with me.”

Bunny gave Piper a flat look and shook her head. “I’ve done that.”

“Yeah, and it went great.”

Great wasn’t the word that Bunny would use. She’d ended up in bed with Piper’s brother’s wife after a lot of peppermint schnapps. And at the end of it all, the secrets were too hard to keep. When she’d gone back the next year, she had spent the entire time pining and trying to avoid another insane disaster.

Rolling her eyes, Bunny hung up her jacket in the travel wardrobe that went with them everywhere. She was really missing having separate dressing rooms right about now. Bunny never was much of a talker after playing a big show, but Piper would let that energy course through her for days.

The knock on the door was swift, and it opened right away. Which told Bunny exactly who it was. The only person who wouldn’t get their hand cut off for that move. Siena stepped inside and held her hands out for a hug from Piper and then from Bunny.

“You two killed it. Like always.” Siena’s eyes were bright, but wary. She seemed to be carrying an undefined weight on her shoulders lately. As much as Bunny wanted to pry, she didn’t. She wasn’t the friendly one; she’d sic Piper on Siena some other time.

“Thanks,” Bunny said as she gave Siena a quick side hug before stepping away. Her hands tried and failed to find pockets in her pants as she stood back up. She really wanted to get out of the sweaty concert clothes and into something more comfortable.

“I have a favor to ask you two.”

Bunny pinched her face.

“What is it?” Piper chimed in, lounging on the chair and drinking a cold beer. She always did that after a show.

“There’s another duo, up and coming, and I was hoping you two could check them out for me. They’ve requested my services, but I’d love your opinion on their style, blend, workability. Just your overall feel.”

Bunny rolled her eyes. “Don’t we keep you busy enough?”

Siena jerked her head back in surprise. “Yeah, but I have more than just you in my client base.”

“Do we not pay you enough?” Bunny put her hands on her hips.

Piper slowly lowered the bottle of beer from her lips, her eyes wide. “Why are you being an ass?”

“I’m not.” Bunny faced Siena again. “I just want to understand why she’s looking to replace us.”

“Oh my God! No!” Siena’s face turned beet red, her eyes wide. She shook her head side to side, her dark brown hair moving with her. “I’m not looking to replace you at all. I’d never dream of that.”

Bunny’s stomach churned. She wasn’t convinced. They had worked with Siena as their production manager for a long time now, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t tired of them or didn’t see bigger and better things over the horizon. Bunny shifted a glance to Piper. And if Piper kept talking about taking a break, that would mean Siena would have to take a break and she would have to fill the time with someone else.

“You’re being a worrywart, Buns.”

“Don’t call me that,” Bunny growled. She wasn’t overly fond of her name to begin with, but she didn’t need Piper to add to that trauma. Rolling her shoulders, trying to loosen the tightness in her muscles, Bunny looked Siena over again.

“I promise I don’t want to replace you.” Siena tried again, her hands out to her sides as if she’d stepped in the biggest pile of dog shit.

Bunny shrugged slightly, not quite sure where to go from there. She pulled off her loose white tank top and threw it into the laundry basket to be washed for their next concert. It, no doubt, had a gallon of her sweat dried in it. She turned toward the back wall and flicked the clasp of the bra she’d been told too many times she had to wear and pulled on the sports bra she much preferred, sliding it over her head and positioning her breasts in it just right.

When she turned back around, Piper and Siena were eyeing each other, some sort of silent conversation going on between them.

“I think we should go,” Piper chimed in.

Bunny turned on her sharply. “Amusing,” she said dryly.

“Come on. We can use a break, and we haven’t had fun out on the town in forever, just you and me, under the radar.”

“If we walk into a club, which is where I’m assuming this is—” At Siena’s nod, Bunny continued, “Then we’re not exactly going to be under the radar. Unfortunately we’re at that stage in our career where someone is bound to recognize us.”

“But a break!” Piper jumped up and wrapped an arm around Bunny’s shoulders, squeezing her arm lightly. “Think about it. You and me, one night out. If you find someone to dance with, it’ll give me a full four-minute break from your insanity.”

Bunny scoffed. Her? Dance with someone? Like that would ever happen. The more likely scenario would be that Piper would jump off and dance with all the pretty ladies and gorgeous men, leaving Bunny to sit at the table, watch their drinks, and scowl at the foolish idiots who tried to come near her.

“I’m assuming this isn’t a queer club.”

“No, unfortunately not,” Siena answered, her voice dropping as she no doubt knew exactly what answer Bunny was going to give.

“Exactly.” So now Bunny would be warding off the men who thought they could turn her their way and the men who mistook Piper’s femme charm for something other than just being the sweet flirty woman she was. Ugh. It just disgusted her.

Bunny found the loose racerback tank she’d been hunting for, slipped it over her head, and smoothed out the material. This was exactly what she’d wanted. Comfort. Ease. A night of rest before they dove right back into the next show in a few days. Bunny straightened her back and pulled at the buckle on her belt.

Every time she went out with Piper, some kind of drama went down. She absolutely wasn’t going to do it again.

“You owe me,” Piper whispered into her ear.

Bunny immediately frowned. “No, I don’t. If anything, at this point, I think you owe me.”

“Nope.”

Piper had that look on her face. The one that told Bunny she wasn’t going to win this one, that she was going to be railroaded into doing whatever Piper wanted. Because she knew exactly what Piper was about to pull.

“Yes, you do.” Piper softened her tone. “Remember that Christmas, with my sister-in-law…”

That was all Piper had to say. Because yes, Bunny remembered it. Yes, Bunny had fucked up. And yes, Bunny had desperately needed Piper to figure her way the hell out of it. And still, all these years later, Piper held it over her head in moments like these.

“Exactly,” Piper gleefully chimed.

Siena looked at them curiously, as if she didn’t understand the conversation that was happening. But she’d been around long enough that she had heard the full story already, multiple times actually. Bunny had drunkenly told Siena all about it when she and Siena had gone out to get shit faced after Siena’s divorce was final.

To love lost.

Bunny shook her head, throwing her hands up in the air, her belt buckle hanging from her pants. “I’m not doing this.”

“You are!” Piper said loudly.

Bunny glared. She pulled her belt off, unzipped her tight black jeans, and shoved them down her legs. She hated the tight clothes, but sex sells, so she always dressed in ways she didn’t like. Bunny tossed the pants into the basket with her shirt and grabbed the loose pair of jeans from her own personal stash. She cinched the belt a bit harder than necessary.

When she turned around again, both Piper and Siena had their eyes locked on her, as if awaiting the answer.

“No.”

“Yes!” Piper bounced in her toes. “Where are we going, Siena? When’s their set up?”

Siena glanced at the ever-present watch on her wrist. “In thirty minutes.”

“You’re kidding me.” Bunny tensed. “This place better be fucking close if you think we’re going to make it there in time.”

“It’s just down the road.” Siena sounded nervous now. “I really could use the extra assessment. There’s something about them… I can’t quite put my finger on it. I can’t decide if it’s a good something or a bad something.”

Bunny grunted and shoved her boots on her feet. “Fine.”

“Fine as in we’re going?” Piper’s glee couldn’t be contained.

Bunny loved giving into her, but she resisted because it wasn’t always the best for either of them. But what could this hurt? And if she did go home, then she’d just be stalking around her apartment attempting to sleep when she knew she wouldn’t be able to.

Piper bounced in her shoes, clapping her hands together. She still had all of her stage makeup on. Bunny tossed a wet towel to her. “Get that shit off your face.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Giggling, Piper walked toward the mirror and started to clean her face up.

Bunny sighed and looked directly at Siena. “Text me the information. And if I’m out until dawn, I’m calling you to pick her sorry ass up.”

“Deal.” Siena clapped her hands together and spun around. “There’s some details we need to talk about for the spring. I’ll set up a meeting for next week. But there’s also something I wanted to talk to you two about for the upcoming winter.”

Bunny hated this business to personal to business flip-flopping. It was so hard to keep up with sometimes. “Yeah, sure.”

She was already far more comfortable now that she was in her own clothes. Ready to take on the world again. Piper started to slip out of her clothes and pull out the extensions in her hair. Bunny had never let them do that to her.

Piper quickly changed, throwing on some slinky dress she had stashed away as if she’d anticipated they were going to go out tonight.

Wait.

Had she?

Bunny eyed her carefully, looking for any sign that the conversation between them and Siena had been preplanned. But she couldn’t quite say one way or the other if it was. Screw it all. She just wanted to get this over with. She was tired of owing Piper for helping her clean up the one mistake she’d ever made. Though it had been a good one.

The sex was hot and heavy.

The spark burned into a raging inferno that died very quickly.

And despite the drama that had followed, it had so been worth it.

Not that Bunny would ever admit that to Piper. Shoving her wallet into her back pocket, Bunny waited for Piper to be ready to leave.

“You’ve got ten minutes, Sleeping Beauty.”

“I’m not Sleeping Beauty.” Piper popped around the corner of the bathroom. “If anything, I’m Cinderella on her one night going to the ball.”

“Fuck, why did I say anything?” Bunny rocked back on her heels, hands shoved into her pockets, and she bit her tongue. The more she teased Piper, the longer it was going to take her to get ready. And then they really would be late, and what the hell would be the point of going? Siena would be disappointed, they’d break the promise of scoping out this new group, and they’d be right back where they started.

Then again… that wasn’t a half-bad idea.

“Let’s go!” Piper looped her arm in Bunny’s. “I expect you to buy me a drink.”

“I always buy you a drink,” Bunny muttered under her breath.

Piper did always say the best part about having a butch for a best friend was that she got the best of both worlds. She could date whoever she wanted and still know that Bunny would be there to take care of her when she got back.

“What’s the name of this group? Siena never said.”

Bunny snorted. She’d read the name about three times on her phone, wondering if it could be a better name. Then again, it wasn’t like her own band had the greatest name on the planet. But they’d branded it that way and they weren’t changing it now. “Sole S-O-L-E Sisters.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I can already tell you that’ll be the first thing Siena will want to change.”

“No shit, that’s awful.”

“The worst.”

Piper rested her head on Bunny’s shoulder as they walked through the back hallway to the back door of the concert hall. They had one more big fan eruption ahead of them, and then they could escape to the club. All Bunny had to do was put on her extroverted face for another ten minutes and then they’d be gone.

She could do this.

She had to.

Because she had nothing but her career to show for her pitiful excuse of a life.