Chapter 11 #2
Thankfully, Lola doesn’t bat an eyelid. “Sure thing. Right, let’s get everyone inside.”
Lola welcomes everyone in, handing a raffle ticket to each woman.
I straighten my spine and go into schmooze mode, making sure to engage with each person while Piper greets old friends and acquaintances.
I’m trying to focus on who I’m talking to, but in the background, I’m aware of Piper spinning the tall tale about our fake relationship. Thank God, we kept it simple.
My shoulders relax more as I interact with the customers. They’re nice people, and my guard slowly drops.
Soon, I’m taking selfies with them and leaving voice notes for their kids, telling them to tidy their rooms, or for their husbands, informing them their wives are with me in The Perfect Package, so they’d better up their game tonight.
The women are hilarious, and my cheeks ache from smiling so much.
I catch Piper’s eye, and she grins at me, her face full of life and light.
“Okay, everyone,” Lola calls. “It’s way past ten o’clock, but what happens in The Perfect Package stays in The Perfect Package. Am I right?”
Glasses are raised as people cheer.
“Brody, Piper, let’s have you up here!”
“Me?” Piper asks.
“Absolutely,” Lola replies. “It’s a two-for-the-price-of-one deal today!”
I hold my hand out for Piper, and she takes it, her cheeks pinking. We make our way over to the counter where the calendar is, and Mia gets into position for the shot.
Reluctantly, I release Piper’s hand, and she stands on the other side of the calendar, holding the bottom corner of the top sheet nearest her.
“In three …” Lola counts down.
“Two!” everyone else cries. “One!”
At zero, Piper and I pull up the sheet to reveal today’s date, and the crowd goes wild like we’ve just won the World Series.
I’m grinning at Piper, filled with the joy of the moment and a buoyant happiness I haven’t felt for years.
“Now it’s time to draw the raffle winner!” Lola announces. “And don’t worry if Brody doesn’t pull your ticket, as everything in the store is twenty percent off this morning, so everyone’s a winner!”
There are more cheers, whoops, and a shout of, “If I don’t win Brody, stick a bow on the little guy!” directed at Marv.
Lola holds an upside-down Santa hat out to me.
Closing my eyes, I affect a look of deep concentration as I fish for a ticket, then hand it to Lola.
“And the winner is …” Lola unfolds the ticket and then snorts. “Number sixty-nine!”
There’s a shriek from the back, and everyone laughs as a woman pushes through the crowd, holding her winning ticket aloft.
Lola presents her with a pink-and-white striped bag, and her friends crowd around to see what she’s won.
“Don’t forget it’s twenty percent off this morning only, ladies,” Lola reminds them. “And I’ve just taken delivery of some vibrating candy canes. They’re the perfect stocking stuffer, all the pleasure and zero calories for every good girl out there!”
As people move to the shelves, Lola comes up to me and Piper.
“Thank you both so much for this morning. I know it was really last minute, but word gets around Hideaway fast, and I don’t think I would have had half as many people show up if you weren’t here.
You can make a break for it now if you like.
I just wanted to say thank you before I get behind the counter. ”
“It’s our pleasure,” I say. “And an education.”
“I run workshops once a month, so the next time I do one for couples, you must come.”
“Thanks,” I say, even though I’ve got no idea what a workshop here might entail, and if I ever do come back to Hideaway, it won’t be with Piper on my arm.
“And before you go …” She dashes behind the counter and returns with a gift bag, which she hands to Piper. “Toys for the two of you to use together. I think you’ll have lots of fun with them.”
Piper stammers her thanks, her cheeks once again telegraphing her embarrassment.
“And they’re remarkably quiet,” Lola adds. “The loudest thing coming from your room will be your cries of pleasure …”
“Ooh! A gift bag!” Erica says, coming over. “What have you got?”
Piper puts the bag behind her back, away from her mother’s prying eyes.
“I just wanted to see if they’re the same as mine,” Erica replies. “I could give you my review.”
“Mom! Please! Just no!”
Erica and Lola laugh, and before I can stop myself, I take Piper’s hand and gently squeeze.
She squeezes back, then immediately drops my hand to say goodbye to Lola and doesn’t take it again, instead leaving the shop.
I follow her out onto the street, not knowing if hand-holding is now off the table. I can’t ask her, as Erica, Marv, Mia and Cara follow us out.
“I think that went very well,” Erica says happily. “How do the photos look, Mia?”
Mia’s gazing at the back of her camera. “Some really nice ones.”
“Let’s go grab a coffee and go through them,” Marv says. “Where do you recommend, Erica?”
“Love at First Sip,” she replies. “It’s run by Eileen, one of my best friends, and the coffee is, dare I say it, even better than mine.”
“Sounds great.”
There’s a ping from a phone, but it isn’t mine.
Simultaneously, Piper, Cara, and Marv each pull out their phones and swipe them open.
Then three sets of eyes swivel to look at me.
This can’t be good.
Piper’s face flushes, and she jams her phone back in her pocket as if I weren’t meant to see it.
Cara’s looking at Marv now, waiting for his lead.
He looks stunned; I can’t read him further than that.
“Brody …” he begins, shaking his head. “You’ve done it now.”