Chapter 13
ZACH
The singer's voice faded into silence, drawing the song to a close. Around them, the bar resumed its usual energy. Zach kept holding her gaze for a beat longer.
"I think I need another drink," she said, stepping back.
He gave a small nod. "I'll get them. Same as before?"
"Coke? I've gotta drive."
He nodded, and as he made his way to the bar, Zach couldn't help glancing back to where she stood at the edge of the dance floor. She was tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression thoughtful as she watched the other couples around them.
"Well, well, well," Brek drawled as Zach approached the bar. "Never thought I'd see the day Zachary Dvornakov went all moon-eyed over a woman in a pantsuit. Can't help it, though. It happens to the best of us."
Brek was Zach's brother's best friend, and he'd been around since Zach was a kid. He also fell for a very organized woman who leaned professional.
"I'm not moon-eyed," Zach protested, leaning against the polished wood. "I'm being hospitable."
"Sure, and I'm running for mayor." Brek replied.
Zach put in their orders and Brek grabbed the soda gun. "She's cute, though. In that scary, could-organize-your-life-while-destroying-it kind of way. I've got one of those, too. Best thing that ever happened to me."
"Piper's not scary," Zach said automatically, then paused. "Okay, maybe a little intimidating at first, but in the best possible way."
Brek slid the drinks across the bar with a knowing smirk. "You got it bad, brother."
Zach didn't bother denying it again. There was something about Piper that had gripped him from that first sidewalk encounter.
Her sharp wit, her determination, the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide.
When he returned to their booth, Piper was already seated, her fingers absently tracing the carved heart in the wooden tabletop. She looked up as he approached, a smile spreading across her face that made his chest tighten.
"Successful mission," she said as he set the drinks down.
"Brek sends his regards," Zach replied, sliding into the seat across from her. "And his nosy curiosity."
"About?"
"You." Zach took a sip of his beer. "He thinks you're interesting."
"Like a Russian horse?" Piper pointed out, but she looked pleased.
"People are usually good judges of character on first impressions." He leaned forward slightly. "I know I was."
Piper raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly was your first impression of me?"
"That you were someone who takes herself too seriously," Zach admitted with a grin, "but is worth getting to know, anyway."
"Whereas I thought you were an annoying distraction who looked far too good in casual clothes," she countered, then immediately flushed as if surprised by her own candor.
Zach's smile widened. "You thought I looked good?"
"Don't let it go to your head," she warned, taking a sip of her drink. "The gum situation distracted me."
"The gum situation that brought us together," he corrected. "Some might call that fate."
Piper rolled her eyes, but her smile remained. "Some might call it poor sidewalk maintenance."
He laughed. "I prefer seeing possibilities where others see problems."
"That explains why you're so invested in this wedding," Piper observed.
Zach considered her for a moment. "Seeing what my parents have? The real deal for thirty years? I want that for Anna. My brothers? They've both found it, too."
"Thirty years," Piper repeated, something wistful in her tone. "That's rare."
"Not in my family," Zach said. "My grandparents made it to fifty-two before Babushka's 'ceremonial fire' claimed my grandfather."
Piper nearly choked on her Coke. "Wait, what?"
"I'm kidding," Zach assured her with a laugh. "He died peacefully in his sleep."
"Your family is..."
"Complicated? Completely nuts?"
"I was going to say 'passionate,'" Piper said, instead.
The band launched into a more upbeat number, and the dance floor quickly filled with a more enthusiastic crowd.
"I should probably head out," Piper said, reassembling everything back into the breadbasket. "It's getting late and all."
"Of course," Zach started to stand.
"Thank you for tonight. For the rescue from the AV room and for..." She gestured vaguely between them. "This. It's been fun."
"Fun enough to do it again sometime?" Zach asked, trying to keep his tone casual.
Her eyes met his, and for a moment, the same electric connection that had sparked between them on the dance floor flared again.
She nodded. "I'd like that a lot."
They moved through the happy disorder of the bar in a quiet space carved out just for the two of them and pushed through the heavy wooden door.
Outside, the night air was cool and crisp, a welcome contrast to the warmth of the bar. Streetlamps cast circles of light onto the sidewalk as they walked toward the parking lot.
"My car's over there," Piper said, gesturing to a sensible midsize sedan parked beneath a streetlight.
"I'll walk you," Zach offered.
They moved in comfortable silence, shoulders occasionally brushing in a way that felt both casual and charged with possibility.
At her car, Piper turned to face him, her expression unreadable in the shadows. "Well, this is me."
"Drive safe," Zach said, suddenly reluctant to end the evening. "Text me when you get there?"
She blinked, as if surprised by the request. "I will."
"The night's not over yet," he said, quickly, while he had the courage. "Unless you want it to be?"
She shook her head, pulling her bottom lip under her teeth. "Do you?"
"No," he said, then added, "You could come home with me instead?" He gestured to his car across the lot.
Piper raised an eyebrow. "That's quite the pivot. From safety PSA to sleepover invitation."
"I contain multitudes," he deadpanned, letting his gaze drag slowly over her before meeting her eyes again.
She tilted her head, playful now. "Do any of those multitudes include snacks?"
"I've got leftover Thai and a full, unopened bag of kettle corn," he said, voice casual until it dipped lower. "But if you're wondering what else is on the menu? Well, that's negotiable."
Piper raised an eyebrow, lips curving. "You should've led with the kettle corn."
He took a step closer, the corner of his mouth lifting. "You know, ever since we met, I've been curious if you take orders as well as you give them."
Her smirk was instant, and her gaze dipped to his mouth before landing squarely back on his. "Depends on the orders." She let her fingers graze down the front of his shirt, light as a tease. "But I do learn fast when there's a solid benefits package."
"I deliver excellent benefits," he said, dead serious but with a grin threatening to break through.
Piper tilted her head. "Playlist rights on the drive there? Full creative control."
His answer came with zero hesitation and a flash of excitement. "Deal." His voice turned husky. "Though, fair warning: if you keep looking at me like that, we might not make it through the first song."