“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 tothat 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?”