Page 84 of Spicy Sapphic Christmas

“If that’s what she’s afraid of.” Piper slid her fingers through Jo’s hair. “But it’s probably a bad idea. It would mean we’d have to fake an engagement to each other.”

“I don’t know. It could help get Mandy off my back if she finally realized I was totally unavailable.” Jo trailed her fingers back and forth along Piper’s arm. “This might not be a half bad idea. It could solve a lot of problems.”

“Are you sure?”

“Kind of, actually. No. I am. What would that entail?”

Jo sounded so interested. Piper held herself stiff, waiting to see if it was genuine curiosity or just conversation making. Piperpulled her lip between her teeth and let it pop out. “Just some pictures and us telling Bunny probably.”

“And Bea? Do we tell her?”

“That we’d be engaged or that it’s all fake?”

“That we’re engaged.”

Piper squinted at Jo’s turn of phrase. They wouldn’t actually be engaged. It would just be to get Bunny and Bea’s heads out of their asses. “Yeah, if you think that’d be best.”

“I think that if I’m not someone she has to take care of anymore, then she might just free herself up for a relationship. If she wasn’t worried about me, then she could focus on someone else.” Jo’s lips slowly turned upward into a smile. “I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

“There could be fallout from it.”

“Then we’ll deal with it later.” Jo quickly moved up onto her knees and straddled Piper’s thighs. “I think this is exactly the kick in the ass that Bea needs. When are we doing it?”

“Uh… tonight,” Piper said, making the decision immediately. “Well, assuming I can get hold of Siena. I’m sure she’s heard an earful from everyone about the situation by now.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. She knows everything.” Piper leaned over to the coffee table to grab her phone. “Pray she answers.”

Hitting Siena’s name, Piper put the phone on speaker and held it in front of her. It was the fourth ring before she answered, and Piper’s lips curled into a smile as soon as Siena’s smooth, “What’s up, Pipes?” reached her ears.

“Hey.” Piper’s cheeks turned hot. “I have a favor to ask of you, and I want you to not kill me for it before you hear me out.”

“Okay?” Siena sounded curious now.

“Do you have Harley tonight?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Piper pressed her lips together hard and glanced at Jo. “Well, maybe she can help. She is one of the best wing women out there.”

“What’s going on?” Siena’s tone turned demanding.

Harley’s playful squeal could be heard in the background. Piper grinned at it. She’d always loved that kid. “I have an idea to get Bunny to quit being such a bitch, but I’m going to need your help.”

“All right. I’m in for whatever it is because she’s on some kind of rampage.”

“Yep. So, Jo and I were thinking of pulling off a fake engagement.”

“What!?” Siena’s voice rang through the room.

Piper slipped Jo a conspiratorial look. “Yeah, fake engagement. Catch up, Siena. Bunny’s problem is love, and I want her to know that love isn’t a death sentence. That we can be out and she’ll survive. So let’s show her that.”

“This is an insane idea.”

“But insane ideas usually work.”

Piper could swear she could see Siena frowning. “No, they don’t.”

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