Page 29 of The Biker and the Baker
"Does it matter?"
He shoves his fingers back through his hair, ruining his perfect side part as he shifts on his feet, searching for words.
"Look," I start, "it doesn’t matter to me either way. We had some good fun. But I can’t get down like that with you anymore, okay?"
"Pia, it’s not—"
"Go home to your fiancé, Cal."
I brush past him and toward my apartment. He follows me. I unlock my door and step inside. When I turn, he’s just standing there, looking like a lost, confused puppy.
“Pia—I don’t understand. Why is this a problem for you all of a sudden? This is the game we play, isn’t it? This is what you—”
“Go home,Cal.”
I slam the door in his face, effectively putting an end to that chapter of my life.
Chapter 7
Pia
I drum myfingers against the steering wheel as the palatial gates to the address in Castle Pines slowly spreads open for us.
"You're sure he's gonna be here, right?" Lissa asks for the umpteenth time. Probably because she doesn't trust me. In which case, she would be right not to.
"Uh, yeah, sure."
I’m lying. I have absolutely no idea if Mice will be here or not, but I didn’t want to come here alone, and the promise of Mice’s presence was the only way to get Lissa to tag along.
I doubt even Onyx will be here, let alone Mice. I'll make it up to her, and she’ll forgive me; it’s not the first time I pulled something like this with her.
Once the gates are fully open, I drive through and down the winding path. An estate, that’s what this is. Acres upon acres of verdant land on both sides of the tree-lined pathway. A sprawling mansion in the distance.
"Whose place did you say this was again?" Lissa asks, wonder in her voice.
"My boss’s friend, or something."
"Huh. So this is how the other half lives," she muses, echoing my thoughts.
The pathway diverges into two directions, with arrow signs that read “Family Entrance” and “Guest Entrance.”
We follow the guest entrance, and that’s when cars and people come into view. Not much, around fifteen to eighteen heads top.
Lissa squints through the windshield as I park and switch off the engine. "Do you see him? I don’t see him?"
For Pete’s sake…"Girl, get out of the damn car and quit being so desperate."
Despite a couple of calls and text message exchanges, she hasn’t been making much headway with Mice. He plays hard-to-get quite well.
We get out of the vehicle, self-consciously smoothing out our clothes as we move toward the setup.
I’m prettily dressed in a flowy white floral-print summer dress and strappy white sandals, while Lissa is casual in denim shorts, a tank top, and a duster.
With sunset fast approaching, the sky is tinged a dull tangerine hue. Perfect temperature, with the surrounding lush of trees dancing gently from the cool, light wind.
Ahead, is a long wooden table, decorated with shimmery runners, tea lights, and silverware. Lounge music spills from wireless speakers while the guests sip from highball glasses, laughing at each other’s jokes. Among them is Toni Blume, the owner of Tipsy Scoop, who breaks away from the gaggle when she spots us. A warm smile slides onto her face, accentuating her beauty. Her skin is like bronze, her frame lithe and petite.
"Pia," she greets. "So glad you could make it."
