Blended TML Ch 28

Piper turns. The woman speaking to her has extraordinary, wavy blonde hair in a messy ponytail so artfully crafted that it deserves an award. It’s not her natural color, but the work done on it is Hollywood-level. Her white scoop top is deceptively low-key, but no doubt expensive. Those jeans are only appropriate for these cool morning hours; they’ll have to go when the sun comes up. The jewelry is understated. The narrow waist and idealized curves are the product of calorie counting and soft cardio. The chest might be real. Piper can stop breathing more easily than she can stop analyzing—although her guard is up. She’s not in the business of addressing strangers in grocery stores.

“Hi,” she replies with a little hesitance in her tone, but none in her gaze.

The shopper leans on her cart, which holds some high-end liquor and what appear to be ingredients for a very nice charcuterie board. She’s all friendliness, probably Mary’s age, but fighting it. Piper sees no signs of cosmetic surgery, but the lines around the eyes don’t match the forehead. Well, it’s not as though nobody in Gurlberg gets Botox. Piper knows for a fact that the County Prosecutor got it.

“Are you local?” The question doesn’t sound abrasive. A little entitled, maybe.

Piper has a natural reluctance to answer questions from strangers, but she’s screwed up so many times in the past by being overly evasive or dismissive.

“Nope. Tourist. Well, kind of. My family has some property down here.”

“Oh. OK. I was going to say, I’ve never seen you around, but I’d remember.” That look, and those words are unmistakable. Piper wonders if she’s stepped into an alternate reality; it’s not that her social life was so dry in Gurlberg, but still. Katya and Brise knock on her door, and now a loaded lake cougar type is trying to flirt with her. “And visitors aren’t usually up this early.”

“Well, I’m not visiting for fun. Lots to do.”

“Really? No fun?” The shopper’s gaze flicks to the bottles of prosecco and orange juice in Piper’s cart.

Piper has to concede. “Maybe a little.”

“Here with friends? Partner?”

“Just me,” Piper lies automatically. It is a terrible thing to do from a safety perspective, but it’s reflexive. She isn’t even sure why she feels so strongly about protecting information this way. Maybe it’s because her mother always warned her never to talk to cops. Or maybe it’s because in a few years she’ll be a therapist, and protecting the confidentiality of the people who talk to her will be a big deal that she intends to take seriously.

“Got any plans tonight?”

Refreshingly direct. Piper can’t help but respect it. This woman’s at the grocery store before dawn, and she’s hitting on women half her age. No wedding ring. But for all this candor, there’s something terribly artificial about this woman.

“I honestly don’t know yet,” Piper replies.

The woman takes that like a champ. “Well, there’s a party all week at the Diamond. Celebrating the tenth anniversary. Lakeside at night, the pool deck. It’s a good time. Love to see you there.”

This is it. The exchange is over, and in a second, this woman will walk away. Piper is only human, and tempted by talk of parties, attention, and adventure.

She can play it cool and stay on mission, or she can easily get this woman’s number right here, right now.