Blended TML Ch 29

Piper makes her choice. “If I need help finding the party, who do I call?”

The cougar looks pleased. She takes out her phone and offers her hand. “I’m Tiffany.”

“Piper.”

With a new contact in her phone, Piper and her shopping cart rattle their way outside. The rising sun casts thin, orange lines on the graceful curves of the red Corvette in the parking lot. That wasn’t there when Piper arrived.

She heads back toward the cabin, moving the pieces around in her mind. How can she take care of Mary and make time for Tiffany? She’s not always candid with other people, but she tries to be honest with herself. Brise and Katya will be tough to beat, but something about the cougar stirs brand-new feelings of excitement. Piper’s never been with an older woman before. Maybe that’s why she’s buzzing this way on the inside: this was not on her bingo card.

Piper sets about cooking a breakfast feast that requires minimal effort, but will still impress people. The key to the illusion of high effort is having as many different things as possible on the plate. A plate with just some scrambled eggs on it doesn’t look like much. Add sausage and that’s a start, but still not cute. Add a croissant, and it’s getting there. Add grapes, and it’s better. Strawberries and grapes are good. A second carb, in this case a cinnamon roll, turns that plate into something that someone would want to take a picture of. The only cooking is the eggs and sausage, and that’s just pushing stuff around in a skillet for a few minutes.

Piper lovingly chops and arranges, and the smell of coffee predictably brings Mary to the kitchen in her pajamas. She shuffles to the coffee pot, quiet and wearing a neutrality that Piper instantly recognizes as a mask for nerves.

Did she hear what happened last night? Yes.

Piper can see no reason not to deal with that right now. The most efficient way is to confront it directly while playing it off as nothing.

“Sorry about last night,” Piper says as she washes the skillet. “I want to say I didn’t think we’d be noisy, but I’d be lying. We got a little carried away. Being polite was the last thing on my mind.”

Mary stiffens for a moment, processing Piper’s candor. Then she shakes her head. “It’s OK. I’m glad someone’s having fun here.”

“If we kept you up, I’ll make it up to you.”

“It’s not a big deal.” Calm. Serene. Mary Jameson is a trooper, as always.

Piper brings Mary her plate. “What happens at the cabin stays at the cabin, right?”

“You’re an adult, Piper. I’m not gonna tell Penny, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m not worried. But I don’t feel like an adult. I feel like I’m taking a lot of impulsive swings this weekend.”

Mary looks thoughtful, although she’s blushing a little and still hasn’t looked Piper in the eye. “Maybe…” she says, her gaze drifting to the hall that leads to the master bedroom. “Maybe adulthood is saying no to the impulsive things and learning to think about future you. But then you have to unlearn that or re-learn it. Because if you say no to everything, maybe that’s not any better.”

“I guess you took an impulsive swing when you met my mom.”

“No, she was the one swinging for sure,” Mary says, appearing to relax a bit. She sits down to eat. “She’s persistent.”

“So it pays off?”

Mary just smiles. She opens her mouth, but stops before speaking. Piper hears it too: Brise and Katya are awake.