“Piper, you talk a hell of a game, but we both know that you’re about as experienced in the bedroom as I am.”
“Well, I have a much more vivid imagination than you do,” Piper said. “We both know that.”
“Of course you do. You’re a librarian,” Elena told her with an epic eye roll.
“Which is why I can never meet any hot studs. You know what they say about sex in the stacks? Stirring up the dust and all that? Well, it never happens. I make a point of going there at least once every shift and I’ve yet to get ravished.” Piper let out an elaborate sigh.
“One of these days I’m going to hire some serious hottie. He’ll be waiting back there with a video camera set up, and then I’ll use the expression on your face for blackmail for the rest of your life.”
“Oh, puh-lease, Elena. If I found a hot stud back there, I so wouldn’t give you a second thought. I’d just rip off my clothes and pounce on him. Jump his proverbial bones. Or bone, but definitely more than once.”
“You’ve been reading far too many romance novels,” Elena said. “Maybe you should stick with the classics.”
But her friend had effectively pulled her out of her grumpy mood, just as she’d known she would. That’s what friends were for, even if it sometimes took a while.
“And you need to answer your phone the next time that man calls you,” Piper said. She shot a pointed look at Elena’s cell, which had buzzed several times in the last hour.
“Nope. I’m off duty on the weekends — at least when it comes to Tyler Knight.”
“Comes? Interesting word choice, as usual. But I thought he was a primo client that you had to make happy.”
“I’ll just say my phone died if I’m asked about it. He never told me I had to be available for anything this weekend. Where’s the bottle of wine?”
“I’m so on that,” Piper said. She leapt up and ran to the kitchen, immediately pulling out a bottle from the refrigerator and filling two glasses.
“Thanks! Let’s get plastered,” Elena told her, “maybe eat some popcorn with a lot of butter on it, and forget all about men, at least for two days.”
“If you can go fifteen minutes without saying a word about Tyler, I’ll believe you hate the guy,” Piper said as she popped a movie into the DVD player. “Or I might.”
After another hour and two bottles of wine, Elena had interrupted the film roughly a dozen times to grumble about Tyler. The knowing looks that Piper was sending her way weren’t reassuring and she was thinking that maybe it was time to call it a night. Piper would never believer that she didn’t want Tyler.
Hell, she’d never believe it herself.
Chapter Nineteen
Juggling the drinks and a sack carrying their sandwiches, Elena pushed her way into the library, and went to the back where Piper was waiting for her.
When she heard quiet laughter, she stopped. That voice sounded familiar but what in the world would he be doing at Piper’s work? And why would Piper be laughing. She stopped and took a breath before continuing. It was most likely just someone who sounded like Tyler. Since the man was constantly on her mind, she was sure it was her imagination.
Unfreezing, she moved forward and turned the corner to find Tyler and Piper both sitting at Piper’s favorite reading nook in the library. Both of them wore silly grins.
“What are you doing here?” Elena’s tone wasn’t friendly.
“I work here,” Piper said, deliberately intercepting the question as she rose and grabbed the bag from Elena.
Sending an irritated look her friend’s way, she then turned to Tyler, who didn’t appear in the least apologetic over being there.
“I had to check out a book and ran into Piper here. We’ve been talking for a while now. Your friend has a vast knowledge of business procedures,” Tyler said, and he kicked back in the chair as if he didn’t plan on going anywhere in the near future.
“Now that you can see that I’m fine, you can leave.”
Tyler’s eyes narrowed the slightest bit before he masked his expression and gave her a look that told her he certainly felt he was the one in charge.
“Well since we’ve managed to run into each other, and I haven’t been able to get you on the phone I think now is a good time to discuss business.”
“Do you normally stalk your attorneys?”
She didn’t want to allow him to set a precedent of showing up any time he felt like it at places that were her stomping grounds. It appeared that Tyler Knight, as always, would do whatever the hell he pleased though.
“I do business wherever I feel like it. I didn’t become as successful as I have by sticking with convention.”
They had a stare-off for several moments, during which Elena was sure the library heated up a few degrees.
Then Piper interrupted. “I’m going to have lunch. Are you guys joining me?”
Elena wasn’t thrilled that her best friend was entertaining the man who was driving her insane, but she quickly squashed that sentiment. What should Piper have done? Tell him to go away? That sounded much easier than it was. The guy didn’t listen. He’d stopped doing that when he hit puberty – most likely before, actually.
“If we’re going to meet, we might as well eat. I’m hungry,” Elena finally said.
“Good. Me too.” Piper grabbed her sandwich and kicked back, pretending she didn’t notice the tension brewing.
Elena sat in the seat across from Tyler. At least this table was too wide for him to try to play footsies with her. She didn’t think she could handle him touching her at the moment. Her nerves were scraped too raw.