Chapter 11
Lucy and I spent much of our time on Monday making like the Bangles and being manic. We weren’t late and I didn’t dream about kissing Valentino, but we were very busy and focused. Things needed to be efficient and pristine when my investors came by.
Aaron sent me a couple of good luck texts. I tried not to think about him. The truth was, if I screwed this up I probably wouldn’t need to get married. I could sell this business as it stood in a heartbeat and catch a big silver bird back to Sydney. I’d achieved all I hoped for with the business; if the deal went through, though, I wanted to be around to take it to the next level.
As we munched on a lunchtime pie, Lucy asked me about Aaron. “Hot much?”
“Steaming.”
“He seems very into you.”
He’s a very good actor. “Maybe. It’s new, but it’s very, very nice.”
“I hope it works out for you. You deserve a hottie, Piper.”
I do, but I didn’t necessarily deserve this one. “Fingers crossed.”
“I don’t think you’ve dated anyone since I’ve known you.”
“I must have.”
She shook her head. “I’d remember. I’m a romance junkie.”
“Well. I guess it’s my turn then.”
Apart from that brief interlude, it was work all the way.
I couldn’t sleep that night because I don’t think there would ever be a more significant week in my life. I was, hopefully, taking my business stratospheric, and I was getting married. This was nuts.
Around one in the morning, my phone rang. I wasn’t really asleep, merely in an exhausted fugue. It was my dad.
“Hey, kiddo.”
“Did I wake you?”
“It’s okay. What’s up?”
“I rang to wish you luck tomorrow.”
He remembered. My heart did a little happy dance. “Thanks, Dad.”
“I know you think I’m a bit hopeless.”
“Dad.”
“Hear me out, Piper.” He cleared his throat. “I haven’t exactly been father of the year material, but I want you to know that I’m proud of you. You should walk tall, kiddo, because whatever you’ve achieved, it’s all on you. You’ve done it. I didn’t know what to do when your mother left, or when she was here for that matter, and you were a girl and so like her--big heart, lots of gumption--that you scared the shit out of me.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I had to laugh.
“In a good way, Piper. I just tried to stand back and let you get on with it. And you have. So I guess I wanted to let you know that your hopeless old dad is pulling for you.”
“Thanks, Dad. It means a lot to me that you called.” It really did. I was so used to expecting nothing that I started to tear up.
“And I know we never talk about it, but your mother would be, too, if she wasn’t such a selfish cow.”
“Way to bring it home, Dad.”
“Sorry.” We were both laughing.
I got back into bed and, funnily enough, I slept really, really well.