Authors: Casey Griffin
She couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought you were in the middle of a big meeting.”
“It got kind of boring once you left.”
“I do know how to liven things up, don’t I?” she replied coolly, but felt her cheeks flush at the memory. Glancing in the rearview, she saw his eyes crinkle, as though he was remembering it too, but not in the same negative way. Her skin burned hotter.
Annoyed at being left out of the conversation, Colin barked.
“Is that a dog?”
Piper sighed and let the creature wiggle free from her arms. Colin leapt onto the center console to investigate this new man in his cab. He was protective of Piper. Her little hero. In fact, she often imagined he looked like Batman. His short black fur and touch of light brown around his snout formed the same shape as the Caped Crusader’s mask.
Aiden reached out to let the dog smell him. “Hello, boy. What’s your name?”
“Colin,” Piper said.
“Unusual name for a dog.”
“Colin is an unusual dog.”
As though in agreement, Colin barked.
Aiden laughed and scratched him behind the ears. “Actually, I just became a proud owner of a dachshund.”
“Well, you made a good choice. It’s a great breed.”
She watched him make friends with her dog, which gave Aiden major bonus points—not that he needed them with that smile, and those eyes, and damn, he really did look good in that suit. “Maybe I’m headed your way,” she conceded. “Where did you want to go?”
“Inner Mission area,” he said. “Please.”
She checked the clock again, not sure how she always managed to take on too much. It would be fine, she told herself. Just fine. Besides, that was near the rescue center. She could drop Colin off before heading for the taxi depot. That way, she wouldn’t need to smuggle him out of the taxi in her backpack before someone saw. Plus having a pleasant view in her mirror for the trip didn’t hurt.
“I think I can manage that. Colin, down, boy.” She pointed to the passenger side mat.
With a whine of protest, the doxie hopped down.
Throwing the car into drive, Piper shoulder checked and stepped on the gas. Leather and gold flashed in front of the hood as someone leapt ahead of the taxi. She slammed on the brakes. Everyone lurched forward in the cab.
“Oh, crap,” she mumbled.
“What is it?” Aiden asked.
“Trouble.” She glared out the windshield where Dominic crooked a finger at her. “I’ll just be a second.”
Nudging the car forward, she tucked it back next to the curb and out of traffic. Dominic crossed his arms to wait while she crawled out. His pompous expression spiked her annoyance level.
Piper threw the door open, shivering as the rain hit her bare skin. “Do you have a death wish, Dom? Can’t you see I’m working here?”
He pointed to her outfit. “You certainly look like a working girl to me.”
“Ha-ha. You’re hilarious.”
The rear cab door opened and Aiden stepped out onto the sidewalk. He glanced between Dominic and Piper. “Is everything okay?”
“None of your business, pal.” Dominic jabbed a finger at Aiden before turning back to Piper. “You shoulda moved your cab, sweetheart.”
“Keep your panties on, Dom. I’m moving it. See? I have my customer now. We’re leaving.”
“Yeah, see, I don’t think you were here for a customer. You know, I started to think–”
“And I’m sure it hurt.” Her left boob vibrated, startling her. Reaching into her bra, she pulled out her phone. The rain was picking up, so she stepped onto the sidewalk and under the building’s awning before checking it.
It was a text from her boss at Tony’s Pizza.
Got another complaint from a customer. He said you were late, the pizza was cold, and the breadsticks were missing. I warned you, Piper. You’re fired.
“Dammit.”
Bringing up a foot, she banged her heel on the pavement in frustration.
Snap.
Her heel broke. She stumbled back, arms pinwheeling as she tried to regain balance.
Aiden lunged forward, catching her before she could fall. His hands rubbed hot on her bare stomach, and she took a moment longer than she needed to step away.
“Thanks.”
He gave her an apologetic look. “Bad day?”
“You have no idea.”
But that expression on his face and the way his hands lingered on her made it a teensy bit better. Like chocolate-covered Brussels sprouts.
Bending down, she picked up the broken heel and pouted at it. The cowgirl would have to take some time off until she could afford new boots. Sam was a tightwad and didn’t like to spend money on decent costumes. The cheap crap he did provide he made his employees rent at a premium, so Piper liked to buy her own.
“Like I was saying.” Dominic wedged himself between Piper and Aiden. “See, I think you’ve been moonlighting.”
“So?” Piper threw her hands up. “What are you going to do about it?”
“That’s not illegal,” Aiden said. “The California legislation is clear. She’s perfectly within her rights to work more than one job. What infringes on her rights, however, is harassment in the workplace.” He took a step toward Dominic, but that single step held a lot of power. “So I suggest you leave this young woman alone and let her get back to her job.”
Dominic balked. Piper wished she’d worn her cheerleading costume that day. She wanted to shake her pom-poms and cheer, “Go-o-o, Aiden!”
“Her job?” Dominic turned back to Piper. “And which one is that? Because the boss doesn’t have a problem with you working more than one job. He has a problem with you working all of them at the exact same time.”
“The boss? You told Dave?”
Aiden raised his hands and backed off. “Sorry,” he said to her. “I can’t help you there.”
She cringed. “Bad timing. I couldn’t get anyone to cover the shifts.” Well, she supposed she might have if she’d asked for help for once. But she didn’t need help. She would have been fine if it hadn’t been for Dominic. Just fine, fine, fine.
Dominic shrugged. “I may have mentioned to Dave that I saw you here.” He placed a hand over his heart, his expression the epitome of angelic innocence. “I was concerned, is all. After seeing you dressed like this, I was worried this was our new uniform.” Laughing, he fiddled with the tassels dangling beneath her boobs.
She slapped his hand away. “What did Dave say?”
“Is that a dog?” Dominic asked.
“What?” Piper followed his stare to the open back door of her cab.
Colin dropped down from the seat and scampered across the sidewalk to join them under the awning. He sat down next to Piper’s cowboy boots and stared up at her. Barrel chest protruding, he wagged his tail like he was such a good boy for behaving. His expression said,
Do I get a treat now?
Dominic gaped at her like she’d lost her marbles. “You can’t keep your pet in the taxis.”
“He’s not a pet. He’s a copilot,” she said. When Dom didn’t look convinced, she tried again. “Seeing Eye dog?”
Colin gave an angry bark at Dominic, deep and intimidating for such a small thing. Duh-na-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh, Batman!
“Sic ’em, Colin,” she said, half-hoping he’d understand.
Dominic took a step back. Instead of Colin attacking, his tongue lolled out of his mouth, dripping slobber on his paw. He didn’t make the best guard dog, since he didn’t know any commands beyond your basic roll over and sit. And it wasn’t like he could roll someone over to death. His head swiveled between the two of them, flinging dribble onto Dominic’s shoe. That will show him, she thought.
Aiden’s focus bounced between Piper and Dominic but mostly remained on the latter, mouth in a hard line, cool eyes watching, waiting, maybe for him to step out of line. But Piper was grateful he kept to the sidelines. She didn’t need any guy stepping in on her behalf, far less one she barely knew. She was a big girl and she could handle a lowlife like Dominic on her own.
“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” Dominic said. “It can’t be any worse for you. Dave said he wants the cab back to the depot. Now. And, oh yeah, he said something else.” Dominic tapped his chin as though thinking, enjoying every minute of it. “He said something about wanting to see you in his office. If I were you, I’d wear that outfit. You might have a better chance of keeping your job.”
Piper glared at the little weasel. “You think you’re so goddamned clever, don’t you?”
He scowled and opened his mouth to speak, but something brought him up short. He chuckled to himself.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing. Nothing.” His snickering went on a little longer, drawing out his pleasure in her demise. “By the way, did you need a ride to the depot? I’m on my way there right now. I wouldn’t want to miss the show.”
She placed a hand on her hip. “I think I’ve spent enough quality time with you this afternoon. I’ve got my own cab, thank you very much.”
“Oh, you mean that one?” Dominic pointed a meaty finger toward the street. To the empty taxi lane.
Piper’s cab burned rubber as it whipped into traffic. It took off down Montgomery Street, smoke coming from the tires.
“Hey!” Piper yelled.
She hobbled away from the building and out onto the street with her one good boot. Winding her arm up, she threw the broken boot heel at the cab. It clattered into the middle of the street where a delivery truck ran it over. The taxi squealed around the next corner, the back door swinging closed, and it disappeared.
Slipping off her red cowboy hat, she stared after the taxi in disbelief, oblivious to the traffic honking behind her. Rain soaked through her skimpy costume in seconds. That couldn’t have happened, she told herself. Right under their noses, thirty feet away. The thief only took it for a spin around the block, right? He’d bring it back. It would be fine. Just fine, fine, fine. Right?
But it didn’t come back. It was so
not
fine.
“Did that just happen?” she asked no one in particular.
The weight of the whole day crashed down on her, and she sank to her knees on the wet pavement. Where was that streetcar when she needed it?
“My cab.”
“My briefcase,” Aiden said.
Colin peed on the tire of Dominic’s taxi.
My treat?
Dominic crouched down to leer in Piper’s face. “Your job.”
Piper wrung the water out of her cowgirl costume in the tiny Dachshund Rescue Center bathroom. Her hair still dripped from the rain, but at least she was wearing her friend’s warm yoga pants and a one hundred percent tassel-free sweatshirt. Tying back her hair, she completed her de-slutting transformation and sighed.
The walk to the center had been a long one, especially after giving a statement to the cops and calling her boss at the taxi company so he could fire her—she didn’t see the point in showing up in person since she had no taxi to return, or a change of clothes, for that matter. And no matter what Dominic said, she didn’t think the cowgirl costume would have saved her job.
To top it all off, when she’d said good-bye to Aiden Caldwell he’d given her a handshake. A
handshake
. Not that she expected something else, or anything … or wanted anything for that matter. Because that would have been silly. They’d just met. And he was totally not her type. But a handshake? Ouch. Maybe
she
wasn’t
his
type. Double ouch. Then again, it didn’t matter because she didn’t care. Right?
Before she could replay the scene in her head yet again, she stepped out of the bathroom and into the reception room. “That feels much better,” she said.
Her friend Addison sat on the back counter feeding the goldfish, since she was too short to reach from the floor. Sprinkling food over the water, she assessed Piper’s new look.
“Looks good. Maybe people won’t throw coins at you now like you’re turning tricks.”
“One guy. It was one guy on the walk here.” Piper leaned against the counter and watched the fish dart around the rectangular tank gobbling up the bits of food. “The ladies are hungry today.”
Since they were veiltail goldfish, Piper thought they looked like elegant ladies with their orange and white chiffon ball gowns floating behind them. The image fit since they belonged to the older Englishwoman, Marilyn, who managed the rescue center. She was rather stately herself. Or perhaps her posh accent gave that impression. That and the fact that the only other English people Piper knew were the stereotypes found in movies.
Zoe strolled out of the little kitchen carrying a jug sloshing with water. When she noticed Piper had changed, she gave her a wink. “Lookin’ good, Pipe.”
“Thanks for coming in to cover for me while I talked to the cops,” Piper said. “And, more important, thanks for bringing the clothes. I didn’t feel like cleaning out dog enclosures in my soaking wet telegram costume.”
“No problem,” Zoe said, watering the peace lily on the desk. “That’s the nice thing about running your own business. When you want a day off, you get to tell the boss to shove it.”
Piper picked up the tiny pieces of her cowgirl costume from the bathroom floor. Since they were at the center, Colin thought it was time to play and started chewing on the tassels, yanking the shirt from her grip in a game of tug-of-war.
“Colin, no.” She swiped the costume out of his reach and balled it up. “Out of all the jobs I lost today, why did I have to keep the one with the worst uniform?”
“That’s true,” Zoe said. “But I’m sure it was exactly what that hot businessman wanted to see you in. Not a greasy pizza delivery uniform.”
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t matter what Aiden Caldwell wants.” Piper chucked the leather and tassels into a plastic bag to take home. “Because I won’t be seeing him again.” Not that she had a choice in the matter. Not that she cared, she added to herself.
Addison slid off the counter. “So that was it? You guys talked to the cops and left? You didn’t exchange numbers with this guy?”
“What for? I sexually assaulted and embarrassed him in front of his employees, I lost not one, but two, jobs, proving myself to be a complete and utter flake, and he watched me lose the car. A whole car. Not to mention his briefcase. All the while, dressed like a Western porn star. Why would that man ever want to see me again?”