“We didn’t get the contract.” Carla fished a quarter out of her pocket and added it to their collection.
“Not yet.” Piper took a drink. The cider was warm, and alcohol was definitely called for in this situation. “But we will.”
She gave Carla the highlights as she ducked into the backroom and switched her business casual for a pair of denim cutoffs and a tank top, restoring the flip-flops when she was dressed. Her feet practically cried in relief, even as her knee gave a warning throb.
“Typical guys. They can’t choose between you and Cal, so they offer to date both of you before committing.”
“There was a woman executive,” Piper pointed out in the interests of fairness when she came back out front.
Carla finished her cup and eyed the bottle. “That stuff is definitely no substitute for the real thing.”
“It was cheap.” And she was out of cash unless she robbed the swear jar, a low to which she had so far refused to sink. Groceries for the month were going to be noodles and whatever was kicking around in the pantry, unless she actually used Cal’s hundred bucks.
“So, Cal Brennan is still the competition?”
“Unfortunately.”
Carla settled back, waving her cup. “Why unfortunately?”
“He’s good,” Piper said morosely, hopping up onto the counter. “Really good. He had them eating out of the palm of his hand as he walked them through imaginary adventure dives. They were practically salivating at the thought of exploring caves and training like a U.S. Navy SEAL.”
Cal had had her hanging on his every word, too, although only partly because adventure diving was precisely the kind of thing she’d enjoy. Most of her attention span had had everything to do with the hot SEAL doing the presenting. The sensation of his eyes moving over her body gave her the kind of feeling she got when was diving or jumping. An adrenaline rush, followed by a familiar quiver.
No quivering.
“You’ll win.” Carla sounded certain. “Your dives are fun. Not everything has to be a mental marathon.”
Piper appreciated the vote of confidence.
“So, what are the next steps?”
“I take them out on a sample dive program. I’ll do a few dry runs this week and next. Make sure I’m ready to go and there’s no room for improvement.”
Carla reached up and knocked her paper cup against Piper’s. “Cal won’t know what hit him.”
“He probably won’t mind,” she said. She’d always enjoyed a good competitor, but Cal was in a league of his own. Not only was he a former U.S. Navy SEAL, but he’d also put together a compelling presentation. She wanted to go out diving with him now. Or do other, more personal things. “Plus, he doesn’t play fair.”
He’d made her go first, although she’d more than evened the playing field by teasing him while he presented.
“He’s a Navy SEAL. Doesn’t that make him a bona fide hero?”
“In a war zone, yes. In the boardroom? Not so much.” Of course, she hadn’t been playing fair herself, but she’d keep those details to herself.
“So...” Carla lobbed the paper cup at the recycle bin. “Was it as horrific as my diver last month, who pulled off his wet suit and his speedo in one go? ’Cause the guy was at least sixty pounds overweight and had never heard of manscaping. My eyes are still burning. Cal Brennan is pretty hot.”
“It’s not a beauty pageant.”
“And if it was, you’d win,” her assistant said loyally.
Piper performed a pageant wave and wiped away a mock tear. “Thank you. I’ll pick up my tiara later.”
“But he is, right?”
Unfortunately, Carla was right. “On a scale of one to ten, he’s a definite ten. Maybe even an eleven if he keeps his mouth shut.”
“Jump him.” Carla shrugged. “Get him out of your system.”
Piper didn’t want to even think about how long it had been since she’d had sex. One of the downsides to living on an island with four thousand people was the minuscule size of the dating pool. Casual summer hookups weren’t really her thing, which had further limited her options. Plus, she hadn’t dated much in high school or college. A few casual nights out here and there—practice guys, as her teammates called them. She’d been too busy training and competing to do anything else. If she needed a guy for a formal event, she borrowed one from the swim team and called it good. Getting Cal out of her system shouldn’t have sounded so appealing.
“I’m not attracted to Cal.” Unfortunately, she couldn’t summon a shred of proof to back up the statement.