A laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it.
The sun had begun its descent toward the mountains, bathing everything in a muted golden light that made the city skyline shimmer.
Piper caught herself studying Zach's profile and the strong line of his jaw, the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners even when he wasn't smiling. Like he laughed so often the lines were already permanent.
"Thank you," she said suddenly. "For handling that with the manager. You were impressive."
With a smile that tugged a little too knowingly, he said, "High praise from someone who intimidates funeral directors for fun."
"I do not intimidate them," she protested. "I organize them. There's a difference."
"If you say so."
They reached the parking garage level in comfortable silence. As they stepped out, Zach hesitated.
"Speaking of organizing," he said, falling into step beside her. "What would you say to celebrating our daring escape from audiovisual imprisonment? I've got an in with Brek at Brek's Bar. He always has good bands."
"That's Aspen's brother's bar." Piper paused by her car. "I've never been."
It never felt like a place she'd fit in, honestly.
"Come with me, then," Zach said.
Key fob in hand, every instinct crafted from years navigating delicate client relationships and steering clear of drama warned her to shut it down. To maintain the separation between work and pleasure. To keep the damn walls firmly in place.
But Zach had already started to pull those walls down and something—an openness, a genuine interest that went beyond mere flirtation? Whatever it was, she was reconsidering.
"Just to celebrate our escape?" she asked cautiously.
"Absolutely," he assured her, though the slight twinkle in his eyes suggested more. "Plus, I owe you because that had Babushka written all over it in giant red Sharpie with exclamation points."
"The thing is, I've been running the whole thing in my brain and Babushka left long before she could've done anything to the lock."
"If there's one thing I've learned," Zach said. "It's that you should never underestimate what that woman can do."
Piper smirked. "Noted."
"A drink?" Zach said, his eyes sparkling.
Piper bit her lip, mentally running through her evening schedule. No urgent deadlines. No early meetings tomorrow. Only a movie marathon that could wait for another night.
There really was no valid excuse, even if she'd wanted one.
"Okay," she said. "But absolutely no talk about weddings."
The smile that spread across Zach's face was like watching the sun. She could almost convince herself this was simply a friendly, professional outing. A simple celebration of surviving a bizarre situation.
But the flutter in her stomach said it was so much more.
CHAPTER 11
41 DAYS UNTIL ANNA & DRAKE'S WEDDING
ZACH
The glow of neon beer signs bathed Brek's Bar in a kaleidoscope of colors, transforming the dive-bar atmosphere into something unexpectedly inviting.
They walked in together, Zach still carrying the breadbasket as Piper took in the mismatched furniture, vintage concert posters, big stage, and the eclectic crowd that seemed perfectly at home mixed together.
