Love is the New Black Page 18

  Piper’s original idea of throwing herself into building up her folio after the break-up with Dylan seemed amusing now. Working hard wasn’t optional with Wendy; it was simply expected. So far, Rose and Patrick Wakefield hadn’t needed to freelance out any Aspire articles, because Wendy was willing and able to write as much as was asked of her. And whatever she required of herself, she also expected of Piper. Piper couldn’t count how many dinners she’d eaten in front of her computer screen. Although she did love the work, Piper sometimes fantasised about going back to her old role for a rest.

  When Wendy left the office to interview a prison warden for the next month’s feature, Piper leant back in her chair. She took some deep breaths to refresh her over-stimulated mind.

  The other fantasies, the ones that included Mason Wakefield, were thankfully abating. When his father came back to work, Mason had disappeared from Aspire altogether.

  As if summoned by her thoughts, Patrick Wakefield knocked on her office door.

  ‘Hello, Piper, I’m looking for Wendy,’ he said. Piper liked his manner. For a boss, he was very approachable, he knew everyone’s names and what their roles were. To top it all off, he was a great magazine man: this month’s Aspire was one Piper would have bought herself. Still, his resemblance to Mason made her a bit edgy. Like she was seeing a future she would never have.

  ‘She’s doing an interview,’ Piper said. ‘She told me she would have her phone switched off for a couple of hours. Can I help?’

  Wakefield Senior tapped his fingers on the doorframe, as though considering whether there would be any point delivering information to Wendy’s junior. ‘I want to talk to her about next month’s feature article.’

  ‘This one?’ Piper fished the article from her stack. Commissioned six months earlier, it was a feature on Robert Pattinson.

  ‘Yes, that one,’ Patrick agreed. ‘It’s not in line with our new direction. We need something controversial. Something current.’

  Instinctively, Piper agreed. There was nothing edgy about the article. No scoop, just pretty much an ad for his new movie.

  ‘Any suggestions?’ Patrick asked, to Piper’s surprise.

  Piper’s mind raced to Kara Kingston, the seed of an idea taking root instantly. There had been some pretty raw stuff on her Twitter feed after she came out. Piper had been too busy to study it properly. But maybe she could make time …

  ‘Yes, actually,’ Piper said. ‘I just need to clear it with my source though. Can I get back to you after I speak to –’ She stopped herself just before she mentioned Kara’s name – ‘A couple of people,’ she finished. Of course she’d have to get clearance from Kara. And she’d have to run the idea by Wendy, but Wendy had already told her she should try to write something herself. Wendy was a facilitator, not a blocker like Vivian. Just thinking about the possibilities felt thrilling.

  It was as though Patrick Wakefield felt the charge. He was looking at her differently, like she might add up to something more than Wendy’s junior. ‘All right. I heard you wrote an article good enough for someone to steal. So, I’d be happy to hear your ideas, after you’ve spoken to your source.’

  He turned to leave. Piper couldn’t resist asking. It wasn’t like Patrick would know that anything had happened between her and Mason.

  ‘So, where is Mason these days?’ She made sure her voice was casual, though her heart thumped loudly.

  ‘He landed himself a position as the director of business development at Oracle,’ Patrick said proudly, then added, ‘Oh, and you’ve got twenty-four hours to get back to me about that feature article.’

  As soon as he was gone, Piper googled ‘Oracle’ and the search came back with a company based in Redwood, California. Her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach as the realisation hit her – Mason had gone back to the States.

  ‘So, we’ve really got the place to ourselves just because you let someone snap you walking in the door?’ Piper giggled, tucking a starched white bath sheet around her torso.

  Kara smiled. ‘Yup,’ she said. ‘They’ll get their value out of it. So, now all we gals have to endure is an hour-long massage.’ She pointed over her shoulder at the masseuses.

  ‘Poor us,’ Piper said.

  ‘Really? I think it’s kind of lucky,’ Georgie said seriously. ‘This kind of thing can be pretty expensive if you have to pay for it.’

  ‘It’s a joke, George,’ Kara said, snapping a spare towel at her. Kara’s long, tanned legs seemed longer and more tanned with the white bath sheet wrapped around her.

  Georgie laughed at herself. With her mass of blonde hair tucked up in a makeshift bun and her face devoid of make-up, she looked young and ridiculously fresh. Piper fingered her own ponytail and looked down at her ordinary body poking out of the bath sheet. She loved these girls, but did they really have to be so freaking gorgeous?

  ‘Of course. I knew that,’ Georgie laughed.

  Piper gave Georgie a wink before she lay face-down on the massage table, resting her face in the hole.

  ‘What pressure would you like?’ asked Piper’s gorgeous male masseur.

  ‘She’ll have hard pressure, thanks,’ Kara answered for Piper. ‘The girl has knots on her knots, she works that hard.’ Kara must have lain down on her own massage table, because her next words sounded slightly muffled. ‘You’ve been lying low since the Dylan episode, Piper. What’s the story?’

  The masseuse’s hands were magic. There was a little bit of pain, but lots of pleasure too as he worked on Piper’s computer-sore neck and shoulders.

  ‘Working,’ Piper said quickly. ‘Not thinking about guys for the moment.’

  ‘So, I guess I shouldn’t say anything else about how Mason feels about you.’

  Piper wriggled on the table. ‘No, you shouldn’t,’ she replied. There was absolutely no point in revisiting all the Mason stuff. It would just set her back. Besides, it was too late. He was gone, now. All the way back to America. ‘Tell me about you,’ she said, changing the topic. ‘Have your Twitter trolls left you alone?’

  ‘Not really,’ she heard Kara say. ‘Most people have been supportive, saying you go girl, that sort of thing. But others …’

  ‘Like what?’ Piper prompted.

  She heard Kara clear her throat. ‘Being told to die, lezzo bitch was a nice way to start the day.’ Piper could hear the effort Kara had to make to sound amused rather than upset.

  ‘That’s horrible,’ Georgie piped up, her voice distorted by the pressure from the massage. ‘How can anyone be so mean in just three words?’

  ‘Yes, that one was very concise,’ Kara said dryly.

  ‘So, do you just delete them?’ Piper asked.

  ‘Can you turn over onto your back now?’ said the masseuse.

  Piper turned over. Kara was lying on her back too, now, having her long legs massaged. Piper turned her head to face her.

  ‘No, I haven’t deleted anything,’ Kara said. ‘Free speech applies to haters too.’ She paused.

  ‘Sure,’ Piper said, ‘but you don’t need to provide another platform for homophobia, Kara. The haters already get so much attention. Like, for every hundred tweets that are supportive, maybe two are the opposite. But it’s those two that get most of the hype, you know?’

  ‘Someone needs to put some common sense into the whole situation,’ Georgie said, now lying on her back too.

  Piper bit down on her grin. Georgie may be a little slow on the uptake at times, but there was something so fundamentally right and good about her that it didn’t matter to Piper or Kara.

  Piper looked at the ceiling while her foot was being massaged.

  ‘So, what about your sponsors?’ she asked Kara. ‘How have they reacted?’

  ‘Much to Anita’s surprise, I haven’t lost a single sponsor,’ Kara said.

  ‘And your family?’

  ‘Mum was really great. Dad needs more time, though. He doesn’t want to talk to me just yet.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Piper said. �
�That must be hard.’

  ‘Yeah, it is,’ Kara replied. ‘But I knew it wouldn’t all be plain sailing. And at least now, I’m facing up to reality … whatever that is. God, it’s been such bullshit. I’ve been seeing a shrink for years, but hiding my sexuality from her, too. I was always worried she might sell the story to the tabloids. So, I guess it’s no surprise she didn’t help. What’s finally helped is being honest. Being out of the closet and into the open. And I just don’t feel like I need all the booze anymore to mask my shit. Laurie’s been trying to get me sober for ages, but I just couldn’t do it. Not until now. Now, I feel like …’ she paused and giggled. ‘A kind of post, post-traumatic-stress-disorder superwoman.’

  Piper smiled. She took a deep breath. Here goes.

  ‘Someone should write about all this stuff you’re going through. In a really hard-hitting, in-depth way,’ she said. ‘The good, the bad and the ugly.’

  Kara shifted up on the massage table, hugging her knees. She turned to Piper and smiled. ‘I thought you’d never ask,’ she said.

  ‘Okay Piper,’ Gaynor said, ‘enough is enough. It’s Saturday night. All work and no play isn’t good for anyone.’

  Piper tapped one last sentence out on her keyboard. She’d worked so hard over the last week, spending all day on her article about Kara and every night, until sleep stopped her in her tracks. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d loved every minute of it and, even if the article never saw the light of day, she felt proud of what she’d achieved.

  ‘Voila,’ she said with a flourish towards her laptop. At the top of the screen was the title of the article: ‘Out Comes Kara’.

  ‘Good for you, Piper,’ Gaynor said, glancing over the text. ‘I’ll read it properly later. If you don’t have anything on tonight, why don’t you come out with me and meet my friend?’

  Piper looked at her godmother. She’d been so into her work lately that she hadn’t noticed how good Gaynor was looking. In fact, now she thought of it, Gaynor had been going out quite a lot – but driving her own car. Which must have meant she was drinking less, since Gaynor would never drive over the limit. Plus, she seemed to have toned down the make-up, and the more natural look made her appear younger.

  ‘You look great, Gaynes.’ Piper leant back in her chair and smiled. ‘I want to meet him.’

  ‘Good,’ Gaynor said with a grin. ‘You’ve got fifteen minutes to get ready.’

  ‘I’ve been to this place before,’ said Piper, as Gaynor opened the little doorway to O’Dwyer’s.

  Strains of ‘The Lady Is a Tramp’ filled Piper’s ears as she entered behind her godmother. Sam came around the bar with a big smile. Piper smiled at him and glanced around, wondering which of the guys sitting alone was Gaynor’s date.

  ‘Gaynor,’ Sam said. Suddenly, Piper realised who Gaynor had been dating.

  Piper watched as Gaynor stepped towards Sam. She held both of his hands and kissed him on both cheeks.

  ‘Sammy, this is my goddaughter, Piper,’ said Gaynor.

  Sam startled, realising that Gaynor hadn’t come alone. But he still held onto one of Gaynor’s hands as he turned to greet Piper. ‘Well, well. I believe we’ve met before,’ Sam said with his trademark wry grin. ‘How are life’s detours?’

  Piper shrugged. ‘Bumpy,’ she said.

  Sam’s laugh was loud and infectious. ‘You can’t travel anywhere worth going without a few bumps along the way,’ he said, squeezing Gaynor’s hand. He led them to the bar and slipped behind it.

  Gaynor and Piper sat down as he poured Gaynor a champagne.

  ‘And for you, young lady?’ he asked.

  ‘Champagne will be –’ Piper stopped mid-sentence. One of the guys at the bar had swivelled around on his chair to face her.

  Mason.

  Piper’s heart thumped. One glimpse and all the effort she’d put into not thinking about him was worth nothing.

  ‘Ah,’ Sam said. ‘Piper, meet Mason.’

  Piper stared at Mason as though she was seeing a ghost.

  Others in the bar laughed and chatted. The next song came on, a husky Billie Holiday tune. Sam finished pouring Piper’s drink, then walked around the bar. He took Gaynor’s hand and the two of them started dancing.

  Mason came and sat next to Piper without a word.

  Piper tried to keep the emotion out of her voice. ‘I thought …’ She took a deep breath. ‘I thought you got a job with Oracle in the States,’ she choked.

  ‘Oh, Piper,’ he said softly. ‘I wanted to contact you, but I thought you wanted me to leave you alone.’ He looked at her carefully. ‘I did get a job with Oracle. But I’m based here.’

  Piper’s heart was racing. ‘I broke up with Dylan!’ she blurted before she even allowed herself to think. ‘Weeks ago. That night at The Texan.’ She gulped and her eyes welled with tears.

  If she had a chance, a final chance, to be with Mason, this was it. She knew there would be no other. ‘Because I want to be with you.’

  ‘Hey, nice flat,’ said Piper, as she stepped inside Mason’s front door. ‘That’s a great view of the …’

  Mason grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him.

  ‘Oh my god,’ Piper said with a nervous giggle. ‘Are you going to do a shut-up kiss? It’s such a cliché on –’

  There was no more room for words. Not even much room for thoughts. It was all sensation as they kissed. It was all his lips and her lips and his tongue searching and every nerve in Piper’s body standing to attention. When Mason pulled away, it was too soon. Piper looked up at him.

  ‘That wasn’t too bad,’ she whispered, ‘but on TV shows it usually goes for a bit longer.’

  Mason smiled. She felt his body press into her. His heartbeat thumped steadily.

  ‘The thing is, there are other clichés to try. Better not to just stick with the one,’ he said, gently lifting her hair to one side and exposing her neck.

  His lips brushed against her collarbone and climbed up to her ear as though he was exploring her slowly, paying attention to every detail.

  Piper closed her eyes and leant into the feeling of his tongue against her skin. Desire flooded through her.

  ‘Piper,’ he breathed after a moment, ‘I think there might be a slight chance that I like you.’

  Piper smiled. ‘I think there might also be just a tiny bit of a chance I like you back.’

  She could see the definition of his arm muscles when he lifted her top over her head and dropped it on the floor. She stood in her navy lace bra and his eyes scanned over her.

  ‘Oh fuck,’ he said, a smile playing on his lips. ‘You’re so hot.’

  His hands rose, up from her waist, over her belly. He cupped her breasts briefly, then undid her bra. His hands returned to her breasts, more firmly now, as he brushed over her nipples.

  Piper lifted his T-shirt over his head. His chest was broader, stronger, than Piper had imagined. They were magnets now there were no clothes between them. Drawn to each other.

  He kissed her and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him, feeling his hardness against her. Her body pulsed with pleasure, little waves lapping inside her as he carried her up the hallway. He put her down on his bed, pulling down her jeans, bringing her underwear with them. When she was completely naked, he switched on the bedside light.

  ‘I want to see you,’ he said. ‘You’re beautiful.’

  ‘Really?’ Piper leant up on her elbow and stroked his face.

  They started exploring each other slowly. His fingers circled, teased and caressed her as though there was no urgency. This moment didn’t have to be rushed, and was important and beautiful. He kissed her everywhere, until the build-up was too much. Desire overtook her.

  He reached into his bedside drawer for a condom. As soon as he lay down beside her, she reached for him. She expected him to lie on top of her, but instead, he lay back and lifted her so that she was kneeling, her legs either side of him. He pressed against her, and she wanted him so badly. S
he lowered herself down on him and he moaned.

  Eventually, a shudder built through her, leaving smaller shockwaves in its wake. So this is what it’s like, thought Piper.

  This is what it’s like to love. With her head. With her heart. With her whole body.

  Piper stroked Mason’s chest, her hand moving up and down over his muscles as she lay beside him. Even now, after hours together, his body still held that impossible balance of the known and the unknown. She watched his chest rise and fall with his breath.

  She let her hand drift lower. He let out a small groan and leant over to kiss her.

  ‘Piper,’ he said. ‘What you do to me.’ Piper could see what she did to him. It felt amazing. His smile was gorgeous. He ran his hand down her side.

  Piper rose on an elbow and looked down at him. ‘I’m so glad you’re not my boss anymore.’

  ‘And I’m so glad you’re not with that cheating surfer boyfriend.’

  ‘And I’m glad you don’t have a fake supermodel girlfriend.’

  Mason laughed. ‘So there’s nothing between us now.’

  Piper smiled. ‘There’s everything between us,’ she corrected.

  One year later …

  ‘The nominees for Best Article of the Year are …’

  Piper held her breath. Being at the Australian Publishers Excellence Awards was even more exciting than she had anticipated. She looked up at the stage to the MC. Around the room, the attendees grew quiet and the waiters and waitresses in black tuxedos and crisp white shirts were standing still, waiting for the announcement.

  Mason’s hand squeezed Piper’s leg through the dress Kara had given her: a strapless red dress with a hugging bodice and flounced organza skirt. She found Mason’s hand and squeezed back.

  ‘Liza Patrice, Elle, for “The Devil You Know”,’ the MC continued.

  The audience clapped. Piper looked around her own table. At beautiful, wide-eyed Georgie. At Rose, in floral chiffon. At Gaynor and Sam, who struggled to look anywhere but at each other. At Patrick Wakefield, in a navy blue suit. At Wendy, her teacher and mentor – dressed simply in black – beaming with pride at her student, and Lawrence beside her. At Kara, looking perfect in the white sequinned gown with a plunging neckline she’d designed herself, who crossed the fingers of both her hands and held them out towards Piper. At Laurie, sitting proudly next to her girlfriend with a glint in her eyes that told how happy she was, even a year later, to be out in the open.