Page 63 of Too Fast To Fall
Emilio couldfeelher trepidation. “Look, there’s no pressure. You should always do what you think is right. And I’m happy to weigh in if youwant another opinion. Or I can help find someone to advise you.”
Piper looked out the car window. “She asked me about being a dog nanny. She asked how long I’d be taking care of Gus.” Sheturned back to Emilio. Her sweet and vibrant eyes were so full of uncertainty, it made him ill. “When I told her it was onlythrough Monaco, she mentioned she has a service she uses for Gumdrop. Very reliable. Great people. She said she’d share theirinfo.”
It felt like his heart was being torn in two. Not all at once. Oh, no. This was slow and painful. She really was leaving afterMonaco. And he didn’t know what he was supposed to do about it.
Fifteen
Emilio had a debrief at Mega Headquarters on Monday after the race weekend, which meant Piper and Gus were back to their two-personshow in London. A walk was in order before lunch, and they took their usual route, the one with the most dogs.
It felt different to come back to London now. A month ago, these surroundings had all been so foreign, it was as if she’dlanded on another planet. But now the street names were familiar. The cracks in the sidewalk. The markings on the pavementthat said, “Look right,” a warning for anyone who wasn’t accustomed to being a pedestrian in a country where they drove onthe left-hand side of the road. This felt comfortable now. A lot like home. Even though the sun wasn’t out. Even though herfamily was an ocean away.
Up ahead on the sidewalk, Tasha the Pomeranian and her owner, Bronwyn, rounded the corner. Bronwyn waved and Piper did, too.Gus’s tail whipped back and forth and he pulled hard on the leash. Piper picked up the pace while she dug in her pocket fortreats.
Gus and Tasha greeted each other with sniffs.
“Hi, Bronwyn. How are you?” Piper gave both dogs a treat.
“I’m good, thank you. But I think there’s a man following you,” Bronwyn said. “I spotted him as soon as I came round the corner.He’s taking our picture.”
“What? Where?” Piper was in disbelief. There was no way someone was following her. She would’ve noticed.
“Over there.” She gestured with a nod. “Across the street. Behind the parked cars.”
Piper turned, and sure enough, a man with a long-lens camera ducked behind a blue MINI Cooper. “What in the world? Why wouldhe followme?”
“Well, he’s certainly not following me. I write instruction manuals for household appliances. You’re the one who’s a dog nannyfor a Formula One driver.” Bronwyn cleared her throat. “And I understand love is in the air, too.”
“Love? Pfft. No.” Piper realized how defensive she sounded, but she wasn’t about to speak words like that into existence.She and Emilio had confessed their feelings in Spain. They liked each other a lot. That was it. Nothing more. “Where did youhear that?”
“It’s the talk of the neighborhood email loop.”
“There’s no way that’s the most interesting gossip you can come up with.”
“Emilio has kept to himself since he moved in. We’ve all been looking for an excuse to talk about him. It’s quite exciting.”
Piper would never fully understand some people’s fascination with celebrity, but she did understand the allure of F1 drivers.She was currently under the spell of one. And as to how she would get out from under that spell? That was probably a hopelesscause, but she’d deal with the fallout later. “What should I do about the photographer?”
“You could talk to him.”
Piper was not good with confrontations. She’d only yelled half of “Fuck you” at Victoria because she was so caught up in themoment. “Maybe Gus and I will keep walking and I’ll see what happens. I have Gus if anything goes sideways.”
“Walk into a dog-friendly shop if you need to. The photographer won’t follow you in there.”
“Good idea. Thanks.” Piper said goodbye and she and Gus headed for the end of the block. When they reached the corner andhad to wait for the walk signal, Piper rolled her neck, nonchalantly peeking over her shoulder. The man quickly slipped behinda tree, but she could still see his camera lens.
“Come on, Gus. Let’s grab a coffee.” There was no better time to try out The Good Coffee Shop than when wanting to hide fromsomeone, was there? Piper and Gus fast-walked the next two blocks then stopped in front. She had a hand on the shop door handlewhen she saw the sign: No Pets Allowed. “Well, fuck.”
She turned and noticed a water bowl for dogs in front of the building. At least this was an opportunity to assess the situation.“Good boy, Gus.” She crouched down to pet him while slyly scanning the street. The man was behind a lamppost.
This wasn’t getting any better. It was time for Piper to get over her fear of confrontation. As soon as Gus finished his drink,she marched across the street with purpose. The frightened look on the man’s face was downright comical. As if Piper was anysort of threat.
“Are you following me? Are you taking my picture?” It felt good to be blunt. Maybe she needed to stop going out of her wayto be pleasant.
“Free country. You’re outside. In a public place. I can take pictures of anyone I want.”
He had a point, but she still didn’t like it. “Why are you taking my photo?”
“Tabloids are offering decent pay for a shot of you and Emilio.”
