Page 6 of Flushing His Pipe
"Is he friendly?" Betty asks, her wheels already turning.
I smile. "He's so lovable, but he doesn't like men, so I'm going to have to be pretty picky about our neighbors."
Piper cocks her head to the side. "Really? Emmett said he's become Jameson's best friend."
"Yeah, he’s fallen in love with that man." I grin, thinking of the way he scratched Fred's ears this morning, then look up to see all three ladies staring at me again. "What?"
Piper and Violet shake their heads.
Betty leans forward. "Anybody else falling in love with Jameson, dear?"
My cheeks heat, and I let out a manic laugh as I reach for a coffee cup that doesn’t exist. "I don't know what you're talking about. Are we ordering? What does everyone want? I'll go get it."
Piper presses her lips together to suppress a grin, and Violet's eyes widen.
I sigh heavily. "It's nothing."
"Oh, my god. It's not nothing," Violet whispers. "Are you into Jameson, Naomi?"
"I invaded his space, and now we see each other all the time. That's all." Jameson seems like a guy who values his privacy. Ifword got out that I was talking about him—with Betty, no less—he might never speak to me again.
"Emmett thinks Jameson is head over heels for you," Piper declares.
Violet swivels her head toward her with excitement.
Betty nods thoughtfully.
"Stop." I hold up my hand, my heart beating out of my chest. "I don't want to talk about it." I hold Betty’s gaze. "Please don't say anything."
"Of course not, dear. Who am I to meddle?" Betty claps her hands.
Piper and Violet exchange grins.
"I have gifts for all three of you." Betty digs in her bag and pulls out three bundles of fabric. "Since you're both connected to the construction crew"—she nods at Piper and Violet, tossing a bundle to each of them—"and you, my dear, are living in the belly of the beast.” She tosses the remaining bundle my way. “I picked the ones I thought were most appropriate."
I narrow my eyes at her, grateful she’s changed the subject, but it feels too easy.
It’s wild how much Betty's energy reminds me of my mom. I've never felt more at home in a place in my life. The city was great in my twenties, but once all my friends moved on or got married, I became lonely—which says a lot when you're surrounded by millions of people. This move is important for the rest of my life. I can feel it in my bones.
Piper and Violet burst into a fit of giggles as they unroll their shirts.
"My Caulking Game Is Well Above Average," Piper reads aloud, then dissolves into more giggles. "It has a picture of Emmett on it."
Violet wipes her eyes. "Mine says,DP Construction Erected My Dream."
I stare at them, then glance at Betty, trying to figure out what's going on.
Betty takes a sip of her coffee, her eyes wide like it's all news to her.
"Oh, my god. Naomi, what does yours say?" Violet asks as I open it.
"I Lay Pipe Until We Both Come Away Happy," I read.
Violet gasps for air because she's laughing so hard, and Betty grins like the Cheshire Cat.
"Betty has been trolling the DP Construction crew all year," Piper finally explains between giggles. "Most of the guys think it's funny, but you might want to hide that one from Jameson."
"I can't help it if the name he chose for his business has a sexual connotation and they all look like they do," Betty says primly. "He gave me a softball, so I'm going to hit it out of the park."
