Spicy Sapphic Christmas

8. Bunny

EIGHT

bunny

“Why does Siena want to see us today?” Piper asked for the third time since they got out of the car and made their way toward the restaurant.

Bunny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this. All her annoyances and frustrations had been heightened since karaoke, since being stuck in that small booth with Bea pressed up against her, all over her. At least they’d been civil.

“If I knew, I’d tell you. I’m not holding anything back from you.” Which was a lie, because there was absolutely no way Bunny was going to tell Piper about what happened in the dressing room at Julianna’s. Piper would have her head for it.

“Sorry. You know how I hate meetings without a purpose.” Piper scrunched up her nose in apology.

“It’s okay.” Bunny grabbed Piper’s hand for a moment as they stepped into the restaurant’s lobby. She gave it a squeeze before quickly dropping it and scanning the area. The restaurant screamed high-end clientele, and Bunny felt the tension in her chest tighten further. It had been bad enough that Siena wanted to meet out, but this place told Bunny more than the phone call from Siena had.

Siena wanted them to do something she knew they would push back on. And by them, Bunny of course knew it meant her. So she’d brought them here to seduce them into whatever she was going to throw their direction.

“Siena would have made sure the place was checked out,” Piper said, unconcerned as always.

“It never hurts to be careful.” Bunny tried to rein in her frustration, but she’d had to skip her morning run for this breakfast meeting and her patience had already worn thin. “If you’d been careful with Haylee and let me do a check on her it would’ve saved us all a ton of pain.”

“Jesus, Bunny.” Piper stopped walking, her face crumbled and her eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Bunny stopped and turned back to face Piper. “My stupid mouth ran away from me again. You know none of that was your fault. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It sounded like you did.”

“I’m a jerk. I’m so sorry. You’re my best friend, and seeing you get hurt is kind of a trigger for me.” Bunny’s heart was in her throat as guilt washed through her. She’d already fucked up and it wasn’t even nine in the morning yet.

“No shit.” Piper laughed and ran fingers beneath her eyes checking that no tears had managed to escape.

“Siena should know better than to let me talk to anyone without a run, a workout, and some damn coffee.”

“You should put it on a shirt and sell it at concerts.” Piper laughed, and Bunny’s breath came a little easier. She hated hurting people, but to hurt Piper made her hate herself. She never wanted to hurt her friend.

“That’s actually not a bad idea.” Bunny smiled, not quite up to laughing yet but much further along with Piper at her side.

She hadn’t meant to bring up Haylee, but Piper’s new interest in Jo had brought that unpleasant issue to the forefront of her mind again. And unpleasant was being very generous, especially with the mood she found herself in this morning.

“Bunny, Piper.” Siena stood as the hostess led them toward the table where Siena had been sitting.

“Hey, Siena.” Bunny forced a smile and a quick hug before sliding into a chair across from her.

“Morning.” Piper lingered in their manager’s embrace for a moment longer, and the two exchanged air kisses before returning to their seats, Siena across from Bunny and Piper beside her.

“Do I need to know?” Siena’s voice lowered as she leaned toward the two of them, forearms resting on the white cotton tablecloth. It wasn’t the first time Bunny had noticed Siena’s cleavage. She didn’t leer or linger. She had never been that person, but it had always amazed her how confident Siena seemed in her own skin. Bunny could fake confidence when she hid behind the music and her costume, but to willingly wear tight and revealing clothes when she wasn’t being forced to was a world she didn’t understand. And Piper had tried to get her to on more than one occasion.

“She didn’t get time for her run this morning. So she’s in an extra-pleasant mood,” Piper supplied with a sarcastic lilt and a smile that teased at the line of mocking Bunny. But Bunny supposed she deserved that one, after the whole Haylee comment.

“Oh, I thought I had made this meeting late enough.”

“You did.” Piper chuckled a little. “But Sleeping Beauty over here snoozed the alarm a few too many times, forgetting we were meeting this morning.”

“Ah.” Siena sat back and flipped open the menu. “Self-inflicted then. I refuse to feel bad.”

“Good.” Piper chuckled, and Siena joined in.

“You both suck.” Bunny smiled despite herself. They knew her too well. Nothing would get her out of her mood faster than their light teasing. They both knew where the line was, and neither dared to cross it. The trust in each other reminded Bunny of why they were there.

“Siena, if you want to ask for nude shots, you’re definitely going about it the wrong way. Despite the fancy restaurant, I expect to be seduced for that.” Bunny raised an eyebrow at Siena, making sure that the message was clear.

“Didn’t get that one past you, huh?” Siena closed her menu and placed it on the table in front of her. “Let’s order first, and we can discuss it over coffee.”

Bunny could hold her own with the way things worked, but today certainly pushed her closer to cracking than it should have. She had snoozed the alarm too many times because her frustration during the night had her tossing and turning, even after she had made herself come with memories of Bea’s fingers inside of her—several times.

Karaoke earlier in the week had continually played in her mind, and she had slept like shit every night since. Bea’s flowery perfume filled her senses even when she wasn’t around.

She had enjoyed seeing Jo and Piper flirting and laughing. Piper’s energy had been off the charts since she had met Jo, and it felt so good seeing her best friend happy, not just energized.

But her own enjoyment of the evening had been marred by the strain between her and Bea. She couldn’t blame Bea entirely, the awkwardness had been a two-way street. What made it worse was her own body’s determination to remember the feel of Bea’s fingers inside her, the pressure of her palm against her clit. And no matter how much she had drunk, she couldn’t get the taste of Bea off her lips.

By the time the food arrived, Bunny was on her second cup of coffee and feeling much more like herself. The food smelled amazing, and she relaxed into her chair as she picked up her cutlery.

“I want you to perform over Christmas for me,” Siena said before she put a forkful of omelet into her mouth.

Bunny had always appreciated Siena’s ability to get directly to the point when the work conversation started.

“Christmas?” Piper groaned, her voice edging toward a whine. “That’s the only time Bunny lets me sleep.”

“I know.” Siena laughed and patted Piper’s hand where it rested beside her plate.

“What’s important about this performance?” Bunny asked, not hating the idea immediately.

“It’s a charity concert for the Holbrook Foundation.”

“That’s for single mothers, right?” Bunny’s earlier mood had lifted entirely the moment Siena had started talking about work. This was her element.

“Yes.” Siena smiled, and it didn’t seem to matter how old she got or how often Siena smiled at her, Bunny still got a boost to her praise kink from it.

“All right. Tell me more.”

Bunny and Piper ate while Siena laid out some of the general details. A week of their time, unpaid, seasonal songs, performance on the twenty-fourth, a collection of bands, musicians, and other entertainers would be performing.

“Who is the headliner?” Bunny asked as she finished her breakfast and sat back in her chair.

“You, of course.”

“Sucking up, Siena?” Bunny raised her eyebrows.

“Nope.” Siena chuckled before wiping her mouth and placing the napkin on her plate of half-eaten food.

“Piper, what do you think?” Bunny asked.

Piper shrugged as she continued to pick at her plate. Then, as if an idea hit her, Piper sat up in her chair, eyes bright and a smile stretching her face. “If we’re the headliners, who else have you already got on board?”

“The idea is to keep it small and intimate, so there’s only two groups that’ll be playing that night, assuming you agree of course.” Siena waved her hand in the air.

Piper and Siena locked gazes.

Something heavy immediately sat in the pit of Bunny’s stomach. Why was Siena being so cagey all of a sudden? It wasn’t normal for her, and she didn’t like it.

“Who else?” Piper asked, leaning forward and snagging the drink she’d ordered.

“A band who is newer to the industry than you are. They’re just starting to get their feet under them, actually, so I thought it’d be a good idea to pair them with you.” Siena refused to look at Bunny when she normally would have.

That was the second red flag.

“Who is it, Siena?” Bunny asked, her fingers clenching hard around her coffee cup.

“They sing similar music to you two, so your voices should blend nicely, because Holbrook will want the whole company to sing together on stage for at least two or three numbers.” Siena continued to stare at Piper, who shifted her gaze back and forth between the two of them.

“Siena,” Bunny said in a warning. “Who is it?”

“Sole Sisters.”

That weight in her stomach solidified and dropped, squashing whatever was in its way. Bunny’s stomach lurched, and she instantly regretted having eaten all of the breakfast and that third cup of coffee.

“You’ve agreed to represent them.” Bunny asked, but it was far closer to a statement. She didn’t need to know who Siena worked with, but for some reason, this time, it hurt to know.

“Temporarily.” Siena’s lips thinned, and Bunny knew she was walking on eggshells waiting for Bunny’s reaction. “You remember the drill and all that.”

Bunny had told Siena that the sisters needed help. They had potential, but they weren’t there yet. She’d thought it would be enough to deter Siena from taking them on as clients, which would push Bunny to never have to think about Bea again.

Guess not.

“So this charity event is their test?” With a whole lot of free publicity to help them on their way if they decide not to go with Siena . Bunny kept that thought to herself. So much for Bea not having an angle. She wouldn’t be surprised if Bea and Jo had been the ones to suggest the concert as their trial period.

“We have to do it, Bunny.” Piper bounced in her seat, pulling Bunny from her thoughts. “Think about it, please.”

“I don’t like the idea of this.” Bunny shook her head in the negative as she spoke. She didn’t want to have this discussion with Siena looking on, and who knew what ears might be able to hear them.

“What are your concerns?” Siena asked, giving Bunny her full attention. She always did that, and it won her many clients and a hell of a reputation in an often untrustworthy industry.

How could Bunny articulate it? She didn’t want to make things worse. Even if Bea was using Siena and the concert as a leg up in the industry, could Bunny really blame her? Everyone had their angle. Bunny and Piper had their own angles while they were starting out as well. Hell, they still had them.

“Bunny?” Piper asked.

“Is it going to be a rainbow flying event?” Bunny didn’t know how else to say it. She had worked too hard to get this far. Both she and Piper had. She wasn’t going to just give it all up now and be lumped in with the new fashionable young lesbians who were the hot things for the next five minutes.

“Bunny,” Siena spoke with a tremble on her lips. Bunny hated seeing that. It meant she wasn’t going to like what Siena said next. “You know I have many clients who identify with a range of sexualities and genders.”

“I know.” Bunny already wished she had kept her concerns to herself. She was making herself out to be the biggest jerk on the planet this morning, and for some reason, she kept stepping right into the dog shit willingly.

“This isn’t about waving any flags, except for supporting and raising funds for the Holbrook Foundation. Which, I’ll remind you, is founded by two queer women.”

“It is a good cause, I get that.” Bunny had no issues with that. She would support single mothers any day. Her own single mother was the only reason she’d made it this far, and she’d died an early death because of it.

“Would it really be so bad if there were a few rainbow flags around?” Piper asked quietly.

Bunny’s chest ached to see Piper so still when her face had been animated so wildly just moments earlier. She knew Piper didn’t have the same level of concerns Bunny always had.

They had fought horribly about it once, and Bunny had always accused Piper of not understanding because she could be with a guy in the end. Piper had accused her of being a biphobic asshole, and in the end, Bunny had been the one to apologize. Because Piper was right. Bunny never wanted to revisit that argument again, and she understood Piper and bisexuality a lot better now. But still, the gripped fingers worried Bunny.

To be labeled as queer would alienate their fans.

“Piper,” Bunny started, tasting each word on her tongue before letting it touch her lips. “I know you don’t always feel the same, but we agreed we can’t just come out in this industry.”

“Things are changing. Hell, things have already changed.” So they were back to the argument despite Bunny wanting to avoid it.

Bunny slipped a glance to Siena, hoping for some help here even though she knew she wouldn’t get any. Siena had plans and backup plans for when it did come out. But Bunny was adamant about staying in the closet for as long as humanly possible—preferably until the day she died.

“Not enough.” Bunny shook her head, not having to think about her answer.

“Have you even checked?” Piper looked up and met Bunny’s eyes. “I hate lying, and that’s exactly what we do. We have fans who love our music, and we lie to them every single day about who we are. And for what?”

“We have a right to our private lives.” Anger built in Bunny’s chest, folding in on itself and tightening, although it didn’t feel solely like anger. It tasted of fear.

“I know, but this is more than that. You do see that, don’t you?” Piper pleaded.

“Siena.” Bunny couldn’t look into Piper’s begging eyes any longer, so she turned to Siena. “Have things changed all that much?”

Siena pressed her lips together. It wasn’t like Siena to hesitate or hold back, and Bunny knew which side of the argument would win.

“No,” Siena finally said. “It is changing, but it’s slow. Just the other day I heard about several agents who would only represent a queer band if they toned down the queerness.”

“I’m sorry, Piper. I can’t agree to it.” Bunny turned to Piper, who looked down at her hands and nodded.

“I know. I just wish we didn’t have to lie anymore.”

“I think we all wish that.” Siena took control of the conversation again, spinning it back to the entire reason they were there. “But what do you think about the charity event?”

“Piper?” Bunny asked.

“I want to do it.”

“For us or for… some other reason?”

Bunny kept her eyes on Piper but saw Siena’s eyebrows rise at her question.

“Can’t it be both?”

“Yeah.” Bunny smiled on a sigh. “I’m sure it can be.”

“And you, Bunny?” Siena asked.

Bunny turned back to Siena, her chest heating with the discomfort she had known all her life. “I don’t know.”

“Please.” Piper’s voice was stronger now. Her hands no longer gripped the table, and she bounced a little in her seat.

“I promise, no rainbow waving card will be required.” Siena put her hands up and out, making sure her voice was quiet and discreet so it didn’t carry. Bunny always appreciated that.

Bunny closed her eyes, huffed out a small breath and squared her shoulders. She’d put Piper through the ringer that day already, first with the mention of Haylee and now this. She could do this one thing for her best friend, couldn’t she?

“All right.” Bunny nodded, and Piper squealed with excitement. That weight eased up a little, and Bunny couldn’t stop herself from smiling. When it came to Piper, having her happy mattered more than the pain in her chest. “Put us down for the headliner.”