“Yep.” Piper went back her group. “Hey.” She projected enthusiasm. Seeing them there, made up. They were lovely. They had a shot to couple up.
Well, Calista was on her laptop. As was her programmer friend Vivien.
But the others could still make a match. The ones with their heads up and the battle lights in their eyes were still in the game. The ones with their mouths ajar, shrinking into the booth, nope, no shot.
Olivia plucked the maraschino cherry from her drink. “No marry, no cherry.” She said the words as if she could enforce her will on the room.
A few girls giggled, and they echoed the line from the purity pledge. “No marry, no cherry.”
Various ringtones buzzing and beeping made the women drop their gazes to their screens. Olivia, in the off-white top, scrunched her face like her Peter Pan collar was strangling her. “Ew.”
“Yikes.” Dahlia’s sorority sister elbowed her. “That is a small, crooked dick.”
“Has to be the angle,” Olivia said, doubt in her voice. “You know, perspective.” Her voice trailed off. “Who would sign a consent to let that go out in the world?”
Uh oh, Piper’s own phone wasn’t buzzing, but from the energy in the garden-themed dance club, the other girls’ phones were going off too. What did they have in common that excluded her? The app. Her gaze flew to the programmer. Vivien wore a satisfied smirk that matched the one listening llama on her shirt.
Oh no.
Llama-lover Vivien had done something.
Piper went around to Calista and looked over her sister’s shoulder. “What’s going on?” she whispered. Calista’s laptop screen held a diagram of car parts.
Duh, her sister didn’t know.
Calista looked up. “Why didn’t the captain come tonight?”
“I don’t know.” She softened her voice.
Liam hurried up to their table, his face flushed, and he tugged at his collar with his index finger. “Don’t read that.” He shook his head. “That’s not my dick. My bank accounts are not awesome, but they’re better than the app is saying.”
Calista tilted her head. “I can help you with an investment. Got ten thousand?”
Piper put her hand on her shoulder. “Not now, hon.”
Two sorority sisters left without looking at Liam. Olivia left too, but after taking a discrete look at this crotch. Liam cupped the fly of his jeans, and then moved his fingers to the zipper to clear up the misunderstanding, but the ladies didn’t look back.
Piper grimaced.
They weren’t the only ones heading out. Women were exiting the bar in obvious groups. Okay, now it was safe to ask, because she wasn’t just going off Vivien’s smirk, so she wouldn’t be placing suspicion on her friend. “What’s going on?”
Liam shook his head. “Something’s wrong with the app.”
The remaining sorority sister looked at Piper. “Liam’s bank account info shows he’s in the hole. Dick pics and rather pervy wish-fulfillment requests are also going out. I don’t even know half the moves these guys want.” She wrinkled her nose. “Dodo’s not quite the billionaire either if this is right.”
Yikes. Did Dodo and Dahlia know what was going on? They were seated on stools at the cactus-shaped bar.
Piper hurried over to them.
Dodo had his knees spread and hands on his hips, and he faced Dahlia. “I told you to leave this trip alone, but you brought all your friends. Now there’s trouble. There’s been trouble every time they get involved.”
Dahlia stared at him. “Aw, there are plenty of women out there who’ll take your orders. That who you want, babe?” The threat was uncomfortably obvious.
Dodo’s expression calmed. “Just saying.” He jerked his thumb at Piper. “Your purity planner is pissing the guys off.”
The bar was now devoid of most women.
Ugh, this was Dahlia’s relationship Piper was stepping on, better she take the bullet. “You’re right.”