Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 61576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
It’s then that an idea comes to mind, and a smile crosses my lips. I get up off the couch and go up to the bedroom to get fully dressed. I’m only wearing a pair of tiny sweatshorts and a loose sweatshirt—hardly an outfit to go out in.
Once I’m finally dressed and have done my hair, I get in the car and drive down to Chelsey’s. It’s a very classy lingerie boutique downtown, or so I’m told. I’ve never actually been, of course. By the time I’d heard of it, my marriage to Howard was already an airplane with both its engines on fire heading for the ground, but I’ve always been curious to see what it’s like inside.
So I guess today is finally the day!
I park out front and walk to the door. Several lady mannequins styled in different ways pose in the window. One is wearing a basic white set of white panties and bra, but one green set with a garter belt and stockings catches my eye. There’s something so sultry yet classy about it at the same time.
For some reason, my heart rate is up. I’m a grown woman; why should I be nervous going into a lingerie boutique? It’s not like I’m a minor sneaking into an adult toy shop or something. Still, I have to take a deep breath before I pull the door open and step inside.
There’s a very pretty woman, younger than me, sitting behind the counter who looks up when I come in. She smiles in a very friendly and unintimidating way and instantly puts me at ease.
“Hello!” she says. “Welcome to Chelsey’s.”
“Thank you.” I smile.
“My name’s Trish. Are you looking for anything specific, or just browsing?”
“Um, I was going to just browse,” I say slowly. “But that green outfit in the window…I kind of liked that.”
Trish’s eyes light up, and she gets up from her seat and comes around from behind the counter. “That’s one of mine,” she says, her tone clandestine like we’re sharing a secret. “You see, the boss, Marissa, she usually styles the mannequins. But she let me do one. I think she’s testing me. So I’m happy you like it. Come on, I’ll show you where the pieces are.”
I like this girl already. She motions for me to follow and leads me past many racks and mannequins to what looks like a very fancy set of drawers, which she opens to reveal the panties I saw in the window.
Yeah, he’s going to love me in these, I think. The thought of showing myself off in the full outfit is already getting my heart racing.
“Do you like the green?” she asks.
“I do, but I’m open,” I reply. “What do you think? Is it my color?”
Trish steps back and looks at me. “Hmm, well with your skin tone, I think you could go with a peach maybe. Or a red. And then of course there’s always the classic black.”
“Peach?” I say with surprise. “That sounds interesting! But you know, let’s keep it simple and just stick with black this time.”
Trish nods. “First-time lingerie buyer?”
I feel myself blushing slightly. If Trish wasn’t so sweet, I think I’d also feel judged. “Is it that obvious?”
“A little.” She winks, opening another drawer and removing the bra. “But that’s not a bad thing. It’s great to be adventurous. Let me guess—spicing up a marriage?”
I scoff and do my best not to burst out laughing. “Oh, no! No way! Hell to the no!”
Trish jokingly takes a step back and throws her hands up.
“Okay, girl! Okay!” She laughs. “Didn’t mean to pry.”
“No, it’s fine,” I say, laughing along with her. “It’s just…there’s a lot of history there that I should probably get some counseling for.”
“Oh, we all need counseling, sweetie! Believe me.”
15
Jake
Ryan has his eyes on me, and I can just see an idea formulating. I’ve known him long enough to know this isn’t going to be another easy day with the boys. And with all the thoughts of Sadie running around in my mind right now, that’s exactly what I could use.
“I dunno, Logan. I think we might have to stage a hostile takeover of the company and kick Jake’s sorry ass out. What do you think?” Ryan glances over at Logan with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Logan, who is cleaning his Glock 22, returns the grin and nods firmly. “I agree, Ryan. I think we need a real man running this place.” He turns and looks at me. “And, Jake buddy, you just don’t meet that qualification any longer.”
I stretch, shake my head, and lean back in my office chair. I knew this was going to happen. If only Ryan hadn’t been in the truck the other night for the Violet Keith job, then I could have made something up about what happened after the mob broke through the fence at the venue. But he heard basically everything that went on in the backseat, and despite my request, went and told Logan all about it.