under control. Teasing was normal between them and he'd never taken it seriously before. For some reason, today it was getting to him. Probably from lack of sleep, he concluded. Or had he made a mistake bringing them into this?
Todd stepped off the treadmill and headed for the refrigerator. "You know guys, after the money Ryan made us with that last investment, we owe him. We should go."
"As long as he's buying, I guess we can get through anything," Brad conceded.
* * *
She'd slept late, made brownies, and eaten half the pan and she was still fuming about last night.
What, did she have a sign on her forehead or something? Did everyone she meet know she was inexperienced? Sheesh! It wasn't like she didn't want to find someone, someday, but she wasn't ashamed that she hadn't. Apparently, everyone else saw her as some kind of freakish anomaly—even her own grandfather.
Even Ryan.
CK stared at the contents of the Allsaints box that lay open on her bed and winced. No one would think her innocent in the dress Ryan had sent over, that was for sure. An uncomfortable knot tightened in her stomach.
Did sending this dress mean he was finally getting on board about helping her, or was this another attempt to scare her off? And why the extremes? The outfit looked like she should have a whip for an accessory. Wasn't there a fashion statement place in the middle that would work for her?
She narrowed her eyes at the box. Vestal virgin or goddess whore. Hmm. What to choose, what to choose? Good thing she'd called for backup.
The muffled sound of the doorbell echoed through her penthouse apartment and she heard her maid tromping to the front to answer it. Farley's voice sang out a cheery greeting and a moment later, she sailed into the bedroom, loaded down with a small, purple tackle box and two garment bags. She stopped beside the bed and looked down at the dress.
"Wow. Is that leather?" she asked.
"You don't have to sound so happy about it."
"Can't help it. I've lived for this moment for years. Daydreaming. Plotting. I brought my makeup case." She dropped one garment bag onto the thick peach-colored comforter and hefted the tackle box up beside it.
CK eyed the case, suspiciously. "Light makeup only, Farley. This isn't the circus."
"Sure it is. I brought popcorn for later." Her friend quirked a brow at her and then her gaze swept over CK's gray sweat pants and baggy T-shirt. "If we're going to make it to Crazy Tom's by seven we better get started."
Crazy Tom's, one of the premier dancing, drinking, and hook up club in the area. At seven. Yikes.
The very short, strapless black leather Maisie dress taunted CK from the open box. What little there was of it was composed of a bustier-style bodice and form-fitting skirt with whip stitching in princess lines down the front and back. No need for a bra since support was already built in. Support no doubt designed to push one's assets up to full advantage. A probable sign that Ryan was going for scare-tactics, again.
Nestled in the tissue paper next to the dress lay an elegant pair of black pumps with four-inch spike heels and a tiny red purse. Goal of frightening confirmed and successful.
She shuddered. "I can't."
"Of course you can't. You'd look like an idiot traipsing into a high-end club like Tom's dressed like Vampira's little sister. Good thing I brought this."
With a flourish, Farley unzipped the garment bag still in her hand, revealing a simple black dress with a reasonably modest square neckline, wide, scalloped shoulder straps and a short, flirty scalloped hem.
CK smiled and touched the soft, knit fabric. "It's adorable."
"It's Fendi and I charged it to the company. Here's the best part." Farley peeled the bag down and turned the dress around. There was no back, just the two-inch wide scalloped straps coming down from the shoulder, criss-crossing over what would be her bare back, and attaching to the skirt which looked like it would sit just
Todd stepped off the treadmill and headed for the refrigerator. "You know guys, after the money Ryan made us with that last investment, we owe him. We should go."
"As long as he's buying, I guess we can get through anything," Brad conceded.
* * *
She'd slept late, made brownies, and eaten half the pan and she was still fuming about last night.
What, did she have a sign on her forehead or something? Did everyone she meet know she was inexperienced? Sheesh! It wasn't like she didn't want to find someone, someday, but she wasn't ashamed that she hadn't. Apparently, everyone else saw her as some kind of freakish anomaly—even her own grandfather.
Even Ryan.
CK stared at the contents of the Allsaints box that lay open on her bed and winced. No one would think her innocent in the dress Ryan had sent over, that was for sure. An uncomfortable knot tightened in her stomach.
Did sending this dress mean he was finally getting on board about helping her, or was this another attempt to scare her off? And why the extremes? The outfit looked like she should have a whip for an accessory. Wasn't there a fashion statement place in the middle that would work for her?
She narrowed her eyes at the box. Vestal virgin or goddess whore. Hmm. What to choose, what to choose? Good thing she'd called for backup.
The muffled sound of the doorbell echoed through her penthouse apartment and she heard her maid tromping to the front to answer it. Farley's voice sang out a cheery greeting and a moment later, she sailed into the bedroom, loaded down with a small, purple tackle box and two garment bags. She stopped beside the bed and looked down at the dress.
"Wow. Is that leather?" she asked.
"You don't have to sound so happy about it."
"Can't help it. I've lived for this moment for years. Daydreaming. Plotting. I brought my makeup case." She dropped one garment bag onto the thick peach-colored comforter and hefted the tackle box up beside it.
CK eyed the case, suspiciously. "Light makeup only, Farley. This isn't the circus."
"Sure it is. I brought popcorn for later." Her friend quirked a brow at her and then her gaze swept over CK's gray sweat pants and baggy T-shirt. "If we're going to make it to Crazy Tom's by seven we better get started."
Crazy Tom's, one of the premier dancing, drinking, and hook up club in the area. At seven. Yikes.
The very short, strapless black leather Maisie dress taunted CK from the open box. What little there was of it was composed of a bustier-style bodice and form-fitting skirt with whip stitching in princess lines down the front and back. No need for a bra since support was already built in. Support no doubt designed to push one's assets up to full advantage. A probable sign that Ryan was going for scare-tactics, again.
Nestled in the tissue paper next to the dress lay an elegant pair of black pumps with four-inch spike heels and a tiny red purse. Goal of frightening confirmed and successful.
She shuddered. "I can't."
"Of course you can't. You'd look like an idiot traipsing into a high-end club like Tom's dressed like Vampira's little sister. Good thing I brought this."
With a flourish, Farley unzipped the garment bag still in her hand, revealing a simple black dress with a reasonably modest square neckline, wide, scalloped shoulder straps and a short, flirty scalloped hem.
CK smiled and touched the soft, knit fabric. "It's adorable."
"It's Fendi and I charged it to the company. Here's the best part." Farley peeled the bag down and turned the dress around. There was no back, just the two-inch wide scalloped straps coming down from the shoulder, criss-crossing over what would be her bare back, and attaching to the skirt which looked like it would sit just
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