don't mind."
Lauren simply gaped. "What happened to coming at six?"
Her friend winced. "Six? Yikes, I'm sorry, Laur. I thought you said five." She raised her eyebrows and flashed a remorseful expression. "Forgive me?"
It was hard not to. Carolyn was always so animated, not to mention joyfully oblivious. And under normal circumstances-like if Nick Armstrong's van weren't still sitting in the driveway-Lauren wouldn't have been nearly so miffed, so she simply stepped back to let them inside. "Come on in."
"Great place," Mike said as he crossed the threshold, pushing back a lock of brown hair that had escaped his short ponytail. "Thanks," she replied. This latest set of Carolyn's friends had never been here before, and Lauren had kind of hoped to keep it that way. She loved Carolyn like a sister, but she couldn't account for Carolyn's taste in other companions the last few years.
Holly, who looked like a transplant from 1975 with her long straight hair parted down the center and her halter top and bellbottom jeans, hung on Jimmy's shoulder, looking around with awe. Jimmy, a tall, muscular blond with a goatee, possessed a certain smarminess that always kept Lauren a little on edge.
"Why don't you guys go on out," she suggested. It had never occurred to her justá how much she disliked these people until she saw them standing inside her house. "I'll put on a suit and join you in a few."
She headed up the stairs, wondering what she'd done to deserve this, when she heard Holly say, "Look at the pretty kitty," from the family room. Don't touch my cat, she thought, then took the remaining steps at a jog, suddenly feeling the need to get back downstairs.
She tried to relax as she hurried into the bedroom and let the kimono fall at her feet. But all of Carolyn's icky friends were here, and Nick Armstrong was still here, too. Ab, the best-laid plans ...
Digging through her swimsuit drawer, she found a basic black one-piece and stepped into it. She was more comfortable in a
two-piece, but all things considered, this seemed a smarter choice, even for after the painter left, which she hoped would be soon. The only thing that had gone right in the last five minutes was that Carolyn hadn't blocked Nick Armstrong's van with her car, so he'd be able to leave with ease.
Nick shifted his ladder toward the comer of the house, intending to finish the north side, even as the clock ticked well past his usual quitting time. Guilt from earlier still pummeled him, and he'd decided getting through this job as quickly as possible was a good idea. At the same time, though, visions of her fantasy kept playing like a movie in his brain, creating question after question ... and tempting him. Still. as arousing as it was, he wished he'd never gone in, wished he didn't know about her little red book.
He'd just climbed back up when he heard voices.
Glancing past the keystoned comers, he found that his new vantage point gave him a view of the pool and the stone patio. And it looked like the princess had company.
His first impression was of a group of boring Gen-Xers-a couple of skinny girls who giggled as they stripped down to skimpy bikinis, and two guys who were trying too hard to be cool as they shrugged off their shirts and lit cigarettes. He'd just gotten back to work when he heard the princess's voice, again sounding way friendlier to this bunch than she had yet to him. "I brought out some beer and wine coolers. Can you help me with this stuff, Mike?"
"Sure." Nick heard a plunk on the teak table and the jiggle of glass bottles.
"Do you have those kiwi lime coolers I like?" one of the girls asked.
"Just berry and peach," the princess replied. "Sorry, Carolyn."
The name drew his attention back around the comer. "Peach'll do," the same girl said, sounding just as merry as she twisted her long auburn hair up into a messy knot atop her head. Lucky had been accurate about the girl's voluminous hair, and about her little tits, as well-although he
Lauren simply gaped. "What happened to coming at six?"
Her friend winced. "Six? Yikes, I'm sorry, Laur. I thought you said five." She raised her eyebrows and flashed a remorseful expression. "Forgive me?"
It was hard not to. Carolyn was always so animated, not to mention joyfully oblivious. And under normal circumstances-like if Nick Armstrong's van weren't still sitting in the driveway-Lauren wouldn't have been nearly so miffed, so she simply stepped back to let them inside. "Come on in."
"Great place," Mike said as he crossed the threshold, pushing back a lock of brown hair that had escaped his short ponytail. "Thanks," she replied. This latest set of Carolyn's friends had never been here before, and Lauren had kind of hoped to keep it that way. She loved Carolyn like a sister, but she couldn't account for Carolyn's taste in other companions the last few years.
Holly, who looked like a transplant from 1975 with her long straight hair parted down the center and her halter top and bellbottom jeans, hung on Jimmy's shoulder, looking around with awe. Jimmy, a tall, muscular blond with a goatee, possessed a certain smarminess that always kept Lauren a little on edge.
"Why don't you guys go on out," she suggested. It had never occurred to her justá how much she disliked these people until she saw them standing inside her house. "I'll put on a suit and join you in a few."
She headed up the stairs, wondering what she'd done to deserve this, when she heard Holly say, "Look at the pretty kitty," from the family room. Don't touch my cat, she thought, then took the remaining steps at a jog, suddenly feeling the need to get back downstairs.
She tried to relax as she hurried into the bedroom and let the kimono fall at her feet. But all of Carolyn's icky friends were here, and Nick Armstrong was still here, too. Ab, the best-laid plans ...
Digging through her swimsuit drawer, she found a basic black one-piece and stepped into it. She was more comfortable in a
two-piece, but all things considered, this seemed a smarter choice, even for after the painter left, which she hoped would be soon. The only thing that had gone right in the last five minutes was that Carolyn hadn't blocked Nick Armstrong's van with her car, so he'd be able to leave with ease.
Nick shifted his ladder toward the comer of the house, intending to finish the north side, even as the clock ticked well past his usual quitting time. Guilt from earlier still pummeled him, and he'd decided getting through this job as quickly as possible was a good idea. At the same time, though, visions of her fantasy kept playing like a movie in his brain, creating question after question ... and tempting him. Still. as arousing as it was, he wished he'd never gone in, wished he didn't know about her little red book.
He'd just climbed back up when he heard voices.
Glancing past the keystoned comers, he found that his new vantage point gave him a view of the pool and the stone patio. And it looked like the princess had company.
His first impression was of a group of boring Gen-Xers-a couple of skinny girls who giggled as they stripped down to skimpy bikinis, and two guys who were trying too hard to be cool as they shrugged off their shirts and lit cigarettes. He'd just gotten back to work when he heard the princess's voice, again sounding way friendlier to this bunch than she had yet to him. "I brought out some beer and wine coolers. Can you help me with this stuff, Mike?"
"Sure." Nick heard a plunk on the teak table and the jiggle of glass bottles.
"Do you have those kiwi lime coolers I like?" one of the girls asked.
"Just berry and peach," the princess replied. "Sorry, Carolyn."
The name drew his attention back around the comer. "Peach'll do," the same girl said, sounding just as merry as she twisted her long auburn hair up into a messy knot atop her head. Lucky had been accurate about the girl's voluminous hair, and about her little tits, as well-although he
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