Lauren.
“Fucked if I know, but apparently she’s still looking for the card.” He laughed. “As if I’d give it to just anyone. Right, sorry. Anyway, Anne, can you throw something on? We gotta go.”
“Where?”
“Out.”
I scowled at him and didn’t move an inch. “Try again.”
“It’s a thing at David and Ev’s, a wedding anniversary party. Not that it’s even been a year, but whatever. Davie put lots of effort into it and asked us all to dress up. I’m sorry I screwed up telling you.” He fell to his knees, hands clasped to his chest. “Please? I’m sorry. I’m really fucking sorry. See, look, I’m on my knees, Anne. I’m groveling just for you.”
“Okay. I’ll go. Next time, please make sure I get the message.”
“I will. Thank you. Thank you so much,” he gushed. “You’re the best, pumpkin.”
There was only one really good dress in my wardrobe. A vintage black lace dress from the fifties. I’d bought it for my twenty-first birthday last year. I liked to believe I’d just stepped off the set of
Mad
Men in it. Luckily, my hair wasn’t looking too bad hanging loose. Some concealer, mascara, and lip gloss were about as primed as I could get in less than five minutes. One of these days I’d have time to go all out getting ready to meet the members of Stage Dive. Just not today.
Out in the living room, the pair of them bickered.
“I can’t believe you accidentally messaged some stray instead of your girlfriend,” said Lauren.
“Does my girlfriend seem bothered? No. So remind me again, what business is it of yours, hmm?”
“If you hurt her, Ev and I are going to take turns disemboweling you with a shovel. Be warned.”
A gruesome mental image, but I had to smile. It felt good to have friends watching my back.
Mal scoffed. “You can’t disembowel someone with a shovel.”
“Sure you can. It’s just messier.”
He grunted.
“Anyway, why are you in the spare bedroom? She sick of you already?”
“Gotta put my shit somewhere, Anne’s closet is packed. You girls, no idea about sharing.”
I shut the bedroom door and started shrugging out of my jeans, pulling off my shirt. Next came the panties. The neckline on the dress was wide and strapless bras always dug into my sides. There were few torture devices more horrible than a strapless bra. It wasn’t like my breasts were big. The girl in the mirror looked good and happily, the dress still fit just fine. No way could I do up the zipper on the back however. I slid my feet into my super-high black heels saved for special occasions and headed on out, trying to hold my dress together.
“Lauren, would you mind–”
“That’s my job now.” Mal smiled and stepped behind me. “Cool dress. Classy.”
“Thanks.”
Mal leaned in closer, his breath warming my neck as he slowly did up the back. I immediately broke out into goose bumps.
“I never noticed how long your neck is. It’s very nice.”
“Mm.”
“And you have sweet little ears.”
“Um, thanks.”
“No bra?” he asked, his voice casual.
“No. With this dress, I can’t … We don’t actually need to discuss this right now.”
The tips of his fingers trailed up my spine, ahead of the zipper. I got shivery, the English language leaving my mind.
“That’s going to be a hell of a distraction, pumpkin,” he breathed. “Trying to look down the front of your dress all night.”
The look he gave me made me quiver in strange places. This was the problem; my inability to tell if he was serious or not. The whole scene was about establishing ourselves as a couple for Lauren’s benefit, right? It just didn’t feel like it for some reason. It felt personal. With Mal touching me, I kind of forgot Lauren was even in the room. She was, however, most definitely present.
Lauren groaned, loudly. “Oh good god, my ears are bleeding.”
He made me feverish without even trying. I needed to guard my reactions and keep it together. It was the only way this
“Fucked if I know, but apparently she’s still looking for the card.” He laughed. “As if I’d give it to just anyone. Right, sorry. Anyway, Anne, can you throw something on? We gotta go.”
“Where?”
“Out.”
I scowled at him and didn’t move an inch. “Try again.”
“It’s a thing at David and Ev’s, a wedding anniversary party. Not that it’s even been a year, but whatever. Davie put lots of effort into it and asked us all to dress up. I’m sorry I screwed up telling you.” He fell to his knees, hands clasped to his chest. “Please? I’m sorry. I’m really fucking sorry. See, look, I’m on my knees, Anne. I’m groveling just for you.”
“Okay. I’ll go. Next time, please make sure I get the message.”
“I will. Thank you. Thank you so much,” he gushed. “You’re the best, pumpkin.”
There was only one really good dress in my wardrobe. A vintage black lace dress from the fifties. I’d bought it for my twenty-first birthday last year. I liked to believe I’d just stepped off the set of
Mad
Men in it. Luckily, my hair wasn’t looking too bad hanging loose. Some concealer, mascara, and lip gloss were about as primed as I could get in less than five minutes. One of these days I’d have time to go all out getting ready to meet the members of Stage Dive. Just not today.
Out in the living room, the pair of them bickered.
“I can’t believe you accidentally messaged some stray instead of your girlfriend,” said Lauren.
“Does my girlfriend seem bothered? No. So remind me again, what business is it of yours, hmm?”
“If you hurt her, Ev and I are going to take turns disemboweling you with a shovel. Be warned.”
A gruesome mental image, but I had to smile. It felt good to have friends watching my back.
Mal scoffed. “You can’t disembowel someone with a shovel.”
“Sure you can. It’s just messier.”
He grunted.
“Anyway, why are you in the spare bedroom? She sick of you already?”
“Gotta put my shit somewhere, Anne’s closet is packed. You girls, no idea about sharing.”
I shut the bedroom door and started shrugging out of my jeans, pulling off my shirt. Next came the panties. The neckline on the dress was wide and strapless bras always dug into my sides. There were few torture devices more horrible than a strapless bra. It wasn’t like my breasts were big. The girl in the mirror looked good and happily, the dress still fit just fine. No way could I do up the zipper on the back however. I slid my feet into my super-high black heels saved for special occasions and headed on out, trying to hold my dress together.
“Lauren, would you mind–”
“That’s my job now.” Mal smiled and stepped behind me. “Cool dress. Classy.”
“Thanks.”
Mal leaned in closer, his breath warming my neck as he slowly did up the back. I immediately broke out into goose bumps.
“I never noticed how long your neck is. It’s very nice.”
“Mm.”
“And you have sweet little ears.”
“Um, thanks.”
“No bra?” he asked, his voice casual.
“No. With this dress, I can’t … We don’t actually need to discuss this right now.”
The tips of his fingers trailed up my spine, ahead of the zipper. I got shivery, the English language leaving my mind.
“That’s going to be a hell of a distraction, pumpkin,” he breathed. “Trying to look down the front of your dress all night.”
The look he gave me made me quiver in strange places. This was the problem; my inability to tell if he was serious or not. The whole scene was about establishing ourselves as a couple for Lauren’s benefit, right? It just didn’t feel like it for some reason. It felt personal. With Mal touching me, I kind of forgot Lauren was even in the room. She was, however, most definitely present.
Lauren groaned, loudly. “Oh good god, my ears are bleeding.”
He made me feverish without even trying. I needed to guard my reactions and keep it together. It was the only way this
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