Page 119 of Tease Me

“True. So, tell me about you. Got a man in your life?”

I smiled as I wondered which one I should mention, andthen I decided there was no harm in the truth. “As a matter of fact,I have several, and would you believe two men asked me on a date just this morning?”

She burst into fits of laughter again. “You go, girl! Oh, I can’t wait to hear all about them. Make sure youfit in time tocome and see me when you’re here. I mean, without your parents around, too. I want all the juicy details.”

I chuckled. “Okay, I will.”

“How about you come over for tea on Saturday morning? I’ll make one of my pineapple upside-down cakes.”

“Oh, that sounds just perfect. It’s a date.”

“Wonderful.”

“Anyway, I’m going to get some sleep. I need to be ready for my hot date tonight.”

“Okay, sweetheart. Give that man a jolly good root for me, will you?”

Weburst out laughingtogether, and I waited out the barking cough that followed.

“Bye. I love you.” Her voice was a croaky whisper.

“Love you too.”

I glowed with love as I put the phone aside and gathered my dishes to carry to the sink. It seemed so unfair that a beautiful woman like Aunty Ann didn’t have children while someone as undeserving as Chelsea-Lea did. Life could be so cruel.

As I crawled into bed, I wondered what I’d look like when I was pregnant.

Hugging my pillow, I closed my eyes, and the one image that stood out was how happy and glowing I’d be.

Chapter Thirty-Two

I woke several hours later, and when I rolled over, I was surprised to see it was after six o’clock. I’d forgotten to set my alarm. I stretched out, rolled off the bed, and headed to the bathroom. My hair stuck up in all directions, and I had sleep creases down my cheek.It was luckyI still had a few hours before I needed to be ready for Corben.

I was undecidedon whether I should eat or not. Corben hadn’t mentioned we’d be going to dinner. Mygrumbling stomach forced my decision, andI made two slices of Peanut Butter on toast and decided to have it with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Out on the balcony, I ate my snack, sipped my wine, and watched the world go by for an hour or so. It was a beautiful night. The moon was nowhere to be seen, but a million stars dotted the blackness. Down on the beach,a bunch ofteenagers looked to be having a party. Thumping music drifted up from the sand, and several girls still in bikinis danced to the rhythm.

It made me wonder where Corben was taking me. He didn’t strike me as a fancy restaurant type of guy, so I pictured somewhere more casual. He wasn’t the chatty typeeither, so a venue with a bit going on would be ideal, like a bar or maybe the casino. I grabbed my dishes, headed inside, and washed up.

After a long hot shower, I did my hair and makeup andthenstood at my closet, hoping for inspiration. I decided on my jeans and rolled them up at the bottom to show off whatever shoes I chose. It was the perfect night to weara pair ofshoes that hadn’t had an outing yet—something sexy was called for.

On my knees, I leaned into my closet and scanned my extensive shoe collection. Right at the back, I plucked out a pair of navy suede stilettos. They had a thin strap that went over my toe, an enclosed ankle that did up with a back zipper, and a lace strap that wrapped around and around my ankle. Best of all, the heel wasn’t too high—only about five inches.

They were perfect. I smiled.These little beauties were about togeta wonderful memoryto gowith them.

Using the navy as inspiration, I matched it with a navy linen button-up shirt that had little straps that I used to secure my sleeves, which I rolled up a couple of times at the cuff. Tying it all together, I draped a long beaded necklace around my neck twice and put on silver hoop earrings.

I looked in the mirror and turned to inspect my butt to ensure my lacy G-string wasn’t visible. With ten minutes to spare, I grabbed a black tote, tossed in my essentials, and strode out my door. I utilized my time in the elevator to apply a touch of my favorite Bobbi Brown Retro Red lippy.

The middle-aged gentleman who did my shifts during my nights off was behind the counter. He was an aloof man who I’d tried unsuccessfully to chat with a few times.

I waved at him; he waved back,and thatwas the usual extent of our communications. Not that I minded—I was just grateful that his presence allowed me to have every Wednesday off work.

Corben was waiting for me on the middle step. He looked like a rock star in dark denim jeans, stylishly torn in a few places, a white T-shirt that seemed to amplify the bulging pecs beneath it and a black leather jacket that lookedbothexpensive and well-worn. When I stepped up beside him, he smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheek.

“Are you Jane or Memphis tonight?”

I blinked, wondering which one he wanted me to be. Then I smiled. “I’m both.”

---