Page 54 of Bad & Bossy

Lottie’s face lit up as she rushed over to me and Drew, mom-mode activating. “Oh my god, he’s grown!”

“You mean that guy you abandoned your son for a few nights ago?” Vee snapped, the door nearly slamming shut. There was a hesitation there that held her back, though, to not upset Drew with a loud noise.

Drew spit out his bottle and cooed at Lottie, stretching his arms out to her. Thankfully, I didn’t need to tell her to make sure her hair was out of the way because of Drew’s grabby hands, she’d already ensured her brown locks were swept up into an easy bun. “What did your mommy do?” Lottie giggled, kissing him on the nose, the cheeks, his bald little head. “How could she abandon such a perfect little boy like you?”

“Oh my god, I didn’t abandon him,” I groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. Lottie shot me a questioning look. “I’ll explain later.”

“And now you’re not even going to introduce me,” Vee griped.

“Vee, this is Lottie. Lottie, Vee,” I deadpanned. “Happy, sis?”

“Ahh, that’s right. She mentioned you were staying with her,” Lottie said.

“See? People know.”

“Whatever,” Vee mumbled.

“So,” Lottie grinned, slotting in beside me on the couch and bouncing Drew on her legs. “I figured you’d probably need some new clothes for the retreat. And maybe new luggage. And definitely some new swimsuits, and a few things for Drew.”

“Retreat?” Vee asked, but I ignored her.

“Where are you going with this?” I eyed Lottie carefully, watching as Drew’s face lit up as she poked his little nose.

“I thought we could go on a shopping spree before you leave. On me, obviously.”

“Lots, I’ve got things I can bring. I don’t need you buying me shit?—”

“It’s happening whether you like it or not.” She cut me off then lifted Drew up, making little plane noises as if he was the airplane and I was the mouth, landing him back in my lap. “Can you watch him, Vee?”

Vee’s mouth popped open and slammed shut, her irritation evident from the way her fists clenched. “Seriously?”

“If she can’t, we can drop him off with Hunter’s mom,” Lottie shrugged. “She’s watching Brody today and he’d love a playmate.”

“Do that then,” Vee huffed, storming off down the hallway and slamming the door to the bathroom behind her.

“She seems feisty,” Lottie mumbled, and before I could protest, she was dragging both of us out the door.

————

“Oh my god, these swimsuits are perfect,” Lottie gushed, her eyes meeting mine over racks of clothing at a store I’d never have wandered into on my own. I knew the brand but damn, they were expensive.

I sighed my reluctance and came over to meet her, taking in the array of colors and shapes. She pulled a one-piece from the rack, black with mesh panels along the sides in a zig-zag formation. The cups of the breasts were reinforced, and they were maternity, the little clasps along the bottom of the cups allowing for easy access. “Drew doesn’t breastfeed very often,” I said.

In truth, I actually liked the swimsuit. But I didn’t like the tag hanging from one side that read four-hundred and twenty dollars. Why couldn’t we have just gone to Target?

“Yeah but what if you need to pump?”

“I know this might come as a shock, Lots, but I’m pretty sure most bathing suits are removable.”

She rolled her eyes and threw it in the cart anyway, along with a handful of others, and one single black bikini that was clearly designed to show off my entire ass.

It wasn’t until she ordered me to the fitting room and I started trying them on that the excitement of it all started to hit me. A proper vacation, something I’d needed since the two of us had come back from Hawaii, was days away. And I’d be spending at least some of it with Cole.

I was far too excited about that part.

“Okay, we’re definitely getting that one,” Lottie grinned, one finger pointing up and rotating as an order for me to spin. I’d been worried that the changes my body had gone through since giving birth would stick out like a sore thumb, but the longer I looked in the mirror, the less I noticed the stretch marks and instead saw newfound curves, a larger swell of my breasts and ass. I was still me, just a little bit different, a little bit more built to take care of my son.

A smile crept across my cheeks. “Fine.”

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