Page 29 of No Summer Hotter than You

But what if I fall deeper for him?

Being at the mall with Evelyn wasn’t half as awkward as I thought it would be. I expected her to trail behind us and watch us with her eagle eyes. Instead, we slowly followed her as she eagerly led the way. It wasn’t a complete surprise that she knew her way around our local mall due to all the summers she spent here.

I was tired from driving around town, showing homes to my buyers all afternoon. It was a long day, but well worth it. One client’s offer was accepted this morning and then there was another client were serious about making an offer by tomorrow morning. I wasn’t just busy, I was overwhelmed with these back to back offers.

I needed to head home soon to get things ready for another strategy planning call tomorrow morning. Although I was exhausted, I was buzzing with excitement. Summer was in full swing, which meant most of my clients were ready to buy.

Anthony and I were hand in hand as we followed Evelyn into a store. We stopped by a rack full of bikinis. In the distance, I caught a reflection of us in one of the ceilings to floor mirrors. To my surprise, we didn’t look half as awkward as I felt we did. I hoped that was deterring Evelyn from eyeing us closely. She mainly focused on looking for whatever she needed, which was a relief.

I grabbed a hot red bikini set and placed it against my body. “What do you think?” I asked Anthony with a small smile.

I would never have asked him what he thought of me in a sexy, red bikini top with a matching cheeky bottom if we weren’t in a fake relationship. But with Evelyn nearby, I had to do my job.

He eyed the material and then smirked, making my stomach flutter. His eyes narrowed, playfully. “Sexy,” he said with his voice all low and sultry, making my body tingle. My face flushed as he let out an amused chuckle. His face was red as well. “Get it.”

I chuckled with him as Evelyn looked over to us. “That’s so cute, Shoua!” she said, walking over. “If that’s your style, I think you should consider something like this too. It’ll look more flattering on you since it’s high waisted and, you know, hides.”

I cocked an eyebrow at whatever she was trying to imply as she pulled out a piss yellow ultra-high waisted bottom along with a white top that was too frilly for my taste from a rack nearby. Was she trying to say that I’d be too insecure in my body to show it off the way it is?

“No, I’m good,” I said. “I like my bikinis sexy, so I’ll try this red one.”

“Yeah, go for it! It’s super cute,” Evelyn said as she approached the rack by Anthony and me. She grabbed the same red bikini I held and smiled, adding it to the muted colored bikinis she was already holding. The red one stuck out randomly, making it clear this wasn’t her usual taste. “I’m going to try these on. Want to come with me, Shoua?”

I wasn’t sure what game she was playing, but I thought I might entertain her for a bit. “Sure, but let me grab a few more items first.”

I grabbed more bikinis to try on, and Anthony gave me a nervous look as we all walked over to the dressing rooms. It was unusual for Evelyn to seem so interested in me since she was always vying to engage him in a conversation.

Once inside the dressing room, I planned to take my time and observe how I looked and felt in the bikini sets I grabbed. Julie and I agreed we should try to wear a different bikini set each day of the week we’re at the lake. Just for fun, of course, and to use the old bikinis we hardly ever got to use except once or twice a year. I was enjoying how flattering one of the bikini tops I picked out looked on me until I heard Evelyn’s voice.

“Anthony! What do you think? How does it look on me?” I heard her say.

I drew back the curtain a bit to peek out. My jaw dropped as I watched Evelyn stand in the middle of all the dressing rooms in the red bikini we both grabbed.

“It looks sexy, right?” she asked.

I heard absolutely nothing from Anthony as she relished under the bright light of the dressing rooms. Her fit, slim body was accentuated well in the tiny pieces of clothing she had on along with a triumphant, smug look on her face. I quickly pulled the curtain back before she could catch me watching her.

So, this was what she was planning to do, and we fell for it.

I took my time trying on my bikinis as I originally planned, and as I figured, the red one was the most flattering on me. We both stepped out of our dressing room at the same time. Hers was next to mine. As we walked toward the employee to give her the items we didn’t want, she gave Evelyn a look of distaste as she practically threw her clothes at the clerk.

I gave the employee an apologetic smile in dismay. Not only did she purposely pick the same red bikini I picked, but she was also being rude to people who didn’t deserve it. I’ve always known Evelyn was sly, but I haven’t expected her to be this brazen.

Anthony was nowhere near the exit of the dressing room, where he said he’d wait for us. So, I walked out and found him standing awkwardly by a clothing rack—far from the dressing room. He awkwardly cleared his throat as he approached me, pulling me close to his chest with a stiff arm. “We need to talk later,” he whispered.

“I know. I saw what she did,” I said.

“All of those bikinis were so adorable, but I think I’m going to go with this red one,” Evelyn announced, coming out behind me. “It’s hot, isn’t it, Anthony?”

“Yeah, it looked fine,” he said politely.

Her face lit up with an arrogant smile, satisfied with his answer. “I knew you’d think so,” she said.

“But I’d appreciate it if you ask my girlfriend for input on your fashion choices instead of me,” he continued. He glanced over to her, trying to gauge her reaction.

“What do you mean?” she asked. Her curious tone clearly noted how she saw nothing wrong with asking Anthony for his opinion.

“I don’t think it was necessary for you to ask me for input about a bikini,” Anthony explained, tightening his grip around my waist. “Shoua’s good with fashion and always has the best advice. You shouldn’t have asked me about it.”

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