Page 39 of In the Works

“Because you never get dressed up likethat.” Robin laughed.

Zoey heard us chatting and waddled over. The kids stayed in the living room, distracted by Derek’s new game.

When she turned the corner, Zoey’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit. Talk about a ‘fuck me’ dress.”

I slapped her arm and shushed her. “My kids are in the other room, asshole.”

Waving me off, Zoey peeked back into the living room. She watched them for a moment to ensure that they were truly not listening before turning back to me smugly. “See? Nothing to worry about. Where are you headed?”

“Somewhere across the river. She just told me to wear something nice and that she’d take care of the details.” I swallowed hard. This certainly felt more like a date than a business dinner.

Robin scoffed and raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Should we expect to stay overnight?”

Hesitating, I tried to be realistic. I had no idea what Vic had in mind, but I knew it would be a drive. The sun was already low in the sky, and I couldn’t imagine getting home before my pregnant sister passed out.

“Just make yourselves comfortable; if you fall asleep, you can just stay the night.” I settled on that.

Zoey giggled and winked at me. “Someone plans to get laid.”

Shaking my head, I pushed past her to the living room. Moving around the couch, careful not to step in front of the TV, I gave each of my kids a kiss. “I love you guys. I’ll probably miss bedtime, but I’ll come check on you when I get home. Okay?”

Ava and Leila nodded, each throwing their small arms around my neck. Distracted by his game, Derek took one hand off the controller and hugged my shoulders.

“Love you,” they all said in unison as I walked out of the living room.

I padded over the foyer, strapping on the red heels I’d kept since prom. They were far too big for me back then, but after three pregnancies, they fit just right. Just as I finished buckling the delicate leather straps, my phone dinged with a text:

Victoria Bradley dropped a pin

My forehead wrinkled at the words. Was she already waiting for me? I quickly opened the text to see where she was. But when the location loaded on my maps, it just showed my street.

“What?” Zoey asked, striding across the foyer to snatch the phone out of my hand.

I gawked at her as she held the device. “Excuse you.” If nothing else, I knew I could always count on Zoey to be a pushy older sister.

Peeking over her partner’s shoulder, Robin tilted her head. “She’s outside?”

The words felt surreal. Surely it was a mistake. I glanced outside through the glass that framed the front door. Sure enough, a familiar red car sat outside with Victoria Bradley leaning patiently against its hood.

“I guess so.” Zoey excitedly squealed, trying not to alert the kids. Putting her hands on my shoulders, Zoey smiled. “Have fun, okay?”

I exhaled and nodded. “Okay. Love you both.” Wrapping my arms around them, I pulled them in for a hug. Once I felt my anxiety melt away, I pulled back and fixed my hair. “Don’t watch out of the window.” I winked at them as I opened the front door and left the house.

The door had hardly shut behind me before I stopped in my tracks; Victoria’s grin stunned me still. She wore a slate gray button-down with the top three buttons undone. The fabric draped gracefully down her chest, showing off her collarbone and skimming just over the swell of her breasts.

My dirty mind filled in the blanks quickly; the low v of her shirt meant she wasn’t wearing a bra. The bottom of the button-down tucked perfectly into a pair of matching trousers. Both of Vic’s elegant hands tucked into her pockets as she watched me.

“Hi.” Her voice was low, already sultry despite the summer sun still beaming down.

I swallowed hard, reminding my feet to keep moving. “Hi.” Just as I approached the front steps, Vic peeled herself off the car and rushed to the porch, offering her hand as I descended. With each movement, I could feel her eyes on my body.

My hips swayed as I walked, the dress flowing behind me. “I didn’t mean to match your car.”

Victoria nodded, lightly licking her lips. “I like it. A match made in heaven.” As we approached the car, she dropped my arm and pulled open the passenger side door. “After you.”

Smiling, I ducked into the car. I snuck one last look at the door, where I could see Zoey and Robin clearly watching us.Bastards.I rolled my eyes as I situated myself in the seat.

Once I was in, Vic gently closed the door and jogged around the front of the car.

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