Page 13 of Sunshine & Sinful

A smidge of concealer does wonders to remove the darkened bags under my eyes, Till so graciously pointed out. Once Lily is satisfied with her choices, she hops up and sits on the counter to watch me work. We chat about makeup and her choice of colors as I finish getting ready for my date with Todd, who should arrive any minute.

“This necklace.” Lily unhooks a long, silver, triple-layer chain from a jewelry hook on the wall. She drapes it over her pointer finger and waits for me to finish applying my nude lipstick and matching liner to put it on.

“This one, huh?” I slide it off her finger, wrap the triple strands around my neck, and hum my approval when it drapes perfectly. The shortest layer is a chain with a row of thicker round beads, the middle is a simple bird floating mid-chest, and the longest is a crystal teardrop that caresses the bare valley between my breasts.

Lily grins as I turn toward her and half-assed curtsy. “Well… how do I look?”

My hype girl claps. “Amazing!” she cheers. “See, I was right. That’s the perfect dress.”

I don’t know if it's perfect, but I roll with her excitement, taking some of it as my own.

As I help Lily down off the counter, I peck her forehead in gratitude. “You were right,” I groan, and she smiles, loving her win.

The doorbell rings.

Eyes rounding in excitement, Lily races from the room. “I’ve got it!”

“Yeah. I see that!” I call to her retreating back as she welcomes Todd inside. Exiting the bathroom, I rifle through the bottom of my closet for heels to match this dress and a jacket to keep from catching a chill.

Begrudgingly, a strappy pair of black, toe-hugging stilettoes are all I can seem to find. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I put them on and listen to Todd chat with Lily in the living room.

“She’ll be out in a minute,” I overhear Lily say.

Todd chuckles warmly and replies something in return, but I can’t make it out.

Ready to get this show on the road, I remove my longest coat from a hanger, drape it over my forearm, expel a breath, and ready myself for a night out with Todd. You’d think this would get easier—dating, communicating, getting to know someone. But it hasn’t. It feels new. Too new. I know lots of people relish budding romances, all those hormones flying. The sex is usually out of this world. Your endorphins are screaming at you that this is the one. At least, that’s what little I remember of it. Dark’s the only real man I’ve dated, dated, for any length of time, and I married the jerk.

Sure, Angel and a handful of others were friends and often a no-strings-attached booty call, but Todd isn’t that. After a single date at a small diner, he asked for exclusivity. Thanks to Dark and his laundry list of horrendous relationship practices, I jumped at the bit to be exclusive with someone I knew wouldn’t dream of sleeping with anyone else while we were together. There’s comfort in that, knowing they aren’t leaving every few months to fuck someone else on the DL.

Ugh.

Nope.

No more thinking about Dark, Sunshine, or the past.

It’s date night.

Smoothing a hand down my black lace dress, I straighten my shoulders and saunter like a sex kitten out of the bedroom into the living room, where Lily and Todd stand in the middle, chatting amicably.

When they hear me coming, my heelsclick,click,clickingacross the hardwood, they turn. For the rest of my life, Todd’s mouth dropping open will forever be etched into my brain.

Lily giggles as he openly stares, and I blush. I can’t help it.

When it’s been a solid ten seconds, Todd finally closes his mouth, swallows thicky, and clears his throat. Then he adjusts something in his pants.

I press my lips together to keep from giggling like a schoolgirl.

Because this is… Nice.

“Kali,” he breathes, blinking a handful of times. “You… I… Wow.” His head shakes in awe. “I… You’re the hottest woman I’ve ever met.” Sincerity hangs in his words.

Warmth skitters through me as a small, shy smile graces my lips.

Todd offers his hand—five thick fingers with well-trimmed nails.

Taking my last few steps, I slide my palm into his, and he clears his throat again. “You… You ready for dinner, beautiful?”

I nod and turn to Lily. “You gonna make it home safe?”

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