Page 33 of The Dallas Dilemma

“Get in here,” she says, pulling me in for a quick hug before leaning back to scan my face. “Your hair looks great today.”

My cheeks heat as she turns to close the door behind us. “I did it this morning.”

“On the off-chance a handsome neighbor might pop by?” she asks with a single raised brow.

I nod. She knows me too well.

“Youlikehim,” she says. Then shakes her head before I can respond. “I knew you liked him, but…youlike him,like him.”

She pulls me down the hall and into her bedroom without waiting for a response. As if it’s obvious she’s right. And, as usual, she is.

I dolikelike Dallas.

“Okay,” she says, releasing me to pull open her closet doors, “you said he invited you to his place to hang out?”

“I don’t…know. He wasn’t that specific.”

Pulling out my phone, I read his message to Twila. She stops rifling through her dresses to look over her shoulder at me, her eyebrows raised.

“‘I’d love to see you’ isn’t the same thing as ‘Let’s hang out,’ Joey.”

“What do you mean?”

She shakes her head and turns back to the clothes, and the screech of hangers sliding along the metal pole reaches my ears before she says, “‘I’d love to see you’ is infinitely sexier. He wants to make out, at the very least. Which means we need an outfit with easy access. Maybe a wrap dress.”

“No,” I bark. “No way.”

“Joey,” she says, emerging from the closet with no less than three dresses for me to choose from, “he kissed you last night.With tongue.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you guys that,” I groan as my face heats.

“Yes, you should’ve. Armed with that information, and knowing he’s eager to see you again tonight, I can now tell you without a shadow of a doubt that this man wants you. You don’t have to second-guess his intentionsor your own assumptions.” She pauses, eyeing me with a narrowed gaze. “Doyouwanthim?”

I only have to ponder the question for a millisecond. No doubt about it, I do want him. Twila must see the certainty on my face because her own expression softens into a pleased smile.

“Good. Now try these on so I can see which one looks best.”

As I strip off my jeans and sweater, she shouts at me to wait and rushes back into her closet to rifle through a drawer. She comes back with a black, lacy bra and panty set, and my eyes widen.

“They’re brand new,” she says, flipping the lace over to show me the tags that are still attached. “A lingerie company sent me some samples in a few different sizes. These are too small for me, but I think they’ll fit you.”

Then she says she’s grabbing us some drinks and leaves the room. I don’t know if she’s actually thirsty, but Idoknow that she knows me better than anyone besides maybe Callie. And she knows I’m not comfortable getting completely naked in front of anyone.

Oh, God. If this night goes the way Twila obviously thinks it will, I’ll be getting completely naked in front of Dallas.

I quickly strip out of the underwear I’m wearing and look at my reflection in the mirror beside the closet. My boobs are a little on the small side, just like my stature. My hips, thighs, and ass are a bit curvy compared to the rest of me, but I haven’t heard any complaints from the men who’ve seen me naked…alltwoof them.

I pull on the bra and underwear before Twila can return, and I have to admit, they look good on me. The underwire and sliver of padding in the bra cups lift my boobs and give me some actual cleavage, and the Brazilian cut of the underwear makes my ass pop in the best way.

“Hot,” Twila squeals as she reenters. “Here, let me get those tags.”

She moves in and pops the tags off before tossing them on her bed. Then she grabs a dress and holds it up. It’s black with red cherries printed all over it. Pulling it off the hanger, she tosses it to me before sitting on the edge of her bed to wait.

Untying the belt, I slide it on like a robe, overlapping one edge and tying the belt around my waist to secure it. I hold out my arms for Twila’s inspection, and she nods excitedly. Turning around, I face the mirror, and my eyes widen.

I look…sexy. Thanks to the push-up bra, I fill out the top perfectly and the deep V shows off the swells of my breasts. The belt accentuates my small waist before the flare of my hips and ass.

“You look like a fucking pin-up model, Jo,” Twila breathes. “This is the one. You don’t need to try anything else on. Dallas is going to lose his mind when he sees you. Here.”

---