Page 77 of The Story of Us
Eloise flushed remembering the feel of his beard against her thighs, his eyes on hers.
“Woah. What wasthatlook all about? You didn’t!” Alice squealed. “Oh my God. You totally did. I want to know everything.”
“Even though he’s basically your brother-in-law?”
“Good point. Not everything. Just the important stuff. Did you have fun?”
Eloise hadn’t been able to stop thinking about all the fun she’d had. “So much. Multiple times, in fact.”
Alice’s hoot made Eloise giggle.
“Verrrrrry nice.” Alice waggled her eyebrows. “I’m surprised you can walk today.”
“Oh no. We haven’t donethatyet.”
“Why not?” Alice rummaged through one of the drawers near the door.
That was the question Eloise had been asking herself ever since she’d woken up alone in Nate’s bed this morning. Her panic had eased a little when she found a note on his pillow.
Early meeting. Didn’t want to wake you. I’ll be in the Nate Space. Coffee and fresh bread in the kitchen for you. – N.
He’d seemed fine when she saw him walking back to the house, the beams of early morning sun casting a glow around him, his steps even and measured. He’d kissed her cheek and pulled her up off the stool she’d been sitting on for a hug that had ended with his hands under her top, her fingers in his hair. Eloise’s body began to hum from the memory. “We just haven’t.”
“Oh.”
“Oh, what?” One of the best things about her friendship with Alice was that Eloise regularly knew what her friend was thinking. And right now, Alice was obviously wondering why the same thing Eloise had been asking herself all day.
“Nothing, I just kind of thought that given the way you both look at each other when you don’t think anyone is watching, you’d be all over each other. And you’ve been friends for so long. Taking your time isn’t a bad thing.”
Eloise brushed an imaginary piece of lint off the stretchy fabric of the bodysuit. “He knows I have some”—she swallowed—“confidence issues because of what happened with the other guys I’ve been with. I think he’s just trying to be respectful. And you know, make sure that we’re on the same page.” She did her best to push aside the whisper of worries that blossomed. That she was already too invested. That he didn’t feel as strongly as she did. That once she was gone, he’d go back to thinking of her as a friend. “I suspect he’s also worried about Charlie’s reaction, but I think he’ll be fine,” she said to save face.
“Surely Charlie just wants you both to be happy?”
Eloise accepted the pair of opaque black tights Alice handed her and rubbed the silky fabric between her fingers.
“Exactly. But I’m leaving soon, and I don’t want to waste what little time we have together now. I don’t want to go slow.”
And maybe if she could show him how good they could be together, he really would wait for her.
Alice slipped her arm around Eloise’s waist and twisted them so they were both facing the floor-length mirror again. “Then you should talk to him. Someone very wise once gave me the same advice. You might remember, considering you were the only other person in that conversation.”
Eloise reached down to get her silver heels.
“Nope, nope, stop. Okay. The skirt’s too short for bending. Stand there and look gorgeous. I’ll get them.” Alice swished over to where she stood.
“Maybe I should wear my dress.” There was being flirty and fun, and then there was just looking like she was trying way too hard.
“The rest of the bridal party is made up of cheerleaders and socialites. A few sequins won’t scare them. Although you should probably pack a bib for Nate. Dude’s gonna have a drool problem. But you need a G-string. Do you have one?” Alice pulled open a different drawer.
Eloise’s eyes widened. “Uh, I draw the line at borrowing your underwear.” A nervous giggle escaped at the thought of Nate seeing underwear that his brother also had. Which her best friend had worn. That was too weird, and her life was plenty weird already.
“Oh my God, you’re hilarious. Here.” Alice tossed an unopened package to Eloise. “Someone sent me these to review. You can have them.”
She turned it over in her hand. It was a three pack of flesh-coloured G-strings that were the ‘world’s best seamfree underwear’.
“I don’t know.”
“Nate’s going to swallow his tongue when he sees you. And trust me, if he’s anything like his brother, you’re gonna want to be best friends with that tongue.” Alice’s blue eyes sparkled, a cheeky smile stretching across her face. “But you probably already know that, don’t you?”
