Page 70 of Wild Catch
I tug at the bag again until she lets go. “Fine.”
“Great. Should I use your bathroom to change?”
“Even better, I have a whole spare bedroom and bath down that door.” I point behind her.
“Thanks.” Rose skips back to her suitcase and picks up the last item, another shopping bag that must’ve been crammed in there along with the other junk. “I should be quick, just need to do my makeup and change.”
“Take your time, you’re still early.”
She glances back and smiles at the last second before disappearing behind the door.
“What the hell am I doing?” I ask myself, shaking my head.
Back in my bedroom, I circle my extra large king bed to the opposite night table, the one I use the least. I put the two bodice ripper romance tomes on it, along with some purple hair clips.
Up next, I set a purple toothbrush in the bathroom right next to my black one. They don’t look terrible together. At least it’s not pink.
Reaching into the bag again, I come up with the dicier items. Women’s hygiene products.
I let out a long suffering sigh because now that I’ve seen this, I can’t unsee it. I will forever know that Rosalina Mena prefers this brand of shampoo and conditioner, this hair cream and gel,andthese tampons.
Going big with the deception here, huh?
Once I’m done, I ball up the bag and set out to wait in the living room. This can take anywhere from five minutes to five hours, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my parents arrive before she’s done. I dump the reusable bag in her suitcase and zip it up, wheeling it into my room and leaving it in a corner by the balcony door. The bodice ripper books catch my attention and I grab one to settle on the couch with.
I’m only into chapter two of the budding romance between a widower duke and his daughter’s governess, when the guest bedroom door opens. I look up from the page, but the doorway is empty so I focus back on the book. The characters are about to accidentally encounter each other in the library in the middle of the night when I finally catch Rose from the corner of my eye.
The paperback slides from my hands.
“What the…”
“You don’t like it?” Rose looks down at herself.
“That—” I shake my head hard and unglue my tongue from my palate. “That’s not the issue.”
“Then what?” Her pretty face scrunches up in a mixture of confusion and annoyance.
I run both hands through my damp hair. “I mean that this is going to force me to act like a boyfriend.” She still doesn’t get it and I grunt. “Otherwise you’re going to get harassed all night.”
“Oh.”
Oh, she says, as if she hadn’t turned into a walking heart attack in a black dress that hugs her body all the way down to her knees. It might even be considered somewhat demure because it shows no skin and is long sleeved?—
I start choking.
“Now what?” Rose puts her hands on her hips again.
“T-Turn around,” I command, still choking.
“Dude, you’re gonna have to control yourself?—”
“That’s not—” I wave my hand. “Where the hell did the rest of your dress go?”
She clicks her tongue. “Nowhere, you silly goose. The dress is like this.” It’s missing a hell of a lot of fabric at her back, is what. She gathered her hair atop her head, which means the curve of her neck down to her spine and to the small of her back are exposed to… to…
My eyes and everyone else’s.
How is it even holding up? Like, shouldn’t the thing slide off her shoulders?
