Page 88 of Fierce-Gabe

He could have gone home first and changed, but he had his clothes in his truck and instead went to get food.

“What is that?” she asked when he grabbed the bag of food off the passenger seat, then got his overnight bag in the back. He wished he could keep a few things here too or she could at his place, but neither of them had brought it up.

“Loaded hot dogs,” he said. “I ordered them from the restaurant parking lot and then picked them up on the way here. I thought we’d be hungry by now.”

“You are my hero,” she said, going up on her toes to kiss him.

She walked to the front door and opened it. “Glad to be of assistance,” he said. “I know I need to get the hell out of this suit. I’d like to take a shower too.”

“Give me the food,” she said. “I’ll stick it in the warming oven so it’s at least room temp. It won’t get too hot or cold, but maybe stay the same. I’m hot and sweaty and need to change too.”

“Do you think we can take a shower together?” he asked. “We can conserve water that way and time.”

She laughed. “I like the way you think. Just keep your hands to yourself because I want food.”

“As long as I get to put my hands on you later,” he said, following her up the stairs after she’d taken care of the food.

“I expect as much,” she said. “I emptied a drawer for you.”

“What?” he asked.

“A drawer. You live out of your bag and then stuff your dirty stuff back in there. I got thinking it had been a while since that bag has been cleaned.”

It was the way she was wrinkling her nose at him.

“You do the same thing.”

“I put my dirty clothes in another bag and then put that bag in my overnight bag.”

“Oh,” he said. “Guys don’t think that way.”

At least he didn’t.

“You can leave a few things here if you want,” she said. “I’d say to leave your dirty clothes here and I’d wash them, but that is your suit. I’m sure you want to take that home. And don’t stuff it in that bag.”

“I wasn’t going to,” he said. “At least the jacket and pants.” His shirt he would have.

“Toss your suit on my bed,” she said when they got to her room. “I’ll hang it up and wash your shirt too. You won’t need it again for a while.”

“Are you sure?” he asked as he took the tie out of his pocket that he’d stuffed it in when he got in the truck. He’d wanted to do that at the wedding, but his mother almost slapped his hand to keep it on.

“Yes,” she said. “Unzip me.”

She turned her back and he pulled the zipper down. He noticed the nude bra in the back.

She turned and dropped her dress and laid it on the bed where he’d tossed his shirt.

She stood there in her bra and underwear. They were nude colored too. Cotton and nothing sexy but perfect on her.

“What are you waiting for?”

“For you to undress so I can lay your clothes out rather than you tossing them to get wrinkled. They will be a mess the next time you have to wear them.”

Which was why it took him so long to iron everything today. He wouldn’t admit that.

“Yes, Mom,” he said.

She laughed at him, but he did as she said until he was in his underwear.

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