“Bree?” Mindy nudged my arm. “Where'd you go?”
I blinked and gave her a tight smile. “Nowhere good.” I gestured toward the bed. “Let's find me something to wear and you can tell me all about how dating's changed since the Dark Ages.”
I didn't think relaxation was going to be an option, but I at least calmed down a bit as Mindy started going through my entire wardrobe. I could almost pretend she was helping me get dressed for a girls' night out. She wore the same weary expression now that she did then, clearly telling me without saying a word that my fashion sense was horribly lacking. Not that I dressed like a bag lady or anything like that. No, her problem with my clothes was that I tended to dress simply, nothing bold or outrageous. I was the kind of person who could wear pretty much anything in my closet to work while Mindy had to choose carefully so she didn't end up in an outfit that showed far too much cleavage for a high school math teacher.
“When we get our Christmas bonus this year, you and I are going shopping,” she said as she reached the halfway point. “If you're getting back into the game, you have to dress the part.”
I didn't tell her that I didn't want to get back in the game. I didn't want games at all. In his apology text, Ronald had said that he never meant to hurt me, that it wasn't something he planned... blah, blah, blah. It was all the same shit that I'd heard a million times in movies, and I'd always wondered who those assholes thought they were fooling saying it. Ronald and Sami might not have been having some year-long affair – hell, they might not have even been looking at each other for more than a month – but it had been a game nonetheless. A short one, but one I had lost.
“No,” Mindy said firmly. “None of that.”
“None of what?” I asked.
“No thinking about your asshole ex tonight. No comparing my guy to him.” Mindy put her hands on her hips. For someone so tiny, she could be kind of scary. It was probably what made her a good teacher. “Tonight's about moving past Ronald and getting the attention you deserve.” She picked up a top and a skirt. “Put these on.”
I stared at her; she had to be kidding.
“These were a Halloween costume from college,” I protested. I'd been a sophomore and Adelle had helped me pick out the clothes. I'd lost my virginity that night, and I'd never worn the outfit again. I wasn't even entirely sure why I'd kept it, then almost laughed at myself with that thought. I knew exactly why I kept it, sentimental fool that I was.
“And they're the only thing in your closet that doesn't make you look like a schoolteacher.” She folded her arms and gave me her best 'don't argue with me' look.
“But I am a schoolteacher,” I retorted, earning another eye roll from my friend. Despite my comment, however, I slipped off my robe and started to dress. I'd already chosen a pair of white lace panties and bra, but that was because I didn't really have much of an option. The only lingerie I had that was truly fancy was what I'd bought for my honeymoon, and that wasn't something I was prepared to wear just yet, especially not on a first date with a stranger.
“That's better,” Mindy said as she looked me over with a critical eye.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I was still the same size I had been when I was nineteen and that was a good thing. I didn't think I'd have been able to fit in this outfit if I'd put on any weight. The skirt was tight black leather that hit me mid-thigh, just barely long enough that I didn't look trampy. The shirt looked more like a camisole than something I should wear in public. Thin straps, clinging material and short enough that if I raise my arms too high, I'll be showing off a strip of golden flesh. The skirt was black, the shirt a deep, rich purple that made my eyes look darker than usual. In a detached sort of way, I knew I looked good, but there was a difference between knowing it and knowing it.
Mindy reached up and teased my curls back into place. “I still can't believe you cut off your hair.”
I frowned. “I needed a change.”
She wrapped her arms around me and put her cheek on my shoulder. “I know you did, and that's why it's so important you do this. You deserve to have it all, Bree.”
I didn't say anything, but I let her hug me. I knew she meant well, but moving on wasn't going to be as easy as my friends seemed to think it should be. It wasn't like some casual encounter was going to mend my broken heart. I wasn't going to find a Prince Charming to erase seven years with love at first sight. I believed in real love, but I just wasn't sure it applied to me anymore.
Chapter 4
I stood in the doorway and scanned the crowd at O'Mallys, searching for my date. Mindy had given me a basic physical description, but I didn't have a picture or anything like that.
“Bree?”
I turned my head toward a man sitting at the bar, waving at me. I made my way through the crowd to the empty seat next to the man I assumed was Steven.
“Steven Danforth.” He held out a hand and I shook it. “You look even more beautiful in person.” He grinned, a dimple creasing one tanned cheek. “Mindy showed me a picture of you so I'd know what you looked like.”
As I took a seat next to him, I wondered what picture she'd used.
“So you and Mindy went to Myrtle Beach for spring break last year?”
I groaned. I knew what picture she'd used and I was going to kill her. Adelle had paid for the three of us to spend a week at a beach house last year. The three of us had been on a private beach half the time, which meant I was fine wearing the skimpy bikini Adelle had bought, insisting I start on my wedding tan. I generally avoided having my picture taken, but it had been vacation, so I'd given in and taken a few. All three of us had framed pictures from that week and Mindy's were of the two of us in our bikinis.
I nodded. “A friend of ours rented a beach house.” A wave of relief washed over me as the bartender approached. I really needed something to take the edge off. I ordered a Sea Breeze. I was a bit of a lightweight when it came to drinks, so I wanted something I could sip on all night rather than down in one gulp.
“I'll take another Irish Car Bomb,” Steven said with another easy smile. As the bartender left to get our drinks, Steven angled himself toward me so it was obvious the two of us were here together. “You and Mindy work together?”
“I teach English.” I tried to cross my legs and discovered that my skirt was too tight to do that. I had to settle for crossing just my ankles.
“If you'd been my English teacher, I might've actually done my own homework.” His eyes sparkled, telling me he was joking. He leaned forward slightly so that our knees were touching. “Seriously though, how in the world do your students concentrate with someone as gorgeous as you teaching them?”
I blushed. His compliments might've been on the clichéd side, but they were the first ones I'd gotten in what felt like a long time. Ronald and I had been in one of those long-term couple ruts where compliments were few and far between, so having someone tell me how beautiful he thought I was, no matter how cheesy the line, was nice. Still, the attention made me squirm.
“What do you do?” I asked, almost blurting out the question to shift things away from me.
He looked pleased that I asked, but didn't answer until he downed his entire drink in one go. Wow. Definitely not a lightweight. I sipped at my Sea Breeze, taking it slow. My nerves, however, kept me coming back for more as Steven began to talk.
“I'm an advertising executive at Harman and Foreman.” He paused to speak to the bartender, “Bourbon this time. Neat.” He glanced at me. “And another Sea Breeze for the lady.”