Suzy started gagging and shouted, “Stop! I’ve told you that I don’t want to hear any brother-in-law sex stories.”
Looking at Emma, Claire said to change the topic, “Hey, I forgot to ask, how are things going with Brant? Is he a little easier to work with now?”
Emma raised her fork from the table and pretended to stab herself in the heart. “Well, I made him sick this morning so I don’t know if this is going to be a good day or not.”
Interest peaked, Suzy said, “Oh, do tell.”
Sighing, Emma said, “He is lactose intolerant and when I made his coffee this morning, I forgot and added cream to it. Come on, wouldn’t you think he would have noticed the difference? But, nooo. An hour later he comes rushing to my desk holding his stomach. I ask him what the problem is and he demands to know if I had given him anything with dairy in it. I had to confess that I had put cream in his coffee. He shot me a dirty look and rushed out the door. I’m pretty sure that he believes I tried to kill him. Why is keeping up with his dietary requirements part of my job? Shouldn’t he be a little more careful? He didn’t seem to appreciate it when I yelled after him, ‘They make medication for that.’”
“Alright, I’ll just be the first to say what we’re all thinking. That is freaking hysterical. Your boss is probably still riding the porcelain throne and calling you every name in the book—nice!” Suzy grinned at the new girl.
Claire coughed trying to hide her laughter, Beth’s stomach moved at an alarming rate as it shook, and Ella tried unsuccessfully to cover her grin. “Just so you’re prepared though, the whole employee of the month thing is probably out for you.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Emma laughed.
Once they had all finished eating, Suzy stood and grabbed Ella’s hand, “Come on, girl, let’s go get you one hell of a ‘do me’ outfit. Do we need to get underwear too? No one wants to open a shiny new package and find an old toy inside.”
“I have some new stuff—”
Shaking her head, Suzy said, “Let’s just get it all. How high of a heel can you walk in? On second thought, you don’t need to walk much, just make short trips and do a lot of standing.” Then with that scary thought in Ella’s head, they were off through the mall like a blur.
An hour and several credit card swipes later, Ella had a dress that covered next to nothing and underwear that could have been classified as dental floss. Those two things were scary enough, but the shoes that Suzy had picked were the equivalent of strapping a skyscraper on each foot. When Suzy said for her to stand around a lot, she’d meant it.
At the end of the day, Beth helped her pack her purchases in the trunk of her car. “So, are you going to have the nerve to wear that tonight?”
“Well, I either go on my date with Declan tonight practically naked or I admit to your sister that I chickened out and didn’t wear the clothes that she picked out. Hmmm, I’ll pick the naked thing every time. It’s less scary than admitting failure to Suzy.”
Before she could answer, Beth squealed in surprise as Nick walked up behind her and pulled her back against him. “Hey, princess.”
“Geez, Nick, you don’t do that to someone who’s pregnant!”
Ella felt herself swoon as a sexy laugh rumbled out of Nick. “Sorry, babe. I couldn’t resist. Hey, Ella, do you mind if I steal Beth away for dinner?”
Beth swatted his arm and said, “Hey buddy, we haven’t finished our girl talk yet.”
“Yeah, no doubt. I’ll be doing Declan a favor by dragging you off right now.”
“Ha-ha, very funny. Declan’s a big boy and I’m sure he can take care of himself,” Beth smirked.
“No man can hold out against all of you women when you are plotting. Come on, Princess, you can save the world tomorrow.”
Ella watched them playfully bicker back and forth and felt a stab of envy. Nick and Beth were so perfect for each other. They got along with the ease of a couple that had been together for years instead of months. Would she ever have that with Declan? She was comfortable with him and they never lacked for conversation, but there always seemed to be something he wasn’t saying and, at times, she could practically see the thoughts racing through his head. Could she be the one to finally get through all of his walls to the man underneath?
Another upcoming date, another cold shower. He hadn’t showered or jerked off this much since he hit puberty. Ella was coming on stronger and stronger and he was getting weaker and weaker. One more slide of her tongue against his or one more slip of her hand across his ass and he was done for. They were well past the three-date rule and if he made it to the end of the weekend he would be surprised. Tonight he was taking Ella to see the new James Bond movie. Apparently there wasn’t an action franchise out there that she wasn’t a fan of. When his sweet little Ella sat beside him on the couch and started quoting lines from movies, it was about the hottest thing he had ever heard. The girl knew almost every line Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson had ever uttered on film. Somewhere along the way, her uptight parents had lost control whether they knew it or not.
These last few weeks with Ella had been some of the best times he could remember. For someone who claimed he wasn’t dating material, he had adapted to the role with unsettling ease. Even if they did nothing else, they almost always had dinner together. He was no longer content to sit in his apartment alone and let the walls close in on him night after night. Now he craved hearing Ella’s voice and seeing her smile. He had even gotten used to her frequent accidents, dropping something on him or herself. When she had lost the battle with her plate of spaghetti a few nights back and had a huge red stain on the front of her white dress, she had just laughed and continued. That would have been the end of the evening for most women he knew.
It was starting to scare him that he had become so attached to her so fast. Hell, it would either get worse when they finally had sex or it would restore his sanity.
When Ella opened the door to him a few moments later he had his answer. Holy fuck, where are her clothes! He knew he was standing there like an idiot with his mouth hanging open, but he seemed powerless to do anything else.
“Do you want to come in for a minute before we leave?” she asked.
Terrified of that prospect, he blurted out, “Oh, hell no!” She was plainly startled at his abrupt answer so he took a deep breath and said in a gentler voice, “I mean, no, we will be late. Do you, um . . . have a jacket, like a long jacket?” He was profoundly grateful when she brought out a knee-length trench coat. He grabbed it from her hands and tried not to stare at the amount of cleavage on display as he buttoned it completely before tying the belt for added security. He knew she was looking at him, clearly puzzled by his odd behavior. As they shut her door, he saw the dangerously high heels she was wearing and settled her securely under his arm as they made their way slowly down the stairs.
What the hell was going on? Instead of his sweet Ella, it was like picking up Suzy for a date. The short dress that she was wearing was formfitting and showed far too much of the swells of her creamy breasts. Men always gave her a second look, but tonight, they were probably going to drop to their knees, and it freaked him out to think of that happening. He wanted to march her back in her apartment and demand that she change.
When he opened the door to his car, Ella paused for a minute before getting in. “Is everything okay?”
Hell no, everything is not okay. Where are the rest of your clothes? “Sure, Ellie, everything is fine,” Declan replied as he kissed her lightly on the forehead. With one more uncertain glance, Ella allowed him to help her inside and shut the door. He walked around the back of the car instead of the front so he could take a few deep breaths without her seeing him. So much for the cold shower; they were up to DEFCON-5 here and it wouldn’t take much at all to set him off.