35. Hot Mama
35
HOT MAMA
“ D amn,” Easton said on Saturday afternoon when Laurel came out of his bathroom.
Her hair was straight as could be but pulled away from her face by some pretty sparkly clips. Nothing big or gaudy and of course there were some flowers on them. A metal one over one of her fabric ones.
Her makeup was there but not much that he could see. Nicole joked that anyone who didn’t look like they were wearing makeup when they had it on just meant they were in touch with what worked for them.
He wasn’t so sure of that and it didn’t matter to him all that much.
He only knew what he liked and the hot mama in front of him was that person.
The sleeveless high-neck dress was almost an eggplant color fitted to her body snugly and stopping right at her knees. On her feet was another pair of sexy heels that he might have to convince her to keep on later tonight.
She did a little spin for him. “Do you like?”
“What is there not to like?” he asked, reaching his hand out and pulling her close. “I swear that dress was made with you in mind.”
“Why, thank you,” she said. “I need to make sure I’m worthy to be on your arm.”
He leaned back but still had her in his arms. “Are you nervous?”
She snorted. “Well, yeah.”
“Why?” he asked. “Not one woman in that place has anything on you.”
“Very sweet of you to say, but you know in the past people thought I look one way and then they talk to me.”
“Stop,” he said. “I hope you’re honest and tell them what you do.”
“Of course I’m going to,” she said. “I’d never lie about that or be someone I’m not. If your coworkers don’t like me, too bad, but I still want to look good on your arm.”
“That’s my girl,” he said. “And you look damn good. Smoking is more like it. I want to say you’re overdressed.”
“Really?” she asked. “I’ve got another dress I can change into. I brought two. Nicole said both were appropriate.”
“No,” he said. “Don’t change. I mean it. I want you wearing that if you’re comfortable.”
“I am. I’m comfortable in a lot of ways.”
“As long as you are with me that is all I care about.”
“See, sweet again. Are you trying or is it coming out naturally for you?”
“Sorry, but I’m not one to try for those things. Must be it’s natural.”
“I’m not even going to take offense to the fact that you just said you’re not trying.”
He put his foot in his mouth with that. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
She put a loud kiss on his lips. “I told you I’m not taking offense. I mean it. I didn’t say it to get your back up or anything like that. I wanted to point out that I understand you.”
“Thanks,” he said. He wasn’t often understood and it was hard to get that out of his head. Or to get out of his own way half the time.
“Are we ready to go get Nicole and Liam?”
“We are,” he said.
It was easier for the two of them to drive in. Parking was going to be an issue so they were parking at their hotel, then catching a taxi to the restaurant. They debated going into the city earlier today and spending the day and then changing at their hotel after, but they couldn’t get into the hotel until four anyway. They were having dinner at five. By the time they got there and checked in, they’d leave to meet everyone else.
The two of them drove the ten minutes to Liam’s. “Sorry about today,” Liam said. “I feel bad that I had a class this morning.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said.
“It’s fine,” she said.
Liam taught summer classes that were more condensed and already had this date set for a special session with his students.
“I told him it was fine,” Nicole said. “And now I need to go change and we are going to be late.”
“You look great,” Liam said. “Why are you changing?”
“Because I look frumpy next to Laurel. This sucks, Easton. Thanks for doing me wrong dating a hot woman.”
He laughed but saw Nicole was serious. “I agree with Liam. You look great. You look like you amped up.”
He wasn’t sure if it was a pregnancy glow or not but didn’t think it was appropriate to say that.
“I told her she does too,” Liam said. “She bought this dress last weekend.”
“After I kept showing pictures of it to Laurel because I knew she was going to make me look bad.”
“Stop,” Laurel said. “You’re going to make me feel bad and I know that isn’t what you want. I want to look good for Easton.”
“Stop,” he said. “Both of you. I didn’t realize everyone was so insecure. Nicole, you look great and you know it. You’re going to get a lot of comments from people who haven’t seen you like this before.”
“I know,” Nicole said. “This dress is a little out of my box.”
Nicole normally wore black, brown, or navy. Sometimes tan. She never wore bright colors or patterns.
But she had a green dress on the color of emeralds. It was fitted to her body but not like Laurel’s. The top had some sleeves and lower neckline, the waist fitted and you’d have no idea she was pregnant, then the rest of it fell straight to above her knees. She even had some chunky heeled tan sandals on. Nicole never wore heels like this.
He’d bet anything it was Laurel’s influence because the two were talking fashion and shopping more than he cared for.
But he had to admit his best friend’s wife did look stunning. Stunning for her and she shouldn’t compare herself to Laurel.
They were two different people.
“And it looks awesome on you,” Laurel said. “I’m so glad I convinced you to buy that and not the black one.”
“I knew you wanted to bring home a black dress,” Liam said. “I told her not to. She has enough of them. I’m not sure how many times I have to tell her how gorgeous she looks tonight either. I guess I’ll just have to show her later.”
“I’ve got something for you too,” Laurel said. She opened her floral clutch that was in her hand. Had to be something from work. She pulled out three bangle bracelets.
“What are these?”
“A new release last month,” Laurel said. “I’ve got them on too. Mine are asters. It’s kind of the funny joke they made these for our Director of Facilities. He didn’t laugh about it but made sure his girlfriend got a set before anyone else. Yours are zinnias.”
Easton noticed the bracelets on Laurel’s arm and looked closer to see the small purple flowers on top of the silver metal. Not a lot. Just three on each.
Nicole took hers and he saw the three green flowers on each and Nicole slipped them on.
Laurel had a large flower ring on her middle finger too, but it wasn’t purple, rather a dark pink, her earrings another shade of pink, the purse all shades of pink and purple.
She was probably the most girly woman he’d ever dated. And she could change his tire if he got a flat on their way.
“What’s so funny?” Liam asked him.
“Just thinking of something.”
“What?” Nicole asked. “You have to share.”
“That Laurel is such a lady right now, but if my tire light comes on…”
“Sorry, Easton. If your tire light comes on when I’m dressed like this, you’re on your own.”
He leaned in and gave her a big kiss. “Okay. I’ll call someone to come fix it.”
“You will,” she said. “And by saying that doesn’t mean I’ll jump in and still do it.”
“Tell me he’s joking,” Nicole asked.
“No,” she said. “He’s not. I changed my ex’s tire once much to his frustration. I’d do it again, but not like this.”
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about changing a tire,” Nicole said. “And I don’t want to know.”
“You don’t need to know,” Liam said. “You’ve got plenty of other things you’re wonderful at. Like being the love of my life.”
“Okay, now it’s time to go,” Easton said. “Or I’m going to feel inferior because I’m not all romantic like that.”
“And I don’t need you to be that way,” Laurel said, leaning into his side. “I think we are perfect the way we are. Two imperfectly perfect people made for each other.”