"I said don't!" Peyton shrieked as my eyes went over to her.
And Peyton, well, she was fresh-faced.
As in, without a single trace of makeup.
And she was actually dressed in plain bluejeans that I didn't think she would be caught dead in, and a simple black long-sleeve tee. Sure, she had her multi-colored hair and her nose ring. But that was it. She was without any of her usual embellishments.
She looked about five years younger.
And almost painfully sweet and innocent.
I think I finally understood why she worked so hard on her makeup and style. She didn't want anyone to see her and think 'sweet and innocent' or anything even akin to it. And, to be fair, it would be a pretty big shock to them if they saw that and then she opened her mouth and proved it wrong.
I mean, she absolutely was sweet, but only to her select few people. She certainly didn't want that getting out to the masses.
"My turkey coma made me sleep through my three AM alarm that would have made this," she said, waving a hand at her face, "disappear. Ugh, I need a shower. And a good kill," she declared, moving across the room, snatching a book off the coffee table, and disappearing down the hall.
I looked over at Autumn, leaning against the counter, dead on her feet. "Come on, I'll give you a foot rub, and you can get some sleep."
"That was practically porn," she said, attempting a tired smile, and following me into the bedroom.
So I rubbed her feet and she went to sleep.
And we didn't talk about them.
My family.
Which was why, the following day, I hadn't been prepared.
"I can totally wear a corset dress and leather boots, right?" Peyton called from the hall as Autumn fiddled with her outfit.
The show was in an hour.
I had gone over early in the morning to get everything all set up and get the plans from the coordinator. Then I had met Autumn for a late lunch when she closed the shop early.
I stopped by my place to snag some clothes, then made my way to the girls' apartment to, well, wait - and in Autumn's case, watch - for them to get ready.
"Oh my God!" Autumn hissed, eyes huge in her reflection. "No, you absolutely can not wear a corset--"
The door burst open, and Peyton walked in in a simple, rather elegant, cocktail dress. Her hair was down, but curled. Her makeup was minimalist. The only thing she had on that screamed 'Peyton' was her black shoes that had rainbow-colored unicorn horns for heels.
"Ha, look at that face," Peyton said with a smile as she moved to sit near me at the edge of the bed. "I know how to dress for things, Mom," she said, rolling her eyes. "I like that dress."
I fucking loved that dress.
In fact, I loved it so much, that when she came out in it, I had to peel up the skirt, and fuck her against the wall until she screamed my name.
It was a cobalt blue with a slightly lighter blue lace over it. Where the bust scalloped on the lower level, the lace went to her neckline. Sleeveless, and just short enough to show off some leg and keep it classy, it set off her eyes, her skin, her hair, and was fucking perfect.
I'd have been proud to have her on my arm wearing a potato sack - or the hideously oversized tees she sometimes wore to bed - but having her on my arm at my first show looking like she did? Yeah, I was fucking puffed up in the chest.
"Alright," Autumn said, taking a deep breath as she took one last look at herself and turned. "I'm ready."
I moved to stand. "One last thing," I said, as I moved toward her.
"Did I forget to zip?" she asked, trying to look down her back.
Which was perfect, because I could reach for the jewelry box without her seeing. When she turned back around, her gaze fell on the hard-to-describe, but the closest I could get was robins-egg-blue, box with a simple satin white bow tied around it.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "Whatever that is, it's too much."
"Is she always this bad about receiving gifts?" I asked, looking over at Peyton who made no attempt to hide the fact that she was watching the interaction.
"She once shrieked and threw a birthday present I gave her."
"Because you filled it with fake spiders, you jackass," Autumn objected. "That moved."
"Well, you wouldn't buy it if they were just all still," Peyton said, rolling her eyes. "Open your present. You don't turn down a present from a man who rubs your feet and gives you good orgasms."
Oh, Peyton.
"I still say that this is unnecessary, and that you don't need to buy me things," she said, giving me a firm look as she reached for the box.