That just pumped my heart right up.
“Unfortunately for him,” Archie said as he sauntered out, his shirt was white, with a deep red vest and no tie over a crisp pair of dark slacks. “I look so much better.”
Jake’s snort just made me laugh.
They were adorable.
And sexy has hell.
Did we really have to get dressed up and go out?
“See?” Archie said, his grin smug. “She’s speechless.”
“Ha. That’s because I’d already taken her breath away.” Jake grinned, absolutely unabashed. They both looked amazing. “Yo, Coop,” he bellowed. “Get the lead out, I wanna see Frankie in her dress.”
When Coop and Ian came in, there was no evidence of the earlier issues. They headed back to my room to change, leaving me to drool over Jake and Archie. It also gave me time to get pictures to add to my phone.
Coop’s suit was lighter than the others, but he’d gone with a jacket instead of a vest and he a dark red shirt without a tie that would go with my dress, too. They had really color coordinated.
Like Coop, Ian had gone with a deep red shirt, but he had dark navy almost black slacks and a dark tie to match.
They all looked…different, and yet awesome. “Wow,” I said when it was my turn to head back and change. “No one is going to be looking at me tonight.”
I didn’t turn to see their faces, but the fact that four snorts followed me told me enough. Still, my nerves were rioting, even as I reminded myself—these guys liked me in ripped jeans, tank tops, shorts, and sweats. Dressing up was fun, but what I liked about them wasn’t their clothes, either.
The pep talk only lasted so long as I slipped into the under things I’d bought for this outfit. I had to go with a thong—which I hated—but it would leave no lines on the dress. The strapless bra fit like a second skin, but at least I didn’t have so much I was gonna pop a boob.
That would be horrifying, and I’d actually jumped around in the thing to make sure.
The dress slid on like floating silk—another reason I liked it, and my hair held up as I slid into and out of clothes.
I wore the bracelet Archie had given me with all its new charms, then looped the charm like layers of necklace on. Three strands that dipped in varying lengths. Finally, I tucked the earrings in and stared at myself in the mirror.
I’d never looked less like me and at the same time…
I didn’t even know I could look like this.
It might all be way too much work for everyday, but it was kind of fun.
Huh…Coop was right. The lipstick was smudge proof. I had an extra tube of it that Carol had given me, since she used a brand new one. The small wristlet would let me carry my keys, phone, and ID, so I slid the lipstick in there and then glanced at myself once more before I put on the shoes.
They were the strappiest things I’d ever owned, but I hadn’t gone for high heels. They were gold, so they’d match the jewelry and they showed off my feet.
Prissy, right?
Heart racing, I headed for the door. Every step had the skirt swishing against my legs, and the air seemed cooler everywhere. Technically, I had more covering me than I had in the shorts and tank, but the barely there feel of the material left me more exposed.
“Ready or not,” I called out with a hell of a lot more bravery than I really possessed. “Here I come.”
The low hum of conversation cut off abruptly a full two seconds before I cleared the end of the hall into the living room. Standing, all four faced me and it took a moment for their stunned expressions to register. Coop held a giant mum in his hands, and they each had a garter on their sleeves that matched it.
Even Ian.
I forgot how to breathe.
I’d forgotten all about the mum. Cheryl mentioned the thing about her mom making hers, and that moms did that, and my mom…
“You guys made me a mum?”