by Laney Kay
Lola didn’t wait for an answer and was already pulling off her shirt so she could try on a couple of dresses she’d found for herself. Bella shook her head and started pulling off her clothes as she eyed the dresses hanging on the wall. They were totally different from her usual style, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt to try them on. Lola might be a total goofball, but she had actually done some modeling in her early twenties and had an excellent eye for fashion. She pulled the lace tank dress over her head, tugged it into place, and turned to face the mirror.
Wow. Bella’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe how she looked. Lola was right, she actually looked hot, and it was completely age-appropriate. Lola grinned at her in the mirror. “See? I told you you’d look amazing. Not an ass in sight. Now the only thing you’ll have to worry about is making sure you don’t give old Jack a heart attack.” She threw her arm around Bella’s shoulders and hugged her. “Try on the rest of them. You need to expand your fashion horizons a little bit, so you can use some extra dresses.”
Bella tried on all seven of the dresses that Lola had chosen and decided to buy five of them. Friday night was a cocktail party at the reunion, and she figured she’d wear the black lace dress for that, and the red halter dress for Saturday night. Lola pointed out that hopefully she’d still be in bed from the night before and wouldn’t be able to make that event. Bella scoffed at the thought, but she secretly hoped Lola was right.
After she bought the dresses, they headed to Lola’s favorite lingerie shop. They had everything from beautiful couture corsets to slutty costumes, and Bella really didn’t know where to start. She bought several beautiful panty and bra sets, a bra for the halter dress, some thongs, and Lola talked her into buying a pair of crotchless lace panties, telling her, “You never know when a good pair of crotchless panties will come in handy.” Bella was going to argue that, in her fifty-two years, she’d never had a problem arise that could only be solved with a pair of crotchless underwear, but it was easier to just buy them so Lola would shut the hell up.
They stopped by another boutique for some casual clothes, and Bella bought some embroidered jeans, leggings, short skirts, cropped pants, and several cute tops that Lola assured her looked fabulous. They stopped for a quick bite at a restaurant near the courthouse before Lola had to leave for work.
As they arranged their food items at the table, Lola took a huge bite of her sandwich and chased it with a swig of tea as Bella blew on her lava-hot soup. Bella looked at Lola and squeezed her arm. “Lola, thanks so much for coming with me today. If you hadn’t been there, I would’ve bought a bunch of boring clothes that looked exactly like everything else in my closet. Thanks to you, I’m going to be one of those women that the old mean girls will talk about behind my back and say, ‘Hmmm, look at her, I wonder what she’s had done?’”
Lola grinned at her. “Glad I could help. The truth is, you’ve always been much cooler than your clothes, so now, when you’re not working, your outside matches your inside a little better.” She took another massive bite, chewed it and swallowed, moaning in appreciation. “Damn, that chicken salad is awesome.”
Bella nodded and took another spoonful of soup. “Soup’s good, too.” Lola looked at Bella. “So let’s talk about something fun. What’s the latest with you and Jack?”
Bella looked at her watch and looked at Lola, tapping her fingers on the watch face. “Oh, look at the time. Don’t you have to be in court?”
Lola glanced at her watch and smiled at her. “Nope. I’m only ten minutes away from the courthouse. So spill it. I have plenty of time.”
Bella took a deep breath. “Honestly, Lola, I have no idea. He’s a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to seeing him. I have zero interest in being involved in a serious relationship, but I wouldn’t mind the whole long-distance-friends-with-benefits thing.” She shook her head. “Who the hell knows how, or if, any of it’ll work out? We haven’t gotten that far. We may not even like each other when we are actually together in person.”
Lola shrugged. “You’re right. You never know until y’all are together, but I’m impressed you agreed to spend the weekend with him if your reunion goes well.” She waved over the waitress. “Could I get a couple of red velvet cupcakes, please?”
Bella shook her head. “None for me.”
Lola snorted as the waitress turned to get her dessert. “Those were for me. I was just about to ask if you wanted anything, but you beat me to it.”
“I always forget how much you can eat.” Bella smiled at her fondly. “I’m so used to being around socialites who nibble at their dressing-free salads and only eat low-fat, low-calorie, low-sugar, and gluten-free everything, that I forget what it’s like to be around normal people.”
“Well, I find it hard to believe that I’m your benchmark for ‘normal’, but glad I can help.” Lola grinned at Bella as the waitress brought over her cupcakes. She picked one up, offered it to Bella, who declined, and took a huge bite. She moaned, “Oh, this is good,” through a mouthful of cake and chewed enthusiastically.
“As good as Daisy’s?”
Lola shook her head. “No one’s are as good as Daisy’s, but these are damn good.” She took a gulp of tea. “Daisy and I have a saying that food and sex are a lot alike. When it’s good, it’s very, very good, and when it’s bad…it’s still pretty good.”
Bella laughed as Lola finished the rest of the one cupcake and started on the next. “Did you talk to him again last night?” Lola smiled impishly. “Or were y’all too busy finishing up your game of strip poker from the night before to actually talk?”
“No, smarty-ass, no strip poker, just a nice conversation. I told him y’all were giving me a bunch of grief about him and the reunion, and he said he agreed with Harrison that men are simple creatures and he just wanted us to relax and enjoy each other.” Bella looked relieved. “No pressure.”
Lola nodded. “I like this guy. He sounds like he’s just a good guy with a lot of sense.” She glanced at her watch and stood up. “Now, I’m out of here.” She bent down to kiss Bella on her cheek. “Good luck. And keep us posted. I hope y’all have a great time this weekend.” She went to grab the check, but Bella got to it first and told Lola she’d get it. Lola thanked her for lunch, grabbed her purse, stuffed the last bite of cupcake in her mouth, and waved as she headed for the door.
4
Jack couldn’t believe how nervous he was about seeing Bella face to face. When he’d first received her Facebook friend request almost a year ago, he was excited to hear from her, because he’d often wondered what had happened to her. Bella’s mother had always raised her to be the perfect, well-bred, Southern lady, and she had always looked the part and could play the part, if necessary, but the truth was that under the perfectly coiffed exterior, Bella had always been slightly outrageous, and a whole lot of fun. Jack was hopeful that her fancy life as a society fundraiser hadn’t squeezed that light-hearted spirit out of her.
And it turned out, much to his delight, she was still a lot of fun. A few months ago, a giddy, late night, tipsy Facetime conversation had taken an odd turn into a hilarious game of truth or dare, and next thing you know, they were both in their underwear answering questions about their lives and previous relationships. At that point, Jack found out that Bella hadn’t had sex in six years, and Jack had to show Bella the Longhorn tattoo on his butt he’d gotten in college after a drunken night in New Orleans. After that, they had graduated to other games, like last week’s game of strip poker and a very down and dirty version of “Would you rather?” Jack had loved every minute of it.
He was also beginning to realize he loved Bella. Over the past year, as their casual conversations eventually evolved into daily chats, texts and emails, and hours of late night calls, Jack realized that Bella was an intelligent, caring, funny, generous, woman with a kind heart. He was interested in pursuing a real relationship, but he was afraid to bring it up. He knew that she had been devastated by the unexpected death of her hus
band and had never really considered another serious relationship, but he didn’t know if she was open to the possibility with him.
He had already decided he was eventually going to move back to Atlanta before he reconnected with Bella, so when he was contacted about a job opening at Georgia University, the possibility became very real, very quickly. He still hadn’t mentioned moving or the interview to Bella because nothing was definite, and he didn’t want to do anything to scare her off. He figured he could go to the interview, they could meet for the reunion afterwards, and if he got the job and their chemistry together was as explosive as it seemed, hopefully he could convince her to give them a chance.
The reunion was being held at a ballroom at the Georgia Aquarium so Bella parked and walked across the park. When Bella walked in, she could feel her palms start to sweat. Several local people greeted her but Bella waved absently as she scanned the room looking for Jack.
And there he was.
He was across the room talking to a group of people, and as soon as he saw her, his face lit up and he broke into a huge grin. He excused himself and started walking across the floor to meet her.
She watched him cross the room, weaving in and out of the crowd. It was hard to believe, but he looked even better in person. Tall, lean and muscular with thick, short, salt and pepper hair, the same blue eyes that drove her nuts as a teenager, and a gorgeous smile that lit up his entire face. When he reached her, he wrapped her in both arms and hugged her off her feet. She started laughing. He put her down and grabbed both of her hands.
“Hey Bella.”
She smiled at the intimate tone. “Hey Jack.” They stared at each other, both smiling, holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes. Jack finally broke the silence. “Bella, you look amazing.” He smiled at her as he looked her up and down. He thought she looked even better in person and although the dress looked great on her, he couldn’t wait to get her out of it.
“Thanks, Jack. You look pretty great yourself.” She liked the dark jeans and black button down shirt he was wearing with a casual black blazer and cowboy boots. He’d never been one for a lot of formality, and she was glad to see he hadn’t changed.
They both suddenly realized they were standing on the edge of the packed dance floor, and Jack asked her if she’d like to dance. It was a nice slow song and he pulled her close against him. Bella was enjoying feeling him against her when he suddenly stopped, backed up, and turned her so he could see the back of her dress.
Bella smiled at him over her shoulder, confused. “What’s are you doing?”
“I was so distracted when I saw you, I forgot to do what I promised myself I would do as soon as I saw you.”
“Which was?” Bella looked confused.
Jack gave her a wicked grin. “Just checking to see if your back was as nice as your front.” He lowered his voice and pulled her closer to him. “I remember you always had a great ass, and I could never get a really good look while we were Skyping.”
Bella pulled back enough so that she could see his eyes and laughed at the deliberately lecherous look on his face. “So, what do you think?”
He leaned forward so he could whisper in her ear. “Your ass is awesome, and the dress is amazing.” He pulled her closer to him. “I can’t believe we’re finally together, and I can’t wait to finally see the rest of you.” He pulled her lower body close against him and lightly kissed her ear. “And feel the rest of you.”
Bella felt goosebumps break out all over her body. She knew exactly how he felt because she felt the same way. She decided they needed to slow down a little, so she leaned back and smiled up at him. “Okay, let’s try to get this conversation back on track. You started talking about my ass and it distracted me.”
He grinned at her and winked. “Sure it wasn’t that you took one look at me and forgot everything else?”
She rolled her eyes and said in an exaggerated, sing-song voice, “Yes, Jack, that’s exactly what happened.” He raised his eyebrows and looked at her, and she laughed. “Okay, that is exactly what happened. But forget that for now. How was your flight?”
They were both almost yelling so they could hear each other, so he took her hand and pointed toward the door. “Let’s take a break outside so we can have a normal conversation.”
Bella agreed. “Sounds good to me. Most of these people still live in Atlanta so I see them all the time. I’d rather spend time with you.”
They walked outside and hesitated, not sure where to go. He had told her he was staying at the Glenn Hotel across the park, and suggested they walk there and get a drink at the rooftop bar so they could actually hear each other. She agreed and they walked across the park to the Glenn, enjoying the evening and the beautiful early summer weather.
They got to the bar, ordered drinks and a couple of appetizers, and found a quiet corner. Bella was excited about the view. “Jack, I’ve never been up here. It’s amazing.”
He nodded. “It’s supposed to be one of the top 25 rooftop bars in the country, according to Atlanta Magazine. And Yelp.”
She grinned as she looked over the city. “Whoever said it, I totally agree. It’s a beautiful view.”
He wasn’t looking at the skyline, he was looking at her. When she realized where he was staring, she felt flustered and he smiled. “It is a beautiful view.”
Bella was embarrassed when she blushed at his comment. She was way too old to feel so giddy. She smoothed her hair self-consciously and smiled back at him. “Thanks.” She reached for her drink and took a sip. “It’s so nice to finally get to talk to you in person.”
He popped a piece of cheese in his mouth and smiled as he chewed and swallowed. He took a drink of his Manhattan and put it on the table. “Forget talking in person. I’m just glad we can finally touch each other.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently, just a light touch on her mouth. He put his face next to her ear and turned slightly so his lips grazed her neck. “And you smell amazing. I couldn’t tell that from our Skype chats.”
Bella smiled. “Maybe we need to invest in a more expensive iPad. Do they have one with smell-o-vision?”
Jack chuckled and kissed her neck, touching it lightly with his tongue. Bella felt like every hair on her body was standing on end from those light teasing touches. She closed her eyes and felt his teeth lightly graze her earlobe and his tongue trace along the edge. “And your skin is so soft.” She held back a moan and she felt him smile as he softly kissed her neck and murmured against her skin. “You this soft everywhere, Bella?”
She opened her eyes and leaned back against the cushion to give herself a little distance. She took a deep breath and then a sip of her drink, trying to compose herself. “Why, yes I am, Jack. I’m exactly that soft everywhere.” She drained her drink in one long gulp and put it on the table, crossed her arms and smiled at him.
He laughed, grabbed his drink and drained it and put it on the table next to hers. He reclined against the pillows, crossed his arms, and smiled back at her. “Glad to hear it.”
They both grinned, and Bella picked up a piece of pretzel, dipped it in some mustard and popped it in her mouth. Jack motioned to the waitress to bring another round of drinks. She decided to change the topic to something unrelated to sex. “So, Jack, how are your folks doing? Did you stop by to see them this afternoon?”
He shook his head. “They’re out of town until Saturday night, so I’m stopping by Sunday afternoon on the way to the airport. They were in Houston to see me a couple of weeks ago, so we spent a lot of time together then.” He ate a BBQ slider in a couple of bites. “They seemed good. They said they might look at buying a house in one of those senior communities.”
“One of those where you can move from independent living, then to assisted living if you need it?” The waitress came by and handed them their drinks and Bella nodded her thanks and took a sip.
“Yeah. They said there’s one right down the street from them in Decatur, and I think they figure now would be
a good time to start looking.” He offered her a bite of the last slider before he ate it and she shook her head and grabbed another bite of pretzel. “You know, Mom broke her leg last year and had to have surgery and I think it made them both start thinking that maybe they should make a move. Their house has three levels and it was a nightmare after her accident.”
Bella nodded. “That must have been tough for you having another doctor take care of her leg after she broke it. Did you know him, at least?”
“Yeah, we did our residency together and he’s a great surgeon, so I knew she was in good hands.” Jack took a swallow of his drink and grabbed some of the pretzel. “I think the whole situation was an eye-opener for them. It certainly was for me.”
It was the perfect opening for telling her that his mother’s accident is what made him start thinking about moving back to Atlanta, but he chickened out. Instead, he decided that now was the time to start showing her how good they could be together.
He finished his drink and took hers and put them both on the table. He reached over and took both of her hands in his. “I’ve got better things to talk about. Let’s talk about tonight.” He smiled. “First things first. You want to go back to the reunion, or do you want to stay here for a while and get another couple of drinks and maybe some dinner?” He leaned forward and put his mouth next to her ear and whispered, “Or option three, we could finish this conversation in my room downstairs?” He breathed in her scent and groaned as he started stringing little kisses down her neck to her shoulder, stopping only to point out, “And if it helps you decide, I vote for option three.”
Bella could hardly think, at that point. She closed her eyes and dropped her head to one side as he gently bit where her neck joined her shoulder. She realized she hadn’t answered his question, but every time she tried he kept kissing her, and she kept forgetting the question. Finally, Jack raised his head and pulled back so he could see her. She opened her eyes and smiled at the absorbed look on his face. “I’m sorry, what were my options again?”
