Next Song I Sing (NEXT TIME AROUND)

by McDonald, Donna

  Chloe snorted. “Well, I say good luck to them for trying. My ex’s new woman better stay skinny for the rest of her life.”

  They laughed again and took another sip of their drinks.

  “Okay-okay,” Emma said more soberly, “one more question and I’ll quit.” She paused until she knew Chloe and Taylor were paying close attention.

  “You and your best friend are having lunch. She tells you there’s a hot guy checking out your breasts,” Emma said seriously. “What do you say in reply? Taylor—you go first.”

  Taylor laughed, the drinks having worked their magic on her by loosening her tongue. “Well, I would dip into the sarcasm I hold back just for these special situations. I would say ‘Sure, him and every other guy’ in my best, most confident voice. Then I’d do this.”

  Lifting her small breasts in her hands like an offering to the gods, Taylor pursed her lips in a smooch, and leaned over the table to her friends. They laughed so hard and so loudly that all the people in the pool starting leaving.

  “Just like the old days,” Taylor said. “We’re clearing the area.”

  “Okay Chloe—what would you say?” Emma said, swinging an innocent gaze in her direction.

  “If the man is checking out my breasts, it’s because he’s not used to seeing so much un-tanned flesh in the state of California,” Chloe declared, laughing and holding the edges of her lapels open as wide as she could to peer into her dress. “Look—the girls and I haven’t seen sunlight in five years. It will take me months to tan all this.”

  They all looked at Chloe’s large and very white breasts, giggling without denying her statement. It was the truth after all.

  “Maybe you can start with one of those self-tanners or a bronzer. You have to work your way up to a real tan again,” Emma said on a laugh.

  “Emma—that question didn’t sound like the other quiz questions,” Taylor commented, looking at her not-so-innocent friend who was giggling softly and looking guilty.

  “Okay—fine. It wasn’t a real question on the quiz. There’s a good-looking guy in the dining room who has been admiring Chloe’s cleavage since we sat down to have lunch,” Emma said, laughing. “I think she should practice her subtlety theory on him.”

  “Well I’m certainly in the mood to practice after three mai tais. Show him to me,” Chloe demanded on a tipsy laugh.

  Emma’s eyes grew larger as she giggled and whispered. “Okay I will, but just don’t turn around. He’s headed to our table. Just smile at Taylor and pretend to be fascinating.”

  Chloe’s eyes widened as she heard the deep voice at her side.

  “Good day, ladies. I’m Jasper Wade, hotel manager. I hope you’re enjoying your stay. If you need anything while you’re here, please let me know,” he said gallantly, his gaze taking in all of them before coming back to Chloe and her breasts.

  Chloe, full of mai tai and happy laughter, turned her head and smiled into his very nice face, sighing with ego happiness as she watched Jasper Wade’s gaze straining to stay away from her cleavage. The day was certainly turning out to be a very nice way to celebrate her return to California.

  “Well, aren’t you sweet, Mr. Wade. I was just going to look for the ladies room,” she said, laughing. “Can you point me in the right direction?”

  “It’s in the hallway just outside the dining area. If you like, I’d be happy to show you,” Jasper said, his heart beating rapidly as she rose slowly to her full height.

  Jasper couldn’t remember the last time he had been so excited by a woman he didn’t even know. She was tall, smiling, and quite an alluring woman altogether. It was all he could do not to reach out and put his hands on her to assure himself she was real.

  Chloe purposely stayed bent over the table until the last minute, and then straightened slowly, her breasts following her slow moments. “Sorry. I seem to be a bit tipsy. Too many mai tais.”

  “Lovely way to enjoy a sunny afternoon by the pool,” Jasper said with smile, placing a solicitous hand on her arm, or at least he hoped it was coming off that way.

  Chloe took two steps and stumbled slightly, forcing Jasper to catch her, which momentarily squashed her ample cleavage against the front of him. “Oops—sorry.”

  She watched his eyes darken and had to restrain the giggle fighting to be set loose. Behind her, Chloe could hear Emma’s and Taylor’s in-drawn breaths at her boldness.

  Turning innocently to look at them, she had to fight laughter at their obvious surprise. She didn’t need a damn quiz to tell her how to interest a man. She just needed the good-looking motivation currently with his hands on her. It was the most wickedly confident thought she’d had in years, and it brought an equally wicked smile to her face.

  “I’m fine girls, but I guess I need to walk off a little of the buzz. Don’t worry. Mr. Wade seems quite dependable. I’m sure he won’t let me fall,” Chloe said, winking at their wide-eyed expressions.

  Chloe turned back slowly, brushing her breast lightly across his sleeve as she put her arm through Jasper Wade’s. He inhaled sharply at the contact, but Chloe pretended not to notice or hear, though of course she had. It was all she could do to bite back a sigh of happiness. “Sorry again. Can’t believe I’m so tipsy. Thank you for helping me, Mr. Wade. You really do have a nice hotel.”

  “Really?” Jasper asked, his voice breaking on the word so he cleared it. “Sorry. I mean—thank you.”

  They walked off then, with Jasper walking slowly and watching every step Chloe took. Taylor and Emma watched them weaving through the dining room, with Chloe acting like she couldn’t walk straight and Jasper Wade carefully holding onto her.

  When Taylor thought they were far enough away not to hear, she leaned on the table and laughed into her hands.

  “Emma,” she said contritely. “You and I should have gone for shorter dresses. It seems the slut we used to loathe and love is back.”

  “Good,” Emma declared, not caring a whit. “That ex-husband of Chloe’s did a number on her head. I don’t like hearing her get all defensive over her body or anything else. Jasper Wade looks like a fun fling.”

  “I don’t know if he’ll settle for a fling. I think he’s in love with her breasts already. That’s pretty serious for some guys,” Taylor said on a laugh. “I prefer leg men myself. They look you in the eye unless you’re naked or wearing a short skirt.”

  “I like men who appreciate the whole package, but they don’t exist,” Emma declared.

  “You know how it works. Breasts, butt, or legs. You pick one asset and play it up,” Taylor ordered.

  “Too much work,” Emma said, laughing at her own lack of interest. It had been a long time since she had been interested enough in a man to try luring him. The last guy had left before she’d found her nerve. Now she was content just to watch Chloe, glad her friend was getting back in touch with the woman she was meant to be.

  Chapter 4

  A couple hours later when they returned to their room, Jasper Wade was all the three of them could talk about. It reminded Chloe of college days and made her smile.

  “He’s pretty good-looking for an older guy. I love the gray at his temples. He looks so—well, successful, I guess,” Emma said, walking into the bathroom.

  “Older guy? He’s probably around our age,” Taylor told Emma on a laugh. “We’ve already agreed that’s not old.”

  “Jasper’s body is nice too. I know because I accidentally-on-purpose fell against it several times. I couldn’t believe Jasper was actually waiting when I came out of the bathroom,” Chloe said to the two laughing women. “Since I’d been drinking, he wanted to make sure I got back to the table okay. What a sweetie!”

  “Yes—a sweetie who was highly interested in you. Are you interested back?” Taylor asked.

  “No,” Chloe denied, laughing at the question. “He was just being nice, and I was just flirting with him to show Emma that quiz was dead wrong. God, I’m so glad I’m not twenty any more.” She pulled a change of underw
ear out of her duffle. “Of course, thirty would be nice again. I screwed that decade up and could really use a do-over.”

  “I’m thinking forty is looking pretty good on the three of us,” Emma said wisely, coming out of the bathroom in a strapless white dress that stopped just above her knees. She pulled on the multi-colored beaded vest over it. “And this vest looks even better than I imagined.”

  Taylor stripped off her bra and tossed it aside on her bed. She slipped into the blue halter dress and tied the straps behind her neck. “I love this dress.” She zipped it behind her and twirled in the mirror. “Chloe, are you going downstairs in just your underwear?”

  Chloe looked at the black sheath laid out on the bed and sighed. “No matter how slimming, if I wear this black dress, I’m going to look like a black duck in a flock of colorful flamingoes next to you two blondes and your light colors.”

  Taylor rolled her eyes, opened the closet, and tossed the two-piece sequined outfit on top of the black sheath. “So don’t be a black duck.”

  Emma snickered at the dare in Taylor’s gaze and the fear in Chloe’s.

  “Fine—I’ll be a harem girl,” Chloe said. “Putting this outfit on would be much easier if I still had my mai tai buzz.”

  Taylor picked up the phone. “Yes—hello. Please send up a pitcher of mai tais and three glasses. Thank you.” She hung up and looked at Chloe. “You planning to stay naked until you’re buzzed again?”

  “I am not naked,” Chloe denied. “This matching set is new and currently the nicest underwear I own.”

  “And you do impressive things for it,” Emma acknowledged. “If I was into women, you’d be on my list.”

  Chloe picked up the two piece glitter fest they had talked her into this afternoon, dreading what people who saw her were going to think.

  “That’s too bad honey, Taylor’s more my type,” Chloe said casually to Emma, giving her a mock sad look.

  “Don’t I know it—Taylor is everyone’s type. Rich, blonde, skinny, and fun,” Emma recited, rolling her eyes in return as she went to answer the door. “That was awfully fast.”

  Chloe wiggled into the skirt and zipped it up in the back. The navel ring winked in the light above an equally glittering skirt band. Chloe looked at her soft waist threatening to flow over the edges and sighed.

  “Stop fretting—you look fine,” Taylor ordered. “Now lose the bra. There’s one built into the top. If you want to tone up that body, come to work for me for a while. I’ve got a personal trainer who would love you for all the right reasons. Dominic’s a big guy and likes to date ‘women who won’t break,’ as he puts it. He would freaking love you.”

  “I’ve had a damn desk job for five years and it shows in my waist and hips,” Chloe complained, reluctantly unhooking the bra and slipping the sequined top over her head. “Well, at least the top almost meets the skirt. There’s only a tiny roll showing instead of a three inch band.”

  “I charged the drinks to the room, Taylor” Emma said, carrying the tray to the nearest flat surface.

  “Fine by me, honey. Pour them. Our fledgling flamingo needs some Dutch courage over here,” Taylor ordered.

  Giggling, Emma brought a mai tai and put it into Chloe’s hand. “Here. Drink this and you’ll soon see what Taylor and I see when we look at you.”

  Chloe chugged the drink and handed Emma back the empty glass. “It’s going to take a lot more alcohol to get me to see this outfit as anything other than a bad fashion idea for a middle-aged fat woman.”

  Taylor and Emma just stood staring at her with their mouths open.

  “I’m making her drink the whole pitcher by herself,” Emma said flatly as she took Chloe’s empty glass. She looked at Taylor who was as disgusted as she was with how insecure their normally bold friend had become. “She was a lot more fun at lunch when she was drunk.”

  Taylor thought it was past time to stop tip-toeing around and playing nice. A woman shouldn’t need alcohol to feel confident.

  “What’s with the fat crap, Chloe? That’s the second time you’ve said something. Who said you were fat? Because you’re not,” Taylor said firmly. “You’re a five-nine real woman with real curves. Skinny you are not, honey, but you should know how sexy you are. You were always the brave one among the three of us when it came to getting guys. Look what you did at lunch today. That’s the real you—and you know that.”

  Chloe bit her lip, acknowledging Taylor and Emma had a right to be irritated with her for being such a whiner about her weight. It’s not like she’d ever been a small woman. When had it gotten so bad that all she did was complain about what wasn’t perfect?

  Well enough of that, Chloe thought, pushing it away.

  Emma and Taylor were right. She might not be brave anymore, but she wasn’t a wimp either.

  “Sorry. Momentary insecurity. Just another lovely legacy from my ex-husband who I learned the hard way liked his women under a hundred and ten pounds,” Chloe said, looking down at herself. “It’s the outfit. It fits. I won’t say it doesn’t. I guess I wasn’t ready for the bravery of it. Either of you got any earrings that might work with it?”

  “Drink,” Emma ordered, putting another full glass in Chloe’s hand. “You look amazing, and we are going to the lounge. I have earrings that will work.”

  As Chloe was sipping, she caught site of the sparkly woman in the mirror. She glanced at the bed longingly one more time. “Can’t I put on my slimming black dress and be a duck just this one night?”

  “No. You have the right dress on already. You look great,” Taylor said. “Now drink up. God—now I don’t care what it costs. You’re staying drunk until you come to your senses.”

  Emma partially filled two glasses for her and Taylor. “So it’s time to make our first commitment to doing things better next time around. In my positive thinking classes I learned that before you can move into the future, you have to make peace with the past and learn to live in present. So let’s drink a toast to ‘living in the now’.”

  They clinked glasses and drank.

  “Peace with past, huh?” Chloe said aloud. “Just how does a person do that, Em?”

  “Set your intention to do it. Let the universe take care of how,” Emma told her.

  Chloe rolled her eyes and Taylor laughed.

  “Don’t judge her methods, Chloe. Emma’s positive attitude got me through my business crisis. I’ve added her meditation classes to the gym schedule and all the sessions fill up every week. Emma is the Pink Link yoga and meditation guru at the local store. I consider her an expert.”

  “I’m not judging—really, I’m just—I guess I’m having trouble believing I can get over Aaron cheating on me,” Chloe said. “He was handsome, semi-famous, and rich. It’s hard to be dumped by a guy like that and think of yourself well.”

  “Okay, time for something much stronger than mai tais,” Emma said, plucking the still half-full glass from Chloe’s fingers. “We need the power of music. Let’s go.”

  Chloe looked at Taylor as Emma dragged her out the door. “What happened to her? Emma was always manipulative in a nice way, but now she’s bossy like you.”

  Taylor hooked an arm through Chloe’s other arm, lending her support at convincing their reluctant friend to leave dressed as she was. “This is what happens when you leave Emma and me alone together for five years. I gave her a Napoleon complex. Never move away again.”

  Chloe told herself it was the mai tai she’d guzzled that had her laughing so loudly at Emma’s frown and Taylor’s eye rolling. Whatever the reason, it was drawing everyone’s attention to the three of them as they walked down the hall.

  Chloe thought it really was a bit like their college days.

  Chapter 5

  Max was sitting at the bar when he saw them come in and take a table near the piano. He smiled into his coke. He’d known she’d be back when their eyes made contact two weeks ago. The tug between them had been too strong to ignore.

  “Sam, whatever tho
se three ladies are having to start, put their drinks on my tab,” Max said, watching the bartender smile back at him. “Just don’t tell my brother I’m flirting with guests. I got that lecture at lunch. Once a day is enough.”

  Sam walked to the table, took their order, and pointed at Max.

  Max smiled into his coke again when the blonde he’d wanted to meet stood and walked to the bar. She slid up onto the stool next to him in a cloud of the most heavenly scent Max had ever inhaled. He turned his head to meet her laughing gaze. It was like looking at the ocean on a sunny day.

  “I was here on business a couple weeks ago and heard you playing the piano. Thank you for the drink,” Taylor said, leaning on the bar. “My name’s Taylor. And you are?”

  “Max. I saw you in a business suit then. That dress looks like you might be here for a different reason this time,” he said on a laugh. “And you’re welcome for the drink.”

  “You’re very observant, Max. I’m here with my friends. We’re celebrating because our friend Chloe is moving back to California. I’d really like it if you would let us use your piano for a little while tonight,” Taylor said, smiling. “The three of us used to sing together in college.”

  Max smiled as Taylor smiled back. “We could probably work a deal. How about one kiss from each of you and I keep all tips tonight?”

  Taylor laughed at his attempt to flirt with her, but wasn’t offended. He was good-looking, even though up close she could now see he was a much younger guy. “I agree to the tips and to my kiss. I can’t speak for my friends and who they kiss.”

  Max sat up straighter and held her gaze until she looked away first. His heart thumped hard to think she might be flustered. “Tough deal, but I’ll take it. Piano is all yours for an hour. Who plays?”

  “Don’t you like surprises, Max?” Taylor asked, smiling at him.

  Max smiled for real this time. “Yes. I’ve already had one tonight. The woman of my dreams walked back into my life wearing a blue halter dress.”