“Oooh, you rebel, you!” teased Shoshana. “Did I ever tell you what my first two weeks of freedom were like here in Seattle? After growing up in an ultra-Orthodox, totally kosher household, where I was expected to get married before I was twenty and give birth to six kids before I turned thirty? Where no one understood why I wanted to go to college, and wondered why I couldn’t just be happy working for my uncle’s wholesale jewelry business instead?”
At Jill’s shake of her head, Shoshana continued. “The first day I hit town I ordered a double bacon cheeseburger, and washed it down with a pitcher of beer. Over the next few days I ate deep fried shrimp, sweet and sour pork, oysters, a Croque Monsieur sandwich with ham and cheese, and drank a milkshake with the big, juicy steak I ordered, thereby breaking nearly every kosher guideline in the book. I also got stinking drunk at least three times, lost my virginity to the first semi-hot, non-creepy guy I met, and binge watched the first two seasons of Skins. Now, that’s the way to rebel against a super-strict upbringing, sweetie. Sorry, but getting your ears pierced or wearing red lipstick for the first time just isn’t in the same league.”
Jill laughed merrily along with one of her two best friends. “You’re right. You win hands down. But my reluctance to make a move on Max isn’t because I’m not ready to rebel a little. I’m just afraid of making a fool of myself, Sho. Not to mention I have zero idea of how to even begin.”
“I know.” Shoshana patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. “And maybe you shouldn’t practice the first time on a guy who’s so much older and more experienced. So if you want him to make a move on you, then we’ve just got to make sure you look too hot for him to resist. Don’t you have a little black skirt somewhere? And I know you have some sexy little ankle boots. Get both of those out, I’ll be right back.”
Jill did as instructed, retrieving both the boots and the black wool pencil skirt, and wondering what on earth Shoshana was doing. There was really no way, after all, that the two of them could swap clothes. Not with a five inch difference in height, plus completely different body types - Shoshana short, stacked, and with she liked to call Rubenesque hips and ass, while Jill was of medium height and gracefully slender.
The thought occurred briefly to Jill that Shoshana might be borrowing something from one of their other roommates’ closets, but then just as quickly dismissed that idea. Casey was several inches taller than Jill at five foot nine, with wider shoulders and a leanly muscular frame that she’d acquired from years of swimming, surfing, and paddle boarding back home in Australia. And Tam was positively tiny, a little taller than Shoshana but with almost nonexistent hips and bust, and there was no way Jill could wriggle into any of her size double zero wardrobe.
“Here you go, sweetie. Boy, am I glad now that I never gave this thing away to charity like I thought about doing several times. In fact, I’m not sure why I didn’t just give it to you to begin with. Guilt, probably, since this was the last gift my great-grandmother ever bought me, just a couple of months before she died last year. And while there’s no way I could fit even one of my boobs inside this thing, much less both of them, I think it should fit you perfectly.”
Shoshana held out a pearl gray sweater made of the softest fabric Jill had ever felt before. The sweater was definitely much too small for Shoshana’s impressive bust, and Jill wondered if it might be a little too snug for her as well.
“It’s beautiful, Sho,” she murmured as she held it up against her torso. “But why did your great-grandmother buy you such a small size?”
Shoshana threw her hands up. “Who knows? But she was getting awfully senile towards the end, not to mention half-blind and almost totally deaf. And Bubbe Anna was also notoriously cheap. I guarantee she found that sweater on the clearance rack, marked down three times, and didn’t give a crap if it was my size or not. Either that or she thought she was buying it for one of my cousins who’s from the tall, skinny side of the family.”
“So why didn’t you just return it? Even on markdown something this nice had to be worth something.”
Shoshana snorted in derision. “Are you kidding? Bubbe Anna never left the tags on any of the gifts she gave. Deliberate on her part, I’m sure, so that nobody would realize how cheap she really was. But we all knew anyway. You know that awful stereotype about Jewish people being cheap? Whoever started that rumor must have gone shopping with my great-grandmother. Anyway, at least the sweater won’t just sit on my shelf and wait for me to drop three cup sizes. Which, by the way, ain’t never going to happen. So, come on. Let’s see how it looks on you. Turn around and I’ll unzip you from the garden party frock.”
Jill had learned early on after moving in with Shoshana and Casey to leave any sense of modesty at the door. Casey, who’d grown up on the beach in Australia and had practically lived in a bathing suit, thought nothing of walking around the house in just her bra and panties, while Shoshana seldom wore a bra when she was at home, and frequently lounged around in just a loose fitting bathrobe. So now, as Shoshana deftly drew the zipper of her dress down past her hips, Jill didn’t blink an eye, stepping out of the garment to stand there in her undies.
In quick succession she pulled on the black skirt, worrying that perhaps it was a little too short where it hit a few inches above the knee, and then tugged the super soft cashmere sweater on over her head.
“Isn’t it a little tight?” she asked in mild alarm, smoothing the short hem of the sweater down to conceal the waistband of her skirt.
“Nah,” replied Shoshana dismissively. “Sweetie, there’s a big difference between something being tight and being form fitting. And I’d say this sweater fits your, uh, form perfectly. Now, stockings and boots on, and then you can see for yourself how fab you look.”
Jill refrained from jokingly telling Shoshana, “Yes, Mom,” as she pulled on a pair of opaque black hosiery before zipping up her favorite ankle booties. Only then did she turn to look at herself in the full length mirror attached to the inside of her closet door, and her green eyes widened in mingled surprise and alarm as she spied her image.
“Um. Wow,” was all she could think of to say.
With the form fitting cashmere sweater, short black skirt, black stockings, and the ankle booties, she looked undeniably - well, sexy. She tugged at the hem of her skirt self-consciously, glad that she spent most of her time at the office sitting behind her desk, then smoothed her palms over the soft fabric of the sweater that clung lovingly to the firm curves of her breasts.
“It’s too much,” she declared to Shoshana. “The skirt is a little too short, and the sweater is a little too snug. Maybe I could still wear one or the other, and pair it with something a little less - ”
“Sexy? Figure flattering?” suggested Shoshana. “Uh, uh. No way. You look hot in that outfit, Jill. Hot enough that your dishy consultant with the dreamy British accent won’t be able to resist you. In fact, I predict that he’s going to ask you out for drinks. Or dinner. Maybe even to spend the night. So, listen up and be prepared. Don’t have more than one glass of wine, two tops, you know you can’t handle more. For God’s sake, don’t eat anything garlicky or spicy at dinner, you don’t want to have bad breath when he kisses you. And I’d better give you some condoms to keep in your purse just in case he doesn’t have any. Though I’m guessing a man of his age is always packing.”
“Shoshana!” squealed Jill in alarm. “Omigod, I am not putting condoms in my purse! And you are really, really jumping to conclusions here. For all I know, I won’t even get to see Max this afternoon.”
Shoshana shrugged. “Then take matters into your own hands and be sure to walk by his office if he doesn’t come to you. Hmm, forget the walking bit. Make it more like a strut, and be sure to wriggle your ass a little. Which looks fantastic in that skirt, by the way.”
Jill’s cheeks burned in mortification, and she buried her hot face in her hands. “Why did I let you talk me into this?” she fretted. “And now I don’t have tim
e to change. I guess I could just keep my coat on.”
“No,” insisted Shoshana stubbornly. “Not after Bubbe Anna’s birthday gift is finally getting some use. After all, you know what they say - if you’ve got it flaunt it. And you’ve definitely got it, Jill. So just make sure you put all of this to good use. Now, hurry up before you miss your bus.”
Jill sighed in resignation, realizing she had no choice in the matter, not unless she wanted to be late and incur the wrath of Allison, whose nasty mood hadn’t improved in the slightest as the week had gone on.
“You look awesome!” Shoshana called after her as she hurried out the door. “Now go catch yourself a man!”
‘If it were only that easy,’ thought Jill to herself during the bus ride to her office. ‘If only I had even a little more confidence around men, a little more experience. Then I’d have a better idea of what to say to Max, maybe even work up the nerve to ask him out for a drink or dinner. Though, come on, Jill. Who are you kidding? Even if you did have more experience, do you really think you could ever work up the courage to do something like that? Besides,’ she consoled herself. ‘Max Wainwright sure seems to me like the sort of man who expects to be in charge. In the bedroom as well as the boardroom.’
She blushed again at the direction her thoughts took, blaming Shoshana for putting such ideas in her head. Not, of course, that the idea of having drinks and dinner and, well, more with Max didn’t sound very, very appealing. But she didn’t want to get her hopes up, didn’t want to daydream about something that would likely never happen, and told herself firmly that she was probably just imagining the mutual awareness that had flared up all three times they had seen each other.
‘He’s just being polite is all,’ she decided as she got off the bus. ‘He’s still grateful for your help the other night, and maybe even a little bit interested in your project for school. Not to mention the fact that he might want an insider’s opinion about the company, see if the employees have any idea at all that the place is about ready to implode.’
But as she made her way to her cubicle, grateful to not have run into any of her friends, or even worse, the nasty Allison, Jill knew she was just kidding herself. She might have been a total novice when it came to men, a bonafide virgin in more ways than one, but she just knew somehow that this spark of attraction she felt for Max Wainwright went both ways. All three times they had met, the awareness of each other had been almost like a physical sensation, it had been that strong. And even as naïve and inexperienced as she was around men, Jill was more or less convinced that there was definitely something there between her and Max.
She was uncharacteristically jumpy that afternoon, constantly watching in case Max happened to walk by, and for once had to force herself to focus. As luck would have it, Allison had evidently left the office early today for some sort of meeting or appointment and wouldn’t be returning, a bit of good luck that Jill was grateful for. Her workload, too, was lighter than normal today, which was fortunate given her inability to concentrate. She made certain to triple check her work as a result, and chided herself for allowing her head to drift along in the clouds.
But when she completed her work ahead of schedule, Jill was oddly reluctant to leave. It wasn’t quite five o’clock, and there were still far too many people milling about the office for her liking. At this rate, she thought glumly, she probably wouldn’t get an opportunity to see Max today. She knew there was no way that he would risk anyone seeing the two of them chatting together, and she cringed to imagine Allison’s reaction if such news ever got back to her.
To waste a few minutes, Jill visited the ladies room, taking her time washing her hands and smoothing down her hair, and worrying yet again that the clingy sweater and shorter skirt were a bit too much. She knew she was being silly, that the majority of the female employees often wore clothing that was much tighter, shorter, and more revealing. But none of those women had been brought up by Betty Parrish, who’d always insisted that her granddaughter dress modestly, and who would have pitched a fit to see Jill at this particular moment.
She had just stepped out of the ladies room and was on her way back to her desk when, seemingly out of nowhere, Max walked around the corner, causing her breath to catch in her throat and her pulse rate to pick up alarmingly. He was wearing a dark blue suit today, with his usual white dress shirt and a conservatively patterned blue silk tie. His thick, dark hair looked slightly mussed, as though he’d been running his fingers through it, and he looked both worn out and annoyed.
But when he saw Jill standing there, his entire expression changed. His dark eyes gleamed, and he smiled at her warmly, even as he took a few steps forward until they were almost close enough to touch.
“Jill. I was wondering if I would be lucky enough to see you today. It’s been - well, let’s call it rather a revolting day, shall we?” he muttered wearily. “I’ve been meeting for most of the day with the CFO and his department heads and it’s been an exercise in futility trying to get through to them. And unfortunately our meeting is far from over. We’ll all be headed out to dinner soon, then back here to continue our discussion. So running into you this way is definitely a fortunate coincidence. How has your day been going?”
“Fine, thank you,” she murmured. “Not too busy today for some reason. Which means I’ll have extra time this evening to work on my report. Thank you, by the way. For the advice you gave me yesterday. It was a big help, and I was able to get a huge chunk of the report finished last night.”
“I’m glad. And it was nothing, really,” he assured her.
Max took a step back, his dark gaze looking her over intently, so much so that her cheeks flushed in reaction. And when their eyes met again, she visibly shivered in reaction at the look in his eyes - a look that told her he approved wholeheartedly of the way she looked this evening.
“That’s a beautiful sweater,” he told her, his voice huskier than usual. “You look - lovely. Simply lovely. In general, I find that simplicity is nearly always far more attractive than anything more elaborate.”
“Th-thank you,” she stammered, alarmed to hear the quavering of her voice. She clasped her hands together at the small of her back, not wanting Max to observe how badly they were trembling right now.
Max glanced around their surroundings hastily, as if to make sure no one was around to observe or overhear them. “Look, I do need to get back unfortunately. And, well, this might not be the wisest idea - for either of us - under the circumstances, but I’d like very much to invite you to have dinner with me tomorrow night, Jill. That is,” he added hastily, “if I’m not being intrusive or making assumptions I shouldn’t be making. If you’re already involved with someone, have a boyfriend, then please forgive my boldness.”
“Oh, no!” exclaimed Jill anxiously, so eager to reassure him that it didn’t even occur to her to be startled by his invitation. “I mean, no, there isn’t anyone I’m involved with. No boyfriend, no one I’m dating or anything like that. And - and I would love to have dinner with you, Max. If - if you’re sure, that is.”
He gave her a wry smile. “I find over the last few days that I’m not quite sure about much of anything, Jill. And you don’t have to feel obligated for any reason to say yes. I realize I’m quite a bit older than you are, that you’re used to dating men much closer to your own age, so if I’m making a fool of myself here…”
“You aren’t. Not at all,” she insisted. “And I already told you the first night we met that I didn’t think of you as being old. I’m - well, I might be young in age but I’ve always thought of myself as something of an old soul. Probably a result of growing up with my grandmother and always being around her friends.”
“So you’re used to being around old people then, hmm?” he teased. “Well, no wonder we seem to have such a rapport.”
Jill laughed softly. “That’s not it at all,” she whispered, suddenly aware that there could be other employees in the vicinity. “It’
s just that the age difference doesn’t matter to me in the least.”
“I believe you.” Max smiled at her warmly. “How can you possibly be so sweet? So kind? I don’t deserve - well, let’s not get too sentimental here, shall we? Look, it probably wouldn’t be wise for us to be seen leaving the building together. The last thing I want is to cause any sort of trouble for you, or have people start speculating about things. So I’ll arrange to have a driver pick you up outside of the building tomorrow evening, and bring you to the restaurant. Is there a particular type of food that you like? Or don’t like, for that matter?”
She shook her head. “I eat just about anything, actually. So anyplace that you decide on is fine with me.”
“Good. I have just the place in mind. Ah, better give me your contact info so that I can text you the exact time to expect the driver.”
Jill gave him her cell phone number. “You don’t have to send a car to get me, though. I don’t mind getting a taxi or an Uber, or even walking if it’s not too far.”
“I wouldn’t hear of it,” insisted Max. “Normally I’d escort you there myself, but since we should probably keep this discreet, sending a car service for you is the next best thing.” He pulled back his cuff to check his watch and grimaced. “Now, I really do need to get back, unfortunately. Have a good evening, Jill, and I will definitely look forward to dinner tomorrow night.”
“Me, too. Don’t - don’t work too late tonight,” she said shyly. “You look a little tired.”
He reached over to squeeze her hand. “I am tired. Mentally and physically. But seeing you has given me a second wind all of a sudden. And the thought of having dinner with you tomorrow will help keep me going this evening. And,” he added with a wink, “I wouldn’t be at all disappointed if you decided to wear this same outfit tomorrow night. It’s - quite eye catching.”
The One Real Regret Page 14
