by Beth Rinyu
“What size are you?” he asked.
“32B,” I responded.
I watched as he scoured the bras, finally finding my size. “Go try this on with the dress,” he said.
I rolled my eyes at Donna. I had my fill of trying on clothes for one day. “Just do it,” she scolded as she followed me into the fitting room to help zip me up.
I put the bra on, immediately feeling like I was carrying around two ten-pound weights. “What the heck?” I wasn’t used to seeing my chest look so big. Donna helped me slip the dress on and then zipped it up for me. I looked at myself with my newfound boobs under the dress; there was no doubt in my mind now that I was asking for serious trouble.
“Let me see,” the salesman shouted through the door.
“Seriously?” I whispered to Donna as she opened the door and pushed me out.
I watched as the salesman put his hand up to his cheek and his mouth opened a mile wide. “Ahh…girl, you are seriously rocking it in that dress. You are going to give your man a heart attack.” Donna and I both began to laugh.
We went back into the dressing room to change. “Look out, Mr. O’Maley,” Donna said, laughing as she unzipped my dress. Donna walked out of the fitting room while I finished changing. She was waiting for me at the counter. I gave the bra to the salesman, who began to ring me up as Donna handed him a sexy little pair of black lace underwear. I shook my head at her in protest.
“Yes, you can’t look all smokin’ hot and wear those granny panties that you wear underneath that dress,” she said.
I watched as the salesman immediately shook his head. “Oh no, you definitely have to wear the sexy undies; no granny panties.”
“I don’t wear granny panties,” I said in defense as Donna rolled her eyes at me.
“Fine,” I said as I handed the salesman my credit card. This surely was an expensive lesson that I was going to be teaching Dailan O’Maley. My only hope was that it didn’t backfire on me!
Chapter 12
I sat at my desk, waiting for my students to pile in. Monday morning at 8:58 am had to be the most dreaded time of the week for any teacher. I got up to greet the children as they started to arrive with the walkers/car riders first, then each individual busload. The silence that filled the air just a few short moments ago was now filled with laughter, gasps, singing, and every other sound in between.
I paid particular attention to Ryan, who came walking in with Kyle, another little boy in my class with whom Ryan was becoming close friends. It made me happy to see Ryan starting to form relationships with his classmates. He was looking absolutely adorable wearing a black ski jacket and a black winter hat. He was bogged down by his backpack and another bag that he was holding in his hand. He walked over to my desk, quickly taking the backpack off his back. I grabbed the other bag that he was holding to help him out.
“These are for you,” he said, pointing to the bag.
I looked at him, puzzled, as I opened the bag to find two cookie tins. I slowly removed the lid from one of the tins to find layers of perfectly formed gingerbread men, with all their body parts intact.
“Did you make these, Ryan?” I asked with a smile.
He nodded, looking very proud of himself. “Well, me and my uncle did.” He sighed as if he was displeased with something.
“What’s wrong, Ryan?”
“Miss Morgan, my uncle said a lot of words on the inappropriate list yesterday when he was making those. I tried to remind him every time, but then he burnt his hand when he took them out of the oven and he started saying words that I never even heard before, but I think they were inappropriate. I told him to use the potholder, but he doesn’t listen.”
I smiled and shook my head just imagining the words that were spewing from his mouth.
“Miss Morgan, is that f-word still inappropriate when you say Mother before it?”
I looked at Ryan and nodded.
“Oh, then he really did say a lot of inappropriate things,” Ryan said with disappointment.
“These are awesome gingerbread men, Ryan! Thank you so much for sharing them with the class,” I said trying to shift the subject.
“You’re welcome,” he said as he ran off to put his stuff away.
Just when I was ready to get Dailan O’Maley back with the little black dress, he had to go and do something nice like this. I looked in the bag to find an envelope with my name on it. I tore it open, almost afraid of what it said.
“Dear Miss Morgan,
Not only am I incredibly sexy, but I can bake as well. If you’d like to thank me at a later date in your bed, I would be willing to let you. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Dailan”
I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but laugh. Okay, Dailan O’Maley, the little black dress attack is back on!
I finished up the day and was ready to head home. I looked down at the tins of gingerbread men that my kids would be decorating this week and smiled. I pulled my phone from my purse and found Dailan’s number. I made sure that I had listed him as a contact in my phone after the little mishap from the other night.
I’m thanking you now via text for the gingerbread men and that is the ONLY thanks you will be getting!
I hit the send button, threw my phone in my purse, and headed home. I arrived home, ate a bowl of cereal for dinner, and took a quick shower. I jumped on my laptop to input some grades into the online grading system before heading off to bed. Somewhere in between, my ADHD starting kicking in and I decided to check my e-mail. I was pleasantly surprised to see an e-mail from my brother. I quickly clicked on the little envelope to see what he had to say.
Hey Nic:
How’s it going? I can’t tell you where I am right now but I just wanted to let you know that I’m still alive and well. Working a lot of long ass days and doing extra training is taking its toll on me, I’m beat.
How’s everything going with you? How do you like your job? Have you cheated on me yet…lol. I miss you and can’t wait to hang out again. I have to get going. I’ll e-mail again when I can.
Love you –
Justin”
The tears began to fall onto my keyboard. I missed my brother so much. Lately he seemed to be the only family that I had left. I sent a quick reply:
Please just be safe!
I love you too! Nicole xoxoxo
I logged off my computer, feeling too melancholic after that e-mail from my brother to concentrate on anything else for the night. I reached into my purse to grab my cell phone. One new text message from yours truly – Mr. Dailan O’Maley.
Suit yourself, I was just figuring we could kill two birds with one stone. You could thank me and get your wish at the same time.
I placed my phone in the charger and headed off to bed. You won the battle for tonight, Dailan O’Maley, but the war begins on Saturday!
* * *
Donna and Kara were at my house promptly by five, armed with a bag of make-up, a curling iron, and several different pairs of Donna’s shoes. Kara began to get to work right away; first applying make-up to my face, then my eyes, finishing off with lip liner and lip-gloss.
“Make sure you stick this in your purse and don’t forget to reapply, especially if there’s any kissing going on,” Kara said as she handed me the tube of lip-gloss.
Meanwhile, Donna was working on my hair, wrapping big strands around the barrel of the curling iron and choking me with hairspray. When she finished, I got up to look at myself in the mirror.
“No, no, no,” Donna shouted. “Wait until you’re fully dressed, so you can get the full effect.”
Donna and Kara both helped me with my dress, making sure that I didn’t mess up my hair or make-up.
“Aren’t you wearing pantyhose?” Kara asked.
“No, I never wear pantyhose. I hate them.”
“You wear tights all the time,” Donna said.
“Tights are different than pantyhose. Pantyhose are uncomfortable,” I said.
Donna
rolled her eyes at me. “You’re going to be freezing.”
“No I won’t; I’ve got a long coat.”
“Plus it’s easier access,” Kara chimed in with a giggle.
“Oh no, there will be none of that, Kara,” I said playfully.
“Uh huh, we’ll see about that,” Donna joked.
“Hey, this is war, remember?” I said.
“Yeah, but somehow I see you being the first to surrender,” Donna said.
“Never,” I said as I walked over to the array of shoes that Donna had brought over, finally settling on the vintage-looking black suede strappy pumps.
I turned around in the full-length mirror to finally take a look at myself, only it wasn’t me that I saw in the reflection. My hair had big loose curls and my make-up looked like it was airbrushed on. I was never a big make-up person, so it took me a few minutes to get used to it. Once I did, I was pleasantly pleased with the outcome.
“Oh my God, I wish we could plant a video camera so we could see his reaction when he sees you,” Donna said
“Well, if you two don’t get out of here soon, you will see it in person,” I said, looking at the clock and seeing that it was only 15 minutes till D-Day. Donna and Kara hurriedly made their way out of my apartment, while I sat around with a knot in my stomach waiting for Dailan to arrive. I looked up at the clock that was now flashing 7:16. What if he doesn’t show up? What if he planned this all out to make me get ready and then stand me up? The sound of the doorbell broke me free from my over-thinking. I took a deep breath, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach as best as I could as I headed to the door. Okay Dailan O’Maley, let the war begin.
Chapter 13
I had never seen an actual human being’s eyes pop out of their head like they do in cartoons, but Dailan O’Maley’s came pretty close to it when I opened up the door. He began to assess me up and down. Normally, his wandering eyes made me uncomfortable, but tonight it was all part of my ambush and he seemed to be falling right into it.
“Wow, I see you’re going to make it really hard for me to keep my promise of being a gentleman tonight,” he said.
I rolled my eyes as I walked into the kitchen to grab my coat and purse. I accidentally dropped my keys, making sure that I strategically gave him a nice view as I bent over to pick them up. I looked up at him as he ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath.
I had to admit, he didn’t look so bad himself. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit that again looked like it was tailor made for him. His thick wavy brown hair was perfectly tousled and he had that sexy unshaven look that I had grown so fond of.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“I guess, unless you want to see me in your bed first,” he said with a smirk.
Oh God, this was going to be easier than I thought. “Really? Can you please act just a little mature tonight?”
He held up his hands as if he were signaling defeat. “It was worth a shot,” he said under his breath.
We got into the car and I realized Donna was right; I was freezing. Dailan looked over at me and turned up the heat, seeming to sense that I was cold.
“So where is this Christmas party even at?” I asked.
“Oceanview Terrace,” he said.
“Oh,” I said, knowing that Oceanview Terrace was one of the most upscale banquet facilities around.
“Oh, and I forgot to tell you. You have to pretend you’re my girlfriend,” he said nonchalantly.
“What? No way, that was not part of our deal, buddy!”
“I know, but my boss has been on me about taking out his granddaughter. So, instead of telling him the truth, I spared his feelings by telling him I had a girlfriend.”
“How did you spare his feelings by not telling him the truth?” I asked, totally confused.
“Because the truth is, his granddaughter looks like she could be on the front of a dog food bag.”
My jaw dropped as I gasped. “You know, that’s really horrible!”
He shrugged his shoulders. “So you see, now you have to play along. You wouldn’t want to hurt the poor old man’s feelings, would you, darlin’?”
I shook my head in disgust at him. “Fine, but don’t think that gives you any real boyfriend privileges.”
“Okay, can we please go over what boyfriend privileges are?” he asked as we pulled up to the valet area.
“Just don’t try anything inappropriate. Wait a minute; let me re-phrase that—anything that would be inappropriate to a normal man your age,” I said as I got out of the car. He was grinning from ear to ear as he handed the valet his car keys. “I mean it, or I’ll smack you right in front of everyone,” I said.
I noticed the valet snickering as he overheard what I had just said. “If you think that’s bad, you should see her in the bedroom,” Dailan joked to the valet, causing him to burst out with laughter.
“Keep it up, Dailan, and I will tell your boss that you’re just dying to go out with his granddaughter,” I said as we made our way into the elaborate ballroom.
Dailan was immediately greeted by two attractive women who looked to be in their mid 40s. “Dailan sweetie, we were wondering when you were coming,” one of the woman said as they each gave him a kiss on the cheek.
I had to look away. I was getting nauseated seeing the way these ladies were falling all over him; no wonder he behaved the way he did around women.
“Oh and you must be his girlfriend that he told us about,” the brunette said in a sickening sweet voice.
As if their little love fest with Dailan wasn’t enough to make me want to vomit, the thought of being his girlfriend was. Dailan wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer. I shot him a dirty look, but he wasn’t paying me any mind.
“Nicole, this is Debbie and Tina,” he said. I bit my lip and managed my best smile as I shook each of their hands.
“Well, I hope you won’t mind sharing him for a dance tonight?” the blonde who I believed was Debbie asked.
“Oh no, he’s all yours,” I said, sounding almost too happy.
I waited until they walked away before laying into him. “You said I had to pretend in front of your boss, not in front of everyone here!” I said in a loud whisper.
“Well, don’t you think it would get back to him if I introduced you to everyone else as just some pain in the arse that I won a bet with because she stinks at air hockey?”
He went to take my hand, but I pulled it back. “I promise I will be on my best behavior for now,” he said with a grin as he held out his hand again. I gave him a dirty look and then reluctantly placed my hand in his.
We made our way through the crowd as Dailan was stopped every few seconds to have someone ogle over him, mainly women. I grabbed a glass of white zinfandel off one of the trays that the waiters were carrying around. I didn’t have any intention of drinking, but something told me I would need to if I was going to get through this night.
“Dailan!” An older heavyset man exclaimed as he approached us.
I could tell by the way Dailan pulled me closer that this was his boss. I took another sip of wine in an effort to prepare myself for what was to come. Dailan shook the older man’s hand. “Judy, Dailan is here,” the man yelled as a very classy looking older woman approached us.
“Oh, Dailan, it’s so nice to see you again, honey,” she said as she gave him a hug and a kiss. Then she looked at me, giving me a warm smile.
“Mr. and Mrs. Allan, this is my girlfriend, Nicole,” he said, sounding very convincing.
“Oh dear, it’s so nice to meet you,” Mrs. Alan said as she took my free hand, wrapping both her hands around it.
“Well, I could see Dailan is not only one of the best employees, but he also has wonderful taste,” Mr. Allan said as he shook my hand.
I smiled even though I didn’t want to. “Thanks, it’s really nice to meet both of you,” I said graciously as I took another sip of wine.
“We’re hoping that Dailan changes his mind and sta
ys here permanently instead of going back to Dublin,” Mr. Allan said.
“How long have you two been dating?” Mrs. Allan asked.
“A year,” Dailan blurted out before I could answer.
“Well, it must be hard for you with him being over in Ireland, dear,” she looked at me sympathetically.
“Oh no, not at all,” I said quickly, taking the older woman a little by surprise.
“That’s because she knows how to make up for lost time very well, right, Nicole?” Dailan said, wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me toward him and kissing me on the forehead. I looked up at him with fire in my eyes. I could see him smirking and enjoying every single minute of it.
Mrs. Allan must have seen the look that I had given Dailan. “Oh, don’t be embarrassed dear; we were young once too.”
I could feel Dailan’s hand moving up the side of my waist and closer to my breast. I squeezed his hand tightly and moved it away.
“Oh Dailan, I have two tickets to Friday night’s hockey game that I’m not able to attend. They’re excellent seats if you’d like them,” Mr. Allan said.
Dailan’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Sure, I’ll take them,” he said enthusiastically.
“Dailan, sweetie, don’t you remember we have plans on Friday?” I said in an overly sweetened voice. He wanted me to play the girlfriend role - I was going to play it.
“No, I don’t remember making any plans,” Dailan said as he gripped my waist tighter.
“How could you forget? We’re going to the ballet,” I said.
Mr. Allan looked at Dailan as if he were shocked. Dailan began to laugh as he slid his hand down my waist, placing it on my rear end in an effort to get me to stop. But instead of getting angry and removing his hand, I was going to get even.
“He doesn’t like to admit that he’s into ballet. You know, he used to take ballet lessons as a child,” I continued with my assault. I watched in amusement as Dailan nervously ran his hand through his hair and chuckled.
“No, that’s not-” Dailan began to say.
