“You know you’re being ridiculous about this,” her mother said. “We love having the kids.”
“I know you do. But they’re also my responsibility, Mom.”
Ignoring the inevitable argument, her mom said, “So…a date?”
Another reason she hadn’t wanted her parents to watch the kids tonight. She’d known this discussion was going to come up, and she didn’t want to talk to her mother about Will. Jane had originally wanted to tell her mother she just needed a night out on her own, but if anyone saw them together, by Monday her mother would know and then Jane would be in trouble for the lie of omission, so she came clean.
Then she’d planned to pick up the kids after her date, but her mother had thought it a better idea that the kids spend the night.
“Are you certain this is okay?” Jane asked.
“Of course. We love spending time with the kids. Besides, you might see some action,” her mother said with a wink.
“Mom. Honestly.” Jane had blushed ten shades of crimson, even though she’d thought of nothing but seeing Will naked for the past three days. Not that she’d admit that to her mother.
“What?” her mother asked. “You’ve been living like a nun since Vic left you. It’s high time you have some fun. And some sex. Will Griffin is a great guy. And hot. If the opportunity presents itself, jump his bones.”
“I am not having this conversation with you, Mom,” Jane said, then ran outside where her father was entertaining the kids in the pool. She kissed them all good-bye and dashed out the door so she could go home and get ready for her date.
She’d dropped the kids off plenty early so she’d have time to decide what to wear. She’d had the waxing thing done a couple days ago. Today she’d gone to get her hair cut and Phoebe had insisted her hair was drab and she needed highlights. She’d argued that brown hair was brown hair and there wasn’t much one could do to make it better. Besides, she couldn’t afford a fancy new hairstyle, but Phoebe had given her a discount and she relented. The highlights were subtle and gorgeous and really made a difference, brightening her face. Or maybe that was the eyebrow wax, which made her eyes seem rounder and made her green eyes brighter. She had no idea. She only knew she felt better.
But now she had to decide what to wear. She’d chosen three dresses, but she needed Chelsea’s help. She called, and Chelsea had told her she’d been prepared for the phone call and had known Jane was going to need her. She came right over and perused the outfits Jane had selected.
“Seriously, Jane?” Chelsea asked. “These are the dresses you bought?”
Jane looked at the bed where she’d laid out the dresses. “Well, yes. What’s wrong with them?”
Chelsea sighed. “Girl, when was the last time you dated?”
She wrinkled her nose and did the math. “Thirteen years ago?”
“Ugh. I thought this might be a problem. You’ve forgotten how to be sexy. I brought a few things.”
“Chelsea, wait,” Jane said, but Chelsea had already left the room. She came back a few minutes later with an armload of skirts and tops and stuff that Jane could already tell wouldn’t fit her and were going to be way too short.
“I can’t wear those.”
“Sure you can.” Chelsea looked at Jane, then at the pile she’d tossed on the bed. She picked up a sinfully short champagne-colored skirt adorned with sequins and feathery thingies. “Try this one.”
Jane backed away like the skirt had a communicable disease. “I don’t think so. I mean, yes, I’m single, but not the same type of single as you, Chelsea. I do not have your slender legs or your fantastic ass.”
Chelsea grinned. “You think I have a fantastic ass?”
Jane rolled her eyes. “Is this really ‘admire Chelsea’ night?”
Chelsea shoved the skirt at her. “You’re right. We’ll sing my praises another night. Put the skirt on, Jane.”
She grabbed the skirt. “Fine. But if you laugh at how ridiculous I look in it, we’re no longer friends.”
“And take this top and put it on, too. And these shoes.”
Horrified, Jane rolled her eyes. “I really hate you.”
“You won’t when you see how rockin’ hot you are in this outfit.”
Dubious that she’d even be able to get the skirt on over her hips, she dropped her robe and pulled the skirt up. Surprisingly, it fit. So did the superslinky peach silk sleeveless top that fell over her skin like a waterfall.
“Don’t forget the shoes.”
“I can’t walk in those.”
“Will can help you walk.”
Jane laughed, but climbed into the ridiculously high heels. “I feel six feet tall in these things.”
“But your legs are amazing. Now turn and look at yourself in the mirror.”
She did, gasping at the transformation.
She looked stunning. She had to hold on to Chelsea to twist and turn to see her body, but she had to admit, she was a sex goddess in this outfit. Her legs did indeed look amazing. The skirt brushed the tops of her thighs, and the draping of the top made her look superskinny. It also revealed a ton of cle**age.
“Wow.”
“I know, right?” Chelsea said, grinning.
“This is a gorgeous outfit, Chelse,” Jane said, turning to her. She slid off the heels. “But it’s so not me.”
“Ah, well. I figured that. But I wanted you to realize how utterly gorgeous you are.”
“Point taken.” She grabbed Chelsea and hugged her. “Thank you for that.”
She ended up choosing a black and white striped skirt that rested on her hips and hit just above the knee, along with a black tank with a cutout in the back. Slightly subdued, but also sexy. She also decided on the new black wedge heels she’d bought that weren’t going to give her a nosebleed.
She was pleased with how she looked and Chelsea pronounced her drop-dead gorgeous, fresh, and sexy, which was good enough for her.
Chelsea hightailed it out of there about fifteen minutes before Will was due to arrive, leaving Jane enough time to ponder jewelry and touch up her makeup, which she’d left minimal, but she did add some lip gloss just before he rang the doorbell.
Her stomach tightened and she took a deep breath, smoothed her skirt, and went to the door.