I don’t put on the underwear; instead, I leave my white lace thongs on. The teddy falls around my body, and the soft fabric clings to my skin. It feels incredible, and for the first time in a long time, I feel sexy, and I love the woman looking back at me in the mirror.
My bump looks amazing beneath the fabric, and I want to remember how I look now. Taking out my phone, I snap a couple of pictures of myself and send them to the group chat I have with Hayleigh and Emmy. I hear a whoop outside the changing room, and I swear I hear Hayleigh tell me to ‘get it, girl.’
My phone buzzes and I swipe at the screen, not realising that this was a video call…From Cole!Panic sets in, and I try my best to move the phone closer to my face.
“Oh…hey Cole!”Nonchalant Lacey, just act nonchalant!
“Uhh…fuck me…” Cole stutters, and he swipes a hand down his face. It’s in this moment that I realise my camera isn’t on my face at all. Oh no, it isn’t. The camera is facing forward…to the mirror…that is showing my entire body, great boobs and all, to Cole.
“Oh shit!” I quickly press 'end call' and throw my phone away, as if it had burned my hand.
“Hey, Lacey, are you done yet?” Hayleigh shouts through the door.
“Almost!” My voice squeaks out, and Hayleigh must think something’s wrong because before I know it, she’s barrelling through the door.
“Holy fucking sex bomb, Lacey!” She stands there staring at me, and Emmy’s eyes go wide as she mouths ‘wow’.
I usher them inside. “Girls, I have seriously fucked up!” I don’t give them a chance to jump in as I say, “I was taking a picture of myself, then my phone started buzzing and so I swiped at the screen…only it wasn’t a buzz, it was a video call…from Cole!” They’re both bouncing on their feet and clapping like demented seals, so I carry on, “That isn’t the worst part! The camera wasn’t facing my face but facing the mirror. And. He. Saw. Everything!”
I stand there waiting, and finally it’s Emmy who speaks first. “Well, thank goodness for that! You might get some now!”
Then the pair of traitorous little witches cackle their heads off.
**********
When they have finished laughing their backsides off and we’ve rung up each of our purchases, we see that enough time has passed for us to head to our reservation. Emmy has the joy of driving us around, and so we bundle into her car. My phonestarts to ring, and when I look, I see it is Cole. I click him off, not wanting to answer the phone just yet, but I also don’t want to ignore him, so I fire off a quick message to him.
Me
I am so sorry about before! It wasn’t intentional. Until I get over the embarrassment of showing you my boobs, I won’t be talking to you!
Me
But you’re still my best friend! Sorry!
I turn my phone off so there can’t be any more temptation, and before I know it, Emmy is pulling into the car park of the restaurant.
We get out and walk over, and that’s when I hear someone calling my name. I look around to find none other than Ted jogging over to us, waving and smiling like he didn’t just act like a giant arsehole a few weeks back. I’m just about to tell him to sod off when Hayleigh and Emmy both step in front of me.
“What do you want, fuck nuts?”
He rears back at the venom dripping from Hayleigh’s words.
Ted completely ignores her and instead looks to me. “Lacey, I just want a few minutes of your time. Can you give me that, even if I don’t deserve it?” He practically pleads with me.
I don’t have the energy to argue, so I put a hand on Emmy’s and Hayleigh’s shoulders. “Go on in, I’ll only be a few minutes.” Emmy nods, but Hayleigh looks like she’s about three seconds out from going Def Con Five.
Emmy tugs her arm and directs her words at Ted. “We aren’t leaving her out here with you; we will be standing in the doorway. You have five minutes with her.” I’ve never heard Emmy’s voice so icy before; it makes me smile. Hayleigh clapsher teeth together, pretending to bite, and Ted scrunches his face in disgust.
Once they’re out of earshot, he turns to me. “Okay, well, I wanted a few more minutes to do this, but beggars can’t be choosers…” His joke falls flat as I stay silent, so he clears his throat. “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was for not believing you. I don’t have any good people in my life, and I lashed out immediately. I want to try and make a go of it and be in the baby’s life.”
I listen to the words coming out of his mouth, and I know I should feel joy at them; this is what I want. Isn’t it?
Instead, I find myself saying, “You accused me of lying and sleeping around. You pushed us away.”
He has the decency to look ashamed. “I know, and I do regret that. Listen, don’t decide now, but at least let’s go out for something to eat, where we can talk more. Would that be okay?” He looks at me so earnestly that I find myself nodding along.
He leans in and kisses my cheek before saying goodbye and jogging off in the direction he came from.
