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“Hi, Annabelle!” Lauren said brightly, blinking in the light that poured from the kitchen.
“I... Hi.”
“We were just—” Jake started at the same time that Kevin began to say, “Should we, maybe...?”
“Right!” Annabelle chirped. “Yes! Of course!”
Lauren stood, still sliding her dress down to cover her thighs. Everyone’s eyes followed the movement. “It’s pretty late,” Lauren said, her voice still falsely cheerful. “I’d better go. Early day at the library tomorrow.”
“Right,” Jake said, “Me, too. At the station, I mean. Probably.”
She picked up her heels from where they’d fallen on the floor and slipped them on, flashing another too-wide smile at Annabelle and Kevin. “Anyway, it was nice to see you again, Annabelle. It’s been years. Welcome home. From college, I mean. Not from...tonight.” Her words ended on something that resembled a laugh.
“Thanks, Mrs. Foster. You look really great.”
Not one of them could think of anything to say after that. Lauren did look great, but she also looked like she’d just been screwed on the couch.
Lauren suddenly nodded. “Okay, I’d better go. Have a good night.” She grabbed her purse from the coffee table and gave everyone a little wave. It wasn’t until the door closed behind her and plunged the room into awkward silence that Jake remembered she needed a ride home.
“Shit!” he cursed. He skirted the couch to chase after her, but his shoe caught on the carpet and he nearly stumbled. When he followed his daughter’s gaze to the floor, he saw that the carpet wasn’t the problem. Lauren’s black panties were wrapped around the toe of his shoe.
He swooped down, moving with what he hoped was blinding speed to grab her underwear and ball it in his fist. Blood rushed to his head. His face was on fire. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he rasped before rushing for the door.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the night, and he thought she’d just run off into the darkness, panty-less and disoriented. But there she was, standing frozen at the bottom of his driveway, staring down the sidewalk toward the next intersection.
“Lauren.”
Turning toward his approach, she shook her head. “I can’t believe that happened.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m so sorry. Your daughter...”
Jake cringed, but he tried to smile. “If it makes you feel better, she was telling me this morning that I needed to get out and date. So maybe I’m just good at taking advice?”
Her laugh was slightly more natural, but it definitely ended in a little hiccup of horror. He felt exactly the same himself.
“Will you still let me give you a lift home?” he asked.
“I’d better. A walk of shame is really the only thing that could make this worse.”
His heart fell a little. It was terrible. Awful. Undeniably awkward. But he’d kind of hoped that Lauren would tell him it wasn’t as bad as he thought.
But she looked as miserable as he felt as he unlocked the truck and opened the door for her.
When he got in, they sat quietly in the close cocoon of the truck for a moment. He didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know if they should forget this ever happened or vow to try it again. Hell, he didn’t even know which of those he wanted at this point. He was torn between never seeing her again and asking if he could take her home and spend a naked, sweaty night in her bed.
He gave up trying to figure it out and handed Lauren her panties.
Clutching them, she stared down at her white-knuckled hand. “She called me Mrs. Foster.”
“I know,” he said miserably. There wasn’t much to add after that.
Chapter Five
LAUREN COULDN’T BELIEVE she had to go into work. That she had to get out of her car and walk across the parking lot and into the building. The same building where Jake worked. And not just Jake, but Kevin, who’d witnessed her shame last night. And not just Kevin, but Sophie, who’d want to know every detail of the hot hookup.
Lauren groaned and let her head fall back on the headrest. Maybe she should return home and call in sick.
