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There was only one light on in the apartment. My light? Which could only mean one thing. Following the mumbled grumblings spilling into the hallway, I inched toward my room and tried not to fall apart at the sight before me.
All of the clothes in my closet were piled up on my bed, and my shoes were flying out the door. “Danielle,” I whispered in a stricken voice. “Please tell me that’s you, and someone isn’t ransacking me.”
“Jillian?” She leaned back and squinted. “Why are you back so soon? You were supposed to be at dinner.”
I snorted and covered my eyes with my hand so I wouldn’t have to witness the mess before me. “I was, but you know how Don is.”
“Ugh. Don. Dreadful Don. Disappointing Don. Dismal Don. Dowdy Don. Drab…”
I held up my other hand. “I get the point. And for your information, he took me to a very nice dinner.”
She fluttered her lips in an exasperated exhale. “Translation, he took you to a very boring dinner. He gave you some sort of lecture, didn’t he? And then gave you a peck on the lips?”
I pushed some of the clothes away and perched on the bed. “Maybe, but we’re just getting started. We’re still feeling each other out.”
She rolled her eyes so hard, I thought they might get stuck in the back of her head. “First of all, it’s been months. Second of all, there’s no feeling going on, period. Jillian, I’m happy that you’re finally getting out in the field, but you need someone who will make you swoon. I want to see you coming back with your hair mussed and your lipstick smeared and your clothes all skewed. I want you to tell me salacious stories about making out in the car and maybe a little fingering action in the restaurant.”
A laugh burst from me before I could cover it up with an adult-worthy frown. “I’m not a teenager anymore, Danielle. I need someone dependable. I like that we’re taking it slow. Decisions made based on lust never work out well, and I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Emotion burned my sinuses, and I knew I needed to change the subject. “Why are you raiding my closet?”
She sighed and held up my red dress. “It’s your fault.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Mine?”
She grinned. “Yep. All your sexy clothes were in hiding.”
Well, I couldn’t argue with that. I hadn’t needed anything remotely sexy in years. “Why are you needing sexy clothes?”
“Tall, dark, and sexy from accounting finally asked me out. I just know that someone that buttoned-up is hiding something very delicious under that suit.”
I chuckled. Danielle had been after the hot-bodied accountant for months. “That doesn’t explain why you’re raiding my closet. I don’t have anything that will fit you.”
Winking, she stood in front of the mirror. “That’s the point.” Stripping off her yoga pants and tank top, she tugged the dress over her head.
While I was a little taller than average, Danielle still had a good two inches on me. She was a raven-haired knockout beauty, and the red dress was a gorgeous bold color against her olive skin. It fell teasingly short on her thighs and showed more than just a hint of cleavage.
It was obvious that Danielle had no plans to take anything slow tonight.
“You better wear panties under that dress, and you need to have it dry-cleaned afterwards. And for the love of God, do not tell me any stories of fingering in the restaurant or I will never be able to wear that dress again,” I said with a shudder.
She grinned, smiling at me in the mirror. “Please. Dr. Don would have a heart attack if he saw you in it. You haven’t worn this dress in years. You haven’t worn anything this sexy since…” Her voice trailed off and her smile fell. “I’m sorry, Jillian.”
Waving my hand, I stood and leaned over to grab the red stilettos that matched the dress. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not apologizing for what I said. I’m apologizing for what I’m about to say.” She took in a deep breath before blurting, “It’s been nearly a decade, and you need to start living again. Don isn’t going to cut it, and you know it.”
Ignoring her, I handed her the shoes and smiled at her reflection. “You look beautiful. Have fun tonight and make safe decisions.”
“It’s like talking to a brick wall.”
“I like Don,” I protested.
She exhaled an overly dramatic breath. “You’re the therapist. What would you say to someone who lies to themselves on a regular basis?”
I pointed a finger at her. “Behave, or I’ll tag along on your date and show him that video of you trying to dance on the bar at Tiki’s.”
Gasping, she whirled around. “You were supposed to delete that video!”
