Meredith sank down in the chair. Too bad Don’t Soy With Me didn’t serve liquor. She could sure use a shot of something, like a Red-headed Slut. Wasn’t that what everyone was calling her?
A Man Bender? Jeez, she was going to have to come up with a new plan.
Chapter 16
A cold October wind howled outside, and branches scratched against the window like someone trying to crawl inside. Considering it was Halloween, Meredith glanced over to make sure there wasn’t a ghost or zombie or something out there. Shivering, she looked in the mirror again, wondering what Tanner would think of her Wonder Woman costume.
He’d seemed surprised when she invited him to go to a Halloween party with her. Jill was over the moon about it. And tonight, the rest of the town was going to see her out with him. Maybe if they hung out often enough, she could curb the Man Bender talk.
She almost reached for a Pepcid.
She’d thought about going as J.D. Robb’s kick-ass cop, Eve Dallas, going so far as to locate a long black leather jacket online similar to the one Nora wore in her author photo for the series. Who didn’t want to be married to Eve’s hot hubby Roarke? But the likelihood of someone identifying her costume seemed remote. And she really didn’t want to spread fake blood on her jeans like Nora’s heroine.
She pivoted in front of the mirror. Going as a superhero seemed the best alternative given her recent internal monologue with Divorcée Woman. After all, Wonder Woman would have worn red La Perla lingerie too.
“I wish you’d let me make you a cape embroidered with DW.”
Jill bumped Meredith’s hip, smoothing back her own wig. Her sister’s Little Bo Peep outfit was over-the-top adorable.
“No way.” Meredith turned as the wind blew in a perfect imitation of a train whistle. “We’ll freeze, but we’ll look good.”
“Oh, yeah.”
When Jill slapped her butt, Meredith punched her arm.
“I need to go,” Jill said, touching up her glossy pink lips in the mirror. “I was hoping to see Tanner, but you can tell him hi for me.”
“Are you ever going to stop gloating?”
“No way. You needed to be pushed. You’re like a tick that can’t be dislodged about some things.”
“That’s so sweet.”
She backed up and blew kisses. “You’d better have fun. Ta-ta.”
The wind slapped the door against the wall before Jill closed it. Meredith broke out in goosebumps.
“Oh, that’s hot,” she whispered to herself.
He won’t be looking at those bumps, trust me.
She was too excited and nervous to respond to her alter ego’s prodding.
Ten minutes later, Meredith opened the door and Tanner walked in, dressed as a dashing hero straight off a pirate ship.
His mouth curved. “Oh, man. Wonder Woman. Christ, that’s sexy.”
Told ya.
He stepped into Jill’s small entryway and shut the door, leaning back against it, all male nonchalance.
She ignored her alter ego and crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly shy as his intense gaze lifted from her red shoes to her dolled-up face. He hadn’t looked at her this way in weeks. Her invitation had changed their tacit agreement of just being friends. Her skin felt as tightly stretched as a newly starched shirt.
“You even have the lasso,” he said.
She gazed at his costume. He hadn’t bothered to button the white, billowy shirt all the way up, and it exposed the middle of his chest. With the black cloth tied around his forehead and the gold earring dangling from his right ear, he looked somewhat sinister.
And hot too. She wanted to fan herself.
Shiver me timbers, Divorcée Woman purred.
Are you actually doing pirate talk in my head now? She almost pulled her own hair, but she didn’t want to disturb her wig.
“Did you hear me?”
“What?”
“You can use that lasso to tie me up anytime.”
Lustful images of her wrestling him to the ground and tying him up swarmed her mind.
Oh my, Divorcée Woman squeaked.
“Tanner?” She cleared her throat. “I want to be clear about tonight.”
He readjusted the fake antique gun in his leather-studded belt, drawing her eyes to his scandalously tight black pants. She looked at a point over his shoulder, telling herself not to look at his crotch.
You know you want to.
“I want to be clear that we’re only going to the party together.”
He sauntered forward, flicking back the black cloth brushing his shoulder. “Are you sure you want to set parameters this early on in the evening?”
Her breath hitched.
“You’re not starting a panic attack, are you?” he asked, his eyes wide.
She almost lied to make him back away. “Not yet, so let’s keep it that way.”