The Do-Over

by Georgia Beers

  “Focus, Heather. Focus.” Bella picked a cream-colored dress off the doorknob and held it up.

  “No, it’s too early in the season for something that light. Plus, this is dinner. We need dark and elegant. Black. Navy. Burgundy. Something deep.” She grabbed a hanger and held it behind her without looking at Bella. “Put this on.” Bella took it from her hand and Heather dove back into the closet.

  Bella glanced at Amy, who was sitting on the bed, scrolling on her phone. “You’re a huge help.”

  “Hey, my expertise comes in after the clothes are on. We work as a team, Bells. Just put the dress on.”

  Bella grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

  As the three of them had shared a suite in college, Bella was not at all self-conscious and whipped her clothes off in the middle of the room. She donned the dress, then backed up to Amy, who zipped it without needing to be asked. Bella turned and stood.

  Amy pursed her lips and stretched them to one side in indecision. Heather turned from the closet and immediately said, “No. Try this.”

  Bella took the hanger from her hand and backed up to Amy again for unzipping.

  The next dress was burgundy, with long sleeves and a conservative neckline. Bella put it on, then turned to face her friends.

  “Ugh, no,” Heather said. “You’re going on a date, not to a funeral.”

  “Gee, thanks. I like this dress.”

  “Good. Wear it to a funeral.” Another hanger was handed over.

  This went on for six more dresses. Amy made no comments—she either nodded or squinted. Bella soon learned the squint was a no; the nod left things up to Heather.

  Heather’s opinions were impressively instantaneous. “No,” “Meh,” or “My God, what possessed you to buy that?” were her most common responses. Until the black one with the plunging neckline, which caused a very quiet and simple, “Oh.”

  Honestly, it was a dress Bella had forgotten she had, and when she turned to look in the full-length mirror, she was sad about that. It really was beautiful, made of a soft rayon-cotton combination that felt light against her skin. The waistline hugged her, then the skirt became full, a little playful. The sleeves were three-quarter length, which was great for the cool weather. The neckline…made her pause.

  “Do you think it’s too much?” she asked Heather in the mirror.

  “Do I think what’s too much?”

  “The cleavage?”

  “No such thing,” Amy chimed in.

  “Yes, there is,” Heather said, playfully smacking her. “But not with that dress. It’s perfect.”

  Bella looked down at her chest, doubt coloring her tone. “You’re sure? Seems like a lot.”

  “Sweetie, that’s because you have the best angle. Unless this girl is six feet tall, she’s not going to be able to see what you do.” Heather came up behind Bella and spoke to her reflection. “This dress is elegant and classy and just sexy enough for dinner at a really nice restaurant. It’s perfect. I promise.”

  “You look gorgeous, Bells,” Amy said with a smile.

  Heather’s gentle tone and the honesty in Amy’s eyes made Bella relax a bit. “Okay. As long as you guys think so.”

  “We do. Now, let’s find you shoes.”

  Half an hour later, even Bella was surprised by the woman standing in the mirror. The dress was perfect, as Heather had promised. Her strappy black heels were just the right combination of classy and sexy and the heel was high enough without being too high. Bella didn’t wear a lot of makeup in general, but Heather had helped with some nice touches that made her look elegant—“You really should play up your gorgeous eyes, you know.” Adding some gentle waves to her hair was the finishing touch, and Bella did a little turn.

  “You’re a miracle worker,” she said to Heather.

  “I had a lot to work with.”

  “Seriously, Bells, you sure do clean up nice.” There was nothing at all lecherous in Amy’s voice, and that made Bella shoot her a look of affection.

  “Thanks, you guys,” she said to her friends.

  Heather handed her a black clutch. “Use this. It goes nicely. You only need a few things for the evening, so your whole purse isn’t necessary.”

  Bella nodded as she took it.

  “Your old high school classmate isn’t going to know what hit her.” Amy stood from where she’d sat on Bella’s bed for nearly an hour. “Hey, was she freaked to find out?”

  “We haven’t gotten that far yet.” Bella turned back to the mirror and pretended to fluff her hair.

  “Seriously? How has that not come up yet?” Amy laughed, glanced at Heather. “I’d have led with that.”

  “I just…I’m not ready. I worked so hard to get away from all of that. I’m not ready to bring it back in. You know what I mean?” She could tell from their expressions as she looked at them in the mirror’s reflection that they didn’t, but they each smiled and nodded dutifully. It was the first time she’d told the girls she hadn’t mentioned to Easton that she went to Framerton High. It wasn’t like she wanted to lie to them. She just…wasn’t ready to put it all out there yet. After all, she had no idea where this was going, if anywhere. It was just one date. They could be one and done after this. It was just dinner. With one of the most gorgeous women she’d ever seen, of course. With a woman she’d crushed on since she was fifteen, yes. But it was just dinner.

  Just dinner.

  Yeah. That’s all.

  No big deal.

  Chapter Ten

  Framerton High, 2003

  Easton had had the dream. Again. Well, a variation of it, but the gist was the same: she was having sex with a girl. Not just any girl. Kristin Harrington. Again.

  It had scared her the first time. By now, it was a semiregular occurrence, but it still freaked her out a little bit because what was she supposed to think? In the dream, she was always with Kristin, either making out with her or in the process of removing her clothes. Kristin’s mouth was always sensuous and pliant under hers. Kristin’s skin was always like silk, warm and smooth. And without fail, Easton woke up hot, with her heart racing and her body more turned on than she’d ever been with Connor. There really was only one thing it could possibly mean, but Easton refused to grab on to that. No. Absolutely not. No way in hell. That was not who she was. Not even close.

  Kristin was two rows over and one row up and she looked so pretty today. Her auburn hair was up in a ponytail, the color like a late summer sunset. She was wearing her cheerleading uniform, as was Easton, for tonight’s game against the Wildcats, and she looked super cute. She was surprisingly tan for somebody with red hair, and Easton let her gaze run the length of Kristin’s bare legs. She followed the hint of muscle, the feminine shape, the rounding of her knee that led to a tease of thigh…

  “Ms. Evans?”

  The voice snapped Easton back to reality, as did the chuckling of her classmates. She felt the heat rush to her face, was sure her cheeks had gone very, very red.

  “Did you need me to repeat the question?” Mr. Darnell was their lit teacher, a nice guy who was actually one of the more fun teachers. Most of the kids kind of liked him. He raised his eyebrows in question, probably well aware that Easton hadn’t heard him.

  She cleared her throat. “Um, yes. Please.”

  As she listened—and made a show of paying very close attention—she tried not to notice the way Connor squinted suspiciously at her.

  ***

  Whenever Easton pictured a fancy restaurant in her mind, it was just like this. Just like Brie. Round tables covered in white linen tablecloths. Dim mood lighting and centerpieces with tea lights. Waitstaff dressed in black pants, white shirts, and black ties and carrying large trays of food with what seemed to be minimal effort. The hum of conversation was low and pleasant, and the smells coming from the gourmet kitchen were nothing less than mouthwatering.

  “If you’ll follow me, Ms. Evans.” The hostess could’ve been a model, all shiny blond hair and long legs, and Easton
followed her to a corner table for two. It was perfect: a little bit private and very charming. Okay, it was also pretty romantic, but Easton tried not to think about that just yet. She had two worries she was currently battling, and things being presumptuously romantic was one of them.

  She hadn’t read Bella wrong on Wednesday. She was sure of it. The differences between the Bella at the bar and the Bella at the coffee shop were certainly interesting—and Easton would bring that up at some point—but for now, she just wanted to spend time with her. Get to know her.

  The second worry was simply this: was she being pretentious inviting Bella out to such a fancy, upscale place? Honestly, she loved Brie. Thought it was beautiful, and she knew for a fact the food was divine. And she’d asked Bella out, so she was definitely paying.

  Did that matter to Bella? Would things like that be a concern? Was it even Easton’s business to wonder?

  Gah! My poor brain!

  Giving her head a good shake, Easton vowed to not overthink things anymore this evening, to simply try to enjoy herself and the company she was about to have. She allowed the hostess to seat her and push her chair in for her.

  “I’m expecting a date,” Easton said, as she took the menu handed to her. “She’s about five four, long, dark hair, gorgeous hazel eyes.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out for her,” the model / hostess said, with a smile and…was that a wink?

  Easton grinned as she walked away. “Well, okay,” she said softly.

  The restaurant was very busy; it was a Friday night, after all. Mostly couples with a few larger parties sprinkled in. A server came by with water and a wine list for her, which she opened and perused with a knowledgeable eye, stopping on a cabernet and a Montepulciano before realizing she should probably wait and see if Bella even liked wine. She had so much to learn about her…so much she wanted to learn.

  “Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

  Easton looked up into those gorgeous hazel eyes, sparkling down at her in the soft lighting of the restaurant. Bella’s brows were raised in question and she was wearing the sexiest black dress Easton had ever seen. The top half sleekly hugged her small frame, the neckline showing enough cleavage to tease but not enough to widen eyes.

  Easton stood and held a hand out toward the second chair as several smart-ass quips ran through her head. She chose none of them. “Please.” Bella pulled the chair out and took a seat. “You look incredible.”

  The pink that gently tinted Bella’s cheeks was worth the entire evening, and Easton sat back down.

  “And you,” Bella said, her gaze roaming slowly over what she could see of Easton. Then she shook her head, as if in disbelief. “You’re stunning.”

  “Thank you,” Easton said softly. Okay, yeah. This was going well so far. With a clear of her throat, Easton bolstered herself to push past the nervousness and take the reins. “So. Do you like wine? I almost ordered but realized I didn’t know if you drank it.”

  Bella’s eyes went wide. “Wait. You mean, there are people who don’t?”

  “Only sad, sad ones.”

  “I love wine.” That smile again.

  “Me too. Do you have a preference?”

  Bella tilted her head to one side as she studied Easton, and Easton was sure she could feel it. “I get the impression you know your wine. Surprise me.”

  As if privy to the conversation, the waiter showed up—a tall, lanky redhead who introduced himself as Tyler—and rattled off the specials for the evening. When he asked if they cared for something from the bar, Easton pointed to the wine she’d chosen.

  “Very nice, ma’am,” Tyler said.

  “Also,” Easton said before he could go. “Can we start with the brie appetizer for two?”

  “Absolutely.” And he went off to retrieve it.

  “Okay with you?” Easton asked, shifting her attention to her date. “I thought we might as well commemorate eating at Brie by eating some brie.” She did her best to give a playful, lopsided grin.

  “The only thing I like more than wine is cheese.” The corners of Bella’s eyes crinkled when she smiled. Easton added that to the ever-growing list of things she found attractive about Bella.

  “So,” Easton said, propping her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand.

  “So,” Bella echoed, then made a show of looking around. “This place is beautiful.”

  “Have you ever been here?”

  “Every time I hear about it or read about it, I tell myself I need to come, but I haven’t yet.” Bella was completely in her element, her elegance matching that of the atmosphere, the setting around her. “You?”

  “Same. I keep meaning to come but just haven’t gotten around to it.”

  “Well, then, I’m glad we’re making our inaugural trip together.”

  Tyler returned with their wine. He went through the ritual of showing Easton the wine bottle, uncorking it, allowing her to taste. At her nod of approval, he poured two glasses and said he’d be back soon to take their dinner order.

  Bella held her glass up. “To finally getting a chance to visit this restaurant. Together.”

  “I’ll drink to that.”

  “Oh, that’s lovely,” Bella said, swirling the wine. She tucked her nose into the glass and inhaled, then took another sip as Tyler wordlessly delivered their appetizer and left it in the center of the table.

  “It’s an Amarone. Italian. One of my favorites.” Easton was not only thrilled Bella loved the wine, but she was entranced by watching her drink it. The delicate way her hands grasped the stem of the glass. The intensity in her focus, like she was really and truly concentrating on the flavors coating her tongue. When her gaze met Easton’s, her eyes darted away, seemingly embarrassed.

  “What?” she asked, and her self-consciousness was clear.

  “I’m just enjoying you enjoying the wine.” Easton said it in a relaxed tone, her chin propped in her hand.

  “Oh.” Bella’s smile appeared slowly, and it seemed to take her a moment to gather herself again.

  They sampled the brie together, spreading the warm, creamy cheese onto slices of fresh baguette. Each of them made humming sounds of delight as they chewed.

  “Oh, my God, that’s delicious,” Bella said with wide eyes. “Is it because we’re in a French restaurant? I mean, I’ve had brie a hundred times, but it’s never been this good.”

  “Maybe it’s the company,” Easton said before she could catch herself. She meant it, though, and Bella’s answering smile and blush were totally worth it.

  “Maybe it is.”

  Not long after that, Tyler reappeared and took their dinner orders, then left them to each other once again.

  “Tell me about your day,” Bella said, and it seemed she was back to her usual confident self.

  “Oh, no,” Easton said, waving a finger. “No work talk. I want to talk about other things.”

  “Like?”

  “Tell me about your family. Siblings? You get along with your parents?”

  Bella took another sip of her wine. “Okay. Let’s see.” She rested her forearms on the table and spun her wineglass in a slow circle, and Easton’s gaze seemed riveted there. On the bare skin of her arms. On her pretty hands, her delicate fingers. “I’m an only child, so no siblings. My parents are still together and we’re close. I talk to my mother every day or two and I don’t see them as often as I should, but I’m working on that.”

  “Do they still work or have they retired?”

  “My father should retire—he has back problems and his job is fairly labor intensive—but he refuses. I think he’s worried he’ll be bored if he doesn’t have to work, you know? And my mom has waitressed at the same diner for a million years.”

  “Hard workers,” Easton observed. She enjoyed the way Bella’s eyes sparkled, how her face changed, was a bit more animated as she spoke about her parents. A tickle of envy scratched at her.

  “Very. What about you?” It was Bella’s turn to park her ch
in in her hand and focus those eyes on Easton. What was it about her eyes? The color? The intensity? Easton couldn’t name it, but she had the strangest feeling she’d be unable to escape from them if there ever came a time she wanted to. Which, right now? She absolutely did not.

  “I come from a family of doctors.”

  “Oh?” Bella picked up her wine, took a sip.

  “All of them. I’m not kidding. Both my parents are surgeons. Both my grandfathers are doctors. My older brother. My younger sister.”

  “Wow. Lotta doctors in your family.” Bella chuckled. “Not you, though.”

  “No.” It was a sore spot. Always had been.

  “How come?”

  Tyler showed up with their food then, and Easton silently thanked him for giving her extra time to think. It was a subject she didn’t discuss often, mostly because of the awful way it made her feel about herself. But Easton was determined not to close it off tonight. Not from Bella. There was something about her…Easton wanted to be as forthcoming as she could without examining the reason why. Which she was pretty sure would scare the crap out of her.

  Once their plates were in front of them—filet mignon for Easton and fettuccine Alfredo for Bella—they took a few moments to sample dinner, to smile at one another, to chew and comment on the food. It was obvious when Bella was back in listening mode, chewing thoughtfully as her eyes settled on Easton again.

  “I thought I would be a doctor,” Easton began. “It was always the plan. I went to college, pre-med and everything seemed as it should be.”

  “Until?”

  “Until I realized I hated it.” Easton shot a half-grin across the table, hoping to signal to Bella that it was fine, funny even.

  Bella caught it and let a small chuckle go. “Wow. That must have been a wake-up call for you.”

  “You have no idea. Needless to say, my parents were not thrilled. None of my family was. Disappointment all around. Except for my grandpa.”

  “Really?” Bella’s interest was obvious.