by Chelle Bliss
As I tossed the top to the floor with the size-eight jeans, I stared in the mirror and turned to the side. She was right. They were hanging low. The bra I had on was the same style I’d worn for years.
“They’re fine.”
“No, they’re not. Does it even have underwire?”
I grimaced at the thought of wearing something so constrictive. “Underwire?”
“You need a push-up bra to get those girls back toward your chin.”
“For the love of God,” I muttered, pushing up my tits to the spot they’d sat twenty years ago.
“Let’s find more clothes, and then we’re on to raising those babies a few inches. You need to show off that cleavage.”
In my head, I kept hearing Morgan. He was going to flip his lid the moment he saw me. The entire thing might be worth it just to freak him out.
But then I thought of Bear. What would he say when he saw the new me?
Chapter Five
Bear
“I got a lead!” James yelled from the hallway around noon. “The bastard’s in Raleigh.”
“Conference room,” Thomas said as he walked by my office.
I grabbed my laptop and followed him down the hallway along with the other guys so we could figure out what to do from here.
“Want me to head up?” I asked, sitting down at the table.
“Not yet,” he replied.
Once everyone was inside, James asked. “Who do we know in Raleigh?”
“I have a buddy who used to be in the FBI there. I can call him,” Sam said quickly.
“Do that. Get eyes on him and verify that it’s Johnny. If it is, have them keep him under surveillance until we can get there,” James told him, rubbing his chin with one finger before Sam pulled out his phone and sent a text.
“I’ll head up,” I said again. There was no point in waiting for confirmation. “Raleigh’s only nine hours away.”
Thomas shook his head. “I don’t want to waste the manpower if it’s not him.”
I grumbled. “You’re the boss,” I bit out through gritted teeth. Sometimes working for someone else left a sour taste in my mouth. The guys at ALFA had their shit together though and made the right call.
Thomas leaned back in his chair and rocked back and forth. “If it’s him, we’ll be there within hours by plane. We won’t let him slip from our sights. Do you agree, Morgan?”
Morgan rubbed his hands together and thought a moment. “Yeah. Get eyes on him first, and then we’ll handle him. I don’t want to chase after a ghost.”
“It’s him,” Sam said when his phone started to ring. “I’ll be back in a few.”
Angel cleared her throat in the doorway as Sam brushed past. “Um,” she mumbled and peered over her shoulder. “Mrs. Gallo and Ms. DeLuca are here.”
Our entire table turned with the same perplexed looks on our faces. They’d come to visit separately, but never together. There must be something wrong.
Thomas’s eyes narrowed on his wife. “Show them in, Angel.”
She smiled and glanced behind her again. “I have to warn you—”
“What’s wrong?” Morgan asked, wondering the same thing I had been thinking.
“Nothing. They just dropped by to say hi,” Angel said and giggled as she walked back toward reception.
“This oughta be good,” Frisco added after finally looking up from his laptop.
“Those two cause more trouble…” Thomas muttered.
Mrs. Gallo came into view first, smiling wildly. “Hey, guys. Just wanted to say hello.”
Thomas walked over to his mother and kissed her on the cheek. “What are you two doing today?”
All I could see of Fran were her feet. From the angle I was sitting and with Maria in the doorway, I couldn’t see any more. Maybe she regretted our dinner last night and didn’t want to see me. The thought made my heart a little heavy, although I’d never admit it to anyone.
“Holy shit, Aunt Franny,” Thomas said.
I sat a little straighter in my chair and tried to get a better glimpse without being obvious.
“Oh God, now what?” Morgan said from my side.
Maria held up her hand to stop the hysteria before it started. “We went shopping.”
“I’ll say,” Thomas said and held out his hand to his mother to move her to the side. “Looking good, Auntie.”
I craned my neck a little more and kept my ass glued to the chair because I didn’t feel like getting into a brawl with her kid. He already didn’t like that I had dinner with his mom. He’d made it very clear when I came into work today, but I told him what I always did—we’re adults and nothing happened. It wasn’t his business anyway. She may have birthed him, but she was a grown-ass adult.
When Fran stepped into view, my mouth dropped open. She had on the sexiest pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a white top that showed just the right amount of cleavage. My mouth watered at the sight. I’d only seen Fran in her tracksuits and thought she was still a stunner, but now… Now she was drop-dead gorgeous.
“Holy shit!” Morgan jumped up from his chair and almost covered her body with his. “What are you thinking, Ma?”
Maria slapped him in the back of the head, and he flinched. “Don’t make a big deal out of this. She looks wonderful.”
“Where did my mom go?” he asked while he rubbed the spot she’d just hit.
“I’m here, baby. Do I look bad?” She glanced down and swept her palm over the front of her shirt.
“Well,” he mumbled and shook his head. “No. You look different.”
“Different bad or good?” she asked, looking for validation.
“Good.”
Her eyes wandered around the room and locked on mine. For once in my life, I was speechless. Fran DeLuca had it going on. Who knew underneath that frumpy shit she had a killer body?
I sure as fuck didn’t.
I couldn’t stop my mouth from hanging open as I checked her out, letting my eyes cascade over her body and imagining the dirtiest shit that I reserved for the naughtiest women.
Frisco elbowed me in the arm. “I’d stop looking at her like that if I were you.”
I righted myself and snapped my mouth shut. Fran kept staring at me, ignoring everyone else in the room.
“Let’s go to my office.” Morgan tried to usher her from the room and probably my view.
“Don’t be silly.” Fran swatted his hands away. “We wanted to say hi to everyone and see how the investigation was going.”
“Everything is good here. Nothing to see and no new information.” Morgan couldn’t be any more uncomfortable.
“We wanted to show off Fran’s new look too. I figured, where else is better than in an office full of men?” Maria smiled directly at me, and I knew instantly that I was really the target of the fashion show.
“You look great,” James said.
“Fantastic,” Frisco added.
I was at a loss for words, and I was never out of shit to say. Usually, it was some sarcastic comment, but I had nothing.
“Now’s the time to talk,” Frisco whispered. “Dumbass.”
“You look very nice,” I said, even though I wanted to say so much more, and Fran’s eyes sparkled at the compliment.
I glanced to her side and caught Morgan glaring at me. I must not have been as under the radar with my reaction as I’d thought. I squirmed in my chair—not from Morgan’s look but from the sexiness oozing off Fran DeLuca.
My cock approved.
“Well, boys,” Maria said and looked right at me, “Franny and I are off to get all sweaty playing tennis.”
I realized in that moment that Maria Gallo was a wicked woman. My head filled with images of Fran bouncing up and down, her tits following suit, and covered in a thick veil of perspiration.
“Have fun,” James said as he stood from his seat and went to give his mother-in-law a kiss on the cheek.
I couldn’t speak because I was too lost in my fantasy.
She placed her hand on his chest and leaned in to kiss him, but her eyes were on me. “Don’t worry. I’m in great shape and can last for hours.”
“Fucking hell,” Morgan groaned and hugged his mother.
I swallowed my tongue and started to choke. Fran was just as rambunctious as Maria. If I was going to make it through the day, I needed to wipe all mental images of Fran running around the tennis court, grunting with each hit, and glistening in the sunlight.
Fran gave me a mischievous smile as she backed away from Morgan. “Don’t work too hard today and keep me posted about Johnny.”
“We will,” Thomas assured the ladies before they walked out of the conference room.
All I could see was Fran’s tight little ass swaying back and forth as they made their way down the hallway, following Morgan out.
It would be impossible to work today. Fran made sure of that by putting the images in my mind that would leave room for little else.
“You better get that shit under control,” Frisco said.
I turned to face him and snarled. “Mind your own business.”
“Morgan’s going to have a fit.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“If I could read your mind, I’m pretty sure it would be X-rated, brother.”
I scrubbed my hand down my face and tried to wipe the vivid images from my mind, but all I saw were her perky tits and jiggling ass.
Fuck.
I was in so much trouble.
Chapter Six
Fran
“Did you see the look on his face?” Maria said over the phone as I wiped the kitchen counter.
“Who?” I feigned ignorance.
“Bear. He almost swallowed his tongue.” She chuckled.
“I know,” I finally admitted. The poor guy—he did look like he was about to hyperventilate when he finally caught a glimpse of me.
It had been a long time since I’d seen a man look at me that way. Ray used to, but that was before he became an uncaring asshole. It felt like as soon as the wedding ring slipped on my finger, he lost his manners and stopped courting me.
But Bear made me feel sexy again. My belly did that weird thing where it flipped a few times, and my fingers tingled just from the way his eyes crawled across my skin. It wasn’t lost on me, and based on Morgan’s reaction, it wasn’t lost on him either.
“You should invite him over for dinner again.”
“Maria! I just had him over yesterday.” I was protesting too much, but the thought had crossed my mind since I walked out of ALFA PI.
“So what? Live a little, Franny.”
“What about Johnny?”
“Were you two even dating?”
“Not really. We’d go to dinner, and sometimes, we’d end up in the sack.”
“There’s your answer. It’s not like you’re rebounding or anything.”
She was right, but I couldn’t give in so easily. “But what about Morgan? Bear’s his friend.”
“Now you’re just making excuses.”
I was, too. Bear wasn’t normally my type. I don’t even know if I had a type anymore. “We’ll see. Let me figure out what to do and do it in my own time.”
“Fine. Be a pussy.”
“The mouth on you.”
She laughed loudly. “Your brother taught me well. Speaking of the devil, he just walked in. I got to run.”
“Bye, Mar. Say hi to Sal for me.”
“Will do. Bye.”
With the dishrag still in my hand, I stared out the windows overlooking my backyard and thought about what to do next. Last night had been nice. Bear wasn’t exactly the man I thought, and I wanted to know more about him. But was it the right time to go down that road?
Maybe I’d read the signals wrong. I’d never chased a man. Not even Ray. It wasn’t my style, but my daughter-in-law Race told me it’s what women do in the twenty-first century. My mind was still stuck back in the seventies where there were rules and proper etiquette.
My phone rang before I even had a chance to put it back on the charger. “Hello,” I said after seeing it was Race calling.
“I heard you made quite a splash today.”
“He already called you.”
“He’s worried, Ma.”
“I’m an adult, Race.”
“I know. I think it’s cute.”
“It’s payback from that brat.”
“Are you going to ask Bear out?”
“I don’t know. I was just thinking about it.”
“Do it. He’s a great guy.”
It seemed like the women in the family were conspiring against me. If Morgan knew Race was calling me, he’d be livid. “How would Morgan feel about that?”
“Who cares? You deserve to be happy too.”
“Someone’s at the door, Race. I gotta run.” I lied because I wasn’t ready for this conversation. Everyone was chirping in my ear, and I didn’t need their opinions.
“Maybe it’s Bear,” she said through her laughter.
“Bye, busybody.”
“Bye, Ma.”
The sky was dark in the distance as the usual afternoon thunderstorms started to roll in. I walked to the mailbox, trying to beat the rain, when my neighbor Meredith caught me before I could sneak back inside.
“You’re looking nice today,” she said, her eyes raking over me, but not in a complimentary way.
“Thanks, Mer.”
Her tiny mouth, one so small I wondered if she was ever able to suck a dick, pursed. “I saw a motorcycle in your driveway last night. Did you have a man over?”
Living in an older-resident community had its disadvantages, and this was a prime example. It was filled with a bunch of bored, nosy people who had no life but to spy on their neighbors.
I plastered a fake smile on my face. “Just a family friend.” Thunder sounded in the distance, and I saw my out. “I better get inside before it storms. Take care.” I started to walk away, waving over my shoulder at her.
“Bye,” she grumbled from behind me, still standing near the driveway where I’d left her.
After I walked inside and flipped through the mail, I tossed it on the countertop and noticed I’d missed a phone call. My eyes widened when I saw the name. Bear. Maybe I hadn’t interpreted his vibes wrong. After all these years, maybe I still had the ability to read a man.
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I waited for his voice mail to play. “Hey, Franny. It’s Bear. I wanted to touch base with you and let you know that we may have a possible lead on Johnny. I know you’re upset and would want to know what’s going on. Call me back…ya know…if you want.”
For a moment I was sad because I was hoping for something a little bit more…flirtatious. Even though it wasn’t what I’d hoped to hear, I called him back anyway.
“Hey, Bear. It’s Franny,” I said as soon as he answered the phone.
“I know.” He laughed softly.
“I wanted to say thank you for the update.” I paced around my living room. “Morgan hasn’t really been telling me much.”
“He’s just busy. Cut him a little slack.”
“I know.”
“Hold on one second.”
The phone became muffled, and I could hear voices in the background.
“No go?” Bear asked and then a pause. “Fuck.”
A few more things were said, but I couldn’t make them out no matter how hard I pressed the phone to my ear.
“I’m back,” he told me. “False alarm on the lead, but don’t worry… We’ll find him.”
“I know you will. Was that Morgan?”
“Yeah.”
I smiled because Bear hadn’t told him that I was on the other end of the phone. “Well, I better let you go. I know you guys are busy.”
“Hey, Franny?” he asked softly.
I stopped pacing, and butterflies filled my stomach. “Yeah?”
“Want to grab a beer tonight?”
I moved the receiver away from my mouth and took a few quick, deep breaths. “I’d love to.” My feet started to move on their own, breaking out in a cross between a happy dance and the running man—but more of a senior version.
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“Later.”
“Bye,” I said, and when the call disconnected, I stared at it like maybe I’d heard him wrong. But when I realized I hadn’t, I broke out into a full-on celebratory dance in my living room.
Wait.
Was this a date?
Fuck. I didn’t know how shit worked anymore. I’d spent my good years at home after Ray left me. I couldn’t even look at another man for a long time. Then Morgan joined the military, and all I could do was think about him. I didn’t have time to get involved in a relationship, and I figured, why bother since I was in my forties.
I thought Johnny and I were dating in the beginning, but he made it quite clear that he didn’t want any type of relationship. I couldn’t understand why, but now it’s completely clear.
I guess, with Bear, I’d just have to wait and see. Maybe he was only being nice to me because I was Morgan’s mom, and I was feeling so much guilt for not seeing Johnny for the lying, cheating asshole he was.
I’m either going to have to grow a pair and ask what his intentions are or just wait it out and hope that he wants more than just a drink and a hot meal.
* * *
When I heard his bike pull into the driveway just before seven, I ran into the bedroom so it wouldn’t seem as if I’d been waiting for him. I had been. I’d been ready for a half hour, and I’d been pacing back and forth in the living room, checking outside for any glimpse of him.
“This isn’t a date,” I told myself as I waited for him to knock. “It’s just a drink.”
My heart leapt when he knocked on the door, and I took one last look at myself in the mirror. I had on the same jeans from the office earlier today, but I had changed my top to something a little more revealing.
I leaned forward and checked my cleavage, heaving it up with my hand and giggling. The bra Maria picked out really did help them reach a height I hadn’t seen since my twenties. Bear was probably used to women much younger, and if this padded, underwire-lined thing ever came off in front of him, he’d be shocked at where they swung.
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