Elle decided to spill everything to Claire on their trip to Carroll. She needed major help deciphering whatever she and Ryan were to each other, as well as deciding what to do about the ball.
Elle arrived at Claire’s place at 6:00 a.m. sharp Saturday morning. Unlike Elle, Claire was a bubbly and glowing morning person. She stayed true to her reputation, providing coffee and bagels from the local shop before they climbed into her car. As they settled into the drive, Elle realized she didn’t even know where they were going.
“What are we doing today?” Elle asked between bites of her cinnamon bagel.
“Don’t laugh. We are trying the latest in esthetician services — nostril waxing!” Claire looked at Elle with an excited grin.
“We?! I am just here for the dress shopping!” Elle hadn’t waxed anything since her experience with a terrible bikini wax in college. She had decided to try to do it herself before a pool party and ended up taking off more skin than hair. She had been forced to play sick to get out of wearing a bathing suit.
“Yes, we! It’ll be fun. We’re going to Sky Salon. One of the photographers I work with, Buck, is meeting us there. He will take a few photos during the process, and then we’re done and off to dress shop for you!”
“Oh, dear God, no photos of my nostril hair — please!” Elle cringed at the thought of documenting such a personal process on camera.
“I vow not to post any photos of your nose hair,” Claire promised, her right hand over her heart.
“I can’t believe you do this for a living! How did you get into it?”
“Well, I went to school to be a nurse. While I was in school, I started blogging about things going on in my life — beauty, fashion, parties. For whatever reason, people seemed to like it. After a while, businesses started reaching out to me to try different products or services, I got ads for the site, and the rest is history.”
“That’s amazing, Claire.”
Claire smiled and looked over at Elle. “It is, isn’t it?”
“What did your parents think when you told them you were going to blog full-time?” Elle wasn’t sure her father even understood what a blog was, and her mother certainly wouldn’t think of it as a reputable career.
“My parents died in a car accident when I was a baby. My grandmother raised me until she passed last year.” Claire turned the radio on to a pop station but left the volume low.
“Oh, Claire, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” Elle turned to Claire and gave her a sad smile.
“It’s okay. I had a good childhood, all things considered, and Gram was great. Anyway, let’s talk about this dress we are looking for today.”
Elle was happy for the change in topic. She never knew exactly what to say to people in that situation, but she felt she understood Claire and her live for the moment, full steam ahead lifestyle.
Elle had thought through the criteria for the dress so many times it rolled off her tongue.
“I need a dress for a formal work social event. I’ll be using the occasion to try and find a new job.”
“You’re talking about the Law Ball, right?”
“Yes, I forget everyone knows everything here.” Elle shook her head. “So, the dress needs to be conservative enough to mingle with clients. The second requirement is that it needs to be sexy enough to make an ex-boyfriend jealous and regret being such a cheating bastard.”
“Excuse me. Ex-boyfriend? Cheating? How do I not know any of this already? Spill!”
After Elle told Claire the entire story, she felt a little better.
“Wow. If helping you find a revenge dress to make that creep jealous is what you want, then of course, I will help, but are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
Elle looked at Claire’s concerned gaze. It wasn’t at all the reaction she’d expected. She thought Claire would be on-board for a good revenge dress.
“Just hear me out. You and Ryan are dating—” Claire paused and looked for Elle for confirmation.
“It’s new. We’ve only been on a few dates.”
“Well then, why would you want to bring all that negative stuff with Brock into your fresh start?” Claire asked.
Elle mulled over the question. “I just want him to see me as the sexy and confident woman I was when I first met him instead of the doormat I became when we dated. And I want him to regret the way he treated me.”
“Alright, but just think about what I said. Ryan is a good guy — the whole package. There aren’t a whole lot of those guys around. Trust me I’ve dated all the single ones!” Claire said but didn’t smile.
Elle wondered if her confident and fun-loving friend was a little less thrilled with her casual dating than she let on.
“I will,” Elle said, and she meant it. She needed to re-evaluate the ball now that she was sort of dating someone. She finished her bagel and coffee and pondered how to ask Claire for advice about moving things forward with Ryan.
“Speaking of Ryan… I’ve been trying not to get into the details much because I know you see him like a brother, but I have to talk to someone.”
Claire groaned. “Okay. I will do my best not to gag at the thought of you and Ryan getting it on.” Claire’s face scrunched up in disgust.
“Well, that’s just the problem. We’re not. We hang out, we talk, we kiss, he leaves.”
“Taking thing slow. There’s nothing wrong with that. Have you talked to him about it?” Claire asked.
“No, of course not. I’m starting to think he’s just not that into me,” Elle admitted for the first time out loud.
“Oh please.” Claire raised her eyebrows and glanced over at her. “The way that boy looks at you is enough for anyone to see he is head-over-heels crazy. He stares at you like he wants to devour you whole.” Claire laughed as they pulled into the parking lot.
The salon staff was friendly and excited to see Claire. She introduced Elle to their estheticians, Jared and Lisa, as Claire’s photographer, Buck, arrived. He was a balding man in his sixties who wore a stained Hanes t-shirt and said no more than five words as he set up the equipment. Claire didn’t seem the least bothered by his demeanor, so Elle tried not to judge.
The shop was closed to the public, so they turned up the radio, and Jared led Elle and Claire to the waxing station.
“I don’t know about this,” Elle said as she laid back in a recliner opposite Claire.
“We’ll do it together,” Claire reassured. “Buck, make sure the shots don’t include Elle.”
He grunted in response. Elle closed her eyes as Jared began rolling a stick covered in warm wax in her left nostril. He did the same thing to the other side leaving her feeling like a funny looking walrus.
She peeked over at Claire who looked as ridiculous as she felt but smiled up at Buck who shot her and Lisa from every angle.
“Ready, sweetheart?” Jared asked as he reached up and grabbed the end of one applicator and placed his other hand on the bridge of her nose.
She gulped and nodded.
“One… two…” He pulled the first stick out and offered her an apologetic smile. “It’s easier if you don’t know it’s coming.”
She closed her eyes as his hands went back in position. “One…” He ripped the applicator out, and she breathed a sigh of relief that it was over.
“What’d you think?” Claire asked as they both sat forward.
Elle sniffed deeply. “I think I can actually breathe better.”
Claire laughed and turned to Buck. “Get some shots of each item they used individually and the sign out front. Then we should be good. Thank you.”
As Buck got the shots Claire had requested, Elle and Claire made small talk with the salon staff. Claire knew all of them from previous visits, so Elle felt a little like an outsider. She was only half listening to Jared tell Claire about a bikini-wax client who always tried to hit on him while she was being waxed.
Claire’s eyes lit up, and she turned to Elle. “That’s it!”
Ell
e looked at Claire, confused by her outburst.
“Jared, do you have time to fit in a quick Brazilian before you open the salon?” she pleaded with folded hands out in front of her.
Jared looked at the clock and back at Claire. “Of course, come on back.”
“Not for me,” Claire said as she pushed Elle forward.
Before she could protest, Jared was ushering her into a private room.
“Ever had a Brazilian bikini wax?” He handed her a pair of cloth panties so small her hands trembled.
She shook her head, knowing if she spoke her voice would waver with nerves.
He motioned to a privacy screen. “You can change behind here. Everything off from the waist down and then put on the underwear I gave you and hop up on to the table.” He patted a cushioned table in the middle of the room. “I’ll be back in just a minute.”
Cursing Claire, and herself for asking for help with Ryan, she undressed and held up the scrap of material that was supposed to cover her lady parts. “Fuck me.” She muttered and stepped into them.
The table was cold and her legs stuck to the vinyl as she tapped her foot.
A knock followed by Jared’s smooth voice filled the room. “Ready?”
“Y-yes.” She sang out and was greeted with Jared’s smiling face.
He moved around the room, humming softly.
Elle laid back on the table and closed her eyes trying to block out everything but his comforting voice.
“The wax is warm and should feel nice.” He said as she began to feel a thick coating ooze over her bikini line. Jared continued his cheerful tune as he began to alternate lathering the wax on, placing what felt like a thin cloth over the wax, and ripping it off.
The taste of blood filled her mouth as she bit down on the inside of her cheek. The slight sting of the hairs being pulled from her delicate skin wasn’t nearly as mortifying as the way he attended to her, raising and lowering her legs and inching the wax, and his hands, closer and closer to her hoohah.
“Voilà!”
She sat up quickly, covering herself even while wondering why she should feel embarrassed now that he’d seen her more intimately than anyone else had in the past six months. Jared helped her down from the table and left the room. Breathing a sigh of relief, she dressed quickly and set out to find Claire to get the hell out of Dodge before her helpful friend had any more bright ideas.
She found Claire talking animatedly to their hosts, explaining her latest ideas for the blog and setting up another visit in a few months. Elle hovered around the door, anxious to leave.
Hugging Jared and Lisa and then thanking them profusely, Claire finally linked her arm with Elle’s.
“Thank you,” Elle mumbled, meeting Jared’s eyes. He gave her a slight nod and she pushed the door, escaping from the salon.
“How exactly was a bikini wax the answer?” Elle asked sitting down gingerly in her friend’s car, suddenly all too aware of how bare she was… down there.
“Oh, it’s not the answer. It’s just a necessity for the plan I have!” Claire clapped her hands in excitement and navigated the vehicle toward downtown Carroll. “Now for a dress!”
They went to four different dress stores before Elle fell in love with a gown for the ball. She tried it on at Claire’s insisting. It was unlike anything she had ever worn before. The white fabric was fitted and hugged her body without looking provocative. It had a bateau neckline, running perfectly straight across the collarbone, and a low back that made Elle feel daring but still classy. Claire even got her a substantial discount, promising the store owner she would photograph the dress and put it on her blog with details on the store.
Elle slumped in the passenger seat of Claire’s car, exhausted and hungry.
“Okay, one more stop, and then I promise I’ll feed you,” Claire said as she pulled up to a shop in a trendier part of downtown. The window displays were dressed in skimpy and vibrant party outfits.
“What are we doing here?” Elle asked as they walked into the store. It was buzzing with girls in their teens and early twenties dressed in trendy and skintight clothing.
“This is my plan.”
“You want me to wear something from this store?” Elle couldn’t keep the uneasiness out of her voice. Even when she had been in her early twenties, she had been more conservative than anything this store carried.
“Just hear me out and try a few things. Men are visual creatures.” Claire navigated quickly through the racks, pulling items and handing them to Elle. “I’m not asking you to wear this to work or even out of the house. Wear one of these ridiculous dresses, invite Ryan over for dinner, and then let him tear it off you. I picked a cheap dress store for a reason,” Claire said, pushing Elle into a changing room.
After dismissing the first handful of dresses Claire had picked, Elle found her choice. It was a short black-lace dress that showed a lot of leg and fit her body like a glove. Finally feeling hopeful about Claire’s plan, she decided to text Ryan and invite him over later.
“Oh no. He can’t make dinner tonight. Another maintenance issue at the gym.”
“I’m sorry, Elle. It’ll still work. Just postpone it until tomorrow. Let’s head back, pick up dinner and lots of wine, go back to my place, and binge-watch Sex and the City,” Claire said.
“That sounds perfect,” Elle agreed. She was a tiny bit glad she wouldn’t have to pull off her daring look tonight.
A grilled chicken salad and a cheap bottle of wine later, Elle received a text from Ryan that the maintenance guy was done at the gym, but that he was going to stay and work out before heading out. They planned to talk on the phone when he got home.
“Wait, why don’t you surprise him at the gym?” Claire asked as Carrie and Mr. Big made plans to run into each other on purpose.
“I don’t think so. He is working out. I don’t want to interrupt him,” Elle said.
“You are looking at this like such a girl. You wouldn’t want him to get dressed up and surprise you somewhere?” Claire asked.
Elle mulled it over while she finished off her glass of wine. “But I don’t even have the right shoes. I’m not ready, and I probably shouldn’t drive after this glass of wine.”
“I can have you ready in fifteen minutes. I even have the perfect shoes you can borrow. Now, go get in that dress, and I’ll call you a cab,” Claire said as she grabbed her phone.
Elle hurried into Claire’s bedroom and pulled her new dress on over her head. It had a built-in bra that pushed her small breasts up and made them look larger and perkier than they really were. She opted for no panties since the ones she’d had on were not worthy of such an event. She headed into the en suite bathroom to brush her hair and touch up her makeup as Claire came in with the perfect pair of nude stilettos. At the sight of the very tall shoes, Elle’s stomach clenched with nerves. She couldn’t believe she was doing this.
“Alright, put the shoes on and let me get a look at you,” Claire said.
Elle slipped them on and did a twirl for Claire. “Think it’ll do the trick?”
“If it doesn’t, then he’s so not worthy. Send him a sexy text and make sure he is still at the gym. The cab should be here any minute.”
Elle: Still sweaty and breathing hard? ;-)
Elle pressed send as she nervously paced the floor.
He responded quickly.
Ryan: Not as sweaty or hard as I’d be if you were here.
It was almost as if he knew what she had in mind. Her stomach flipped as she watched as the cab pulled up outside the apartment.
“It’s show time!” Claire said with excitement and slipped a condom into Elle’s purse. “You look smoking hot. Go show him what he’s been missing.”
Elle hugged her and headed to the cab.
It was a short ride from Claire’s place to the gym. The cab pulled up to Fit Club, and Elle saw Ryan’s Mustang alone in the parking lot. She said a silent thanks to the Man upstairs for the plan coming together thus f
ar. Then she paid the driver and worked up all the courage she could muster as she walked through the gym’s front door.
Most of the lights were off inside, making it hard to navigate. The faint sound of metal weights being racked could be heard over the clacking of her heels, guiding her to the weight room. Ryan lay on the bench press. He had on long basketball shorts, but he’d tossed aside his shirt. His bare chest made her mouth water. He had his earbuds in and was lightly grunting as he pressed the weights up then down to his chest. As he finished the set and re-racked the bar, Elle strode toward him. Ryan stood up and walked around the bench, taking the clip off the bar and sliding the weights off.
She knew the moment he felt her presence. He looked up directly into her eyes from across the room. He took her in, letting his gaze slowly roam over her entire body. Elle faltered in her step as they made eye contact, but she mustered up all her courage and continued to walk closer, continuing her stare. Neither one of them said a thing as she reached him.
He slowly removed his earbuds without breaking their visual connection. In a bold move fueled by the hunger and look of raw need in his eyes, Elle removed her jacket and put it with her purse on the bench.
“God, Elle. You are going to destroy me. Come here.” She had barely registered his command before he was beside her, both hands in her hair and exploring her mouth with long, deep, hungry kisses.
Elle moved her hands up over his wet skin. She took her time exploring every muscle and vein in his upper torso. His body was art.
Ryan picked her up and softly deposited her on the bench. Elle looked up at him hovering over her, his eyes full of need.
She went to touch him, but before she could, he reached underneath her legs and pulled her to the edge of the bench. He used one hand to lift her right leg up in the air, giving him full access.
A look of desperation gleamed in his eyes as he looked beneath her dress.
He smiled before lowering his mouth and slowly licking her in one long swoop. Elle moaned loudly, and her whole body shuddered.
He continued to work on her, alternating between sucking and licking. When she felt like she could take no more, he pushed a long finger inside of her and put pressure on her clit. She cried out and felt the release of the best orgasm of her life.
Sweat (Sweetbriar Lake #1) Page 10