“Sure,” I said. “Is Saturday okay? You want any friends to come?”
Brett nodded. He put his dishes in the sink and then raced into the living room. Isabelle threw an affectionate smile towards him.
“He’s growing up so fast,” she said.
I nodded and reached for my laptop, pulling it closer. As soon as it booted, I opened my email and frowned. Sixty-three emails…a bit high for a Saturday morning.
But when I saw the first subject line, my heart sank. It was from Hannah.
“Urgent – Need To Discuss Last Night.”
I groaned inwardly as I opened it and was greeted with a solid wall of text. Frowning, I leaned closer and began to read. As I scanned the page, my stomach twisted into a furious series of knots. By the time I was through, I was shaking with rage. That little cunt, I thought, slamming my laptop shut. She isn’t getting away with this shit.
“Mr. Thomas?” Isabelle looked up at me with concern. “You okay?”
“No,” I said shortly. “But I will be.”
Chapter Eight
June
On Saturday, Angela and I went out shopping. I wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone other than her, but I was desperate to find something that wouldn’t made me look like a little kid in the eyes of Thomas. We went from department store to department store, looking at dresses, lingerie, and shoes.
“What about this?” I held up a grey silk bra, La Perla, with the cups done in lace.
“It wouldn’t look right on you,” Angela said. She frowned and stepped closer. “Let me have a look.” She shuffled the shopping bags from one arm to the other, hoisting them high on her shoulder. “What about this?”
I frowned. Angela was holding up a whit
e cotton chemise, slightly sheer.
I wrinkled my nose. “I’d look like Anne of Green Gables,” I said, twisting my lips.
Angela laughed. “It would be sexy on you!”
“I want something sexier,” I said, pushing the chemise aside and rifling through a table of brightly-colored silk panties. “Like this,” I added, holding up a pair of black silk undies.
Angela burst out laughing. “June, those are crotchless.”
“What?!” I dropped the black silk on the table, blushing hotly. My flush deepened when I realized that people all over the store were staring at us.
“June, come over here,” Angela said. “Put those down,” she added, pointing to an emerald pair of undies clutched in my hands.
Frowning, I followed Angela out of lingerie and into outerwear.
“Getting a coat would be just covering up even more,” I said in irritation.
“No, I’m not talking about that,” Angela said. She rolled her eyes. “Give me a break, okay?” She pulled me over to the shoe department. “What about just…you know, kind of modifying your everyday wardrobe?”
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “What exactly do you mean?”
Angela sighed and rolled her eyes. “Like, I don’t know.” She gestured down at my outfit. I glanced down, half-expecting the solution to pop into my head. I was wearing slim jeans, a white blouse, and a black cardigan with the first button fastened.
“I still don’t get it,” I said.
“So, you look cute,” Angela said. “But what if you traded your pants for something that came above your ankles, and then wore heels?”
“That sounds painful.”