“You could try one of those full-body girdles on top of the control-top panties,” Tessie suggested, eyeing the two-inch gap where the corseted back didn’t meet.
Eve was eyeing it, too, because Cassidy had set up three mirrors at various angles so that she wouldn’t miss a single moment of this frustrating, humiliating experience. Even Aiden was getting a good look because he was in his carrier seat on the floor just a few yards away. He was watching them the way a kid would feast on a cartoon playing out in front of him.
“I don’t own a full-body girdle,” Eve said, and she prayed that Tessie and Cassidy didn’t, either. She could barely breathe as it was, and she didn’t want to vise her stomach and lungs any more than they already were.
Cassidy and Tessie kept tugging, pulling, eyeing and adjusting the corset laces until Eve had had enough. “I knew this was a stupid idea.”
Cassidy made a yeah right sound. “You can’t make me believe you don’t want to go on a date with Lawson. You’ve fixed your hair. Put on some makeup. And you’ve been giddy all day. You even laid out those silver hooker stilettos that I made you buy but you’ve never worn.”
Yes to all those things, but answering this was tricky territory because Tessie was right there, and since Lawson was her father, Eve had to watch what she said. Definitely no mention of sex. Or love. Or the fact that Lawson was the only man Eve had ever really wanted. Tessie was already on an emotional roller coaster, and it was best for Eve not to crash into it with her own carnival ride of feelings.
She’d told Lawson she loved him. That was no big deal. She’d mumbled that a time or two during the afterglow of orgasms.
But the “living the rest of my life with you” was huge.
It wasn’t just a hint of the c-word, it was the very definition of it. In fact, she was surprised that Lawson hadn’t run and then canceled this dance date. But he hadn’t. When Eve had texted him earlier in the day to ask if they were still on for eight o’clock, he’d answered back with a thumbs-up emoji.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t mentally running for the hills though. And Eve figured she should steel herself in case he wanted to break things off with her. He could be using this date as the big finale to the dance they’d never had.
The goodbye they’d never gotten to say.
Of course, he might not have any breaking-off opportunities if she didn’t show up, and while that was somewhat tempting, she did want to see him. Then she could take back her c-word, and they could continue to, well, do whatever the heck they were doing. She had to be careful, though, so that she didn’t spoil the relationship that seemed to be budding between Tessie and him.
Eve let go of everything she was clinching and sucking in, making the laces on the dress pull even tighter. “I need to find something else to wear.”
Cassidy huffed. “You’ve hung on to this dress for nearly two decades. You’re wearing it. Maybe you can turn it around so the gaps will be in the front. It’ll be sexy, showing some cleavage.”
“It won’t be sexy because my boobs will be smashed together and my stomach will be showing. The pudge will poke through the tight laces.”
Tessie and Cassidy looked at the gap again and made sounds and gestures of agreement. “How about wearing your Ulyana costume underneath it?” Tessie suggested. “You know, the one that fits like a scuba suit.”
Eve shook her head, but she knew exactly which one Tessie meant. Even if she had been able to find the outfit, she’d have to oil her body just to get into it. Plus, it had a high neck, which meant the dark red leather would show big-time beneath the strapless dress.
“Maybe we can cut off the top of a camisole and use it like a lining underneath the dress to cover up the gap,” Cassidy tried again.
Tessie nodded. “And then Mom can wear a shawl over it.”
They were both bad ideas, but Tessie and Cassidy ran with it as if it were a genius plan. It’d been a while since Eve had seen Tessie move with such enthusiasm, so she didn’t stop her as she raced off. Cassidy barreled up the stairs, no doubt on her own clothing scavenger hunt.
Eve pulled off the vising control-top panties and tossed them in the trash. She was about to head to her closet to find anything else, but her phone rang, and the moment she saw Kellan’s name on the screen, Eve knew she had to answer it.
“You worthless piece of worm s-h-i-t!” Eve greeted him. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying to spell shit as it was to say it, but she didn’t want to curse in front of Aiden. “And if you call me Baby-Cakes, I’m going to reach through this phone and rip out your effing tonsils.”
Silence. Which meant Kellan had indeed been about to call her that.
“I’m hearing a lot of anger in your voice,” Kellan finally said.
“Then listen harder because it’s more than just a lot. It’s a massive amount. Even bigger than your ego. You had no right, none, to say that Tessie was your daughter.”
“I thought it would help. I thought it would get Lawson off the hook. But I can see now I was wrong. Lawson seems to want to stay on that hook.”
Eve wasn’t sure of any of that, but she was especially suspicious of Kellan’s motives. “You lied because you wanted the publicity. Well, listen here, Baby-Cakes. If you screw with my life and my daughter again, I’ll rip out the rest of your internal organs and shove them up your a-s-s. Have you got that?”
“Uh. Yes. I think you painted a very clear picture for me.” He paused. “Hey, gotta go, Baby...uh, Eve. I’m about to do an interview with a reporter about the rumors of the remake of Demon High. Say, I don’t guess I could talk you into reconsidering doing some reunion episodes?”
She had to get her teeth unclenched before she could speak. “Remember that clear picture I just painted for you? Ask me that question again, and the picture will become your reality.”
“Oh. Okay.” He was already in his slick PR mode, which meant the reporter was probably right there and listening. “I’ll remember that.” And then he added something that sounded surprisingly sincere. “I am really sorry, and it won’t happen again.”
Eve jabbed the end-call button with enough force to break the screen just as Tessie came back into the room. Not rushing the way she’d made her exit. And she glanced at Eve’s phone.
“Kellan?” Tessie concluded.
“Yes. We were talking about, uh, art, among other things.”
Tessie stayed quiet a moment. “You chewed him out for lying?”
Eve nodded.
If Tessie had given her any hint that she wanted to know more about the conversation, Eve would have filled her in, minus the spelled-out profanity. But Tessie only held up the two items she was holding.
A gold bolero sweater that wasn’t large enough to cover anything but her shoulders and a sparkly silver shawl with a bead fringe.
“I had the shawl on my lampshade to diffuse the light,” Tessie explained. “It’s chic boho.”
She draped it around Eve’s shoulders, and while it wasn’t her style, at least it covered up the gap. Well, it would if she didn’t move around too much.