Close to You

reddened, as if Treat were
standing right there next to her. “What if I want it to please
myself?”
    “ There are two types of
women.” She held up one finger and then a second. “The ones who
wear lingerie to feel pretty, and the ones who wear shoes. You’re a
shoe girl, babe.”
    They both looked down at Eve’s calf
length boots. Her skinny jeans were tucked inside to show off their
Victorian-esque detailing.
    Olivia took a sip of her latte, her
brow arched.
    “ Okay, I have a date.” She
held a hand up before her friend could say anything more. “It’s our
first date. It doesn’t mean I’m going to get naked for
him.”
    “ But you want to be
prepared, just in case.” Olivia nodded shrewdly. “He’s important,
whoever he is.”
    “ Yes.”
    “ I have your size in the
back.” She headed toward her stockroom. “I’ll be right
back.”
    While she waited, Eve
wandered around. Olivia had done a great
job of creating an atmosphere of romance. Muted rose and ivory
colors dominated the space, windows swathed in creamy velvet. In
one corner, there was an overstuffed chair and plush loveseat with
a coffee table that held an assortment of magazines, from fashion
to travel as well as automotive magazines for men waiting on their
women.
    She touched a frilly garter belt. She
pictured wearing it under her clothing, of Treat unwrapping her to
discover it. A thrill shot up her spine.
    Olivia walked back onto the
floor, her hands full of a colorful lace and satin. “You need this bustier. It’s
going to look fantastic on you. The color matches your eyes. Go try
it on.”
    Eve followed her to the dressing room
and closed the drape. In addition to the bustier, there was another
bra as well as matching panties for both.
    She tried on the bra first, a deep
bluish violet. Olivia had excellent taste in underwear, and she
hadn’t missed the mark with this one. It was lovely.
    “ Are you decent?” Olivia
asked as she peeked in. She studied the bra critically and then
nodded. “That looks fantastic on you.”
    “ It does,” she agreed,
turning to look in the mirror.
    “ It makes your eyes look
dark and mysterious.” Her friend nodded in satisfaction. “Try on
the bustier,” she ordered as she backed out of the room.
    It was a frothy concoction of lace and
silk, a whimsical sky blue. Fastening the row of hooks up the back
was a feat, but the results were worth it. She gaped at her herself
in the mirror. “Damn.”
    “ What is it?” Olivia asked,
poking her head in again.
    “ I have boobs.”
    “ I knew it’d look awesome
on you, and how often do you find that color blue in a
bustier?”
    She had no idea. The only thing she
knew was that Treat was going to swallow his tongue when he saw her
in it.
    When —like it was a foregone conclusion. She ran her hands along
the lace insets. She supposed it was inevitable. “It might get in
trouble if I wear this on my date.”
    “ That’s the point,” Olivia
said with a knowing smile. “Take your time getting dressed. I’ll be
out here.”
    Eve stared at her reflection,
imagining Treat standing behind her, running his hands over the
silk covering her breasts.
    What was she doing? Shaking her head,
she undid the hooks. Her father would flip out if he knew she was
trying on underwear instead of manning her shop.
    Getting dressed quickly, she checked
the price tags as she walked back onto the floor. Yikes. She
winced. Maybe she’d be able to afford it if she ate tuna fish all
month.
    Olivia must have noted her expression
because she took all the underwear out of her hands and said, “I
knew I should have taken the tags off before giving them to you.
They’re a gift.”
    “ They? No . Even just the bustier is a small
fortune in lace, and I don’t need the other bra.”
    “ I get them at wholesale.”
She set them on the counter and pulled out tissue paper. “You were
meant to have them. Both sets looked fantastic on you.”
    “ I can’t—”
    “ Yes, you can,” Olivia said
firmly. “You give me lattes and croissants all the time, simply
because it makes you happy.”
    “ Yes, but a croissant
doesn’t cost a couple hundred dollars.” She watched
    “ That’s not the point.
We’re friends, and you’ve been stressed, and I want to do this for
you.” Her friend narrowed her eyes. “So accept it.”
    Eve sighed. “Thank you.”
    “ You’re welcome,” Olivia
said primly, holding out a fancy bag with Romantic Notions scrolled
daintily on the