Operation Date Escape

inside the entrance of the lingerie store and turned to her. “Oh, yeah?” she said with a widening smile. “Then prove it.”
    Her mother nodded. “Yeah, prove it.”
    Kelsie groaned. This wasn’t fair. They knew she was a sucker for a challenge. Always had been. They were playing downright dirty.
    Her mother and Nanci stood waiting for her reply.
    This was the last shopping trip she was going on with the two of them together. “Fine,” she mumbled, caving under the pressure. “I’ll buy something sexy to wear. But I’m telling you right now that Cole’s never going to see it.”
    “Never say never, honey.”
    “Your mom’s right.”
    “She’s such a smart girl,” her mother said, sending a warm smile Nanci’s direction.
    “Smart ass maybe,” Kelsie muttered under her breath.
    “Time’s a wasting.” Nanci took her by the arm and set off through the store, weaving around the various display stands of lace and silk. “We’re going to sexy you up and then we’re going to sacrifice your old lady underwear to the god of fire.”

CHAPTER NINE

    Six pair of low-cut lace panties and three thongs not much thicker than dental floss later, Kelsie’s underwear wardrobe had been revamped. Her mother and Nanci had also talked her into purchasing two demi-cup push-up bras which she had to admit fit her really well. Better yet, she actually had cleavage.
    “All set?” her mother asked when she’d finished checking out.
    Grabbing her packages from the counter, Kelsie nodded. “Lead on.” Turning, she followed her fashion dictators out of Victoria’s Secret and into the mall.
    “ Ooh, check out those earrings,” her mother said as they passed by a jewelry store’s window front. “They’re exactly what I’ve been looking for and they’re on sale! I’ll be right back,” she called out as she disappeared inside.
    “Any news on your book?” Nanci asked as we waited outside of the jewelry store.
    “Nothing yet, but I just sent the partials of OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE out to the publishers who requested it.” She had sent several query letters out and had, much to her surprise, received very positive responses to her date-ditching guide concept.
    “That’s great ,” her friend exclaimed.
    “I’d rather no one else know about it if you can manage to keep your lips sealed for real this time. Especially around my mother.”
    “Hey, I didn’t tell your mother about Cole. You did.”
    “You might as well have,” she said with a frown. “Nothing’s new with me. You might check with your daughter though. Sound familiar?”
    “Wait a minute,” Nanci said as realization lit her eyes. “ Are you telling me your mother still doesn’t know about OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE?”
    “ I don’t see any reason to tell her about it unless something comes of it. So keep your fingers crossed the publisher wants it.”
    “ They’re going to love it and someday I’ll be able to say I knew her before she became rich and famous.”
    Kelsie laughed. “I hardly think one book is going to make me rich and famous.”
    “It did for that lady who wrote Harry Potter.”
    “Well, if it does happen I promise I won’t forget you. Maybe I’ll even hire you on as my personal assistant and you can go with me on all my book tours.”
    “Sounds good to me. Lots of cities mean s lots of men. I’m all for that.”
    Why didn’t it surprise her that Nanci would take the ir conversation that direction?
    “S orry to keep you two waiting,” her mother said as she stepped from the store, jewelry store bag in hand.
    Kelsie eyed the bag. “What did you buy?”
    “I couldn’t decide between a pair of sterling silver hoops I liked and a pair of sterling silver beaded drop earrings.” Her mother held up the bag with a smile. “So I bought both.”
    Of course, she did. Her mother collected jewelry like Nanci collected men and vibrators. And what did she collect? Bad dates. Lucky her.
    “ Is anyone else hungry?” Nanci asked a few stores later.
    “As long as there’s coffee, I’m game, ” Kelsie replied as they made their way toward the food court.
    “I could use a little something,” her mother said.
    Nanci glanced around the food court. “The pizza’s calling out to me.”
    “It does smell pretty good,” Kelsie had to agree, more than a little tempted by the smell of fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza that lingered in the air around them. “But I just had pizza for lunch yesterday, so I think I’ll give Chinese