I didn't need to change the time my alarm went off. If I hadn't called in sick to work I'd still be getting up at four in the morning. Jake was still asleep when the alarm went off. I quickly silenced it and made my way to the bathroom to get ready. I was excited about the days events so I was more alert than normal for this hour. I was showered and ready in no-time.
I wanted to make sure I looked good today. I put on my dark mascara, I rarely put this on unless I was going out for a night on the town. I put on my dark red Oxblood lipstick, another product I generally reserved for nights out. I also threw a few makeup remover towelettes into my bag so that when I got home nothing would look out of the ordinary. I decided to wear a jean mini skirt. It wasn't too short, the bottom ended about two inches above my knees. The hem was tattered, giving the skirt the appearance of "cut-off" jeans. I chose a little yellow tank top. It showed off my shoulders and just a hint of cleavage. I then slipped on a pair of sexy strappy shoes. The final touch for today was making sure I packed a work outfit, just in case Jake was home before me. I figured I'd text him on my way home and see where he was. Can't play it too safe when you are pulling a stunt like this, I thought to myself.
I was out the door and on my way to Dante's by five thirty. When Dante told me that Sarah was car pooling with us I was a little disappointed. Apparently Brian had to cancel, so it would be just the three of us. I know I was trying to behave myself, but it's so hard to completely turn off desire. It's probably a good thing, I told myself.
When I pulled into the parking spot at Dante's apartment he was loading a few bags into the trunk of his Honda. As I hopped out of my car Dante flashed me a smile.
"Dang girl, I didn't know you were rolling in a Benz." Jake said to me.
"Yeah, my hubby is kind of a car nut. He doesn't do domestic cars. It's a win for me, I get to roll in this beauty." I told Dante.
"We should totally take your ride to Pensacola instead of my POS." Dante said.
"Fine with me." I responded. I then popped the rear hatch so that Dante could load his gear into my Mercedes. As Dante was loading his gear Sarah pulled up next to my car.
"Hi Sarah." I said as she walked over.
"Look at you in this fancy car." Sarah said. "You got a sugar daddy at home?" She asked humorously.
"Funny girl." I said to Sarah. "I've worked hard for this."
"What kind of work do you do?" Sarah asked me.
Oh boy, this is going to sound bad, I thought to myself. "I work at a coffee shop." I answered.
"Sounds like I need to work at a coffee shop." Sarah replied.
"We're always hiring." I responded with a smile.
"You girls ready?" Dante asked.
A minute later we were packed in. Dante was sitting shotgun. The drive to Pensacola was about an hour and a half. It went quickly, the three of us had a good dynamic, and the conversation was quirky and fun. The three of us each have a snarky sense of humor so the conversation was also edgy, with just a hint of sexual innuendo. Occasionally the sexual innuendo made me wonder if Dante and Sarah had ever dated. It wasn't over the top, but there was definitely an openness that made me wonder.
Time flies when you're having fun. In no time we were at the Casino convention center where the competition was taking place. Sarah and I followed Dante in. Once inside Dante gave us each a hug and said he'd talk to us after his group went on stage. We each wished him good look and then wandered around the convention center for a while, taking in all the activity before we headed to get good seats.
The first group went on at eight thirty. We found good seats in the second row and got settled in to watch both the girls and guys. Dante's group was Division D, for men over six feet tall. Dante was a tall drink of water at 6'2". Watching the different groups on stage made me very excited, and a little nervous about being up there myself. The women were all very tan, and looked fantastic. Can I really compete with them? I asked myself.
I was watching the girls up on stage very closely. This was the group that I would be competing in. As I'm scrutinizing the girls on stage I felt a light touch on my leg. I looked down and saw Sarah's hand on my thigh. I raised my eyes towards Sarah.
"I can see what you're thinking." Sarah said to me. "We are always our own harshest critics. I did a few competitions a few years back, and i've been to dozens over the years. You can compete with these girls, and with a little work over the next few weeks we'll have you ready."
Sarah's words of encouragement were touching. I flashed her a huge smile and moved my hand down and gave her hand a squeeze. "Thank you so much for saying that Sarah. It helps to hear." I kindly thanked her.
"I need some heels that will go with my Bikini." I said to Sarah. "And I need to get a little darker."
"Like I said, I've done a few shows, and watched a ton of them, if you'd like, I'd love to take you out shopping and do a mini spa day to get you all dolled up for the competition." Sarah offered. Her offer to help made me feel great. I hadn't made any real friends since we'd moved here, and now I've got Sarah offering up a spa day.
"Sure, that would me amazing." I replied. "What all do i need to do to get ready?" I asked.
"Well, I haven't seen the outfit that you intend to wear, so I can't say if you need a new bikini." Sarah said. I told her to hang on a sec while I pulled out my phone and showed her a few pics that Dante had taken with my phone.
"Wow." Sarah exclaimed. "I see what Dante means." I cocked my head and gave Sarah an inquisitive look. "Oh you know what I'm talking about." Sarah said before I could say anything. "You know he thinks your hot. And he's right, you'd look amazing for a 30 year old, let alone a 40 year old." Sarah continued.
I scrunched up my nose and smiled at Sarah. "Thanks, I guess." I told her. "So does that bikini work?" I asked Sarah.
"Absolutely." She replied. "It's fantastic. And I know where we can find a pair of perfect blue and silver heels to match." Sarah continued. "Then we need to go to Exotic Exposure Salon. They do the most amazing spray on tans. A few trips and you'll have the perfect dark, natural looking tan. They also do a great Brazilian wax which you'll need."
I was getting excited just thinking about it all. "So is that it?" I asked.
"Not quite." Sarah responded. "A mani-pedi will finish you off. I have a good place for that too."