Author's Note
When I published The Plumber Always Rings Twice, I was intending it to be a short, sweet slice of life story. A single, short slice of life. Now, over six months later, I'm thinking maybe there's room for a second slice. This one's a little steamier, but like the original, still short, sweet and slightly sappy.
* * *
Third Ring
I stood up and flushed. Watching the water swirl round and round the bowl, going down without stopping. With my fingers still on the handle, I smirked as I heard Jess's voice in my head. "Bob's your uncle," she said, wearing an impish grin.
After toweling my hands dry, I turned my attention to the mirror, picked up my mini tube of Beso Stay All Day, and puckered up. I pursed my lips, relaxed, and took a step back to take it all in.
"Not bad," I said, with a quick nod. I ran my hands over the sides of my dress and tugged at the mid-thigh hem, pulling it a little lower, while congratulating myself on the fact I could still pull off wearing an outfit like this.
I took another look in the mirror and frowned. My bra strap was showing. I tucked it back in.
I did a little twirl, casting my gaze to the floor as I finished. I raised my eyes just enough to peer into the mirror while I tucked a bit of hair behind my right ear with my fingertip, hoping it looked sexy. "Hello, Jess," I whispered.
Too much.
I stood up straight, squaring my shoulders. I thrust my hand out and put on a smile. "Hi-ya, Jess."
Lame.
"Jess," I said, my arms wide, leaning sideways. "Bruh. How long's it been?"
Definitely not.
I stood there for a few minutes, gazing at my reflection, pushing my beso-covered lips out, trying to perfect my sultry pout. I noticed my bra was showing again.
"Damn," I said, fiddling to hide it back under the strap of my little summer dress.
I heard the rumble of a truck engine from the street and sucked a quick breath, picturing Jess seated behind the wheel. When I heard the engine stop, I took a last poke at my hair, before turning and reaching for the light switch.
I stopped short, turning my eyes to the mirror again. My bra strap had slipped out. "Damn."
I heard a truck door open and close and scowled at the errant strap peeking out.
"Fuck it," I said, hiking my dress up as far as I could to get my hands underneath. Reaching around, I unhooked my bra, pulled my arm in and through on one side, and pulling the uncooperative garment out the other.
I held it high in my clenched fist.
Victory!
Once again, I let my gaze linger on the mirror. My nipples were poking out through the thin fabric of my dress.
The doorbell rang.
"Fuck it," I said, slinging my wayward bra over the unused towel hook on the back of the door and marching into the hall.
* * *
I opened my front door to find Jess nicely framed in the doorway. She was wearing the same impish grin I imagined, blue jeans that I absolutely adored, and holding a bottle of wine.
"I... I brought..." Jess raised the bottle and studied the label. "The guy said it was good... At the store... The wine guy." She dropped her eyes to my front porch.
"Come on in, Jess," I said, taking a step back to make room. And, if I'm being honest, to take her all in.
She looked up and did the same, letting her gaze wander up and down. And we stood there for a moment, like a couple of teenagers, neither of us saying anything. I felt my nipples tighten and wondered how much they were protruding through my dress.
Jess was the first to speak. "You look... Wow."
I flashed a smile, adding just a hint of a Beso Stay All Day pout, before shamelessly focusing in on her ass.
"I know," she said, "I feel a little under-dressed. I probably should have worn khakis."
"No, you're fine," I said.
So fine.
It hasn't even been five minutes and already I'm busted checking out her ass.
"So, when I looked online," Jess said, "it said alcohol was permitted in the park, but only one bottle per person."
"You hiding another one somewhere?" I asked. Looking up and down those formfitting jeans, I knew she wasn't.
"No." She blushed. "I just didn't want you to think we were going to get hassled."
"Come on, Jess." I said. "I've got the perfect picnic cooler. It holds a bottle and two glasses." I gave just a hint of Stay All Day pout and turned on my heel, hoping Jess was watching as I sashayed to the kitchen.
"Shoot," mumbled Jess. "I forgot to bring glasses."
"You're in luck. I have those too." I put a little extra effort into my sashay.
When we got to the kitchen, I pointed to the cupboard over the refrigerator. "They're up there," I said. "Can you reach? I'll have to use a chair."
"Mm," she said. "Mm-hmm."
"Left side," I said, and made no effort to move my eyes from Jess as she stretched to reach the high cupboard.
As much as I was enjoying the view, I began to wonder if me standing on a chair, with my bare legs wiggling in Jess's face while I reached and stretched, might have been a better idea.
"Almost," she said, extending her hand.
I felt a wave of heat run through me. I knew my cheeks had gone pink.
"Got 'em." Jess came back to earth clutching two stemmed glasses in hand.
"Thanks," I said, taking them and setting them on the counter. "Cooler's up there too. On the right side."
"Right... side?"
"Yep," I said. She didn't even get to turn around before I sent my eyes crawling over her.
Jess pawed around in the cupboard.
"It's the vinyl soft-side kind," I said, studying her ass as she moved.
"Got it," she said, pulling the zippered cooler down and closing the cupboard door.
"Thanks," I said, plucking it from her hand and bouncing over to the counter with it. I set it down and stopped.
Resting my hands on the edge of the counter top, I took a deep breath and held it.
What was I doing here? Acting like a schoolgirl.
"Eve?" Jess was behind me, I could hear her breathing before the words left her mouth. "You look nice," she said. "I meant to say it before, but..."
I turned around, dropping my gaze in the process. I thought back to my pout practiced in the mirror. I chickened out and sighed instead, keeping my eyes on the floor. "You don't think it's too much?"
"Too much is not exactly what comes to mind with that dress."
"You know what I mean." I pursed my beso-colored lips for a moment. "It looks like I'm trying too hard, doesn't it? I should change. I'm not a teenager anymore, and I shouldn't--"
I stopped as Jess covered my hand with hers. "Eve," she said. "I meant it. You look nice."
"Thanks," I said, raising my eyes and giving her that perfect pout I'd been practicing. And just in case she missed it, I batted my lashes, too.
"Okay, that was a bit much," she said.
I grinned. "Look in the fridge," I said. "There's chicken salad."
As Jess opened the refrigerator door, I dug the bread out of the cupboard. And while her back was to me, I practiced my pout some more.
"You make this yourself?" Jess asked.
"Mm-hmm." I opened the drawer for a knife. "Started with a rotisserie chicken, though. Saves time. Don't tell my date I cheated."
"Looks delicious." Jess moved dangerously close as she set the chicken salad on the counter next to me.
I imagined her eyes wandering over me as she said it, checking me out as I had so shamelessly done while I sent her digging in the high cupboard not once, but twice. And she hadn't argued at my earlier implication that this was a date.
I felt my nipples tightening again, against the fabric of my dress.
"Anything I can do?" Jess asked.
I turned around. She was only inches away. I sucked a breath.
"Pack these in the cooler, please?" I said, slipping to one side. "I need to... I'll be right back."
"There's plastic wrap under the sink," I hollered as I hustled out of the kitchen and into the hall before I changed my mind about my plan.
"I hope you're not changing," said Jess.
"I'm not."
Not exactly.
I reached into the bathroom and plucked my bra from the back of the door. I trotted to my bedroom, chucked it in the clothes hamper in the closet, and stood for a moment, catching my breath.
"I was serious when I said you look nice," she added.
I straightened up and kicked off my sandals. "Fuck it," I mumbled. I shimmied out of my panties and kicked them into the clothes hamper to land on top of my bra.
* * *
Say Yes
We stood on my porch, Jess and me. The sun was setting, and as the cool evening air ushered in, I was reminded that my underwear was lying at the top of the clothes hamper inside. I shivered.
Ever the chivalrous one, Jess gripped my shoulders with the flat of her hands and rubbed vigorously up and down.
I leaned into her. My nipples were definitely poking through my dress. I didn't care. "Come inside," I said.
"You sure?" Jess shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "It's getting late."
"Jess," I said. "It's eight o'clock. It's not late. But it's getting chilly. Come inside."
"Okay, sure."
I shivered one last time as I unlocked the door.
"Good concert," she said. "I never thought of myself as a classical music lover, but I have to say, it was alright."
"They have to throw at least one in per season. The next one is Jazz if you're..."
One step at a time.
