Love in the Afternoon
Love in the Afternoon
(The Lingerie Series)
Yvette Hines
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission by the author.
Love in the Afternoon
Copyright © 2013, Yvette Hines
Proofing Editor: A. Jackson
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Series Note:
I hope you enjoy The Lingerie Series, a new short story edition of the “Stir Sticks & Stilettos” series. This line of the SS&S will feature the voluptuously, lovely, full-figured heroines of different ethnicities that are confident, successful and not ashamed to flaunt their bodies in alluring lingerie paired with sexy mouth-watering heroes as so many of my readers have requested. These little nuggets of erotic shorts are meant to excite you, at the same time, give you a little happiness at the end. Stay tuned for the next stories to follow.
Never give up on love, because just when you think the door has closed…a window opens.
“
Okay, everyone. We all need to be very quiet. Chase should be home in minutes.” Kalan, my best friend, was smiling broadly as she stared at the faces of Chase’s friends and their family, Kalan’s family as well. Kalan and Chase were first cousins.
All of us were gathered at the park across the street from Chase’s cul-de-sac with various baked goods and gifts in our hands. Chase had been away for the last two months in Nebraska setting up his wholesale produce shipping company there. He worked with local farmers to get their goods and vegetables to customers' doors in less than twenty-four hours. Henderson Packing and Shipping’s slogan was '
From fields to the table in a day'
. We all knew how big of a deal it was that Chase had been able to add another state to his expanding business. As a pilot, Chase had flown private jets for the rich and famous for seven years. When so many of his clients were starting to become vegans and healthier eaters, they began to ask him to fly to places and pick them up foods from all over the country. Chase realized that working, everyday people deserved the same kind of service, if not more. He had realized that middle class households where both parents worked wanted their families to be healthy, too. However, they didn’t have time to go to the store every other day for fresh produce. So, he brought the freshness to them.
The business had exploded in their state, North Carolina, and by the end of his first year, Chase had added five other surrounding states. Six years later, he shipped to most of the East Coast and was moving into the Central and Midwest states. The upper class subdivision was proof of how well Chase’s company was doing.
“
Are you sure we should do this tonight, Kalan? I thought Chase wasn’t due in until tomorrow night.”
“
Yes, Uncle Donald.” Kalan, holding her gift and mine, stared at Chase’s father, holding a box of wine. Three weeks ago when Kalan had gathered all of them at a restaurant and discussed Chase’s surprise birthday, Donald had insisted he was bringing the box wine.
It was the reason Jax, Chase’s college roommate, was holding a case of expensive Champagne for everyone else to drink. Glancing at Donald Henderson, I would never understand why a man that loved eating at four star restaurants would allow such a cheap alcohol to grace his palate, but that had always been Chase’s father. For Chase’s college graduation, his father had prime rib and butcher’s select ribs on the grill for the pool party; however there were cases of box wine and cheap no-name beer in the cooler.
“
You’re controlling this train. I’ll just hang on to the caboose.” Donald called out loud, not heeding Kalan’s words or the whispered tone she was using.
I could not help but smile. Chase’s parents, Donald and his wife, Mary Ann, were kind and big-hearted people who loved their two children immensely. That was something I would have given my right arm for. My family wasn’t close at all. My parents were still married but only by strings of determination. They fought and argued all the time. My older brother never came home to visit them because he and my father fought about every decision my brother made and Lance couldn’t take it so he stayed away.
Same reason I had gravitated to Kalan and the Henderson clan. They still did things like holidays parties and a monthly potluck and game night. Since I was Kalan’s best friend, they had included me in their circle and I loved it.
“
As I told everyone when I called two hours ago that Chase finished up today and decided to catch an early flight.” Kalan looked around at the fifteen people gathered. “We all good? Ready to go?”
I was holding the birthday cake, yellow with white butter-cream frosting. I had picked it up from the bakery this afternoon. It hadn’t been finished yet, but I refused to leave without it. I wasn’t sure if the shop keeper had fleeced me out of twenty dollars for the ‘rush’ fee or not. I didn’t care. Chase deserved a cake for his thirty-fifth birthday celebration. I peeped through the cellophane window at the top of the sheet cake box. Chase's dark gray eyes stared back at me. Even printed on edible sugary paper, they still gave me chills.
It wasn’t because I had a thing for Chase. No way. I’d put those feelings away years ago. Besides, he had Leeza Rockingham, a red head bombshell. Leeza was a life consultant to the Charlotte elite. Chase had been dating her for the last year and proposed to her six months ago. Something all Chase’s family and friends knew Leeza had been aiming for.
“
Where’s Leeza?” Mary Ann, Chase’s mother, frowned as she looked around the people prepared to descend on Chase’s home with a celebration.
Kalan rolled her eyes dramatically. My best friend was never one to bite her tongue about her feelings surrounding anything, especially the topic of Leeza. “I don’t think she’s going to make it.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. I could just imagine the explicit words going through Kalan’s mind. I’d already gotten an earful on the phone from Kalan while we were headed to the rendezvous site. It was all about status and money to Chase’s fiancée. Family game night and barbeques were things Leeza rarely showed up for.
“
Shouldn’t we wait for her? Chase hates when we don’t include her.” Mary Ann’s face now was contoured in worry.
“
I’ve tried to call her multiple times since Chase called me. He had attempted to reach her before he called me. I left a message on her cell phone to let her know that Chase was coming in tonight. I’m sure when she’s finished with whatever party or design show she’s attending tonight she’ll arrive in a splash of
excitement
.”
Taking several deep breaths, I had to keep myself from laughing at Kalan’s emphasis on the word excitement. Leeza’s excitement over anything that Chase wanted was always false to anyone that wanted to look beyond the expensive whitening job of the flashy woman’s smile.
“
Well, as long as we tried.” Donald gave a brisk nod, ending the conversation.
“
Can we go? I don’t want Chase to catch us sneaking to his house,” Kalan called out.
“
Lead the way.” Natasha, Kalan’s mother, called out from the back beside me.
With little discussion, we all made our way across the street then rounded the house on the corner and went to the path beside the thick grove of trees at the edge of the stream that ran at the back of all the houses on this side of the street. There was a paved running trail the housing association had installed. It was perfect for us to keep off the street.
Ten minutes later, Kalan led us all into Chase’s backdoor with her emergency key. Before he moved Leeza into his house a few months ago, he used Kalan to get things from his home office or sign for deliveries when he was out of town.
Entering the kitchen at the back of his two-story house, we all moved around by the light Chase kept on over his stove. We didn’t want to alert Chase that we were there when he came into the front door. The house was quiet and there was a lamp on in the living room, but from what I could see, the rest of Chase’s home was dark. However, my view was limited from the kitchen, where we all were gathered and attempting to keep hushed as we discussed food placement and things. I could barely see the side view of the living room.
Even with the darkness, I knew his home. Last year it had been Chase’s turn to host the Henderson family Easter brunch. I had been invited, as I was for most of the events. His home was kept clean and fresh by his weekly housekeeper. It was designed with chic furniture, and custom-made artwork graced his walls and tabletops. Even with the house's striking beauty, I thought the four bedroom residence felt more like a museum than a home. The place seemed to come alive when all the family was in attendance with their rambunctious children, all of which were with baby sitters tonight. Kalan didn’t want to chance the little ones making noise and giving away their surprise.
Lenny and Darrell, the twenty-three year old twin sons of one of the uncles, walked out of the dining room where they had randomly taped balloons and streamers on the wall. Passing them, I entered and allowed a low laugh to come out as I saw in the moonlight coming in through the window how crazy the room looked now. The decorations had no rhythm or reason or understanding of people’s height which said a lot since the twins themselves were six two. However, I knew Chase wouldn’t care. He’d be too excited that his family was around him.
Kalan entered the dining room behind me carrying a stack of dessert plates and forks as she moved close to me.
“
So, where do you think Leeza is tonight?” I whispered.
Kalan shrugged. Keeping her tone as low as mine she said, “Who in the hell knows. Chase mentioned something to me about an animal rescue benefit one of her clients was putting on that he thought she’d said something about attending tonight.” Setting down the dishes carefully on the table, she continued, “I tell you, Oriana, I don’t know how Chase could let that viper into his life.”