The powder room was already occupied. I backed away from the door. Glanced up the stairs. Surely Sallie wouldn’t mind...?
Her bedroom door was open, coats piled on the bed. I nipped in, out of sight of anyone passing in the hall, and hiked my skirt to my waist. I stretched and jiggled, trying to shift my shapewear. A toilet flushed. I froze as a door on the other side of the room opened, and Ned walked out, his pants gaping.Ack! Ick!
“Shit!” he yelled.
“Sorry!”
Ned fumbled for his zipper. “What are you—”
Trey stuck his head in the door. “Are you all... Oh. Hey.”
Heat swarmed my face. My entire body burned. His black, observant gaze skipped from my exposed underwear to Ned’s unbuckled belt. I dropped my skirt hastily. “I just came up to fix my...”
“I had to use the bathroom,” Ned blurted.
“Meg?” It was John. Of course he’d come looking for menow. “You ready to go?”
I smoothed my dress over my thighs with fingers that trembled only slightly. “Yes.”
John’s brows flicked together. “Everything okay?”
I nodded, wordless with embarrassment.
Trey looked like he was trying not to laugh. “She wasn’t feeling well. I brought her upstairs to get your coats.”
It wasn’t a bad lie. But...
“She didn’t have a coat,” John said.
Trey shrugged. “I didn’t know.”
John looked at me. “You didn’t tell him?”
“No coat. Sorry,” I said to Trey. Or John. I wasn’t sure.
John frowned.
“Well. Time to go. Thank you for a lovely party,” I said to Ned.
And escaped.
Did you have a nice time?” I asked John on the way home.
“It was fine.”
“I was looking for you. I missed you,” I said.
“It looked to me like you were having a pretty good time without me.”
“With drunk Ned?”
“I don’t pick your friends.”
I shifted on the soft leather seat, trying to dislodge my wedgie. “They’re your friends, too.”
John grunted. “They’re customers, Meg. I’m just the car guy.”
“So, what did you all talk about all night?” I asked. “Cars?”
