Page 48 of Trial and Error

Meet me at my place. See you soon.

I slip my phone back into my pocket with a small grin on my face and when I lift my eyes, I see my mom looking at me. She says nothing as she drinks her tea, but I don’t miss the soft smile that sits upon her mouth for the next half an hour. When I tell her I need to go, she urges me to leave, telling me that my fiancée is far more important.

“Not possible,” I say as I press a kiss to her cheek.

She laughs softly. “Will you bring Bridget with you next time?” Mom asks as I stand from the couch. She follows suit and winces slightly as she straightens. Her hands find my forearm and she gives it a squeeze. “Maybe you can spend the night? I can tidy up your old room.”

I smile gently as I help her up and pull her into my arms. “Whatever you want, Ma.”

Bridget tells me to park my car and then text her when I’m outside before heading up to her apartment. The building looks cozy with the mid-afternoon sun bouncing off the red brick. I make my way inside as soon as she buzzes me up, and suddenly I feel nervous.

I hear faint music coming from inside her apartment, and I wait a moment or two before knocking. Not even a minute later, she flings the door open and smiles up at me, and the sight alone has me struggling to catch my breath. Even in a slightly dishevelled manner, she still looks mesmerizing. Her blonde hair is swept back into a sleek ponytail that sits on the crown of her head. She peers up at me from under her thick lashes with doe eyes, and I feel my pulse begin to thrum unsteadily.

The lilac shirt she’s wearing hugs her body in all the right places and my eyes wander to the slightly plunging V-neckline. I force myself to tear my gaze from the swells of her breasts toward her…penguin pyjama bottoms.

I look up at her with a confused frown and watch as she steps aside to let me in. “Sorry,” she mumbles. “I can’t decide between skirt or pants, and nothing seems to look right with this shirt.” She’s rambling as she closes the door behind me. “Come, I need your help.”

Bridget doesn’t wait for my response as she grabs a hold of my hand and drags me through her apartment.

It’s slightly messier than the last time I was here, but it’s still just as cozy. As we near the back of her apartment, I peek inside the bathroom and smile when I see the penguin shower curtain. She pulls me into her room, and it’s just as welcoming as the rest of the space.

A double bed sits in the middle of the room and has two different end tables on either side. The one on the left, has a small monstera plant on the surface along with a lamp shaped like a mushroom and a book with a bookmark half hanging out the edge. The bedside table itself is a wooden crate turned on its side with a pile of books inside. The matching bedside table is empty compared to this one, and I make a note that the left is Bridget’s preferred side.

The bed itself has a white metal frame and creaks as I sit down on it. I watch as Bridget stops in front of the wooden closet and pulls the doors open. “Sorry about the mess,” she says, waving her hand at her unmade bed. “I wasn’t expecting to have guests.”

She pulls out a pair of jeans and holds them out for me to look at. “Those are nice.” She rolls her eyes in response. “What?”

“Nice is underwhelming.”

“We’re meeting your parents for lunch, not attending New York Fashion Week.”

Bridget shakes her head in amusement at my response as she pulls out a pair of cream slacks. “What about these?”

I stand and take a step forward. Gently, I place my hand on the small of her back. “I like these,” I tell her as I reach in front of her pull out a pair of black leather pants.

As I pull the hanger out, she reaches forward and my eyes snag on the ring that sits perfectly on her slender finger. I don’t remove my hand as she turns to look at herself in the mirror, holding the pants in front of her.

I look at her through the reflection and see the way her eyebrows are pulled together in thought. She tilts her head to the side and narrows her eyes in an attempt to visualize the outfit.

“Try them on,” I say as I curl my fingers around her hip. “And if you don’t like them, then I think the cream pants will look perfect.”

Her blue eyes meet mine in the mirror and she nods. She reaches down and gives my hand a squeeze before she steps into the bathroom.

I sit back on the bed and swallow at the sight.

In the mirror’s reflection, I can see through the slightly ajar bathroom door. Bridget is standing in a dusty pink thong, stepping into the pants. Her creamy legs jiggle slightly as she pulls the tight material up her thighs, and I feel my jeans grow tight at the sight of her ass struggling to fit in the pants. I let out a shaky breath and mentally tell myself to look away, but like a magnet I’m drawn to her. The door opens wider, and I swiftly avert my gaze before she catches me watching her and look over my shoulder as she enters her room and gives me a spin.

“What do you think?” she asks, moving in front of the mirror. She turns slightly and smiles. “My ass looks good in these.”

My mouth feels dry as I nod in agreement. “It does.”

Her gaze flicks up to meet mine and a coyness settles on her lips. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I reply hoarsely. “You look real good.”

The words seem to do something to her because a bright smile blooms on her face as she turns to face me. She grabs a pair of black boots and sits down beside me on the bed. “I feel like I need to warn you about my mother. She’s very…” She pauses as she laces her boots. “She’s just a lot.”

“Well, now I’m intrigued.”