The Warmest Winter, Day 14

"You know that we both know you're holding back," said Rick. "What aren't you telling us?"

Everything. "Look, it's between me and the ladies. And I get Nate's interest, but what's it to you, Rick? One of them catch your eye? Cassie, perhaps?" It wasn't exactly a shot in the dark. Mike had spotted sparks beginning to flare up between those two right away. They were both looking to see if the other had spotted them sizing the other up, and neither noticed Mike noticing them.

When Rick didn't answer right away, Nate turned his attention to the lawyer. All he did then was fold his arms across his muscled chest and cock an eyebrow.

"The way I see it," said Rick, not batting an eye, "Some girls are hot. Some of them have brothers. One such brother is you. Besides, you should be happy for her. Being that attractive gives her choices when it comes to men. She will not need to settle for anything less than what makes her happy. I mean, come on, those dark eyes, that thick mane of hair, those shapely legs, and that gorgeous, round-"

By the time Mike cut him off, Nate was cringing and turning away in his chair.

"Dude!" yelled Mike. "Nate doesn't want to hear that, and I don't need to!"

"What did you say?" Nate spun so fast his chair shifted.

Mike slapped a hand across his mouth and shut his eyes tight.

"Shit."

"All right, Mike, out with it."

"Okay. For the record, fuck both of you. A trial lawyer and a cop? Goodness gracious. If Jenny was here, I'd may as well open up my skull and hand you my brain."

"Quit stalling," said Nate.

"Fine. I've... gone all the way... with all three of them. Jenny, Veronica, and yes, Cassie."

"You slut!" Rick congratulated him.

"Shut up, it's not like that. It's just... God, I don't know what the Hell it was. I think it's just what we all needed. And like I said, when it started getting complicated, I put a stop to it. Nothing was done that anybody regrets, and that's all the detail you're getting from me. I don't kiss and tell."

Nate still glowered.

"Look, man, I know you don't know me from Adam for the most part," Mike continued, "But I guess I'm currently in a position similar to an ex-boyfriend they all had but still get along with. It's weird, because it's only been two weeks, but we were snowed in. We had time."

Nate still sat, but his expression was softening.

"Hell, Veronica even bowed out early. And like I said, it's done. Anything that might be between me and Jenny or me and Cassie is in the future. Everybody's just friends for now, no benefits."

Nate chuckled. "You convinced me, like, a full minute ago. I just wanted to see you squirm. Consider that your punishment. That's all I can do. Cassie's a big girl, and can handle herself. Besides, you hurt any of them, and they'll hide the body before I can get to you."

"I like this guy, Mike," said Rick, "Razzing you by myself has gotten too boring. Can we keep him?"

"Easy, there, Suit," said Nate, "Talk about my sister like that in front of me again and all bets are off."

"Can I say she's attractive?" Rick asked.

"Yes."

"Cute?"

"Sure."

"Adorable?"

"...Okay, fine."

"Hot?"

"No."

"Scrumptious?"

"NO!"

"How about callipygous?"

*****

The girls opted for the first drive-thru they saw, so that they would have more time to shop. Besides, Cassie's excellent cooking left them wanting little in the way of food. After their brief stop at the bank, they darted into the mall to breathe the musty, sale-filled air.

"All right," said Veronica, leading the charge to the Mall directory, "First things first. Neiman Marcus for the basic outfits."

Upon storming the gates of the clothing store, the women fanned out into a pincer formation. Veronica's steady gaze pinpointed a business suit, which she picked off and carried to the dressing room for interrogation. Cassie, following her instincts, targeted a low-cut, short-sleeved top, then stalked onwards for a skirt, casually taking a slip hostage along the way. Jenny's directive was clear in her mind: only one little black dress would accomplish this mission.

Once all three of them were in the dressing rooms, they chatted as they changed.

"I wonder how much we can get away with," mused Veronica, pulling the suit pants up her legs.

"What do you mean?" asked Jenny. She was last into the dressing rooms, and was still stripping down to her bra and panties.

"Well, he said whatever was visible, right? So isn't the outline of lingerie usually visible? Or even a strap or something?"

"Yup!" said Cassie, shimmying her pants down in the next room over.

"Oh, goodie."

"I don't know." Jenny still sounded doubtful.

"Two out of three," said Veronica. "The motion carries. Ooh, this also means we need to see a hair stylist, and get mani-pedis."

Jenny still had some hesitation, but the half-plausible explanation and her desire to be pampered teamed up and mugged that thought in one of the back alleys of her head.

"Are we ready?" she asked instead.

"Let's do it!"

The three women stepped out and looked around at one another. Veronica's business suit was theoretically all business, but on her would probably make the interns melt. That would have had something to do with her double-D bustline pushing out so far she couldn't button it all the way up, and so her cleavage and the very edges of her bra were visible. And the pants fit her legs precisely; Cassie was jealous. All Veronica needed was a pair of glasses to embody so many teacher, secretary, and librarian fantasies. And despite it all, she still managed to be irreproachably professional.

Cassie's blue top matched her bright personality, and her black skirt with trim of the same blue color showed exactly as much of her hips as she wanted. Below that, it flared out to give her legs a comfortable range of motion, swishing as she walked, but then settling down again to subtly suggest the shape of her legs.

There was absolutely no doubt about the shape of Jenny's legs. The slinky black number she slid into hugged her form the way every man looking at it would want to. The dress went down to just above her knees, then the slit up the right side came to mid-thigh, giving a flash of more leg as she walked, but only that. The V-neck dipped down, just barely showing the top of Jenny's cleavage, and the fabric of the dress did the rest. Her arms were bare, and the shoulder straps were almost just for show. Once Cassie zipped her up, the dress rested comfortably just below the back of Jenny's neck.

After appreciating one another's selections, they all changed back into their normal clothes, bought the items, then went to the in-house tailor to have the clothing altered while they shopped. Veronica very nearly wrote a hymn in praise of megamalls on the spot.

The hair salon was the next stop. Forty-eight hours couldn't do too much to their hair that a shower and some careful maintenance on the day couldn't fix. Jenny let her hair loose, planning on wearing it that way on the court date. Cassie, too, since her hair was relatively short. Veronica said she planned on a tight ponytail, to complement the business persona. The whole time, Cassie kept mentioning how alike Rick and Mike were. Veronica and Jenny exchanged glances but said nothing. The best part was the deep-scalp clean they all felt, which they hadn't managed due to water usage worries. They took only the necessary showers and got clean, but this girls' night out was tremendously refreshing.

The next place was to get manicures and pedicures. Due to the cold temperatures, none of them planned on open-toe footwear. This meant that only their hands, being visible, would be paid for on the magical lawyer card Cassie kept secured in her bra between uses. But the women were feeling particularly great, and spent some of their own money on professional pedicures as well.

Even though that ate up time, it gave the women renewed energy for the rest of the shopping. The shoe store may as well have been subject to Vikings as these women on a mission. In the end, Jenny and Veronica settled on low heels, being the right balance between style-slash-formality and comfort-slash-not-twisting-an-ankle. Cassie went with mid-heels, for the same reasons, plus height. None of them bought socks, because their next stop was Victoria's Secret, after they stashed their purchases into temporary lockers.

"Like the man said," Cassie reminded her friends, "Outlines under another layer are his to pay for. Bra straps and stocking count, with of course the matching panties. Man, wear something hot and guys get riled up. Wear something half as hot that's a matching set and the guy will damn near take you from behind on the spot."

"Is that what you're hoping for?" Veronica needled her.

"Shut up."

"I think I'm pretty stuck on options," said Veronica. "With business attire, it's either white or black... I think I'll go with black..."

"What about you?" Jenny asked Cassie. "White or black?"

"Oh," said Cassie, "Um, well, I got the blouse I did 'cause it's the same blue as a matching set I've got with me back at Mike's. But, after all, I may change my mind. I should get something else. You know, just in case."

Jenny smiled. "That's my girl."

"And you?"

"It doesn't really matter what color I get, as long as the straps are black," said Jenny. "Or I could go strapless. The dress I picked can do the rest."

All three of them were amazed at how quickly and decisively they were shopping. It felt very strange. Spending forever amid rows of options was half the fun. When they happened to be looking at similar thongs, Cassie mentioned this to Veronica.

"I think we just all know who we are and what we want a lot better," Veronica responded, holding up what amounted to a shoestring with a How-To-Wash tag.

"Hmm," Cassie replied, half lost in thought. "What do you think, Vee: black or white?"

Cassie had apparently selected a style, and held up identical versions of it in either hand, save for the stated colors.

"Black is the naughty color," Veronica said, "But some men like the idea of making an angel fall. Not literally, just the idea somewhere in the back of their minds."

What she didn't say was that she was dead certain Richard Tessaro was exactly such a man. Veronica wondered which one Cassie would choose, as she took both sets to the changing room, a far-off look on her face.

"What do you think, Vee?" came a different voice. This time it was Jenny.

"Why does everyone keep asking me?" she said as she turned around.

Jenny shrugged. "You're have a good eye. Which one? Tiger, cheetah, or leopard?"

"Cheetah's bolder than leopard, but I'd still go for tiger. As cat prints go, it's the classic."

"Thanks!" Jenny went back to her browsing, trying to find a matching bra. Of course Jenny would go for a cat print, Veronica thought, but she won't admit to herself why. Some people can be so clueless.

Finally, and luckily on sale, Veronica found what she was looking for, and headed to the dressing rooms. Once again, the trio chatted as they tried on their intended outfits.

"What did you go with?" Veronica asked Jenny.

"Tiger. You were right, and I was leaning that way anyway. I'm going strapless, and then I found a solid-fabric tiger print bottom. Black stockings, too. Damn, I feel sexy."

"How about you, Cass?" No answer. "Cass?"

"I'm here. Just... give me a minute."

In truth, Cassie had donned her all-white ensemble and looked appraisingly at the reflection. Sitting down on the bench, Cassie began to think of her mystery man again. Unable to help herself, she slipped a finger down into her folds and let the images flood her mind. He would not be gentle. He would pull the bra straps down, devouring her breasts as soon as they were bared. He would not wait to take her panties off, just pushing them aside to take her all the sooner. He would even use the bra strap as a rein, pulling her up, putting her where he wanted her as he took her from behind.

Cassie's reverie was abruptly broken when she bucked and knocked her head against the wall behind her.

"Ow."

"You okay?" Veronica asked, concerned.

"Yeah, just... lost my balance." Definitely this set, Cassie thought.

"Are we all done?" Jenny asked.

"Yup, I think so," Veronica said, "Shall we compare?"

Stepping out of their dressing rooms, Jenny, Cassie, and Veronica gathered at a central spot between them to give one another feedback.

Cassie wore a typical but tasteful bra, not so much for support as for accentuation. Her nipples were barely not visible behind the fabric, but the heart of her chest was still bare, as with her blue top. Her panties were quite skimpy, lacey but not fragile, framing her ass without, as some thongs do, merging with it. To this she added white stockings which came up to just above her knees.

Veronica's bra and panties were also white, as she had changed her mind, but somewhat less risqué. However, between her bustline, her garter belt, and the stockings up to mid-thigh on her long legs, they didn't need to be much more than present.

Jenny, as she said, wore a black-outlined tiger print strapless bra, with a matching pair of panties that circled her assets as well as Cassie's did hers. Jenny's black stockings rose up until they just barely touched her ass, completing the frame.

Before any of them could get a word out to talk about their respective ensembles, they heard a crash from in the store at large. Without noticing, they had gathered at the entrance to the dressing rooms, which was visible to much of the rest of the store. Whipping their heads around to the source of the noise, they saw not an astonished man as they expected to see, but a female employee who up to that moment had thought of herself as completely straight.

"I think that's mission, accomplished," said Jenny, "Shall we scram now?" They all zipped back to their rooms and changed back into their street clothes.

Upon exiting the dressing rooms and approaching the register to pay, they heard employees, and even a few customers, applauding and whistling on sight of them. Blushing keenly, they got halfway down the mall corridor before they realized they had no idea where they were going next.

"What about make-up?" Jenny asked. "That's visible."

"And accessories!" piped up Cassie.

"Oh, I wish we could," said Veronica, "but I don't think we can fairly justify any more. And as far as spending our own money, we still need to buy a new vehicle with a lot of it. Not to mention the time. We need to get Nate's car back to Mike's so he and Rick can go into town to sleep."

"So complicated," whined Cassie playfully. "Phooey. Alright, let's go."

Picking up their shoes from the locker, they swung by the tailor's and retrieved their outfits. Trying them on briefly again, they were satisfied with the alterations. Finally, happily, they made it to the car. Veronica even sniffled a little as they pulled away.

*****

"So, what were the girls like over the years?" Rick asked. The game had long since ended, and the guys cared even less about the late game than the early one. They were up on the main floor, circled around an open bag of Doritos perched on the kitchen island.

"Pretty much like today, overall," Nate shrugged. He felt comfortable chatting with the other guys about the ladies, knowing how much regard they had for Mike, and having gotten to know both Mike and Rick. Their cockamamie plan for the future might even work. Denver PD would probably be keen to get NYPD blood into the mix, so he'd be square for a job, following Cassie out west.

"I mean," he continued, "there's differences, obviously, but it'd be forever telling you all the details."

"Has Jenny always been the schemer?" Mike asked pointedly.

"Oh, yes. Absolutely. Pranks, schemes, surprise parties, you name it, she's behind it. Why? She try on you?"

"Yep. Got her back, though."

"Oh, no!" Nate laughed. "Man, you've started a war you may not be able to finish."

Mike smiled to himself. Nate was obviously thinking of pranks. Considering the kind of schemes he and Jenny played on one another, he may or may not be willing to do that ad inifinitum.

"You know, I've met girls like that," Rick said.

"He says that about every girl," Mike noted to Nate.

"Shut up. If I know her, and I'm reading the other two right, they'll weasel a way into buying as much as they can with the card, and then some. What's more, knowing women in general, there's not a snowball's chance in Tahiti-"

"It's a magical place," intoned Mike and Nate together. Rick ignored them.

"-that they'll take two trips. Oh, no no no. They'll squeeze through the door with no less than, let's see, three bags each, and try and squeeze everything through the door, exactly like they complain about when we try to do it in the bedroom."

"My doorframe is less valuable," Mike said as the front doorknob turned. The ladies were back, bright-eyed, energetic, and loaded with bags precisely as Rick predicted. The men watched in disbelief as the ladies struggled into the house and shut the door behind them, then broke out laughing as one.

"What?" asked Jenny, confused.

"Hey!" objected Veronica, "It's the girls' job to do that the guys! No fair!"

"Nathan Fox, what have you been telling them?" Cassie asked, hands on her hips, until the bags' weight shifted them.

"Nothing they didn't already know, I swear!"

"Good thing she didn't ask me that," Mike whispered behind his hand to the guys, and they all broke out laughing again.

"Okay, just for that, bro, you're staying for the whole thing, whether you like it or not!"

"Wait, staying for what?"

"The show. Rick needs to see what the card bought, so we'd better show him, right? You three, basement, ten minutes. Get going."

Confused but intrigued, the men grabbed the Doritos bag and couple of beers they had put in the fridge earlier, for Mike and Nate.

*****

Ten minutes later, The guys had settled into a few folding chairs in the basement, along the far wall. They had taken the initiative to fold up the Ping-Pong table and move it aside, as well as a couple of other details.

"You boys ready?" Veronica called from the stairs.

"Yup!" Mike answered.

"Then buckle up!" She turned the corner, strutting in her sexy business suit.

"I have a playlist for this; hang on," Rick said. On a hunch, he had plugged it into Mike's stereo system. The next moment, "Hot Stuff" filled the basement.

"You have a playlist for this?" asked Nate.

"He has a playlist for everything," Mike said over the music, "I call it Rick Magical iPod."

"It ain't the only thing I got that's magical, according to the ladies," Rick said.

"You boys gonna yap," said Veronica, who had approached them during this time, "Or will I have to keep someone after class?" With this, she placed one heel on the chair, directly between Nate's legs. Nate gulped.

"Business casual," said Veronica, speaking to Rick but not taking her eyes off of her helpless prey. "The garters keep the stockings up, so... totally necessary, I'm sure you'd agree..." She outlined the top, unbuttoned portion of her shirt.

"Since I can't seem to close this part, oh my, I think my bra is showing. That needs to fit in, don't you agree?" The men all nodded slowly. Leaning in to Nate, giving him the world's best angle of her bosom, she spoke in a stage whisper:

"The panties just had to match. And wouldn't you just love for me to prove it?"

She abruptly pulled away, leaving all three men hanging tough. "Not tonight, sweeties. Aw, you're so adorable when you're horny." With a wicked laugh, she sashayed away, to the beat of the music.

Cassie was next, and entered the men's view. Nate cringed and shut his eyes, plugging his ears and turning away.