Her Dad’s Best Friend

Oh, shit.

He sees my face. "Something wrong, Sunshine?"

"Nope." I shake my head. "I'll just get changed and we can head out."

I go into my room and throw open my closet. What's appropriate for a celebratory dinner with my father and his best friend, the one who almost fucked me today but stopped because I am a virgin?

I hate everything in my closet. The periwinkle blue dress makes me look like I'm 12. I have a royal blue dress with pretty embroidery, but the neckline is too high. It's hard, because I need a neckline low enough to tantalize Lincoln but high enough to pass my dad's scrutiny.

I have a black dress with white stripes that I discard because they make me look wide. There's a dress covered in flowers that makes me look like a little girl.

I don't have anything to wear. I growl at my closet and wonder how angry my dad would be if I insisted on going to the mall to buy a new dress for tonight when our reservation is so soon.

I dig deeper into my closet. Then I see it.

The perfect dress is sitting there. I bought it on a dare from Kelly. She said that my clothes were too boring.

It sort of reminds me of a flamenco dancer's costume, but there is a daring slit up the side that reveals a little leg when I walked. Tantalizing without actually showing anything.

I choose high-heeled ankle boots under the dress. I need three-inch heels because the skirt is so long.

I put on a very small amount of makeup. My dad knows that I didn't wear much, so it would look weird if I showed up looking like a circus clown. I just put a little eyeliner on to emphasize my eyes, which everyone always tells me are beautiful. I look at my single tube of red lipstick but leave it alone. It'd be gone in a half minute when we started eating even if I did put it on.

I go downstairs in my ankle boots and pretty dress that looked demure until I walked. My dad is staring at his phone.

"Ready, Sunshine?"

"Ready, Dad."

We walk into the garage. I slide into the passenger seat of his Lexus. Then we're roaring out into the city.

Under the Table

Lincoln

I'm sitting at our table already when they arrive. He's wearing the suit he probably wore to work today. She's wearing a stunning dress. Everything's covered, but when she walks, I can see a flash of leg. I find her legs very arousing. Fuck, I find every bit of her arousing.

"Hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Nah," I say, taking a sip of my wine. I need it to get through this dinner. It'd be too weird for me to turn it down, especially since he knows that I'm not seeing anyone right now.

They sit down across the table from me. Camilla is directly in front of me. A waiter bustles over.

"What can I get for you, sir? Miss?"

"A glass of your house red for me and some orange juice for her."

"Right away, sir."

"So how was your day? Busy? You're getting your secretary Amanda back, so that's good."

"Yeah." I take another sip of wine. "It's good."

I don't know why, but the restaurant's lighting is making Camilla's face even more beautiful than usual. It is highlighting her smooth cheekbones and full lips. She looks like an ancient queen of a civilization long gone. She might be a teenager, but she looks like a woman.

"Are you glad to be going back to school, Camilla?" I ask politely. It would be weird if we didn't speak at this dinner for the three of us.