Under Mr Nolan's bed

“Yes, I know it’s a school night,” he said. “But I’m chaperoning the class trip to Cedar Pointe tomorrow, and we’d like to get an early start. I really don’t want to have to come get her at five in the morning and wake you and Ralph.” Erica grinned at me and pinched my thigh as she flipped channels on the remote. “Told you he’d think of something good.”

“Ouch,” I protested, shoving her hand away and straining to hear. My mother had been adamant lately about limiting my time at the Nolan’s, and I really didn’t think she was going to relent.

“Great, thanks, Patty,” he said. I relaxed when I heard the smile in his voice. My whole body responded to it, and I knew he was thinking exactly what I was in that moment. “I’ll bring her home the day after tomorrow, safe and sound.” We were spending the night in a hotel room, all three of us. Michelle Kinnie was supposed to be in our group, too, but she had backed out at the last minute.

“All set!” He smiled at me from the doorway. “You’ve got your stuff, don’t you?”

I nodded, my eyes meeting his and feeling something tingly in my lower belly. I patted the couch beside me and he came to sit down between us, putting his arm around me and leaning in to give me a kiss. I still felt a little shy around Erica, but I couldn’t resist kissing him back and wanting more. His hand slipped down my waist, squeezing there, and I knew he did, too.

“Ok, you two, get a room already!” Erica rolled her eyes and stopped her channel surfing at Ed, Edd n Eddy.

Mr. Nolan put his arm around Erica’s shoulders and kissed her on the top of the head. “Well, you two better go get all dressed up, because it looks like we’re going out tonight after all.”

Erica frowned up at him. “Are you sure you want me tagging along?”

“Don’t be silly.” I reached over to pinch her thigh, like she had done to me.

“Somewhere yummy?” Erica stood and stretched, her blouse pulling out of her uniform skirt.

“Somewhere interesting… and expensive.” He leaned back and looked at her as she cocked her hip at him. “Put on the dressiest thing you’ve got, both of you.”

“Yay!” I clapped my hands. “Come on, Erica, let’s go get dolled up.” He stood, giving me a hand up. “I have reservations for seven, ladies, so don’t take too long in the bathroom, alright?”

Erica was already heading toward the stairs and I felt Mr. Nolan’s hand move over my ass as I slipped by him, giving me a good squeeze. I smiled back at him and followed Erica into her room.

“Dressy, something dressy.” She flipped through her closet. “Nuh-uh… too prom… too 80’s… ugh. I have nothing. We can’t go.”

“What about this?” I pulled out a short, shiny red satin dress.

Erica raised an eyebrow at me. “Um… if you want to wear something that screams ‘I am a whore’… all right then.”

I rolled my eyes at her and hung it back up. “I think you just don’t want to go.”

“I do, too!” She folded her arms and leaned against the wall with a scowl.

Then her eyes brightened, her face changing. “I got it!” She grabbed my arm and I followed her across the hall to Mr. Nolan’s office. It was a third bedroom, really, but it had a desk and a computer and filing cabinets. We didn’t spend a lot of time in there. Erica opened the closet and started flipping through clothes.

“These were my mother’s.” She pulled out a short, light pink dress. It had spaghetti straps and criss-cross trim over the bodice. I watched as Erica stripped down to her white panties and slid it over her head. The skirt was layered asymmetrically, the underskirt barely coming to mid-thigh and the sheer layers almost touching her knees.

She twirled in it, smiling over at me. “Well?”

“It’s adorable,” I said. “You look like a fairy princess.”

“A sexy fairy princess I hope.” She frowned.

I laughed. “Yes. Definitely.”

“Well, do you see anything you want to wear?” She waved me into the closet. I sifted through the material, soft, silky, velvety, trying to decide.

“Oooohh, look at this one!” I pulled out a gorgeous, strapless rust-colored dress, with a ruched bust and empire waist. It was a silk chiffon with a scalloped hem, and the pattern on it was a cross between something oriental and paisley, I couldn’t decide which.

“That’s totally vintage.” Erica held it up to me. “Try it on.” I did, straightening the bust, which I kept threatening to fall out of, and asking, “Well?”

“Perfect.” She smiled. “My dad is gonna melt into a puddle when he sees you.”

I beamed at her and we spent the next hour in the bathroom, putting on our make-up and doing each other’s hair. I had a lot more hair to deal with, but Erica took the time to curl it and put it up, and when I put on heels and looked into the mirror, I really felt all grown-up.

Erica’s blonde hair was finer and shorter than mine, but she had enough for me to pull up and make short little curls, which made her look even more pixie-like in her pink fairy dress.

“Let’s go make an entrance.” Erica pulled at my hand.

At the top of the stairs, I hesitated. “You first.”