Chapter 94

Jon snapped his phone shut as they pulled up to one of the small boutiques in the Fashion District of the city. He’d made a lot of friends over the years and believed in tit for tat. He’d spent a lot of time in his earlier years schmoozing until his tongue nearly fell off and some of the easiest ways to get stage clothes was to whore yourself out there to a new designer.

“We’re here,” he murmured. When she didn’t move he slid his hand up to the back of her neck and rubbed. He nuzzled his nose into the wispy fine hair at her temple. “Tessa, wake up babe.”

“Mmm…later.”

“Wouldn’t want you naked in front of the paparazzi would we?”

Her eyes blinked open immediately. “That’s not playing nice, Jon.”

“Woke you up didn’t it?”

Shadows highlighted her glittering green eyes and he bit back a laugh when her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Not with excitement, out of horror you shit,” she slapped a palm on his chest to push herself up.

Not one to deny himself, he cupped the back of her head and dragged her back down to him. Rubbing his lips over hers he patiently waited out the quick burst of anger. “C’mon I’ll help you with the zippers,” he teased.

She bit his lower lip none too gently. “I just bet.”

Licking his lower lip, he climbed from the car and helped her out. Damn if his woman didn’t have a bit of a feral streak. He rubbed his thumb over his still throbbing lip. “Here we are. I thought we’d try Marianne’s competition first so we have something to bargain with.”

He leaned in and told Henry he’d page him when they were ready. Slamming the door and tapping the top he slid his hand around hers. He headed to the slim yellow door before she tugged him back. “Do you price dicker, Jon?”

He laughed. “Well, I certainly don’t get hosed very often, but I was thinking more along the lines of extra service if I teased her that Daria was going to get our business.”

The building didn’t look any larger than the width of an alley, but it made the most of its space. The room was indeed long and thin, but it felt wild and wide as racks competed with mannequins in crazy poses. Odd little corners drew the eye even if it was only to gape at the ridiculous combinations of clothes and accessories. Some of the dresses were definitely more along the runway style that no regular woman would wear, but there were a few gems.

A nearly emaciated woman who didn’t look a day over fifteen lifted her eyes from a magazine and gave them a bored glare before dropping back to her copy of Vogue. “Let me know if I can help,” she said with a touch of Queens.

“Is Daria here?”

Sullen brown eyes gave the first spark of life as she shrugged. “Who’s asking?”

“Just tell her Jersey’s looking for her.”

She sighed dramatically and leaned back behind the curtain and yelled up the stairs. “Dare, there’s some guy named Jersey here lookin’ for ya!”

He heard the click of heels on hardwood and the yellow curtain fluttered open. Near white bleached hair was the first thing you noticed about Daria. Of course it was always layered with some crazy color and today was no different. Shocking blue and orange were clipped in haphazard tufts around her triangular face. Matching glasses perched along her birdlike nose and gum snapped from blazing white teeth. She wore a sunny yellow angora sweater vest over a see through lemon chiffon blouse that barely reached the top of her tiny denim skirt. Angular hips dared the denim to stay in place just above her skinny knees and stilettos in the same sunny yellow gave another three inches to her already impressive six feet.

She sauntered over and dug a bony elbow into his shoulder and absently fluffed his hair as she leaned on him. “Well what the hell brought you into my shop, Jersey? I thought you stopped wearing women’s clothes years ago.”

Jon smiled. How the hell could he not? She was just as crazy now as she’d been twenty some on years ago when he’d met her at one of the dives he’d played in. His smile got even bigger when Tessa’s hand came up to possessively curl around his waist. “Dare, this is my girl Tessa. She needs some clothes for a few things we’ve got coming up.” Tessa’s eyes narrowed as Daria’s hand lingered in his hair. “I used to buy my stage clothes from here back in the day. She’s been around as long as I have.”

“It was more like trade clothes for the beer he used to get to play at the bars. Just remember Jersey, I know secrets that you might not want the flavor of the month to know about.”

Tessa glanced down at her sweater and the easy familiarity of their closeness. “Yeah well, he doesn’t like pineapple.”

Daria’s blue eyes sparkled as a cackle bounced down the long room. “Oh I like her! Maybe we need to do a little girl talk, Red.”

Jon suddenly felt very self conscious. He’d never hooked up with Dare, but she’d easily blended into the social aspect of his clubbing days so she was right in saying she knew way too much about him. “Umm, how about you find something for Tessa instead?”

Daria’s shrewd eyes glanced over Tessa’s slim form then to him. “Well you two definitely suit each other. Black suit for you, Jersey?”

“Yeah, Armani with the French cuffs, no tie.”

“Hmm…with your coppery hair I’ve got a great green dress that would suit you.” She headed to a rack stuffed in a corner behind an ostrich looking skirt and tank ensemble on a headless mannequin. She flicked through the rack and took out three different dresses in various shades of green and purple. A pair of pipe pants and shimmery wrap around shirt in gold and another few things in black, silver and chocolate. “Here, go try these on Red and I’ll molest your boyfriend while you’re gone.”

Tessa took the pile and glanced at Jon. “You better not be wearing a new shade of lipstick while I’m gone.”

He snorted and watched her duck behind a screen at the back of the store.

“Well, well, Jersey. I didn’t think I’d see the day that you brought a chickie out to play dress-up. I thought you liked your playmates quiet and unassuming and closeted.”

Jon crossed his arms and met her unusual cat eyes. “She’s not a playmate, Dare.” His gaze settled on the Chinese paper of the screen that hid Tessa from him. She would never be the type of woman that he’d tire of or keep hidden. Hell, he wanted to tell everyone about her which wasn’t like him at all.

Daria lifted his left hand and flipped his palm up. “No Dorothea?”

“Divorced about a year ago.”

“No shit. What the hell rock have I been living under that I didn’t know that?”

“It was in the spring,” he said simply.

“Ahh, spring line. Yeah I so didn’t know my own name let alone what a TV was. Well damn it’s about time.”

His head snapped to meet her gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Hell, she was no rock star wife.”

“Neither is Tessa.”

“Wife huh?”

Jon blinked. “What? No. We-“ he faltered and his gaze shot to her silhouette. “She, uh well we’ve only been together for a few weeks.”

“So she’s not the rock star wife type or she’s not the wife type?” Dare asked pointedly.

“Neither. Both.”

“Neither or both?”

“Well fuck, Dare. She’s just Tessa. My Tessa,” he finished lamely.

“Nice to see you all confused Jersey. About time you found a woman who keeps you on your toes. Dorothea was too quick to let you do your own thing. I like the little possessive streak your little redhead has for you. It’s healthy and normal.” She draped her arm over his shoulder. “Besides she’s got better dress sense than Dot.”

“Dot just didn’t care about that shit.”

“Yeah well, she should have…” Daria’s words drifted off as she gave a happy little yip. “Now that’s how a dress is supposed to be worn!”

Jon’s eyes followed and his heart stopped. An emerald green dress hugged her from shoulder to hip in a slinky material and draped over her shoulder. His eyes were immediately fixated on her braless breasts that shifted enticingly beneath the fabric. It fell a good four inches from her knees and swung like molten green ice as she turned.

“Shit! Heels! That dress needs spikes.” Daria ran to her and snagged a pair of matte black four inch heels.
Tessa leaned down to fit her feet into the shoes and the material shrugged down her shoulder. She stood back up and adjusted herself as he shoes elongated her lean, runner’s legs and she did an elegant little twirl.

His cock stood at attention as her back was revealed by the shimmering free fall of green that dipped low along the curve of her ass, just flirting with the very top of what could be called risqué. “I don’t care what else she tries on, but that’s boxed. Heels included.”

Tessa’s head craned back to look at him. “Like?”

He cleared his throat twice before he just nodded.

Her eyes sparkled as she stepped back behind the screen and he damned Daria to hell for not having private dressing rooms. He knew she was naked beneath the dress and how easy it would be to lift the loose hem and push himself inside of her. He could feel her walls closing around him, drawing him deep as he buried his hands in all that soft hair.

“Well shit. Want me to close the store and I’ll go upstairs?”

Jon released the grip of his fingers from the fists at his sides and forced his eyes to meet Daria’s. “What would you say if I said yes?”

“I’d thank God, I had security cameras all over the store and leave you to it.”

The lust dispersed as fast as it came as laughter banked the raw need that bubbled up. “Like to watch, Dare?”

“Better than a porno, Jersey. Especially that prime ass of yours.”

He tipped his head back and laughed.