Page 24 of The Smoke Hour

“Well, before you get too comfortable, you all might as well follow me to my room. I need to get an outfit for tomorrow night,” I stated.

“What’s happening tomorrow night?” Noel asked as we all jumped up and headed for the stairs.

“That’s what she’s about to tell you,” Christina explained.

When we arrived in my bedroom, I walked into my large walk-in closet and proceeded to tell Noel the same things I had already explained to the girls.

I stepped out of the closet with a short-sleeved sweater dress that stopped mid-thigh and held it up to my body.

“Girl, move. What are you hoping to accomplish?” Christina asked, shoving me aside to go into my walk-in closet.

“I want to exude confidence, but at the same time, I want to reinforce keeping it platonic.”

I watched as Christina riffled through my clothes on the left side before she shouted, “Ohh! This is perfect,” and shoved a black, sleeveless jumpsuit at me. There was an opening from the neckline down to my cleavage in a V shape. The back of the jumpsuit was backless.

“I don’t know. I’m trying to show him that I can keep it platonic despite the games we’re playing. I just want to repay him for giving my shoes back to me.”

“Why don’t you say to hell with his ass?” Tamara asked.

“I have a feeling he might show up someplace in my life when it’s most inconvenient and make his presence known to he-who-shall-remain-nameless.”

“Your ass thinks he’d really blackmail you and out you to Terry?” Tamara asked.

“Nah, that ain’t his type at all. That nigga’s more ruthless than that,” Noel stated confidently.

“You think it’s giving too much sexy?” I asked Christina and ignored Noel.

“Girl, if you’re talking about this little back out, no. If the backless part went down to the cleft in your ass, then I’d say yes, but it stops at your waist. You’re overthinking things,” Christina argued.

“Boo, you ran way past sexy with that whole strip domino sucking your toes thing y’all had going on. I don’t know how you two didn’t manage to just fuck it out of your system from jump. Why the hell y’all playing games is beyond me,” Tamara stated. “Shit. I say go naked, or at least with a raincoat and heels at this point.”

I sighed and took the jumpsuit. I turned it to the front and back and held it against me.

“Noel?”

“I’m with Christina. It says confidence and still gives off sexy but platonic vibes. You’re good.”

“See!” Christina stated. “Now, pair it with these black and gold mules and your matching bag, and you’re all set.”

“What should I do with my hair?”

“Put it up in a messy ponytail. It shows off part of your back without showing the entire thing,” Noel explained.

“You’d make a great gay bestie, Noel,” Tam stated with a big grin.

“Fuck outta here with that bullshit,” he replied.

Christina and I laughed, and then my mood instantly switched. I walked to my bed and plopped down on it with my legs dangling over the side.

“What the hell is wrong now?” Noel asked.

“Do you think I’m being a ho?”

“Why would you say that?” Christina asked.

“Because I’m engaged to one man, and I damn near had sex with a stranger. I mean, I want to hard down fuck that man.”

Christina dropped onto the bed on the other side of me. “It’s not giving ho; it’s giving you’re reconsidering your options, and you’re attracted to someone for the first time in a while.”

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