Page 55 of Must Be Love - Irresistible Bachelors

I haven’t had an occasion to wear the dress since I bought it. Nothing seemed right. I knew it was a special dress that needed a special unveiling.

This date with AJ is the perfect opportunity. If he likes my curves in my regular clothes, he’s going to die when he sees me in this dress.

“Girl, you’re going to be the hottest piece in that restaurant. Maybe in New York.”

I roll my eyes. “There are literal models in New York, Nicole.”

“They’ve got nothing on you in that dress, Amber.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. Send me a pic of the full ensemble, please, and update me tomorrow on how the date went!”

“I will. Thanks, Nicole.”

“Have fun!”

We hang up, and I walk over to my bed, taking in the dress. It really is perfect. I slide it on over my black panties and bra set. I don’t think anything is going to happen with AJ tonight, but that’s what I thought when we bowled in his basement, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Not that I think he’d be opposed to my usual cotton panties and generic bra. I just want to look good for my man.

My small bathroom has a full-length mirror. I use it to snap a few photos of myself and send them to Nicole. Her response is about a hundred exclamation points. I take that as a good sign.

According to my phone, it’s almost time to leave. AJ gave me the address to the restaurant so that we could meet there. He originally offered to stop by my apartment to pick me up, but it would’ve been out of his way to come here first. I don’t mind meeting him, and I prefer not to be an inconvenience.

I take one last look at myself in the mirror. The dress falls just above my knees and makes my legs look longer than they actually are. Paired with my favorite black pumps, it’s the perfect look. The neckline is my favorite part, though. It dips between my breasts, exposing just enough skin to be enticing yet still leaving enough to the imagination.

Eat your heart out, boys. The boyfriend who said I’m too fat for him should see me in this dress. I haven’t lost – or gained – any weight since him. He just didn’t know how to appreciate me the way he should have. I’m tempted to send him a photo just to rub it in. I won’t, though, because he doesn’t deserve to see me like this. Only AJ does. And, I suppose, the other patrons of the restaurant we’re going to.

If I stare at myself any longer, I’ll be late meeting AJ. I grab my coat and head out the door.

I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he sees me. Maybe I should take a picture of that.

AJ is standing outside the restaurant wearing a red button-down shirt and black slacks. His back is to me as I approach from the subway station. I spent about five minutes after I got off the train making sure I still looked as good as I had in my apartment.

“AJ!” I call out.

He turns around quickly. As soon as he sees me, his eyes widen in surprise and lust.

This is the exact reaction I was hoping for.

“Wow,” he finally manages to say. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks.” I lower my head to hide the blush. “You look great, too.”

“Please. I pale in comparison.”

I giggle. “That’s a high compliment.”

“It’s true.” He kisses me on the cheek. “Shall we go inside?”

“Let’s go.”

AJ hooks our elbows together, and we walk into the restaurant. It has a French name I can’t pronounce, and the inside is dimly lit with white tablecloths and candles on every table.

I immediately feel out of place. I may have dressed the part, but I don’t belong in a fancy place like this. I only ever go to expensive restaurants with Nicole, and even then, we pick the lower-end ones so we don’t look like total imposters. This one is way more intense.

My heart races. What if I use the wrong fork or something? AJ looks so at ease here. I don’t want him to judge my discomfort.

We approach the host stand, and AJ gives them his name. Instead of going to the dining room to the left like I expect, we’re led down a hallway to the right and into a private room. It’s about the size of a living room, with a single table set for two people in the middle.

The room is lovely, but unease creeps under my skin. Why would AJ take me out to a restaurant if he was just going to hide me in a private room? At least we have a waiter. It’s not totally separate from others that way, right?

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