Chapter Forty Three
Victoria carried in big shopping bags with each of the women’s names on them. She passed them out and ordered, “The men promised to stay off the premises for this evening. Go to the bunks and change into the outfits in your bag and bring out the boxes at the bottom, no peeking.”
The women scurried to the opposite hall. A few minutes later laughter and shrieks followed as the women appeared in the pool room. Kassie’s face resembled a beet as she walked out in a naughty nurse uniform with fishnet stockings and a nurse’s hat completing the ensemble. She carried the red box tied with a bow in her hand. Catherine followed with a flowing baby doll version covering her protruding tummy with a silk robe, furry slippers and a nurse’s cap. Bryanna’s costume consisted of black sheer see-through fabric like a swimsuit. Red feathers covered her private area and breasts. The back held the same feathers placed saucily around her butt, sticking up and around her waist playfully. A miniature, red baker’s hat sat on top of her head. Catherine whistled and clapped while Kassie tried pulling her tiny skirt which barely covered her ass, lower.
Victoria came out wearing a fitted leather bra studded with diamonds and a pair of boy shorts lined with the same design. Her thigh-high boots melded to her shapely legs. Her hat consisted of leather with a jaunty purple feather sticking out on top. They held their breath as Lizzy walked out. The older woman ordered a mastectomy bra sewn into her outfit. The green sheer fabric came up to her collar bone. Deep emerald straps fell down off the shoulders in a flirty manner. The silk material shimmered as it enhanced her waist and poofed out with black netting under the green silk barely covering her butt. A black hat attached to her hair with a green feather. Lizzy walked straight to Victoria. Everyone held their breath as Lizzy wrapped her arms around the older woman.
“Thank you for making me feel sexy,” Lizzy whispered.
She shook her head as she adjusted the feather. “I only reminded you it’s still there.”
Samantha walked down the hall holding her box and small bouquet of flowers. Her outfit was made for a bride. The fabric, sheer with seed pearls covering her breasts. The baby doll outfit’s luxurious dressing gown resembled a shortened wedding dress. A small hat with a veil fit on her head.
“It’s gorgeous, thank you,” Samantha gushed.
Bryanna downed another glass of wine and Kassie tilted her head back and finished off her second glass, asking for a third as Bryanna grabbed the bottle.
“Why did I get the shortest outfit here?” Kassie complained. “You can see my…my” Her face turned three shades of red.
“For exactly this reason. You cut a lovely figure with all the training, and you hide it with ‘mom’ clothes or scrubs. It’s time you learn how to seduce your husband to get your way.”
“I seduce Chase!” She stuck up for herself.
“No, luv, he lets you have your way. I’m talking about seducing him senseless.”
Catherine’s mouth formed a little O. Samantha beamed her smile, waiting for Victoria’s tutoring. Bryanna sat back and chuckled. “Have fun, ladies. Personally, I love my outfit.” She toasted Victoria with her drink. “I won’t be seducing any man since I don’t have one.”
* * *
Leo enteredthe code to the team building and eased open the door. The other men tiptoed inside. He signaled for them to hold their positions as he listened.
He turned his head to Saint, “They’re in the pool area. Let’s grab the steaks you left in the fridge, dumb ass. I still don’t know how you forgot them when I put it first on the list in bold letters. Treat this like mission, man. I haven’t eaten red meat in weeks,” Leo groused.
“Sorry boss, I thought you agreed to stick to the pregnancy diet with your wife,” Saint reminded him.
“Stow it, jackass. What happens here, stays here. We can go around the back of the wall where they’re sitting. Cross over by the big cabinet and back. They won’t even realize we’re here. They’re probably drinking tea and shit,” he guessed grumpily.
“Stop going back and forth, grab the wine and drinks and bring them in here,” Victoria commanded. A clacking of heels of multiple women entering the hallway made the men scurry to the bunk area.
When the coast cleared, Leo signaled for the team to move. They made it to the half wall behind where the women gathered. The top half of the room divided by glass allowed their conversation to drift through as if nothing separated them from the team.
“Samantha, it’s your party, open your box first,” Victoria directed as she tipped back her third shot of vodka.
Samantha untied the pretty lace bow and opened the box to find a pair of soft pink handcuffs and pink rope. She held them up. “I get the handcuffs, what’s the rope for?”
Victoria darkly chuckled before answering, “I’ll demonstrate later, hold on to it. Lizzy, it’s your turn.”
She pulled out a sex toy shaped like a rose with a tongue. Her eyes rounded and her mouth fell open.
“From what I read, oral sex isn’t recommended while on chemo, this will allow you and Michael to still play.” She pointed her perfectly red manicured finger at her suggestively.
Lizzy turned it on, and the women gathered closer to watch the tongue move up and down. When she pushed the button, it adjusted the speed of the appendage, making Lizzy giggle nonstop.
Michael shoved between Saint and Leo and peered through a thin separation of the glass to get a glimpse of what Victoria gifted his love.
Leo grabbed him by the scruff and pulled him back. “We’re on a mission for red meat.”
Taco leaned forward and his eyes grew wide as he took in the view. “Shit Whiskey, you’ll enjoy your wedding night. Doc, when did Kassie get all those muscles? She’s packing some nice abs and her ass... Geez, get a glimpse of Catherine, who knew pregnant women could come off as hot. Fuck, Bryanna’s got a nice set of buns—” Saint shoved Taco down to catch a glimpse of the woman who got his engine running.
Shadow peeked out on the other side. “Damn Ivan, Victoria—” He turned his head, gulped, and held his sack. “She works out. It shows.”
Ivan smiled and nodded his head as he squeezed Shadow’s shoulder, making him wince. “Yes, keep those thoughts to yourself youngster. She’s only meant for a man like me.”
Chase shook his head. “We’re intruding on their privacy. Let’s retrieve the steaks and leave them alone.”
“Kassie, open your box,” Victoria ordered. Chase peeked over the edge.
A moment of silence ensued as she untied the ribbon and pulled out a burgundy dildo. Catherine reached over and pushed the button to find it not only vibrated but moved up and down.
Kassie’s face turned purple as she covered her mouth in shock and awe. “What am I supposed to do with this?” she laughed.
“Luv, you’re married to a doctor who spends long shifts at a hospital tending to patients. This will help you fend for yourself on those long, lonely nights,” Victoria answered, making the women laugh harder.
Chase’s eyes widened as Kassie stood up and walked across the area to hand her new toy to Lizzy for inspection. He gulped when she bent over. Noticing Saint and Taco still glued to the opening he smacked them upside the head.
“That’s my wife you’re ogling,” he reminded them.
Leo grinned, “Don’t you ever play with toys with Kassie? She turned three shades of red,” he whispered laughingly.
“I don’t need any stinking toys to get the job done,” he smirked.
Bryanna now held the device in her hand. “I might need the link to this, Victoria, if I don’t get over my dry spell.”
“Bryanna, Saint shows up almost daily at the bakery. Why don’t you give him a chance, I know he likes you?” Kassie took her toy and shut it off before returning to her seat.
“Girl, I got his number and I’m not about to dial it.” She announced.
The men all glanced in Saint’s direction. The disappointment clearly showed on his face.
“I don’t understand. Saint’s honest, hardworking, and when I stayed in the hospital, he held my hand all night to let me know he stayed with me. What did he do to make you feel he’s a player?” Kassie asked, genuinely confused by Bryanna’s view of her friend.
Bryanna paused. “This stays between us?” She glanced at the women before talking again. “He’s a player. He saunters into my store and uses his kid to make it appear he’s a devoted family man. Don’t get me wrong, the man’s got a nice package. The bulging arms, tight abs, and his ass… But he’s a military man, who’s gone around all the bases if you get my meaning. He tries using those big brown eyes to soften me up, but all I see is trouble with a capital T.”
Kassie took a sip of wine. “Saint’s a teddy bear. I imagine all the men on the team experienced women throwing themselves at them. I mean, can you blame them? He carries the biggest heart. He cares for Miss Edie. Since I’ve known him, I’ve only seen Saint with two women. Both clung to him like a piece of meat. If only you’d witnessed his disappointment. I think Saint wants more from a woman. If he persisted with you, then I say he saw something in you he likes. He asks advice about girl stuff to give Nugget the life she deserves. He’s a good man.”
Catherine sniffed. “It’s the pregnancy hormones. I’ll attest, Saint is the sweetest man ever. You need to give him a shot, Bryanna.”
Bryanna held her hands up, “Fine, if he asks me out, maybe I’ll take him up on it.”
The men silently sent Saint a thumbs up while he grinned.
Catherine still sniffed. Lizzy reached over and rubbed her back. “Is it only pregnancy hormones?”
Catherine glanced toward Kassie sadly and down to the floor. “I’m afraid my best friend will hate me when the baby comes.”
The guys all held their breaths, waiting for Kassie’s reaction. Chase’s jaw clenched in concern.
“I’ll never hate you, Catherine. How can you say such a thing after all we’ve went through?” She stood and moved closer to her best friend.
“Because I keep getting bigger and bigger. I remind you of what you lost.” Catherine rubbed her belly.
Kassie shook her head, “No. You don’t remind me. I only feel joy for you. Some days it’s hard because I walk into a grocery store and nine out of ten women are preggers. When you scurry down the hall or hide in your office, it makes it worse. Stop wearing oversized clothing to hide your belly from me. It makes me feel awful.”
The wine loosened Kassie’s tongue, “I’m sad because I let my husband down. If I hadn’t doubted him, we might have stayed on the mountain and our child might be here now. Chase epitomizes a good man; he loves Emma and me completely.” Kassie hiccuped. “I don’t like the disappointment on his face. We got pregnant the first time without a condom, without even trying. Now, nothing. But I don’t want you to hide from me, Catherine. I want to experience this with you.”
Chase swiped his face with his hand at Kassie’s admission. It appeared he and his wife needed a heart-to-heart discussion. The men sent him a nod of encouragement.
“Edie told me sometimes we get put on a journey for a reason. If the cancer hadn’t returned, I wouldn’t have met Diana or Barb. Mine and Michael’s relationship grows stronger and better than when we first married. He is my lighthouse in the storm, and I love him,” Lizzy sobbed.
Samantha sniffed, “Whiskey’s incredibly stronger than he gives himself credit. I cry every time I think of how hard he’s worked to build my dream home even when he wasn’t sure if I’d ever return. I love him more than life.”
Catherine wiped her nose with a napkin. “Leo completes me. I know he does stupid shit, and the team hid the fridge in the supply room to get back at him for his ridiculous baby demands. He’s overbearing, acting like a complete idiot and my backyard resembles the city playground, but I love his ass.”
Leo slowly turned to his men and shook his fist and then sent them all the finger. He motioned for them to start moving.
“Ivan saved me. He loved me when I didn’t love myself. He taught me how to give up control and he lets me be me. I love him beyond death.”
The men began to move toward the hallway.
Victoria stood and clapped her hands. “Dry the tears. We’ve got a party. I brought karaoke. I’ve never heard Kassie sing.”
Kassie stood and selected a song. “This song’s for our men. She sang ‘The Wreckage’ by Nate Smith. The women chimed in and sang as they held their glasses up and toasted.
The team attempted to sneak into the kitchen when Catherine announced the baby craved more of the barbecue wings. Lizzy joined her in the kitchen and settled in to discuss the nursery Catherine wanted for the baby.
“Come on ladies, let’s all sing this!” Kassie beckoned everyone to their feet, and they danced while singing “Fantasy.” Their outfits now forgotten, as they sang and shook to the music.
Realizing his wife blocked his attempt to get his red meat, Leo signaled the team to retreat. The men took one last glance before they snuck out the door, all carrying smiles on their faces.