Chapter Six #2
Charlotte scoffed. “Please. You must know you’re beautiful, and you’ve got a great figure too.
Let’s show you off a little bit. You’re all bundled up in these photos.
” Charlotte held out the phone to show the two photos she’d chosen, one of Marin outside in her winter coat and hat with snowy mountains behind her, and another of her last year in Manhattan, a laughing selfie taken after a dinner with some of her coworkers.
Also, the woman she was currently attracted to had just called her beautiful and said she had great assets, so . . . “Why the hell not? Do you want to dress me up too?”
“I mean, if you’ve got something in your closet that shows a little cleavage, I think that would be the definition of ‘showing off your assets,’” Charlotte said with a cheeky grin.
“Most of what’s in my closet right now is casual stuff for home and business attire for work, but I must have a few nice tops in there too.
” Marin rose, realizing in a rush how tipsy she was.
Maybe that was why she was going along with this, but then again, perhaps being slightly inebriated was helpful for taking photos and setting up an online-dating profile.
She went into her bedroom and rummaged through the closet, finally choosing a rose pink satiny blouse that dipped low in the front and an emerald green top that she remembered Andrew complimenting her on the last time she’d worn it, not that she wanted him in her mind tonight.
She carried them both into the living room. “Thoughts?”
Charlotte looked carefully at both shirts and then at Marin. “Try the green one first. I think the color might really suit your complexion, and I like the neckline.”
“Okay.” Marin went back into her bedroom and shut the door behind her. She shed her long-sleeved tee and pulled on the green top, then walked to the mirror. The fabric folded at the neckline, giving it an understated look that nonetheless revealed a tasteful amount of cleavage.
What will Charlotte say when she sees me in it?
Marin’s heart raced. Since she was already primping, she pulled out her makeup bag, then touched up her mascara and reapplied lipstick . . . a darker shade than she’d had on before. She added a diamond pendant that dangled just above her cleavage.
There. She looked nice.
Sucking in a deep breath, she went back into the living room. “So?”
Charlotte’s gaze lingered on her face, then dipped to her chest before sweeping down over her fitted jeans. “I think this is perfect. You look hot.”
The words produced a burst of warmth low in Marin’s stomach. Had a woman ever called her hot before? She didn’t think so, and now she felt hot in an entirely different way. Heat flushed her skin, and when she met Charlotte’s gaze, she felt a throb of arousal in her core.
Well, this had gone off the rails alarmingly quickly. Marin cleared her throat, attempting to change the subject in her sex-starved brain. “So, where do you want to take these pictures?”
“Um.” Charlotte swept her gaze around the living room.
It gave Marin a chance to watch her unobserved for a few seconds.
She took in Charlotte’s oversize gray sweatshirt and black jeans, letting her gaze linger on the way the denim clung to her hips and thighs, and yeah, the wine was definitely going to Marin’s head .
. . or maybe to certain other body parts.
Thank god Charlotte was going to take these pictures and help her get a date, because she obviously needed one.
“What if we open the sliding door here—just for a minute because it’s freezing outside—so I can use those lights strung across your yard as a backdrop?”
Marin followed her gaze. Someone had hung a string of large white lights that ran from tree to tree around the yard, which probably made it feel warm and inviting on summer evenings.
“We can try that, but be quick or else I’ll be showing more than my cleavage in this top.
” She pressed a hand self-consciously against her breasts.
Charlotte laughed. “Oh, I don’t know, if you get cold enough, we might get you even more dates.”
Marin opened her mouth to protest that those weren’t the kind of dates she wanted before she saw the teasing twinkle in Charlotte’s eyes. Marin laughed. Okay, here goes nothing . . .
Marin looked exceptionally beautiful tonight.
The light illuminated reddish undertones in her brown hair, a depth to the color that Charlotte didn’t remember seeing that morning on the bus.
She wondered if Marin was dyeing it now, but it felt inappropriate to ask.
Marin’s eyes were what captivated her, though.
They radiated such joy, such life, it was impossible to look away.
Charlotte held up her phone, angling it so the lights outside provided the perfect backdrop. She worked with a lot of photographers for her real estate listings, and while this wasn’t the same kind of shoot, she’d still picked up a few tips over the years for how to frame attractive photos.
“Why don’t you lean against the doorway?” she suggested.
Marin did as she’d asked, angling her body slightly and crossing her arms beneath her breasts.
The lighting was softer now, away from the bright lamp in her living room.
Charlotte snapped several photos and examined one, zooming in on Marin’s face.
It was nice, but there was a shadow across the right side of her face that ruined the effect.
“Angle yourself a little bit to the left?”
Again, Marin complied, turning slightly toward Charlotte.
That top looked great on her. The color perfectly complemented her hair.
Marin was tall and lean, maybe a little bit leaner than she’d been two years ago, the result of whatever grueling rehabilitation she’d gone through to get back on her feet.
Charlotte snapped a few more photos, but Marin’s crossed arms were giving the wrong vibe, almost closed off. Too posed. “Hands in your front pockets, I think.”
Marin pushed her hands into her pockets.
A dog barked somewhere in the distance, and she glanced over her shoulder with a soft smile, maybe thinking about her puppy.
Charlotte shot a burst of photos, capturing the unscripted moment, including the way Marin looked at her now, lips slightly curved, eyes burning with intensity.
Charlotte was pretty sure she’d gotten what she needed, but she snapped a few more photos anyway. Somehow, it felt impossible to break eye contact with Marin. The moment lingered, Marin staring at her with that indecipherable expression.
Eventually, Marin shivered, looking away as she rubbed her arms. “Okay, it’s freezing outside. Can we close the door now?”
“Yep. Come on in, and let’s see what we’ve got.
” Charlotte walked to the couch and sat, beginning to thumb through the photos.
Wow. Those last ones, where Marin had her hands in her pockets, had come out fantastic.
She looked soft, warm, both distant and not.
She’d been lost in thought, but it added interest to the photos.
Marin looked like a woman with layers, someone you’d want to talk to, get to know . . . date. That was the whole point of this exercise, after all. It was obvious that these were casual photos taken on someone’s phone, which was what you wanted on a dating profile anyway, but they also looked good.
Marin sat beside her, leaning over to peek at Charlotte’s phone. “How are they?”
“They’re fantastic.” She held it up, displaying one of her early favorites.
Marin’s eyes widened slightly. “Wow. That’s nicer than I was expecting.”
“I’ll send them to you.”
“Actually.” Marin darted a glance in her direction. “Why don’t you pick your favorite and edit it like you did with the others? I trust your judgment.”
“Okay.” Charlotte swiped through the photos, zooming in on a few until she found her favorite.
Marin had just looked back at her after staring off into the yard, right at the end of their photo shoot.
Her expression was intense, but sincere.
Something about the way she stared into the camera was incredibly sexy without looking like she was trying to be sexy.
Charlotte had always found that to be so much more appealing than someone who was trying too hard.
Not that she thought women were sexy.
She rubbed a hand over her face. The wine must be going to her head. Carefully, she cropped the photo and adjusted the color and lighting, then texted it to Marin. “This should be your profile photo on the dating site, the first thing people see.”
“You think?” Marin’s phone dinged, and she squinted at the screen.
“For sure. If I dated women, I’d click on that photo. You look hot but also approachable and real. It’s perfect.” She was suddenly aware that she’d called Marin hot twice tonight. She was, though. Even a straight woman could appreciate when another woman looked good.
“It is a nice picture. I would never have taken something like that for myself. It’s a little out of my comfort zone, but I’m going with it.” Marin was quiet for a few minutes, clicking away on her phone.
Charlotte sipped her wine and watched.
“Advice on what to put for my interests?” Marin asked.
“Be honest, but also try to make yourself sound interesting. Like, no need to mention that you’d rather be watching TV than out with friends, or whatever the case might be.”
“Actually, I’d rather be out with friends. I haven’t done nearly enough of that lately.” Marin started typing again. “Do I . . . should I mention that I’m divorced?”
“I don’t know. Maybe that’s something you can mention once you start chatting with someone?”
“Okay. I like that idea.”
They kept at it for another fifteen minutes or so as Marin completed her profile, and then with one final click, she sat back with a satisfied smile. “There. I’m live.”
“Yes, you are.” Charlotte held up a hand.
Marin slapped it with hers. “Live. Alive. Living. All of the above.”