LITMIR.BIZ

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then made her way closer to the window.

      “What do you do with all the lingerie, Amie?” Carrie asked as she pulled on the loose strings with one hand and the threaded ones with the other.

      “Oh, you know, I have a long line up of men waiting around for me to give them a booty call.”

      “I don’t know how you do it. Don’t you get tired of the small talk? The stupid banter that comes with the beginnings of a relationship.”

      It’s exhausting. “Do you think I like playing the field, Care? But I won’t settle. Until I find the man of my dreams I’m going to enjoy what the rejects have to offer.”

      “What’s that?”

      “A penis.”

      Carrie laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with a good penis.”

      “I knew you hooking up with Aleks was going to have a good effect on you.” In an attempt to squash years of unrequited love, Carrie had devised a brilliant plan to seduce her life-long friend Aleks Turko, thinking it was her only way to get over him. Boy had she been wrong.

      “Did you ever think we would get here?” Carrie tugged on the strings, jerking Amie’s body back. The bodice tightened around her torso. “Pairing off, marriage, babies?”

      “I knew some of us would get here eventually. But I’m not surprised that it was Rob who was the first to go.” Rob, Carrie’s brother, was weeks away from becoming a father and marrying the love of his life, Martina.

      “What do you mean some of us? You’ll get there too, Amie.”

      “I’m sure I will.” Amie hoped Carrie believed her, because she wasn’t so sure she believed herself.

      “Maybe even this weekend. I hear there are going to be a few single men at the baby shower.”

      “Yeah, teachers. I love your brother, but no thanks. I’ll skip the boring nerds who would rather watch the Discovery Channel than actually participate in the world.” Amie let Carrie’s tugs sway her body back and forth.

      “What do you want, Amie?” Carrie stopped the pulling and leaned in, resting her chin on Amie’s shoulder.

      “I don’t know.” Amie tilted her head, the soft strands of Carrie’s hair silky against her cheek. “But I’ll know when I find him.”

      Silence fell between them as Carrie returned to tying the bodice as tight as she could. But Amie knew her time would come. It was all about finding a man she could be herself with. She was no shrinking violet, not a woman to let things happen to her. Amie needed a man who would let her lead–not dominate–and be comfortable and confident enough to know when to step back and when to take the reins. She needed to find her better half, someone to hold her and take care of her when she needed it but also to embrace her sexuality.

      Often men were turned off by her free spirit. That was their nice way of putting it. They were afraid of her aggressive sexuality, her willingness to let go, try new things, and take charge in regards to giving and receiving pleasure.

      The men she dated didn’t get it. They didn’t want a woman, they wanted a trophy, a wallflower to attend to their needs. And even those men who said they had no problem with her needs ended up resenting her, their egos too big for them to check.

      A rush of noise and air drifted from the front door as Martina Jackson waddled into the store. “Hello, ladies.”

      “Hi, Marty,” Carrie said as she tugged at the strings again, this time lower on the back of the bodice. “What are you doing here?”

      “I’m here to ambush Amie. Again.” She took one half-step at a time, her ring-less left hand flat against her pregnant belly. It wouldn’t be ring-less for much longer. “But from the sight I saw in the window I guess I’m here to scold her too.” Martina stopped right in front of her. “What were you doing in the window again, Amie?”

      “You’re the one who was staring.” Amie let out a subtle sigh of relief that the strange feeling of being watched was now solved. “I needed to check a size.”

      “Half naked? It’s customary to check the size before you go into the dressing room.” Martina tapped her finger against her forearm, her arms now folded across her chest. She was going to be the perfect mom. She had the angry stance and glare down to an art.

      “I could have, but where’s the fun in that?” Amie grinned. “Ouch!” She swung her head around to glare at Carrie, who in retaliation to her snarkyness had tugged a little too hard on the satin strings.

      “Oops.” She chuckled.

      “Now that the scolding is over with…” Amie turned back to Martina. “Let’s get the rest of the conversation over with too.” Amie knew what was coming. Martina had been trying to convince her for the last six months to go into business together. Martina had dreams of a holistic facility, but Amie wasn’t interested in taking the leap to business owner.

      “Ames, please! Don’t dismiss this opportunity,” Martina begged. “This is a good idea and you know it.”

      “I know it is, but it’s just not for me. I’m not interested in running a business. I’m sorry, Marty.”

      “All done,” Carrie shouted. It was perfect timing. Partially diffusing the situation. “I need to get home. Can you lock up for me?”

      “Of course.” Amie wrapped her arms around her body, suddenly feeling a chill that hadn’t been there ten minutes ago.

      “Care,” Martina whined. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

      “Not my fight. I’m not getting involved.” She held her hands up and backed away toward the counter.

      “Both of you are infuriating,” Martina cried.

      “Did you decide to saunter out this late at night just to hound me?”

      “The real estate agent called me again. That property isn’t going to be available forever.”

      “I don’t have the money. I’m not in a position to run my own business. I rent, I live on my own, and I don’t have anyone else to fall back on if this–”

      “If this what?” Martina interrupted. “If this falls through? It won’t.”

      “You can’t possibly know that.”

      Before Martina had a chance to counter, Carrie interrupted. “I’m leaving you two to duke it out. Don’t get her too riled up, Ames. I don’t want her water breaking on the new carpet.” She chuckled and headed toward the door.

      “Say hello to your sexy piece of man meat for me,” Amie yelled, turning her attention away from the daggers Martina shot her way. “Tell him we have a session this week and not to forget.”

      “I won’t forget, but he might. He’s majorly stressing about the hand fasting ceremony. He keeps wanting to tie me up.”

      Amie wiggled her eyebrows.

      “Not that kind of tying.” Carrie giggled.

      “Is he not prepared? Lord help me if he screws this up.” Martina’s hard-core expression turned to worry. As a holistic practitioner, Martina believed in the power of energy forces that flowed through the universe. Or as Aleks liked to call it–voodoo. Everything about her screamed ‘nontraditional’ and her marriage would follow in the same fashion. She had chosen a hand fasting ceremony to solidify her bond with Rob. And Aleks had gotten himself ordained over the internet in order to perform the ceremony.

      “Marty.” Amie rested her hand on her shoulder. “Aleks is going to be fantastic. The best minister ever.” She hoped.

      “He keeps asking to tie my hands together so he can practice the binding. Don’t worry. He’s taking this very seriously.” Carrie hooked her purse over her shoulder and

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