“He gave me… us… a van, Amelia. There was a note, but didn’t say much… Just that he wants to pick me up here at nine.” I caught my breath and put down a platter of anatomically correct cookies. “Wait…,” I looked at her again. “You knew…”

“He wanted you at home when the van was delivered…,” she admitted shyly, “That’s why I put you off picking up the old one. And I told him I didn’t mind if you skipped out a little early tonight…”

“Well, it’s beautiful… my god… But how can I keep it?” I brushed the hair out of my eyes and straightened up. “It’s generous. It’s amazing… But he can’t just give me a thing like that. We… I… we don’t even know each other all that well yet…”

Amelia smiled and put a hand on my arm. “My brother’s loaded,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “It may not be quite as big a deal to him as it is to you. And he’s been generous before. He’s the kind of man who likes to fill a need when he sees one.”

I tried to maintain my composure, thinking of the needs he intended to fill…

“That old van was on its last legs… so he provided a new one, that’s all,” she went on, unaware of my embarrassment. “Plus he likes you,” she added. “So do I.” She grinned at me and it felt good to see. “Anyway, I’m sure he’ll explain when he gets here. I’ll help Tammy and Reese with the last of the cleanup, so you two can head out before it gets too late.

And whatever you do, make sure you thank him properly.”

The bridal shower went more smoothly than I’d even dared to hope. The cake, a two foot sculpture in the round that imitated Michelangelo’s David, had been an enormous hit. But better than that, the light supper we’d provided had produced two more offers of work. Proper dinner parties that could be quite lucrative, judging by the size of the diamonds the women were sporting…

I cleared plates and glasses while the guests clustered around the coffee table, busy examining some of the more erotic gifts. They laughed and chatted as Tam refilled their glasses. All in all, they were a pretty conservative group. But it was time for the entertainment portion of the evening… I saw Amelia give a nod and Reese came over to join me where I was waiting by the study door.

“Go get ‘em, cowboy,” Reese breathed, as I opened the door and the stripper emerged. He was tall and sandy blond, dressed… at least for now, in denim and leather chaps. “Go keep Tam busy, would you?” I whispered. “I know she’s of age, but…”

“One step ahead of you,” she answered back. “I’ve already got her washing up in the kitchen… And I’ll just keep an eye on things out here…” Her eyes glittered. “In case anyone needs a refill…”

“Hmmm…,” was all I managed. The stripper had already lost his shirt and his back was a glossy expanse of tanned muscle. He’d put his rope around Becca’s waist and the music drowned out whatever she was saying to him. Her friends were tugging at his breakaway jeans and suddenly they gave way. His chaps stayed put, making a neat frame around his hard, rounded ass…

“I think I’m gonna take a crate of glasses down to the van…” I tapped Reese on the shoulder.

“... Right… glasses…,” she said. Then she tore her eyes away from the cowboy and smiled sheepishly. “Here, I’ll help you. I still can’t believe he gave you a brand new van.” She shook her head. “Things like that just don’t happen.”

“He gave it to us, Reese. To the business.” I smiled back, pursing my lips into a tight bud. “But I know… It does seem too good to be true. And I’m still not sure it’s right to keep it…”

But she was no longer listening. The stripper had turned in our direction, and was giving the red-faced bride a view of his muscled backside. Reese, from a distance, was happily staring down nine impressive inches in the front…

“Stay here and enjoy,” I told her, turning away, “but keep Tam in that kitchen.” I looked at my watch. “I need to get changed… Chase is going to be here soon. Don’t forget, we’re getting started at seven-thirty sharp tomorrow morning.”

“I love my job…” she whispered back. “Have I told you that lately…?”

We’d left our personal stuff in Amelia’s bedroom. I changed quickly into the skinny black dress I’d brought along. It looked fine with the short heels I already had on, but I took an extra moment to run a brush through my hair and put on a touch of lip gloss. I hesitated for a second, and then reached into my bag for the tiny bottle of perfume I’d thrown in at the last minute. I wanted to keep it understated… since I really wasn’t entirely sure why Chase wanted to see me tonight. Nine at night on a Sunday didn’t really seem like the ideal chance to pick up where we’d left off… But still, my heart was pounding. And I didn’t care what served as an excuse. I couldn’t wait to see him again.

“He’s here, and I’m so glad he’s taking time away from work for a change.” Amelia said, opening the door and poking her head around the corner. “He’s waiting for you out in the hall… so he wouldn’t interrupt the ladies…”

I grinned and grabbed up my bag. “Am I okay?” I asked, trying to push a stubborn strand of hair out of my eyes. My legs were shaking underneath me, and I was sure my excitement was showing all too clearly. “Not too much?”

“You’re perfect,” she smiled. “And you’re officially off duty. So go give my brother a kiss and have a little fun. You’ve earned it. And poor old Chris is long overdue…”