The Trouble with Sexy (3 page)

Girls like Gracie had always intimidated Ryan. It wasn't even that they were prettier or that they always seemed to know what to say or do in any situation to have people hang on their every word. It had nothing to do with them and everything to do with how she felt around them. Tongue-tied. Quiet. Shy. She didn't feel bullied, just never really noticed unless it had something to do with the color of her hair, which bothered her. Her hair seemed to draw teasing comments. More than once she had considered dying the irritating strands, but could never spark the courage.

She'd tried to cope through awkward encounters with other girls with her own sense of snark and humor, but most of them found her strange and off-putting. She'd had a few good girlfriends who understood her, but none of them could help her with her current dilemma. They weren't exactly . . . sex kittens.

Gracie must have heard her footsteps because she turned to see who was walking behind her. After surveying her, Gracie turned back around, apparently deciding Ryan wasn't much of a threat. Ryan didn't know what possessed her, but before Gracie got too far ahead, she blurted, “Excuse me, Gracie? Can I talk to you?”

Gracie turned around, her brow furrowed in confusion. She was probably wondering why Ryan wanted to talk, since they'd hardly had a single conversation since she'd moved to Rock Canyon. “Hi Ryan,” the other girl said. “How are you?”

Ryan felt a twinge of nervousness but pushed on. “I'm good, thanks. I was wondering if I could ask you something.”

Gracie cocked her head. “Sure. Let's walk and talk, though. It's freaking cold out here.”

It was on the tip of Ryan's tongue to mention that if she was wearing more clothes she'd be less cold, but she decided it would defeat the purpose of her little impromptu powwow. “I was just wondering how you . . . well, you obviously . . .”

Gracie stopped at her car and turned to her impatiently. “Spit it out, girlie.”

Ryan felt a twitch of temper. Gracie wasn't much older than her. “I want to learn how to be sexy. Can you teach me?”

Gracie looked at her seriously, her eyes trailing up and down her outfit. Gracie's face broke into a huge smile and she said, “Hop in; we can take a road trip.”

Ryan started to stutter an excuse and Gracie raised an eyebrow. “Look, I hardly know you. You approached me and I am more than willing to answer your questions, but you've got to trust me. Deal?”

Ryan stared at Gracie as if she had horns and a tail. She was supposed to just go with a woman she barely knew and do what she said, no questions asked?

Gracie shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

She started to open her car door, and Ryan cried, “Wait!”

Gracie looked over her shoulder with exasperation. “Seriously, get in.”

Ryan walked carefully to the passenger side and hopped in. “Where are we going?”

Gracie smiled at her. “Well, sexy comes with a price tag. I figure it's only five. We have enough time to head into Twin Falls for a little shopping and other beautifying experiences.”

Ryan blushed. “I don't know . . .”

“You have your wallet?”

Ryan blinked. “Yes.”

Gracie's smile flashed, lighting up her green eyes. “Great, let's go.”

Gracie pulled out of the parking lot and headed out of town toward Twin Falls. She glanced over at Ryan. “What made you ask me, anyway? I never really got the impression you liked me very much.”

Ryan's face was beat red at Gracie's blunt assessment. “It's not that I don't like you. I just . . .” Her voice lowered an octave. “Gregg's my friend. You hurt his feelings.”

Gracie silently stared at the road for a while. “You know, I never meant to hurt Gregg. He's a sweet guy but we just . . . weren't compatible.”

Ryan gave a bark of bitter laughter. “Yeah, I get that a lot too.”

Gracie glanced over at her. “How's that?”

Ryan looked down at her hands. “I've been told I'm . . . boring. And not sexy at all.” She swallowed hard. “That's why I thought I could get some advice from you. All the guys in town think you're sexy.”

Gracie looked positively feline. “And you want to hook a guy? Anyone I know?”

Ryan looked away and muttered, “No.”

Gracie made a left turn and said, “Well, girlie, I guarantee you, by the time we're done, whoever you're setting bait for will be good and hooked.”

R
YAN LOADED THE
last of the shopping bags they'd purchased into the trunk and sighed in relief.

Gracie had dragged her into the salon, and after a brief negotiation, Gracie convinced her stylist, Jessica, to squeeze Ryan in for a cut and style. While Jessica worked on Ryan's hair, Gracie snagged Karen, whose five o'clock appointment hadn't shown up, to give Ryan a mani/pedi before she left for the day. Gracie argued Ryan down when she'd tried for just clear polish on her nails and toes. Instead, she picked a vibrant red for Ryan's toes and suggested French tips for her fingernails. When Jessica finished layering Ryan's long red tresses, she took a fat curling iron to them, spiraling curls past Ryan's shoulders. She had stared at the difference in her appearance in the mirror, turning left and right, and after paying both ladies, left a generous tip.

Gracie rushed her from the salon to the car; all the while talking about how being sexy was all about feeling good about oneself. “If you think you look hot, other people are going to notice. It's all about attitude, my friend.”

Once they hit the mall, Gracie dragged her into Victoria Secret, where Ryan bought several sets of uncomfortable, overpriced panties and bras, one slinky nightie in black with a matching robe, and a white bustier with little red hearts on it. The corset was too tight, but when she'd said so, Gracie demanded that Ryan let her see. She'd protested from the safe side of the dressing room door, and Gracie merely scolded, “Dude, it's not like I'm checking you out in a sexual way. I just think you don't know what you're talking about because you've never worn one.”

Ryan reluctantly opened the door a crack, placing her hands over her overflowing chest. Gracie pushed the door open wider, grabbed her hands and gave her a once over. “Nope, it's perfect,” she said. “Your boobs look awesome, and it's super sexy. You're buying it.” Ryan had been too astounded to argue.

They'd hit several more stores afterward, and finally finished up at Macy's, where Megan, the girl at the makeup counter, used a mineral type of makeup on her. She tried not to squirm or twitch when Megan brought the eyeliner and mascara toward her eyes. When she finished, Megan turned the mirror around to face her and asked, “What do you think?”

Ryan had stared at the girl in the mirror. The darkly shadowed eyes seemed brighter than usual, and the line of freckles was nonexistent. Her lashes were long and full, her lips plump and glossy. “Wow.”

Megan had put everything she'd used on the counter, and Ryan hardly blanched at the price. She never bought anything she didn't absolutely need for herself and had built up quite a nest egg, so whatever she spent could just be replaced later. She'd smiled as she handed over her credit card, and when she left, fairly danced out the door.

She was brought back to the present when Gracie stopped her from slamming the trunk closed. “There's no sense in wasting that hair or face. Here.” She rifled through the bags, pulling out the midnight blue bra and panty set, telling Ryan, “Sexy starts from the skin out. There's no way you're giving off a sexy vibe in granny panties.”

Ryan blushed and muttered, “They're briefs and they're comfortable.”

Gracie snorted, “Yeah, and so is a muumuu, but guys don't get turned on by those either.” She rifled some more and pulled out a clingy blue top with a low neckline, Ryan's new boot-cut jeans, and the black ankle boots she had fallen in love with. Gracie shoved the clothes into her arms and said, “There.”

Ryan took the bounty and asked, “Where do you want me to change?”

Gracie rolled her eyes. “In the car, silly. Come on, it's almost nine-thirty. I think we should head over to Buck's Shot Bar for a little fun.”

Ryan shook her head. “Gracie, I can't change in the car. Someone might see me.”

Gracie reached in and pulled out the slinky pinky dress she'd bought. “I'll do it with you. Here, we'll pull over to the dark part of the parking lot. No one will see.”

Ryan didn't protest again. She'd learned over the last few hours that Gracie was pretty much used to getting her way and didn't take well to the word no. She crawled into the backseat and started to change. Gracie climbed into the front and lifted up her sweater dress, tossing it into the back just as a truck drove by, honking. She continued to pull the pink number over her head and fluffed her hair, unfazed by the fact that someone had seen her nearly naked. Ryan shook her head at the woman's confidence.

When Ryan finally finished changing, she stepped out of the car, wiggling about. How did women find the scratchy lace and wedgie-causing boy shorts comfortable?

“How do I look?”

Gracie eyed her from the driver's seat. “Damn girl, I think you went way past sexy.”

Ryan's face hurt all the way to Buck's from smiling so hard. Gracie kept jabbering on and on, and Ryan turned to her in the seat. “Thank you, Gracie. For today. I . . . don't have a lot of girlfriends. I'm a little awkward around other women especially . . .”

Gracie gave her a look out of the corner of her eye, “Dumb ones?”

Ryan gasped. “No. Popular types. Pretty ones.”

Gracie burst out laughing. “Oh honey, I wasn't ever popular. I was a drama girl in high school and I tended to say whatever I was thinking whenever I wanted. That doesn't exactly endear you to people. I just love the spotlight so much that it just keeps following me.” She paused for a minute. “As for not feeling like you belong, I don't think you'll have a problem with that tonight. You'll be the belle of the ball.”

G
REGG WAS GETTING
a beer with his friend Michael Stevens, discussing the latest romantic setback with Mike's friend Gemma, when Mike's eyes caught something at the door. “Damn.”

Gregg swiveled his head around to see what had caught Mike's attention and his mouth dropped. He barely glanced at Gracie standing in the doorway in her bright pink clingy dress. His eyes devoured the curvy redhead in the tight jeans and low-cut blue top next to her. “Holy hell.”

Mike recovered enough to joke. “I think I covered it with ‘Damn.'”

Gracie and Ryan walked toward the bar, and Gregg's eyes were drawn to the shy smile on Ryan's made-up face. Why was she dressed like that? And why was she wearing all that makeup? Gracie was waving to get Eric Henderson's attention, and when Eric approached them, Mike elbowed Gregg in the ribs. “You want to go over and say hi?”

What Gregg wanted was to live in a universe that did not leave him feeling like all the air had been sucked out of the atmosphere. When had Ryan started hanging with Gracie? There was only one way he was going to get any answers, and that was to talk to her. He sucked down the rest of his beer and walked toward Ryan and Gracie, Mike close on his heels. Before the two men rounded the bar, though, a tall guy with spiky hair and earrings approached the two women. It was immediately apparent that Ryan was his object of interest. Gregg's eyebrows slashed in irritation as he watched the guy put money on the bar, obviously paying for Ryan and Gracie's drinks. “Do you know that guy?” Gregg didn't even recognize his own voice, it sounded so dark and gravelly.

Mike shook his head and said, “Nope. He's probably just in town for the night, slumming it with us hicks.”

Gregg scowled as Ryan's cheeks flushed with color and she smiled sweetly at the stranger. He watched her glossy lips as she took a sip of her drink, and he wondered if the gloss was flavored.

Mike pushed him forward and asked, “So are we going to go over and talk to them or can I get another beer?”

Gregg moved again, oblivious to everyone he brushed past except the alluring redheaded angel currently inhabiting Ryan's body.

R
YAN WAS ENJOYING
Chase Trepasso's attention. She'd been horrified when she recognized him as the man in the shop who had caught her staring that morning, but after a few minutes of conversation, she realized that Chase didn't recognize her. He'd introduced himself, bought them drinks, and given both her and Gracie his card.
Jagged Rock Tattoo Parlor
had been written in rough script with his name, number, and the shop address on it. He'd asked them what they did, and after listening politely to Gracie, turned to her. “What about you?”

She wasn't sure if she should've been pleased or irritated he didn't recognize her, considering there weren't very many redheads running around town. “I'm a photographer. I work in the studio next door to your shop.”

“Really? I've been thinking of hiring a photographer to take pictures of some of my work. Maybe I could come by your studio for a price quote?” Chase was leaning on the bar next to her, and Ryan felt giddy as she looked up into his cool gray eyes. She'd dated guys before, but never had one actually come up to her with the exclusive purpose of getting to know her. Most of the time they needed help with an assignment and thought she was funny or that under her frumpy clothes there was really a wild woman waiting to rock their world.

It was quite flattering to have such a good-looking guy taking such an interest in her, and her smile widened as she said, “Of course. I could show you my portfolio and give you a list of packages. I'm usually in the studio Monday through Friday until five, and sometimes Saturday, depending on the schedule and appointments, so if you want to set something up, I'd be happy to help.” Ryan didn't know if it was the way he was looking at her, but she surprised herself when she added flirtatiously, “Anything you need, you just let me know.”