"Oh, and after all of that, he fired me."

"Wow. Fired for fucking your boss. You are so scandalous, Miss Downs."

"Learned from the best."

"Jesse is so damn wrong. I love knowing this. It's hilarious."

"Please don't tell anyone. It needs to stay private before she tracks me down and threatens to kill me or something."

"Your secret is safe with me. You don't even have to ask," Lori said.

"And that's why I love you."

We finished eating, and she filled me in on the house rumors, the multiple dates she's been juggling, shopping, and her Number One. She continued talking about the new diamond necklace she received, dinner parties, and the upcoming match ceremonies.

"Do you think you and your John will ever be anything more? Do you love him?"

"I enjoy being with him, and the sex is nice, but it's not love Jennifer. What you feel for Felton, that's love. The way your face lights up and the way you glow after being with him, that's real and not everyone feels that. I've been with The Elite for almost a year, and in my world, love doesn't exist. You're lucky, you know. Some people wait their entire life to find someone that makes them feel complete. Looks like Lady Luck is on your side, after all. And well, you won the jackpot with Finn."

"You are always so poetic with your words. It's a nice thought, but I'm not sure it's love."

"Felton would have never fired you if it weren't. He may prohibit love, but he isn't immune to it."

Sue Mary cleared our plates, and we paid our ticket. As always, we left a one hundred dollar tip under our plates and exited. The temperature had dropped, and although it was still in the mid-fifties, it was cold.

"I want to bring you somewhere. I think it's time."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise." She unlocked the BMW. I moved inside and admired the soft leather, the large GPS, and the black interior. Damn I needed a new car.

When Lori pulled into The Fun Store, I blushed.

"You'll be biting your lip before it's all said and done," she said, and got out of the car. Of course I followed her. I had no choice.

We walked past costumes, magazines, and DVDs. Lori led me to the back room where there were colorful toys in all different shapes and sizes: large, extra-large, egg-shaped, flat, and the list went on. The cheesy slogans cracked me up, and I couldn't stop giggling.

"I understand you have Mr. Felton to tease and please you, but sometimes he won't be around. Trust me when I say you'll want one of these."

"Whatever." I tried to be blasé.

"I recommend this one." She spoke quietly so the lady standing behind us couldn't hear. It was purple, small, discrete, and waterproof.

"We can name it Little F for when your man is away, and you can't wait."

There were several different settings, for 'her pleasure' it said, and it wasn't penis shaped.

"Did you know that in the Texas you could be arrested for having more than six of these babies?"

My mouth dropped open. "No fucking way. You're kidding."

"It's the penal code, baby. Couldn't make that shit up," Lori said.

I would have to remember to google that when I got home, although it seemed right. Texas: a state where you could have unlimited guns and still fly the rebel flag, but you couldn't have more than six dildos. Wow.

She took me around the store, and I picked up some fun things, like nipple nibblers, g-spot gel, and naughty nympho cream. I couldn't wait to see the look on Finnley's face when he saw my new purchases. The cashier placed our items in black bags, and we exited the store smiling. We laughed about Jesse and her ridiculousness on the way back to the café.

When we pulled into the parking lot, Lori got out and hugged my neck before we parted ways.

"I'm so happy for you. You deserve it. Just take care of yourself."

I squeezed her and slid inside of the Honda. A deep breath escaped me. It felt nice to tell someone my secrets and be truthful. Lori wouldn't judge me, and I trusted her.

As I sat and stared at the gloomy sky, I couldn't help but think of Abbie. I would eventually have to be the bigger person and call her.

On the way home, the black and pink sign of my favorite lingerie shop caught my attention and I decided I needed an outfit to match my naughty purchases. So, of course, I did what every girl who loved sexy panties did, I pulled into the parking lot. The memory of Finnley pinning me in the back room and telling me we couldn't be together filled my thoughts. He had made me so emotional and broken. At that moment, I felt like I couldn't go on. No person had ever held control over me like that. I smiled because he was so wrong.

The bell on the door tinkled when I entered and an overly enthused new girl greeted me with a grin. She told me her name was Susan, and that Belinda was on vacation, then mentioned all the new deliveries for the week. Apparently, a set of delicious red lace lingerie arrived that was just my size. She returned with a scarlet red garter, tiny panties, and lace bra. I smiled, and she handed the hanger to me. I took in a breath when I entered the dressing room. After taking off my clothes, I put on the lingerie and stared. The bra could have been made out of tissue paper because it added very little support and didn't even provide coverage. Yes, it was completely see through. I turned around. The silk ran up the cheeks of my ass and barely hung on my hips. Finnley would love this.

I slid off the dainty material and placed the panties and bra back on the hanger. When I returned to the front, Susan knew instantly by the satisfaction on my face that I wanted it.

"Anything else that I should try on?"

"That's the latest thing we received in the store that's your size. If you'd like, I can call you whenever we get new items that would fit."

"Seriously? Yes. I would love that." I wrote my number down on a slip of paper and handed it over to her. Susan smiled.

"And how will you be paying for that today?"

"I will actually be charging it to my account. Jennifer Downs."

After a few clicks, she pulled up the account and her eyebrows smashed together. More taps on the keyboard, a long sigh, and poor Susan became completely flustered.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I can pull up your account, but it says that it's locked and I don't know why. I'm going to keep searching. I'm so sorry. Do you have another method of payment just in case?"

"Sure. No problem."

As I pulled out my credit card, Susan continued to click rapidly through screens.

"It says that you were suspended from using this account as of Monday due to… termination."

"This is embarrassing. It's just a habit to charge things to my business account. But it's no problem." I slid my credit card across the counter, and Susan swiped it. I signed the slip of paper, and she placed my pretty panties into a pink bag. What an awkward situation. How could I have been so stupid? Geez, I hoped the new girl didn't think I was trying to steal or anything, because that wasn't my intention. Needless to say, I wouldn't be back until Belinda returned.

I couldn't get home quick enough. Home. It felt nice to have a place of my own.

Once I pulled into the driveway, my phone rang and I saw a number that I didn't expect to see.

Abbie.

I dreaded answering the phone and contemplated sending her to voicemail, but the bullet could only be dodged for so long. She was once my best friend, after all, even though what she did was unforgivable. After a small pep talk, I answered.