The Man Next Door

Chapter Thirteen

Sara ended up staying at your house the entire time your father and Joel were gone.

The topic of her mother never came up again, even though you wanted to talk to her about it. You had enjoyed hanging out with her for the past few days, so you decided to leave it be.

On the morning of your fathers' return, you and Sara woke up early to clean the house and cook breakfast. Sara put on a playlist full of oldies and you danced in between sweeping the floor.

After breakfast, you checked your phone for a sign of life from either your father or Joel. Nothing. In the next room, Sara called out your name.

"Hey, I don't know when my dad is gonna get home, so I'm going to head home and wait for him there."

Her bag was slung over her shoulder, and she held her high tops in her hand. You softly smiled at the sight, happy to have been able to spend time with her over the course of the last few days.

"Okay, we've gotta do this again soon!" You hugged each other before Sara made her way down the sidewalk to her house.

When you checked your phone again, your heartbeat picked up.

"Wear something sexy tonight. You're coming over as soon as Sara leaves."

You bit back a smile, now excited to see Joel.

You ransacked your underwear drawer, trying to figure out what to wear. The majority of your underwear was comfortable, not sexy. You did have a few pieces of lingerie, but you wanted something that no one had seen you in, something that was just for him.

You checked the time. 10:28. You probably had plenty of time to go shopping, you figured, but just to be safe, you texted Joel back.

"Can't wait. What time will y'all be home?"

Joel's response came a minute later. "An hour or two. Depends on your old man and his bathroom stops."

You laughed at his response and sent him a simple thumbs up as you quickly changed into a pair of jean shorts and threw your shoes on, hurrying out the door.

~

You hadn't been to Victoria's Secret in a few years. The last time you went was when you were newly single, and looking for something to wear underneath your dress for some guy who definitely did not deserve the effort.

You'd barely stepped foot into the bright pink store when a cute blonde clutching a clipboard stepped up to you. "Hi! You need any help today?"

Usually, you would say no, but you could actually use a second opinion this time. Plus, it's not like you'd ever see this girl again.

"Um, yea actually. I'm looking for a new lingerie set."

Her eyes lit up and she leaned in towards you, lowering her voice. "Special night coming up?"

You breathed out a laugh. "Yea, something like that."

The girl motioned towards the wall behind her. "We can start here. I'm Jenna by the way."

You were slightly overwhelmed at first. Some of the options she showed you were just too much, and others were just simply not your style.

She held up a neon pink bodysuit which was completely see-through. You scrunched up your nose. Next was another bodysuit, but this one was black and left very little to the imagination. It was mostly lace and straps that went in every which direction, and it didn't even have enough fabric to cover your nipple. You shook your head again.