Free The New Rule: (The Casual Rule 2) by A.C. Netzel Page B

skills. Talk about getting your freak on. I better try her real name.
    Laura Nutley
    Unfortunately, I found some images, judging by the camera in her hand and the blonde bombshell smile I know I got the right Laura. Just like Marcello described, she has that Swedish Supermodel, tall, lean, blonde hair/blue eye thing going for her. In one image, she’s holding a mug of something, what’s that stuff they drink in Sweden? Oh yeah, Glögg. She probably has some lingonberries and a jar of pickled herring in the Gucci bag slung over her shoulder too.
    I have to admit, she has an incredible body. I bet she runs; that’s something she’ll have in common with Ben. Maybe they’ll run together every morning. Ugh.
    I hate this. There is nothing he has done to make me think he would ever cheat on me… but my past insecurities have crept back in my psyche. My ex, Mikehole, really pulled a number on me. I was completely blindsided at the extent of his cheating. He sweet-talked his way out of any suspicions I may have had. He made me feel stupid for doubting him. I fell for all his lies.
    I trust Ben. I do. He’s a good man. He said it himself, he would never hurt me. And I believe him; despite the fact that he’s having drinks with another woman, who happens to be stunning… and slutty… in a hotel… with king sized beds… in another city.
    I have to stop thinking.
    “Hey Al, want to go shopping?” I call out to Allie’s bedroom. I haven’t heard any jungle howls, so I’m assuming Vince isn’t there. Some retail therapy is just the ticket to keep my imagination off the Swede.
    “Sure. Give me fifteen minutes,” she calls back.
    ~o0o~
    Some shopping and a messy falafel from a food cart was all I needed to restore my sanity. I thought we’d window shop, but Allie dragged me from one lingerie store to another. There was so much beautiful lingerie and the prettiest silk panties. I know I can’t afford it but how’s a girl to resist? Especially a slightly insane insecure girl who wants to remind her man how lucky he is once he gets home.
    “Here.” Allie holds out her hand. In it is a matching white lace thong, push up bra, and garter belt. “Get this.”
    I grab the items from her hand and look them over. It’s the prettiest and sexiest underwear I’ve ever seen, wedding night sexy. It screams virginal vixen. The lace is so soft and delicate, not the cheap scratchy stuff I occasionally buy. How do they do that?
    “A garter belt? It’s practically the summer. I don’t wear stockings in the summer.” I glance at the tags. “It’s not even on sale. I can’t afford this.”
    “Your man is away two long nights. Don’t you want to give him something to look forward to when he comes home?”
    I think about how Ben would react to this little, and I mean little, number. It’s one of those outfits that will take me fifteen minutes to put on and take him fifteen seconds to rip off. I look at the price tag again.
    Totally worth it.
    “Okay.” I’ll take a cell phone shot of the lingerie spread out on my bed and send it to Ben as a reminder of what he has waiting for him.
    “Good. That ought to get his motor running. How do you like this?” She holds up a hot pink lace corset. Actually, it’s half a corset.
    “Where’s the bra part of that?”
    She holds up a box of hot pink pasties with tassels. “It comes with a free feather tickler too,” she says, reading the back of the box.
    “Don’t you want something a little… pretty?”
    “Vince prefers pretty slutty,” she says matter-of-factly, holding the corset against her chest in front of a full-length mirror.
    A salesperson walks by just as Allie makes her statement. She stops in her tracks, shakes her head and smiles. I bet she could write a book about all the things she overhears. Maybe I should pull her aside and talk to her. We’re always looking for new ideas at work.
    Confessions of a Lingerie Salesperson… that could work.
    “I think you’ve