She jerked to a halt. Her back returning to a natural position and her arms falling to her sides. “Okay. I think that sounds reasonable.”
“See?” I sighed, relieved but not really. “I told you I was here to help.”
She made a face at me.
When we moved to the closest stall, I threw the door open, held it in that position with my hip, and positioned Rosie so she was facing the inside.
And… all my momentary cool went out the window.
“Ready?” I asked, just in case. Just so I wouldn’t startle her with my touch. Just so I’d have a couple of seconds to prepare myself.
“Born ready,” she murmured.
“I’m going to start with the tiny button at the top. Then I’ll pull the zipper down.”
She exhaled slowly. “You don’t have to narrate it, Lucas. Just do it.”
My lips twitched at her impatience, but the moment my fingers unclasped that first button, that smile died.
My jaw clamped down tightly as I started making a work of the zipper, sliding it down deliberately gently, telling myself that it was because the fabric was thick and heavy when in reality, I was having a hard time making my fingers function. Taking a deep pull of air through my nose, I kept tugging at the zipper and more and more of that smooth, rosy skin was unveiled, sending my pulse thrumming all over my body.
I itched to move the dress out of the way and touch her. Her skin. To feel if it was cold or warm under my fingertips. To trace her spine with the back of my hand and see if she would shiver.
We fell into a charged silence, the only sound in the enclosed space the slow hiss of the metallic teeth as my right hand kept moving down, pulling at the slider, and reaching something I hadn’t been prepared for.
The band of Rosie’s underwear.
Lace. Black.
The sight sent my heart into a sprint. My blood swirled and gathered down, down, down. In places that would make this situation very uncomfortable to explain if someone walked in on us right now.
“Lucas?”
“Yeah?” I thought I said.
“I think…” She trailed off, her voice thick. “I can take over from here.”
And before I could open my mouth to attempt an answer, she was disappearing inside the stall.
My forehead fell onto the closed door. Ah fuck.
I wasn’t forgetting about the band of her lacy, black panties anytime soon.
Rosie groaned from inside. “Oh God. Oh no.” A pause. “I’m so… wet.”
Wet. She was wet.
A pained sound left me at her declaration.
“Can you pass me a few paper towels?” she asked after a beat. “Under the door?”
“Of course. Roomie.” Roomie, from roommates, remember, Lucas? I reminded myself as I grabbed a handful of towels and followed her instructions. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” she said, snagging them off my hand. Two seconds later, her dress was hanging off the top part of the stall door.
I closed my eyes at the sight, summoning all my willpower not to think about what that meant. Her, mostly naked. In her black lace underwear. Wet.
“Lucas?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah?”
“Can you put the gown under the hand dryer? Just for a couple of minutes.” A beat of silence. “While I clean up.”
Grabbing the dress, I walked to the hand dryer and placed it underneath the hot air. The task served as a distraction from my wildly inappropriate thoughts.
“Is it working?” Rosie asked a few minutes later.
It wasn’t. Not fast enough. The fabric was heavy, and only mildly less damp in my hands. “Still a little wet.”
“I think I’m going to put it back on. We’ve been in here long enough, and I don’t think it’s going to get any better than this.”
I walked back to her stall and held the dress in front of me. And, of course, that was the exact moment someone decided to enter the restroom. Yet one more superhero I didn’t recognize. Were those… horns on her forehead?
“Hi,” I greeted her with a nod. “Please, don’t mind me. I’m—”
And, before I knew what was happening, I was being pulled backward into Rosie’s stall and the door was being closed behind us. I shut my eyes.
“Why were you striking up a conversation with her?” she whispered.
“I was being polite, Ro,” I said, facing the door and giving Rosie my back to be extra safe. “Abuela taught me that good manners and a smile can get you a long way. No need to be jealous.”