Kim looked shocked. "Really? I thought he was Italian."
"He is. It's that whole Rome versus Greece thing that he never really got over. He's a nutcase, but I love him."
Pam gestured to Tabitha's belly. "Obviously, and considering your condition and the store you own, I'd say you love him often."
Tabitha laughed insidiously as she placed a protective hand over her distended belly. "Honey, if you ever saw that man naked, you would, too." She grinned. "So what can I do for you guys?"
"Tory is planning on having sex."
"Pam!" Tory would have crawled under the nearest rack except for the fact it contained sex swings and other items she didn't want to think about.
Pam gave her an innocent blink. "Well you are, aren't you? It's not like Tabby can't tell from the mere fact that we're here. Not to mention you can see that she's had some herself." She pointed to Tabitha's stomach again.
Tory growled at her as she shook her head, then spoke to Tabitha. "I apologize for Pam. I accidentally hit her in the head with a baseball when we were in fifth grade and knocked her out cold. She's never been right since."
Tabitha laughed. "You can't embarrass me. Believe me. Pam and I are cut from the same cloth. So tell me a little bit about this guy and I'll find you the perfect thing for him."
Tory smiled at the mere thought of Ash. She didn't know why but it made her giddy and warm. "Well he's tall and dark-haired."
"Tall, please," Pam scoffed while Kim laughed. "The man is a giant. She found the only six-foot-eight guy I've ever seen. Ooo and Tab you ought to meet him. He's Goth and gorgeous."
"And Greek," Kim whispered.
Tabitha frowned as she looked at them suspiciously. "Really? He sounds just like a friend of mine . . ." Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head, "But no, it couldn't be him."
"Him who?" Tory asked.
"Ash Parthenopaeus."
Tory's eyes widened.
Then so did Tabitha's. "NO!" she breathed in total disbelief. "You're getting a piece of Ash? Oh my God, girl, you go!" Tabitha started waving her hands and cackling excitedly. "If you want to make some real money, make pictures. I know women the world over who would pay big to see him naked, myself included!"
Pam high fived her.
Tory buried her face against Kim's shoulder while Kim patted her on the head. "There, there, baby. We'll hide her body in the trunk later."
Tabitha began running around the store, pulling things down from racks and shelves. "Ash definitely requires something black . . . no wait. Red. Racy red." She held a red furry teddy up, made a face and shook her head before Tory could even comment. "Not really your color. Oh wait!" She ran to the back room, then came out with a sheer black babydoll that had small skull and crossbones with tiny pink bows on their heads. "Perfect for Ash. He'll love it."
Tory had to agree. But it made her wonder just how well Tabitha knew him. "Tabitha have you and Ash ever . . . ?"
"Please, no. Don't I wish." She leaned over to whisper in Tory's ear. "And don't tell my hubby I said that cause it would just make him mental. But before I met my baby, I dreamed many a dream of taking a bite out of that man if you know what I mean and since you're here I know that you do."
Tabitha went to a bookshelf at the back of the store and grabbed two books down. "You'll want these too."
Tory frowned at the one on top that featured a woman in a corset holding a cucumber. "How To Tickle His Pickle?"
Tabitha nodded proudly. "My personal fave. It's all you'll ever need to know to make a man go crazy."
The next book was even stranger. This one was even shrink-wrapped. Tory looked at it suspiciously. "Manga Sutra?"
"Ash loves manga." Tabitha patted the book and grinned. "He'll be very interested in that one, not that I think he doesn't know everything in it. But . . . could come in handy." Tabitha went to the front of the store and opened the glass cabinet near the register before she started pulling other things out.
Tory's face flamed at the items Tabitha piled on the counter. "They make flavored nipple cream?"
"Oh yeah, great stuff. It's not only flavored, but tinted to make you a bit rosier and best of all, it has a dab of menthol to make your nipples really hard so they're extra sensitive and men go wild for it. They just love stiffened nipples."
Kim and Pam laughed.
Tory covered her face with her hands and wanted to die of embarrassment. It was bad enough to have this stuff, but the fact that Tabitha knew Ash just made it all the more horrifying.
She was sure he'd be mortified to know that a friend of his had helped her pick this stuff out. And by the time she was being rung up, Tory was almost too embarrassed to go back to Sanctuary and face him.
As she dug out her credit card to pay for it, a tall extremely good looking man came out of the backroom. Dressed in a black turtleneck and slacks, he frowned at Tabitha who was still chattering away with Pam.