The Outskirts (The Outskirts Duet #1)

Finn was aware of my plans.

Josh was not.

“Don’t blow smoke up my ass.” Josh turned to admire herself in the mirror.

“I’m not,” I argued from my perch at the corner of my bed. “My upbringing taught me some things I now know aren’t true, but it also taught me to always be honest. And honestly, when I first saw you, I couldn’t stop staring. I’d never seen anyone like you.”

“You mean a black person?” Josh adjusted one of her earrings and smiled at me over her shoulder.

“No, I mean someone who can be both…feminine and masculine. So strong and sturdy, but so graceful and…and pretty. A foul mouth filled with words of wisdom,” I said, folding my hands on my lap and hoping that she wasn’t offended by my explanation.

“Girl, you best stop talking or we won’t even need to go out because I’m just gonna stay here and fall in love with you.” We both laughed.

Josh turned back to the mirror. “I do look damned good, don’t I?” She winked at her reflection in the full-length mirror behind my bedroom door and doing a full turn so she could inspect her ass over her shoulder. She wiggled so I could see the full effect of the tight dress surrounding it.

I dropped my head into my hands.

“What? You think it’s too short?” she asked smoothing down the side of her dress with her hands. It was the first time she’d ever shown even the slightest crack in her wall of confidence.

“No, it’s perfect. Miller is going to love it.”

“This isn’t for him,” she said to my reflection in the mirror. “I just want to look nice.”

“Sure it’s not.”

“Why all the moaning and groaning over there?” she asked, wrinkling her nose and applying another coat of shiny lip gloss. “You should be getting ready.”

“Because it would take me renting out someone else’s body to look like that. Seriously, you make things very unfair for the rest of us.” I hesitated when she shifted her dress up her thigh to adjust the gun holster beneath. “And also, I’m slightly terrified of you.”

“Only slightly?” Josh said. “I’m losing my touch. And you’re so full of shit. Here, put this on.” She opened her purse and pulled out a scrap of fabric. She tossed it to me and it landed on my head covering my eyes. I pulled it off and examined the cobalt blue…what looked like a scarf. “This came out of your purse?” I eyed the evening bag she’d just tossed her lip gloss into.

“Mmmhmm,” she hummed. “Why?”

“Because it’s not even a big purse. It’s like a small purse. The fancy kind you carry around in your hand.”

“It’s called a clutch. You got a point coming, Say?”

I stood and walked over to the mirror, holding up the ‘dress’ in front of me. It wasn’t much but I admit, the color did wonders for my eyes. “My point is that if this fit in your CLUTCH, then how is it supposed to cover these.” I waved my hand over my breasts which were currently covered by a loose fitting t-shirt.

Josh flashed me a wicked smile and snatched the dress from me. “That’s the point. It’s not supposed to cover them.”

A few moments later, I was showered and wearing the dress. Josh tossed me a thick robe to wear while she fussed with my hair and makeup. She tamed the natural waves in my hair to something much lighter and more manageable she called ‘beachy waves.’ I paired the dress with a borrowed pair of black sandals that wrapped around my ankle with a delicate wedge heel just a couple of inches high. I wouldn’t cave when it came to the ridiculous giraffe heels Josh tried to get me to wear. I’m glad she gave in to my refusal or else I’m pretty sure I was moments away from her bending me over and nailing them to my feet like she was shooing a horse.

After Josh took a few minutes to apply some makeup to my face she turned me to face the mirror and I was shocked to find that I was still looking at me. Just a shined-up version.

“I played up your eyes with a little mascara and a little liner in the corners and I put a natural gloss on because your lips are already so pink and perfect,” Josh said, resting her chin on my shoulder.

“You didn’t cover them up.” I ran my fingers over my freckles.

Josh smiled and smoothed down my hair. The bangle bracelets on her arm clinked together. “I’m a cop, Say.” She ran the tip of her finger around the heaviest collection of them around my right eye. “Covering up these freckles? Now that would be a damn crime.”

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t seen the dress on yourself yet. Stand up,” she ordered.

I stood and Josh pushed the robe from my shoulders.

“Hollyyyy shit,” she whispered, taking a step back to give me room to take it all in.

And the only thing I could say when coming face to face with a girl who was me, but not me at the same time, was an echo of Josh’s words.

“Hollyyy shit,” I whispered back. Slapping my hand over my mouth.

Josh laughed at my attempt to swear. “Those legs are everything.”

The fabric of the cobalt blue dress was stretchy and comfortable, but fitting, hugging my waist and breasts, but not squeezing the life from me. It was short sleeved and the hem was several inches above my knee, showing off my muscular legs and the curve of my butt. It was very feminine but almost like a t-shirt in style, complete with a small pocket right above my right breast. The neckline dropped into a soft V just low enough to see the curve of my breasts, but not too low where I’d be worrying about pulling it up all night. I felt…pretty, yet still me.

“So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing tonight?” Josh asked curiously as I started taking the food items I’d bought earlier from the refrigerator, placing them onto the counter.

“We’re having dinner,” I said, nodding toward the ingredients.

“We didn’t have to get so dressed up if we were going to be having dinner with just the two of us,” Josh said, looking amused.

“It’s not just the two of you,” Miller said, peeking in through the front door.

“My stance remains the same,” Josh muttered.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Miller said, handing me a bouquet of wild roses. Most of the stems were bent. “For you, madam.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking the flowers. “You look handsome tonight. Doesn’t Miller look handsome?” I asked Josh.

“He’s wearing a t-shirt,” she said flatly.

“It’s my fancy t-shirt,” Miller explained, pointing to the bow tie printed at the neck.

“It’s lovely,” I said with a laugh. “Can you help me carry this outside?” I handed Miller a basket of rolls and Josh a bottle of wine. I followed them to the deck with a cheese plate I’d cut up earlier.

“Is it just the three of us?” Josh asked.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m thoroughly enjoying the girl to guy ratio in this scenario,” Miller said.

“I invited Critter but he said he already had plans.”