The Boutique's Unexpected Hire (4/4)

Tina’s breath caught in her throat as Matt’s smirk lingered. A jolt of panic shot through her. No, no, no—this wasn’t happening.

She forced a breathless laugh, grasping at any excuse. “I—I’m sorry, sir—do we know each other?” she asked, her voice light and professional, as if pretending hard enough might make this nightmare go away.

Matt’s smirk deepened as he tilted his head, looking her over. “Hmm… maybe you’re right,” he mused, pretending to consider it. “You are way too sexy to be my friend Tyler.”

Tina stiffened, her entire body heating up. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out—just a useless stammer as her hands fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.

Matt chuckled, clearly amused by her reaction. “Relax, I called your mom.”

Tina froze.

“I asked what you’ve been up to since you’ve been impossible to get a hold of lately,” he continued, watching her panic grow. “She said you’ve been working at some boutique and sounded really happy about it.” His gaze flicked down her body, a slow smirk forming. “She left out a few details.”

Tina scrambled for an explanation, her voice rising in desperation. “It’s not what you think! I—I didn’t have a choice! It just—”

Matt cut her off with an easy shrug. “Could’ve fooled me. You don’t exactly look miserable.” His eyes dragged down her body, taking in every polished, feminine detail—the short uniform, the smooth legs, the subtle way she shifted her weight in her heels. “In fact… you look pretty damn hot dressed like that.”

Tina’s breath hitched. A sharp, involuntary shudder ran down her spine, mortification twisting deep in her stomach. She knew she should deny it, should insist this was humiliating, degrading, wrong—but the words wouldn’t come. Her lips trembled, her hands clenching into fists at her sides as she fought to keep herself together.

Matt leaned in slightly, his voice as casual as ever. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

Tina blinked. “W-What?”

“To hang out,” Matt said, already turning toward the door. “You know—like friends.” Then, just before leaving, he glanced back at her, smirk widening. “See you then… Tina.”

And just like that, he was gone, leaving her too stunned to argue.

The next day, Tina’s room was a disaster—clothes strewn across the bed, shoes discarded in a messy pile, half her makeup collection spread out on the vanity. She knew she was overthinking, but every time she settled on something, doubt crept in. Casual? Cute? Maybe even… sexy?

But Matt was her friend. Wasn’t he?

Her fingers hovered over a short skirt before she groaned, flopping onto the bed in frustration. This was ridiculous! She shouldn’t even care what she wore—it wasn’t a date! It wasn’t like she was dressing up for him. No. She was just going to wear whatever she wanted. That was all.

Her hands moved on their own, pulling a matching set of lingerie from the drawer—a pink and black corset, sheer panties, a garter belt, and thigh-high stockings. She stepped into the delicate lace, adjusting the straps, fastening the ribbons, smoothing her hands down the snug bodice. Perfect.

Before she could think too much, she grabbed a pair of sleek black heels and slipped them on, the sharp click of her steps filling the room as she made her way to the closet. She needed a dress, maybe something tight, maybe something—

“Tina?”

She jolted upright as her mom peeked into the room, gaze sweeping over the chaos—the scattered clothes, the open lingerie drawer, and, of course, Tina herself, standing in lingerie and heels.

Her mom raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a knowing smile. “What’s all this?”

Tina’s face burned. “O-Oh! I’m just… just getting dressed to hang out with a friend,” she stammered, grabbing the nearest dress off the bed as if that might make it seem normal.

Her mom’s eyes flicked over her outfit—lingerie, stockings, stilettos—before arching a brow, amusement clear in her voice. “Mmm. Just hanging out, I see…” Without another word, she turned and left, the door clicking shut behind her.

Tina buried her face in her hands. This was a disaster. But even as she told herself that, her fingers curled tighter around the dress she had grabbed—a tight, sexy little black dress.

She hesitated. Then, slowly, almost mechanically, she stepped into it, pulling the fabric up over her body, smoothing it over her curves, adjusting the thin straps.

Because whether she admitted it or not…

Tina had a date.

And Tyler wasn’t coming back.