is the evening’s entertainment, Georgia?”
“Wait and see,” Georgia replied with a wink.
Suddenly, music began to pump through the speakers in the spacious living room. Cooper recognized the strains of Madonna’s latest dance song and tagged along behind a handful of women as they made their way to a row of folding chairs. A young woman dressed in black pants and a black blouse snapped her fingers in time to the music as she ushered stragglers to their seats.
“Thank you for coming to my first Pajama Party!” Georgia beamed at her friends once they were all settled. “As married women, we sometimes need to shake things up a bit. It is our duty to please our husbands and for them to please us. So, in the name of marital bliss, I invite you to bring a little sizzle and a bit of ooh-la-la home to your hubby tonight. All purchases are private and will be conducted on a discreet, one-to-one basis in my kitchen. This is Lola.” Georgia gestured at the woman in black. “She’s provided you all with order forms and pens. You’ll find them under your seats. Simply check off the items you’d like to buy as they are modeled for you. Now, is everyone armed with bubbly? Good, because this is no place for the timid!”
A glass of champagne was shoved in Cooper’s hand. She took a grateful sip and, finally letting go of her coat, draped it over the back of her chair. The lights dimmed, the music was turned up a notch higher, and three voluptuous girls in their early twenties strutted into the room, wearing fishnet stockings and sexy silk nighties that fell to mid-thigh.
“Oh, my! I like the peach one!” A woman slid on a pair of reading glasses and uncapped her pen. “Would you look at that? They come in plus sizes, too. How nice! I can order one for my sister-in-law.”
The models did a brief twirl and then handed some of the ladies in the audience packets of panties to examine.
“Edible underwear!” One of the partygoers giggled. “Chocolate, strawberries and cream, vanilla caramel, and mocha. Charlie loves coffee. Should I try one?”
“Go for it, Dolores!” another woman coaxed her. “You heard what Georgia said. It’s our duty!” Both women laughed raucously.
The models returned wearing lacy bras and matching briefs. The women around Cooper muttered in approval over the ample coverage provided by the boycut briefs. “I thought this would be all about thongs and strapless bras. I could actually wear that outfit and not look too fat,” declared a woman Cooper believed was surely a size zero.
Pens scribbled on order pads. Cooper glanced shyly at the models and gulped her champagne, accepting a second glass from a tray that seemed to magically appear by her elbow just as she finished her first drink. The models were busily handing out black and red boxes labeled Dirty Girl, Lover Girl, and Naughty Girl. Each box contained a minuscule pair of panties, breath mints, a toothbrush, a condom, flavored body oil, a perfume sample, and two energy pills. The Lover Girl box also included a red feather and the Naughty Girl package came with a silk blindfold.
Cooper handed the boxes to her sister. “Are you getting any of these things?” she asked her while trying to get a clear view of the order pad on her lap.
Ashley shook her head. “I’m not feeling inspired yet, are you?”
“Inspired? I am totally weirded out right now.” Cooper guzzled more champagne. “I don’t think I need edible underwear,” she whispered, shifting uncomfortably as the models returned wearing thongs and push-up bras beneath sheer robes tied by a row of silk ribbons. “It’s a timing thing for me—about how I’m feeling, not how I look. I want it to be just right and none of these . . . items are going to affect that.” She gestured at her blank order pad.
Ashley scowled. “We’re here for me, remember? You don’t have to buy anything.” She examined the Dirty Girl box and passed it to the next woman. “I’m just looking for a little inspiration, so sit back, enjoy the show, and tell me if you see something that will turn Lincoln into putty.”
Wire baskets filled with massage oils and scented candles found their way to Cooper’s row along with a serving tray loaded with truffles, bite-sized raspberry mousse cups, and strawberries dipped in white chocolate. Cooper helped herself to several treats, but nearly choked on a strawberry as the