you’re going to rock the leopard print, huh, Cora?”
She gave a big sigh. “What do you think?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m eighty-six, boy. Do you know how longs it’s been since I rocked anything?”
Bryan gave her a smile. “Oh, come on, Cora, rocking is all in the attitude.”
“My attitude is that eighty-six-year-old women shouldn’t wear leopard prints.”
Okay, so Cora wasn’t excited about this. She wasn’t nervous like Susan. Cora just seemed depressed about the whole thing. It was one thing to not want to do something. That was fine. But it was something else to think you shouldn’t do something.
Bryan pushed up from the chair and walked the short distance to the front of the stage. “Okay, ladies, gather ’round,” he said loudly.
All nine women came forward and formed a half circle in front of him.
“Here’s the deal,” he said. “Every single one of you should be wearing whatever you want to,” he told them. “You should all feel good up here. And far be it from me to talk anyone out of wearing lingerie—”
“Oh, I’m guessing you’ve talked lots of women out of their lingerie,” Linda Kelson said.
The women all laughed.
“And out of lots of other things,” Stella added.
Bryan felt his smile stretch wide. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Let me rephrase. Far be it from me to keep a woman from wearing lingerie, at least for a short period.”
They all loved that and laughed again.
“But,” he went on. “A woman’s beauty and sexiness isn’t about what she’s wearing.” “It’s about what she’s not wearing,” Stella said.
Bryan shook his head, though he was still grinning. What had he gotten into here? “The most beautiful thing a woman can wear is happiness ,” he said. “Women are beautiful when they’re playing with their dogs, holding their children, laughing with their friends, dancing, cooking, yelling at a football game, reading a good book—whatever it is that gives them that soft look and that glow of happiness.”
Bryan looked around at the group, startled to find nine pairs of eyes staring at him. A few mouths were even open.
“So,” he went on, carefully. “If Ruby feels good in her lingerie, she’ll be beautiful in it. But if Cora doesn’t want to wear the leopard print, we need to find something she will feel good in. But, Cora, it’s not about your age or anything else. You can rock whatever you choose to wear, I promise.”
Cora seemed to be thinking about that. “The color green makes me happy.”
Bryan nodded. “Then you should definitely wear green.”
“I want it to cover my ass,” Cora added.
Bryan snorted. “Whatever you want.”
“And I should bring my cat,” Cora said. “She definitely makes me happy.”
Bryan nodded. “I think—”
“Oh! I’ll bring Pudding,” Linda said.
“Pudding?” Bryan asked.
“My dog. She’s so sweet. I could put her in a leopard print!”
They all laughed.
“That’s a fun idea,” Stella agreed. “I could make a little nightie for Cher that matches mine.”
“Cher?” Bryan asked.
“My black lab,” Stella told him.
Of course Cher was her black lab. Bryan got the inkling he was losing control. Then again, he had wanted to help the women relax and have fun with this.
“I like my polka dots,” Dottie said. “But it would be funny to put Pepper in polka dots too. I’ll bet I could find a polka dotted sock or something.”
“A sock,” Bryan repeated. “Because Pepper is a…”
“Ferret,” Dottie said. “I think a ferret would look pretty funny in a nightie.”
Right. But a black lab would look totally normal in one.
“Well, I don’t have a pet, but if we’re talking about ways to make this happy for me, I’ll be wearing long johns and carrying a book and a cup of tea,” Mary Simpson said.
“Oh for Heaven’s sake!”
Everyone turned to find Tessa standing stage right.
“Tess—” Bryan started. She must have walked in late and didn’t know what
She gave a big sigh. “What do you think?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m eighty-six, boy. Do you know how longs it’s been since I rocked anything?”
Bryan gave her a smile. “Oh, come on, Cora, rocking is all in the attitude.”
“My attitude is that eighty-six-year-old women shouldn’t wear leopard prints.”
Okay, so Cora wasn’t excited about this. She wasn’t nervous like Susan. Cora just seemed depressed about the whole thing. It was one thing to not want to do something. That was fine. But it was something else to think you shouldn’t do something.
Bryan pushed up from the chair and walked the short distance to the front of the stage. “Okay, ladies, gather ’round,” he said loudly.
All nine women came forward and formed a half circle in front of him.
“Here’s the deal,” he said. “Every single one of you should be wearing whatever you want to,” he told them. “You should all feel good up here. And far be it from me to talk anyone out of wearing lingerie—”
“Oh, I’m guessing you’ve talked lots of women out of their lingerie,” Linda Kelson said.
The women all laughed.
“And out of lots of other things,” Stella added.
Bryan felt his smile stretch wide. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Let me rephrase. Far be it from me to keep a woman from wearing lingerie, at least for a short period.”
They all loved that and laughed again.
“But,” he went on. “A woman’s beauty and sexiness isn’t about what she’s wearing.” “It’s about what she’s not wearing,” Stella said.
Bryan shook his head, though he was still grinning. What had he gotten into here? “The most beautiful thing a woman can wear is happiness ,” he said. “Women are beautiful when they’re playing with their dogs, holding their children, laughing with their friends, dancing, cooking, yelling at a football game, reading a good book—whatever it is that gives them that soft look and that glow of happiness.”
Bryan looked around at the group, startled to find nine pairs of eyes staring at him. A few mouths were even open.
“So,” he went on, carefully. “If Ruby feels good in her lingerie, she’ll be beautiful in it. But if Cora doesn’t want to wear the leopard print, we need to find something she will feel good in. But, Cora, it’s not about your age or anything else. You can rock whatever you choose to wear, I promise.”
Cora seemed to be thinking about that. “The color green makes me happy.”
Bryan nodded. “Then you should definitely wear green.”
“I want it to cover my ass,” Cora added.
Bryan snorted. “Whatever you want.”
“And I should bring my cat,” Cora said. “She definitely makes me happy.”
Bryan nodded. “I think—”
“Oh! I’ll bring Pudding,” Linda said.
“Pudding?” Bryan asked.
“My dog. She’s so sweet. I could put her in a leopard print!”
They all laughed.
“That’s a fun idea,” Stella agreed. “I could make a little nightie for Cher that matches mine.”
“Cher?” Bryan asked.
“My black lab,” Stella told him.
Of course Cher was her black lab. Bryan got the inkling he was losing control. Then again, he had wanted to help the women relax and have fun with this.
“I like my polka dots,” Dottie said. “But it would be funny to put Pepper in polka dots too. I’ll bet I could find a polka dotted sock or something.”
“A sock,” Bryan repeated. “Because Pepper is a…”
“Ferret,” Dottie said. “I think a ferret would look pretty funny in a nightie.”
Right. But a black lab would look totally normal in one.
“Well, I don’t have a pet, but if we’re talking about ways to make this happy for me, I’ll be wearing long johns and carrying a book and a cup of tea,” Mary Simpson said.
“Oh for Heaven’s sake!”
Everyone turned to find Tessa standing stage right.
“Tess—” Bryan started. She must have walked in late and didn’t know what
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