My 3 Rockstar Bosses

I pulled out the luxurious mink.

“You wanna wear this sweetheart? It’s the only women’s clothing I have on hand.”

Joanie stared at me, mouth slightly open before shaking her head firmly.

“No,” she stated. “Absolutely not. That belongs to another woman.”

My shoulders shrugged.

“Naw, sweet thing. That other woman’s long since gone, I haven’t seen her in ages. Come on, try it on.”

But the girl’s got her pride, and she stood firm, arms crossed over that luscious chest.

“Nick,” she said, lip jutting out. “No way am I putting that on. No. Way,” she emphasized once more.

And what could I do? Force her onto it, sliding that luxurious garment over those smooth shoulders? She’d fight me like a hellcat gone wild, an animal in the cage. I didn’t blame her. I wouldn’t put on some other dude’s pants even if my own were on fire.

So I stared right back.

“What do we do?” I rumbled. “Spend the entire day here in the apartment?”

She shrugged.

“I guess so. At least there’s a beautiful view of the city from your window,” she said, moving to the floor to ceiling glass. That was true. I have an apartment overlooking Fifth Avenue and the Park, one of the best in the city.

But that wasn’t doing right by my girl. Joanie should get out and see this magnificent town. Of course, I was only too happy to keep her indoors and all mine for the next day or two, ravishing those curves, but she deserved better. So unbelievably, I strode to the back bedroom, opening a chest of drawers and pulled out a set of sweats.

“Here,” I said, holding them out. “You want to try this?”

The brunette picked them up, eyeing the cotton skeptically.

“It’s about five sizes too big,” she murmured. But then her smile flashed. “If this is the best we can do, then it’s the best we can do,” she said. “Come on, I’ll get dressed and we can leave in a jiff.”

And when the brunette reappeared, I didn’t know what to think. Because the sweats were enormous for sure, but nothing could hide her assets. Those big breasts pressed against the college logo, her hips wide in the soft grey cotton. Honestly, the girl didn’t look half bad. Really cute, actually, with her hair up in a ponytail, a bright smile on that beautiful face.

Was she really going to stroll around NYC wearing gray sweats? Was the female open to bucking the trend, prizing comfort over fashion? But the answer was clear.

“Come on silly,” she tossed over one shoulder, grabbing her purse. “Come on, last one to the elevator is a rotten egg.”

And I laughed then, a weight lifting from my shoulders. Because this girl had the right priorities. She didn’t need stilettos and make-up. She didn’t even need a pair of designer jeans, happy with my sweats. So I laughed for real then. It’d been a long time. There are a lot of grimaces, or even polite half-smiles. But laughing like we were kids? Only Joanie could do that.

Our tour of the city was magnificent. We just did the normal stuff. Strolling in the park, watching the electric boats sail in the fountain. Marveling at all the locations recognizable from multiple episodes of Law and Order. Stopping by Times Square, where Joanie squealed upon seeing the M&M store.

“Come on!” she gestured again. “I love Nerds and they’ve got giant-sized boxes.”

My eyes rolled. Really? Because giant was to put it mildly. These things were about two feet tall and one foot wide, filled with pink and orange sweet and crackly candy.

I was about to put my foot down. Absolutely not. There’s indulgence, and then there’s over the top. What the hell were we going to do with ten pounds of Nerds?

But Joanie threw one look my way, and I couldn’t resist. My wallet was out, the girl bouncing up and down with excitement.

“Thank you Nick,” she burbled, eyes bright. “Thank you, you won’t regret this.”

I groaned, watching that curvy figure exit the M&M store, a huge box of candy clutched in her arms. But it was refreshing to be honest. I felt like we were at the County Fair, and I’d just won my girl a huge teddy bear by slamming the hammer down on the scale. Worth every cent.

So we strolled through Times Square, bumping into strangers, that beautiful face lit with enjoyment, eyes taking in everything.

“Thanks for taking me around today,” she breathed, staring at the Jumbotrons advertising everything from Japanese alarm clocks to Italian merino wool sweaters. “I know I was supposed to be on a flight to Atlanta, but you let me catch my breath.”