Page 58 of His Choice

He entered the too-tiny booth, closing the curtain behind him. “You look great, but I knew you’d pull up the hem too high.”

Without another word, he reached for the waistband and tugged the garment lower. Out of surprise, I stumbled back against the mirror before pushing his hands away.

“Quit it!”

He laughed. “Hey, look at that. You have some body hair after all.”

Even though not much had been exposed, it was more than I cared to have on display. I yanked up the pajamas.

“Sexual assault!” I snapped.

He rolled his eyes. “Well, if you hadn’t squirmed away like a frightened child, the pants wouldn’t have slipped so low. It’s not my fault it’s just a cheap rag with a loose drawstring.” I glared, and he appeared more contrite. “I didn’t see anything…important. Relax already.”

“Relax?” I repeated with a huff. “You lower your shorts. See how you like me gaping at you.”

Aaron chuckled. “I wasn’t gaping. And I wouldn’t care if you saw me nude. You’re the one with the hangups. I see naked men in the gym all the time because, unlike you, I’m not afraid to shower there.”

“I’m not afraid,” I lied.

“Uh-huh. Now, lower those pajamas below your hip bones,” he demanded.

“No. They’re fine the way they are,” I protested.

“Don’t make me come over and do it myself,” he teased. “Who knows how low they’ll fall this time.”

I might have gulped before scowling. I dropped the pants a bit lower, though. “Happy now?”

He recrossed his arms. “It’s about making Cliff happy. Listen, I’ve seen what some of the others are wearing and they’re pretty risqué. Either you’re in this to win or you aren’t.”

I turned to face the mirror. Despite wearing the pajamas low on my hips, there was nothing showing that should make my parents blush. I faced Aaron again, but I glanced behind me to see if any of my butt was showing. No part of it was, and I wondered if Aaron was right and I needed to be more courageous. I slipped the pants down just a bit more until the tops of my cheeks and the dimple above the crack displayed.

“There you go,” Aaron said, paying too much attention to my ass for comfort. “I told you that you need to flaunt one of your best assets.”

“Do I just walk out of this dressing room like this? Before the challenge even starts?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Some of those guys are walking around with their asses hanging out. I wouldn’t worry that you’re going to traumatize someone. But I suppose you can pull them back up until it’s your time to meet with Cliff.”

I drew them up. “I’m shy, all right?”

“All right,” he replied. “Now get out of the dressing room. I need to put on my outfit.”

I bent to pick up my pile of clothes to place them elsewhere for safekeeping. Before I could turn around, Aaron already had his hands on my arms and gave me a gentle shove out of the room. He closed the curtain on me before I could even complain about being manhandled.

“What are you wearing?” I asked through the cloth barrier between us.

“You’ll see,” he replied. I heard the rustle of clothes. “I’ll get your opinion before I step out.”

“Oh, okay,” I mumbled, placing my folded clothes on top of one of the store bins.

I surveyed the store and saw the other guys were still milling about. The camera crew seemed to be taking a break. I supposed they didn’t want to show anyone’s costume selections until they could film Cliff’s reactions to them. The bachelor himself was nowhere to be seen.

“You like?”

I turned to my right where the voice had come from. It was Dani, who was wearing nothing but a glittered, pink thong and black high-top sneakers. He turned to show me the backside, probably thinking it would make me appreciate the outfit more. When he returned my gaze, he had a flirty smile.

“Um…it’s cute.”

“The thong or the butt?” he asked before twerking it. I hadn’t noticed he was holding a lollipop, which he stuck in his mouth after turning to hear my response.