Disclaimer: This does not belong to me.

A/n: It's been a year since I updated this (to the day, actually), but I hate to leave fics unfinished, so I decided to try my hand at this again. I hope you enjoy and please review.

-Ryeloza

April is a Promise

A story by Ryeloza

Chapter Two

"We're late," said Bree. She cast an annoyed look in Susan's direction as she turned the corner for the third time, searching desperately for a parking spot that probably wasn't going to appear. The five of them had agreed to meet up for lunch today, and somehow she'd ended up stuck in the car with Susan while Gaby, Mary Alice and Lynette finagled to meet there. Punctuality wasn't Susan's strong suit.

"Look!" Susan pointed out a parking space, turning on her blinker and bouncing a little in her seat. "I told you we'd find a spot. You've been spoiled by valet parking."

Bree was hardly paying attention. Across the street she'd spotted their friends, still a block away from the restaurant, but simply standing around chatting. Bree was beginning to think that it was very possible that she was the only one who cared that they had a reservation.

Susan parked the car, getting out and immediately letting out an inappropriately loud yelp to get the attention of the other girls. Gaby turned and waved them over. "Hurry up!" she shouted.

"I know, I know," said Bree, hurrying across the street with Susan lagging just behind. "We're late."

"No." Gaby shook her head, taking Susan's hand as they reached the sidewalk. Her eyes were lit up like it was Christmas morning. Joyously, she pointed into the window of the shop they stood outside of; a display of scantily clad mannequins stared blankly out at them. Bree glanced at them disdainfully. "They're having a sale and Lynette is miraculously kid-free today. It's a sign."

Lynette smirked. "Are you telling me that if I had the boys here, we wouldn't go in?"

"No. I'm saying you wouldn't go in. So see, this is fate!"

"We agreed to lunch," said Bree firmly, smoothing the front of her skirt. The action was akin to a nervous twitch for someone with less class. "I'm not going in there."

"Bree, if you're about to confess to us that you own no lingerie, I'm going to be forced to shoot you. Or myself. Maybe both."

Bree flashed Gaby her version of a scowl. "My undergarments are none of your business."

"I wasn't asking for an itemized list."

Even though Bree was more than prepared to ignore Gaby as she usually did, the rest of the girls were looking at her in that special way that they reserved just for her. Laughter, curiosity, a smidgen of pity—it wasn't Bree's favorite combination. Barely able to keep the heat out of her cheeks, she said, "Rex has, on occasion, purchased a few naughtier articles of clothing for me."

Susan gripped Lynette's forearm as the latter pressed her lips together so tightly they almost disappeared; Gaby and Mary Alice simply gawked at her. "Well," said Gaby, after an unbearably long pause, "at least you know what he likes."

"Well after sixteen years of marriage, I would certainly hope so."

"Right. Let's go in."

"Oh, Gaby—"

"Come on, Bree," said Lynette, forcibly grabbing her arm and propelling her through the door. "It's not going to kill you."

"I know that. I'm not a prude, you know."

Bree's comfort level dropped the moment they walked into the store. She knew that it was irrational—she had her fair share of lingerie—but the idea of her friends knowing what she owned made her slightly queasy. It seemed like the kind of information that should stay in the bedroom between her and Rex. And she certainly didn't need to know what her girlfriends did in the privacy of their own homes.

"Oh!" gasped Susan, brushing past Bree into the store. "They have those fuzzy handcuffs Karl likes!"

Bree and Lynette froze as Susan hurried over to the display. "Well I could have gone without knowing that," said Bree under her breath.

"That goes for all of us."

"Do you know how cheap those are?" asked Gaby. She took the pair Susan was fingering lovingly and tossed them aside. "You can have a pair of mine. I have more than I need."

"Yeah," sighed Lynette, bringing a slight smile to Bree's face for the first time. "Didn't really need to know that either."

In the five months they'd known one another, Bree had never been shopping with Gaby. Susan had been several times, though, and after each excursion, she returned with more than she needed or could afford, moaning and whining for days about how much she'd spent before she ended up taking most of it back. Within five minutes, Bree realized exactly why this kept happening. Gaby was a force to be reckoned with, flitting from one rack to another, grabbing anything that might possibly be worth trying on. It was not at all surprising that Susan, susceptible on her best days, got caught up in the whirlwind.

"I feel like there should be commentary," Lynette said. "It's like watching a sporting event."

Their snickering drew Gaby's attention; Susan, the only one who had been following her, actually bumped into her when she stopped short. "Am I really the only one who's going to shop?"

"Maybe."

"Give me a break." Gaby shook her head disapprovingly and shoved half of her clothes into Susan's hands. "There is always a reason to shop for lingerie."

"What's yours? Boredom?"

"Mine is the best reason of all—revenge."

"Gaby—"

"Shh," hissed Mary Alice. She batted a hand in Bree's direction. "I want to hear where this is going."

"Carlos is supposed to show up to dinner with me and my grandmother tonight," said Gaby matter-of-factly. "In fact, he promised he'd be there. Then suddenly this morning, he announced that he has to work late."

"Well—"

"No, there's no 'well.' There's no 'but.' I told him he better be there or else. This," she said, holding up a short, silky teddy, "is 'or else.'"

"What if he does show up?"

"Then it's a reward. So which one says, 'Thanks for putting up with my grandmother' better? Black or red?"

Susan cocked her head to the side. "I like the red."

"Hmm." Gaby took both and moved to the next rack. "So am I the only one getting laid around here?"

"Lingerie isn't going to solve my problem," said Lynette, but she reached out to tentatively finger a lacy purple bra. "Parker's decided our bed is his."

"So get a lock and then buy this." Gaby tossed something skimpy and see-through in Lynette's direction. "The blue will bring out your eyes."

Lynette held the chemise up against her and grinned. "I don't think Tom's going to be looking at my eyes."

"Lynette!"

"Oh, lighten up, Bree." Gaby rolled her eyes and started to dig through a lot of black, lacy negligees attached to garters. "I'm guessing the dirtier the better for Rex, right?"

"Oh no. Absolutely not. You are not picking out my lingerie."

"Good girl gone bad thing," Gaby continued as though Bree hadn't spoken. "Here we go."

Gaby had pulled out the most absurdly complicated lingerie that Bree had ever seen. There were straps and garters and a corset back and, to Bree's horror, the entire thing appeared to be constructed out of some faux leather. "I am not wearing that."

"Yes you are. Aren't you and Rex going away in a couple weeks? He won't be able to keep his hands off you."

Bree took the hanger, eyeing the garment with something between horror and intrigue. As much as she didn't want to contemplate the possibility of indulging this monstrosity, at the same time, it seemed ages since Rex had actually been insatiable. And Gaby did seem to be some kind of expert about these things…

"Mary Alice, ruffles and lace. Super girly. Let's see…"

Surreptitiously, Bree draped the lingerie over her arm. At the very least, it didn't hurt to think about it.