Marley nodded. It wasn’t really a lie… The Ironis movies had a ton of computer effects.
Dad smiled. “I’m sure you’ll be in good hands, beti. I was afraid he’d be one of your artist friends.”
An actor was an artist, but Marley agreed Nikhil had very good hands. She was sure they were better hands to be in than her parents’.
Finally, it was the day of her surgery. And Marley was scared. Actually, she was freaking terrified. She woke at dawn, since they needed to be at the hospital at seven. The plan was for Shayne to drive Marley downtown. His flight to France wasn’t until late that night, so he would stay until she woke after surgery. The doctor anticipated that as long as everything went well, Marley would most likely be going home the same day, so Shayne should be able to bring her home and make sure she was settled before heading to the airport.
Marley was silent on the drive downtown. This was her first surgery ever, and she was a complete ball of nerves. It wasn’t just fear about the aftereffects (although that was terrifying). She was also worried about being away from the store for so long, about how she was going to style Nikhil without being able to pick things herself, and of course, she was worried that she’d made a huge mistake by inviting him to stay with her.But worrying about all of that was useless now. She pushed all her negative thoughts out of her mind and listened to the calming music Shayne had put on for the drive.
When they got to the hospital, Marley was checked in and given a robe and gown to change into, then hooked up to an IV. Finally, Dr. Abernathy came in and talked a bit about the procedure. He then stood in front of her and used a Sharpie to mark strange lines all over her naked chest.
“You’ll be lying down when we operate, so I’m marking how your breasts naturally fall so we can try to replicate the size and shape with the implant.”
Marley nodded. This was yet another indignity her poor boobs had to endure before they were removed. She balled her fists.
After Dr. Abernathy was done with her, she was led to a large waiting area while they prepared the operating room. Shayne was already there, sitting alone near a window. Marley wheeled her IV over and sat next to him.
“How you hanging in there, kiddo?” Shayne asked. He seemed nervous, too, but was clearly trying to be calm for Marley.
“Okay…” Marley tapped her foot rapidly on the tiled floor.
Shayne smiled. He had a magazine in his hand. “See this?” He pointed to a fashion spread. He must have brought the magazine with him because she doubted the hospital would have a new fashion magazine in the waiting room. “This was that House of Bhatt photo shoot I did a few months ago. Remember?”
Marley nodded. “Sounded fun.”
He tapped the picture the magazine was open to. “This jacket would look amazeballs on you. Want me to ask NilushaBhatt for a sample? We’re going to meet up in Paris in a few days.”
Marley nodded again. She was a bobblehead doll today.
“I’m also thinking about getting a tattoo while I’m there. Tramp stamps are apparently coming back in. Should I get the wordmasterpieceand an arrow pointing at my ass?”
“Sure. Sounds like a great time.”
Shayne put down his magazine. “Marley, are you even listening to me?”
Marley frowned, blinking. “Um… yes?”
“Okay, pop quiz, then. What am I thinking of tattooing above my butt?”
Marley was horrified. “What? Nothing! You arenotgettinganythingtattooed above your butt! We had a deal that we both have veto power over any permanent body modification. And tramp stamps are eternally off-limits!”
Shayne crossed his arms and glared at Marley. “I know. I said it to see if you were listening. Apparently, you weren’t.”
Marley sighed. “I’m sorry.”
Shayne put his hand on Marley’s knee. “Marley, you can admit that you’re freaking out.”
She didn’t say anything.
Shayne handed her a white postcard. “I grabbed this while you were changing.”
Marley took it. It was advertising some charity that did makeovers on cancer patients. Marley was pretty sure the nurse gave her the same one at pre-op.
“You should do this,” Shayne said. “They’ll help you with what to wear after the surgery.”
“I’m literally in the helping-others-with-what-to-wear industry. I’ll figure it out.”
“Well then, maybe you can volunteer with them. They’ll have people you can talk to who have been through it.”
