“I have no clue. That man is confusing. One minute, he’s kissing me, and the next, he’s complaining about my lipstick.”
“What’s wrong with your lipstick?” Derik asks, joining us at the bar.
“No clue,” I repeat, giving him and Stan a hug.
“Good, ’cause you look hot and your lipstick is hotter,” Stan says, leaning across the bar to call the bartender over. I give him a small smile before going back to my drink.
“So how’s Mr. Rough and Rugged?” Derik asks, taking the beer Stan is handing him.
“Who?” I ask.
“You know, the guy from the emergency room,” he clarifies.
“That’s who doesn’t like her lipstick,” Tara adds out of nowhere.
“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Stan says with a knowing smile.
“What’s wrong with my lipstick?” I run my fingers over my lips, wishing now that I hadn’t worn it.
“Girl, you are not stupid. I don’t have a penis, but even I know that, when a man sees a woman who looks like you wearing red lipstick that makes her lips look even fuller, all he can think about is shovingsomething between them.”
“You did not just say that.” I frown at her.
“It’s the truth, girly,” Derik says.
Images of some of the women I have seen in Vegas, the ones who sell themselves, flash through my head, all of them with their bright-red lips and bedroom eyes.
“I need to go to the bathroom.” I stand and don’t even wait for Tara when she calls for me. I run into the bathroom and franticly wipe at my lips, trying to get the color off.
“Autumn, stop it. What are you doing?”
Tears spring to my eyes and I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to fight them off. I wipe my mouth again and again, but the color won’t come off no matter what I do.Stupid smudge-proof lipstick!
“Autumn, please stop,” Tara says more quietly this time, her hands going to mine at my lips.
“I just want it off.”
“You know men will think the same thing whether you’re wearing lipstick or not. Some guys are assholes. You’re beautiful and sweet. Please don’t let something as stupid as lipstick fuck with our night out.”
I take a second and let her words sink in, and I let out a long breath. “Thank you,” I tell her, pulling the tissue away from my mouth.
“We’re friends, and that’s what friends do.”
It feels good to be friends with a woman, someone who knows what I’m going though, someone I can talk to about the stupid things like I’ve seen women on TV talk to each other about.
“Now, are you ready to finish our drinks?” she asks, making me smile.
“Yes,” I say immediately. I look in the mirror, quickly making sure I look okay before following her out of the bathroom.
When we reach the bar, Derik and Stan have disappeared.
“Do you see them anywhere?” Tara asks, stretching to try to see over the crowd on the dance floor.
“No.” I look around, but there are so many people here that I can’teven move without bumping into someone. “Oh wait, I think I see them.” I grab Tara’s hand and start to lead her through the crowd to where I think I spotted Stan and Derik.
I look back over my shoulder when she stops dead in her tracks, causing me to teeter in my heels. I start to ask her what’s wrong, when she yells at the top of her lungs, “I love this fucking song!” I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at her. The song is ‘Sexy and I Know It,’ and as much as people like the song, I really doubt anyone actuallylovesit.
When she starts dancing, I can’t hold it in and start to laugh. Her long, blond hair is flying all over. Her face is a mask of concentration and her hands almost look like she’s doing the hand jive.
