“So, what do you think?” Jake said from the doorway.
Mindy looked over at him. “I think you should wait downstairs, Mr. Nosey.”
Jake made a face. “Why am I nosey?”
“Go on.” Mindy waved him away with her hands.
“Why? I just want to see.”
“I work alone, asshole.”
Jake didn’t seem to want to go, but Mindy didn’t care. She pushed him out the door and shut it in his face too.
“Now,” she said to Ezra, sitting on her bed in front of him. “What exactly kind of look are you going for?” She picked up one of the many magazines she’d pulled out of her closet for inspiration. “Sort of a Ryan Phillipe?” Mindy showed Ezra a picture and he just shrugged. “How about Freddie Prinze, Jr.? Or Leo?”
Ezra shook his head. “I don’t really know, honestly. I guess kind of a mixture of all of them?”
Mindy blew a bubble and it popped. She looked Ezra over for a minute or two. “I think I’ve got an idea.” She spun Ezra around in the chair to face the mirror. She tugged at his frizzy hair. “Do you trust me, Ezra?” She grinned a grin in the mirror at him that may or may not have been a little bit sinister.
“Uh, I guess,” Ezra answered uneasily.
“Good. Let’s get started.”
Jake was downstairs in the living room with his Hacky Sack, but he was being careful.
He’d paid Mindy and didn’t want to break anything else of her roommate’s or of hers and owe her again. It was really nice what she was doing for Ezra, so he wanted to be respectful.
But he was getting bored too. How long was this supposed to take, anyway?
He’d turned the TV on and was half watching a soccer game he didn’t really care about while he kicked his Hacky Sack around. Jake had to admit that he was a little disappointed that Ezra wanted to change himself. He wasn’t so bad once you got to know him. But Jake really hoped all this would make Ezra happy.
And Sean, too, for that matter. That weird eared little punk better be happy.
After what seemed like a week and a day, Mindy finally came down the steps with a huge grin on her face.
Jake kicked the Hacky Sack from foot to foot. “Well?”
Mindy gestured toward the stairs. “May I present the New and Improved Ezra Mitchell.”
Jake looked at the top of the steps, but there wasn’t anyone there.
Mindy exaggeratedly cleared her throat. “Ezra! Come on. Don’t be shy.”
Jake tossed the Hacky Sack up in the air right as Ezra appeared. Jake had his hand out to catch it, but it landed on top of his head and rolled off onto the floor.
Jake didn’t even notice. He didn’t even care.
He stared, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, at the guy coming down the steps. Mindy must have bought some clothes, because Ezra wasn’t wearing his usual homemade T-shirt. He had on a dark green V-neck sweater that brought out his eyes. He wore khakis that fit him perfectly around his hips. And then there was his face.
Mindy had cut and styled Ezra’s hair, leaving a little bit of length on top for him to run his fingers through. And she’d lightened it with what looked like some subtle brown highlights here and there. She’d waxed off his facial hair, removed hisglasses, and his green eyes shone as he grinned that dimpled grin at Jake.
Jake just couldn’t believe that this man was Ezra Mitchell. He was a goddamnedstud. He couldn’t get over how such small things could change a person this much.
“Well,” Ezra said. “What do you think?”
It took Jake a couple seconds to realize Ezra was talking to him. “I…” he began. “I, uh. Good. Looks good.”
Mindy beamed, clearly proud of herself. “I think you look fantastic, Ezra. You really do. Sean’s going tobegyou for a date when he sees you.”
