“Holy shit, Em. You look incredible.” Her grin widened. “If we were lesbians, I’d ruin your life.”
My cheeks flushed. I moved to the mirror, smoothing the dress over my waist where the silk draped gracefully.
“This does look good,” I admitted.
“He’s going to have a heart attack,” she said, then paused. “Does it freak you out? That you haven’t even seen him yet?”
“Not really. He hasn’t seen me either.”
I painted on a deep red lip, hand surprisingly steady for the nerves jumping in my veins.
“I don’t know how you do it. What if there’s no attraction?”
“Then there isn’t.” I brushed mascara through my lashes. “It’s gone deeper than that, anyway.”
Candace snorted. “Tell that to Tinder.”
We laughed. The sound bouncing off the tiled walls.
“I think I’m ready,” I finally announced, doing one more hair shake.
“You’ve been ready. You’ve just been admiring yourself.”
“I don’t blame me,” I said, catching the curve of my hips and the swelling of my breasts in the mirror. “Even my ass looks great.”
Candace whistled. “He’s going to want to eat dessert off that thing.”
I shot her a look. She breezed past it, like every other one in our almost thirty-year history.
“Perfume,” she called as I moved toward the door. “Use the vanilla one with spice. Sex Goddess or whatever.”
“It’s just Goddess,” I corrected, misting strategic points—throat, wrists, hair… behind the knee.
“Whatever it is, it smells heavenly.”
Minutes later, we both listened as each floor chimed—ten… nine… eight… countdown to something that felt bigger than dinner.
I turned to Candace. “You didn’t have to come.”
“Please.” She gave me an affronted look. “And miss seeing you off for your first big-girl date?”
I was still rolling my eyes when the lobby glowed with golden sconces and polished floors. Outside, the city surged—horns, laughter, Friday night alive in the air.
Harold waited by the car, door already open. “Evening, Ms.Sinclair,” he greeted. “Special night?”
“She has a date,” Candace answered, beaming.
Harold smiled—small but sincere. “Good for you.”
I bent to take my seat, Candace’s hand sliding in at the last moment, slapping my ass with a laugh. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”
The door shut on her cackle, sealing me inside the car.
Without her noise, the world sharpened. The engine’s shifting gears. Pedestrians mid-conversation, mouths moving behind glass. My uneven, too loud heartbeat.
The voices stirred, slippery and cruel.
Hope he shows up. You won’t survive another disappointment.
