“Do I?” Her cheeks flushed a slight shade of pink, and she slipped them back on.
“Yeah. Take them off again.”
She did, and it was like watching her turn into a different person. “I guess I’m just not used to it,” I said.
“I probably look better with them off, but I’ve never been able to wear contacts. They dry my eyes out.”
“No, you look great with them on. Just different. I never understood how Clark Kent could just put on glasses and no one knew he was Superman. But now I kinda get it.”
Her smile and soft laugh made my chest feel tight. I really liked making her laugh.
Marigold got to work, and if Penelope had looked different without glasses, she was completely unrecognizable once Marigold put the wig on her. Instead of long, dark brown hair, she had thick blond waves that cascaded around her shoulders.
To be fair, brown hair looked better on her—probably because it was her natural color. Marigold would have explained it better than I could.
But the blond wig was kinda hot.
Marigold fluffed the wig and smoothed down the hair around her face. “What do you think?”
“I don’t even look like me,” Penelope murmured, gazing with wonder at her reflection.
“It’s perfect,” I confirmed. “Nice job, Mari.”
“Thank you,” she said with a smile.
I tried to pay Marigold for her time, and for the use of her wig, but she refused. She hugged Penelope again on our way out, and there was something about it that tugged at my chest again. I knew Pen was a little shy, and Mari was the type of person to make friends with just about everybody—and mean it. So when Mari asked for Pen’s number so they could have coffee sometime, it was touching.
Holding the door open, I let Penelope go through, then put my sunglasses back on.
“All right, remind me who I am again?” Pen asked.
“My wife,” I said and tried to ignore the way it felt to say those words to her. “Everly Calloway. And I’m your husband, Shepherd.”
“What if the gallery assistant knows who they are?”
He shrugged. “I’m not worried about it. If we’re questioned too closely, we can just act offended and leave.”
“That’s true. All right, Shepherd. How do I look?”
She fluffed her blond wig and turned in a little circle. I stifled a groan. Dangerous. That was how she looked.
“Hot,” I said, then coughed as if I could cover up the word. “Perfect. You look perfect. Except…”
“Except what?”
“I’m pretty sure Everly Calloway doesn’t wear glasses, so…” I reached out and gently slipped them off her face. “There. Disguise complete.”
“You realize I’m almost blind without them.”
I held them up to my face and peered through the lenses. The world was a distorted mess. “Geez, Pen. You really are blind.”
“I told you. How am I going to look for secret notes if I can’t see?”
“Once we’re inside, take them out of your purse and put them on. Like they’re reading glasses, something you don’t wear all the time.”
She smiled. “Good plan. I can do that. But seriously, I’m going to need to hold your arm so I don’t trip over things.”
“Don’t worry, Penlock Holmes. I’ve got you.”
