Beckett stared around him in a state of frozen horror. “This is too much, Daisy. We have to take most of it back.”
She shook her head emphatically. “This was part of the deal. Your personal payoff for participating in the makeover.” She held up her fingers and began to tick items off: “FreeWater gets exposure, a donation, and credit; I get to try something new for my channel and increase my subscribers; you get new clothes.” She smiled wide. “Win-win-win.”
His face softened with a new tenderness. “It is a win, but it won’t fit in my backpack.”
She twisted her lips as she thought of the bag on a shelf in her garage. “I hadn’t thought about that. Umm … I guess you can leave what you don’t need in my closet.”
He quirked a grin. “Really?” His hand went over his heart. “I like that—it would make this the closest thing I’ve had to a home in years.”
“What about your parents’ house?” she blurted, stunned that he didn’t have a place to call home.
“When I left, Dad told me that once I moved out, I wasn’t moving back in. They donated my bedroom set to Goodwill. I think Mom has a box of keepsakes in the attic. When I see them at Christmas, I stay in a hotel.”
Daisy tipped her head to the side in sympathy. “Well, you’re welcome here anytime.”
“I don’t know. I hear couch real estate doesn’t come cheap,” he said with a glint in his eye.
She laughed. “It comes at a price.” She waved her arm, indicating the bags of clothing.
“Thanks, Daisy. Today was … fun.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am. I didn’t think shopping would be a good time, but you made it interesting. I’ll never look at my back pockets the same again.”
“You’d better not.” She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He charged at her and she ran down the hallway, shutting her door and laughing. The pillow hit the wood with a soft thump and landed on the floor. Beckett grumbled as he picked it up, but he didn’t try to get through her door to retaliate.
Slightly disappointed, Daisy started her normal nighttime routine, washing her face with warm coconut oil. She smiled over and over again and had to force her cheeks to soften. Beckett was fun. She’d laughed more today than she had since she was a kid. Why did growing up mean no more belly laughs? She needed more days like today in her life. She needed Beckett.
Her whole being put on the brakes.
She put both hands against the counter and leaned heavily into the marbled granite. Needing Beckett was like needing Easter candy. There was a limited supply, and eventually, stores would take it off the shelf. Sure, it would come back in ten months or so, but for those ten months the craving went unsatisfied. It was better to enjoy the candy while it was around but not get attached.
She flipped off the light and ran to her bed, where she put in her earbuds and turned on her essential oil diffuser, filling the air with a sleep blend recommended on theForest Bathingchannel. She pressed play on a favorite sleep meditation that would block out all thoughts of Beckett and sweet moments between them and the way he made her feel interesting.
He made her feel interesting.
She slammed her eyes and her mind shut and began the deep breathing process.
Chapter Thirteen
EveryDayGlam!Beauty Tip
A night out is an opportunity to ramp up your everyday beauty. Here are five tips for taking your day look to night-wow!
1. Brighten your eyes with a dash of glittery white powder in the inside corner of your eyes and along your lower lash line.
2. Use a good-quality face primer. Dancing, flirting, and managing crowds can take a toll on your makeup. By applying a primer first, you extend the wear-time of your carefully applied makeup by creating a smooth texture to your skin.
3. Refresh your mani and pedi with clear polish to make it look like you spent the day at the salon.
4. If you’re using body shimmer, first apply lotion or body oil so the shimmer sticks to the parts of you that you want it to and doesn’t rub off on your clothing.
5. Pick one feature to emphasize. Either do bold lips or bold eyes, but not both. Doing both can give you a clown-like appearance.
*Bonus*
Similarly, your dress should accentuate either your breasts or your legs, but not both. Leaving something to the imagination is far more sexy than telling all your secrets.
