Page 6 (2/2)

Yanking a paper towel fro it under ater

Behind y blonde in a cropped ecru sweater dress and black knee-high boots saunters out, bending over the sink a second later to wash her hands Our gazes intersect as I attempt to remove the remnants of my Great Lash, and she offers a sympathetic half-smile

“You okay?” The woman reaches for a paper towel, unhurried Her ballet-pink nails are shiny and shellacked, her fingers long and slender Everything about her is soft and elegant, a jarring contrast against my current condition

“Wasn’t expecting to get caught in the downpour Supposed to behe stands me up”

“Too late to cancel?”

“I don’t know his nuue at work set us up It’s her nephew All I know is he’s six feet tall with dark hair and his name is Garrett She says he’s unbelievably handsoh my nose at the absurdity of this entire situation, and it’s then that I notice a section of hair still sticking out Carefully I tug out the elastic and re-doI can do about the fully-dried er looking like this”

The easy-breezy siren of a wo next to her sink

“It just so happens I work at the Catherine DeAngelo ht, sing-songish “Which irl”

Within seconds, she pulls out a travel-sized pack of chamomile-infused makeup remover towelettes and offers them with a wink

“You’re a saint Truly Thank you soone wipe from the case and clean myself up, only when I’m done, I look more exhausted than fresh-faced

I swear the circles beneath my eyes are a shade darker than before—probably fro—and my pale lashes are practically invisible

I exhale, re, that there’s a chance he’ll find ?

“Uh oh I know that look Hold on” Dipping a hand to the botto a fistful of miniature lipsticks and old tubes before handing et scared by how bright it looks in the tube It’s completely different once it’s on Oh, and here’s some mascara These are brand new, by the way In case you have a thing about germs”

“Oh, honey I teach kindergarten Ger her gifts

Uncapping the lipstick, I’m met with a bold bullet the color of psychedelic poppies, but I trust this woman so I slick it over my lips The payoff is sheer, like a wash of fresh color onmy pallid complexion back to life I swipe on two coats of , but it offers a distraction from the dark circles, so I consider it a win