“What would you ladies like done today?” the receptionist asked.
Ria turned her attention away from Carly and glanced at the woman’s nametag: DEBBIE. “We’d like the works, Debbie. Manicure, pedicure, and eyebrow waxing.”
“I’m not sure about the eyebrow waxing, Ria.” Carly looked skeptical.
“It doesn’t hurt.” Okay, another small white lie. But Carly was looking bushy. Probably because she’d never had them plucked or waxed.
“You’ll barely feel a thing,” Debbie agreed. “Your eyebrows really need a trim.”
“Well, okay.”
Ria breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Let’s do the wax first.” Might as well get it out of the way. By the time Carly finished with her manicure and pedicure, maybe she would have forgotten about the waxing.
They followed Debbie to a chair in the back and Carly made herself comfortable. Debbie spread the sticky solution around the eyebrows and in between.
“That’s warm,” Carly said. “Kind of nice.”
When Carly closed her eyes, Debbie and Ria exchanged looks. Co-conspirators. Debbie smoothed on the little pink pads, pressing them down nice and firm.
“Ready?” Debbie asked.
Before Carly could ask ready for what, Debbie pulled the first pad off. Carly’s mouth dropped open and she sucked in air, but before she could say anything, Debbie jerked on the other pad.
Carly glared at Ria. “You said it wouldn’t hurt!”
“It doesn’t, if you’re not a bushman.”
“I just need to do a little plucking,” Debbie said, holding up a pair of tweezers.
“It will be so worth it. I promise.”
“Pluck you,” Carly growled, but laid back and closed her eyes, wincing as Debbie shaped her eyebrows.
But the transformation was unbelievable. Ria had tried to talk Carly into doing this years ago, but she always refused, wanting to keep her look natural. It was another lie one of her dumbass brothers had told her: That natural was the best look.
Maybe the thought that Neil liked her had changed her mind, and that’s why Carly wasn’t protesting overly much.
Ria parked in front of her house, put the car in park, and turned the key off.
“You mean you’re not tired of my company yet?” Carly asked.
“Never. I have plans.”
“What kind of plans?” Carly’s smile slipped.
“Good plans. Trust me.”
“The last time I trusted you…”
“Carly!”
“Okay, okay.” She laughed.
“And bring in the bag with your new clothes.”
Carly groaned. Ria only hoped she would thank her in the morning.
They went inside, taking the packages to the bedroom. Ria glanced at the clock. They had an hour. “Go ahead and change into the black jeans and that little white top.”
“And what will you be doing?”
“I’m changing, too.”
“Oh, we’re going out together?”
“Yes.”
Carly relaxed and smiled. “A whole day together. We haven’t done that in a long time.”
Ria pushed her toward the bathroom, then hurried to the kitchen and poured two glasses of courage—merlot, to be exact. She wanted her friend nice and relaxed for their evening out. Yeah, she knew Carly thought they would be alone, and her friend might want to kill her when she learned the truth, but it was worth taking the chance to see Carly finally happy with a guy.
When she returned to her bedroom, Carly was just coming out of the bathroom.
“You really look hot,” Ria said and handed her one of the glasses.
Carly faced the full-length mirror. “Wow, I do look pretty good. Who would’ve thought waxing your eyebrows could make that big of a transformation?”
“How many years have I been trying to tell you that?”
“Okay, okay, you were right and I was wrong. Correction—my brothers were wrong.”
“Now sit.” She motioned toward a chair.
“Why?”
“Have I killed you yet?”
“No, but there was the time you convinced me we could rappel off the side of that mountain.”
Ria frowned. “It wasn’t a mountain, only a little hill. And I really thought I had the rope anchored pretty good.”
“You didn’t.”
“Duh. I realized that when you made it to the bottom in about two seconds.”
“I sprained both my ankles.”
“Bruised, not sprained. Big difference. I said I was sorry, and I waited on you for a month. And I know your ankles were a lot better after the first week.”
“It was nice having a servant, though.”
“Sit,” Ria ordered.
“Okay, okay.” Carly walked over and sat in the chair. “No hot wax.”
“Not even a little bit. I promise. You’ll like what I’m going to do. Now, drink your wine and relax.”
She went to the bathroom and gathered everything she would need, then piled it all on the dresser. Carly took another drink of wine, then Ria took the glass from her and set it down, but within reach.
“Close your eyes.”
Carly hesitated, then closed them.
Ria began rubbing moisturizer on Carly’s face.
“That feels good. It smells nice, too.”
“You need to moisturize your face every morning and night.”
“I don’t have wrinkles.”
“You don’t want to get any either, do you?”
“This will stop wrinkles?”
“It will help.” She handed her the glass of wine. “Drink.”
Carly took a drink, then handed her back the glass.
Foundation, drink, blush, drink, then powder. Ria studied her handiwork. Not bad. Carly’s complexion was evened out now.
Ria still couldn’t believe she was letting her do all this. Never once had Carly wanted to do girly things like makeup. Maybe she was mellowing. Must be from all the times they watched Beaches and Steel Magnolias.
“Can I look?”
“Not yet.”
Smoky eye shadow, dark brown eyeliner, and then mascara. And the final stroke from the artist’s brush, deep red lipstick. Ria stepped back. “Open your eyes.”
Carly did as she asked.
Ria’s eyes widened. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected but holy cat shit, it wasn’t quite this.
“What?” Carly asked. She turned in her chair until she faced the mirror again. She stared at her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. “Is that me? Really me?”
“Oh, yeah.” Ria nibbled her bottom lip. “Do you like it?”
“Like it? Do you need to even ask? Crap, why didn’t I let you do this years ago?”
“Because you grew up surrounded by brothers who tried to make you think being a girl was silly, and that women who look like you do now couldn’t possibly have a brain.”
“You’re absolutely right. I just never realized how wrong they were.”
Ria handed her the glass of wine.
“Isn’t this yours?”
“Drink it. I’m going to the bathroom to change and then we’ll be ready. I can’t drink and drive.”
“Oh, yeah. I feel like I’m doing all the taking. What are you getting out of all this?”
Ria chuckled. “Don’t you know? Friends enjoy giving. Besides, you’re always doing things for me. I’m not keeping score.”
“Then get changed. I’m ready to party.”
Ria grabbed the bag with her new clothes and hurried to the bathroom to change. She only hoped Carly was ready for what Ria had planned.
Chapter 20
“I feel very mellow,” Carly said. “I shouldn’t have drunk so much wine.” She snorted, then quickly covered her mouth. “Get it? I might get drunk if I drunk too much wine.” She frowned. “No, that isn’t right. Odd, it was funnier when it was still in my head.”
Oh, great, she’d gotten Carly loopy. Deep breath. All was not lost. The first drink or so always made Carly tipsy, but it never lasted for some strange reason. She said it was because her grandfather had been a bootlegger, and a little alcohol ran through her veins.
Ria took the glass of wine away from her. “Just remember, you look hot.” Carly didn’t say anything. Was she losing her confidence? “Say it.”