Lana did was far too time-consuming on a good day.
But something Lana said finally registered. “Wait.” Zoey narrowed her eyes. “What event? Lana, please don’t tell me you planned this vacation around a party.”
“It’s a bit more important than a simple party, love,” Lana told her. “The proper term is a gala, and I didn’t bring it up before you flew in because I know how avoidant you get of my friends.”
“Are they your friends though?”
“Acquaintances. And I won’t force you to go, but I would be very grateful if you did. I even arranged to have a few dresses available for you if you decide to humor me.”
In all the years of their friendship, Zoey had never been comfortable with Lana’s family or her acquaintances. But Lana looked so hopeful, and Zoey didn’t have the heart to tell her no.
“Can I reserve the right to not go? And give you a maybe?”
“Done.” Beaming, Lana hugged her. “Okay, off to get ready for the day.”
“The spiffing. I’ll do it,” Zoey valiantly volunteered. “Get your things, because I’m staying on the couch for another hour.”
“Are you sure? You really did get a bit more sloshed than I expected last night. There’s a perfectly acceptable beautician in the spa who’ll do.”
“And you’ll come back annoyed and frustrated because they never get your eye makeup right. Then I’ll end up fixing it anyway. I’ll trade you coffee for a spiffing.”
She half expected Lana to order the coffee, but her friend went to the room’s coffee maker instead. Lana was many things—too many things—but unobservant wasn’t one of them. Even though Zoey had maybe consumed half a dozen cups of coffee in front of her friend, Lana fixed it for her perfectly. One and a half creams, half a sugar.
“There you go.” Lana smiled at her warmly, giving Zoey the coffee and her makeup case. “Thank you, dearest. Now, make me beautiful.”
Even in her post-inebriated state, Zoey couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “You’re always beautiful.”
Growing up within driving distance of the suburbs of Chicago had its perks. Unable to remember a time when she and her family hadn’t been strapped for cash, a teenage Zoey had taken an extra job at a local department store in the makeup department. Somehow spritzing expensive cologne in unsuspecting patrons’ faces turned into perching on a stool next to the makeup counter.
She’d never had any formal training, but her hands were steady, and she had a good eye for what palettes brought out the color and sparkle in someone’s eyes. As jobs went, it hadn’t paid as much as she’d hoped for, but as life skills went, her ability to draw a line of liquid eyeliner with surgical precision benefitted her far more often than she would have expected.
Zoey learned what she needed to keep the women in her seats happy, but as a shy teenager with thick glasses and a single outfit nice enough to work in, she had been surprised to find how much she enjoyed it.
Somehow, in her detailed and determined interrogation of all things Zoey, Lana had discovered her past and put it to full use whenever she really needed a “spiff.”
Spiffing Lana for a date often took hours, the socialite nothing if not determined to look her best on the rare occurrences someone managed to catch her eye for an entire evening. But since this was just an afternoon rendezvous, whatever that entailed, Zoey made quicker work of her canvas.
“So what’s he like?”
“Hmm?”
“The person you’re having drinks with.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t catch his name. I was more focused on his hands.” Lana sighed lustily. At Zoey’s raised eyebrow, Lana added, “During my massage yesterday morning. Don’t be such a prude.”
“I’m not a prude.”
“Really?”
“I’m not a prude,” Zoey clarified. “I just don’t love being squished and squashed around by strangers.”
“Oh, you do not know what you’re missing.”
Maybe she didn’t. It had been a long time since Zoey had been squished, let alone squashed, by anyone, stranger or no.
Making Lana beautiful wasn’t hard. She’d look great with a soggy paper bag over her head. But since Zoey loved her, she did her best to make Lana as fabulous as the resort in which they were staying. Then, when Lana rushed off to her breakfast, Zoey moved to the window.
Lana had been kind enough to leave the blackout curtains drawn, but Zoey braved the bright light peaking around the edges of the curtains, drawing them aside. She was met with a vibrant blue sky