Page 52 of Counting the Stars

“They didn’t tell you?” Lilli tilts her head to the side.

“Mom probably mentioned it during one of her phone calls, but I tend to zone out when she starts going on and on about her latest public appearances.”

“Did she tell you that the anniversary dinner was moved to Manzanita Manor?” Lilli takes a cup of coffee and blows some steam off the top of it.

“Manzanita Manor?” Alex groans. “She told me they were selling tickets and mentioned a hall, but I didn’t think to ask her exactly where it would be held.”

“What’s Manzanita Manor?” I look between the two siblings.

“Only the most upscale hall in the area.” Alex runs an exasperated hand down his face. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I figured we’d lounge around here or I’d show you around town. Now that has to change.”

“I’m not following.”

“Manzanita Manor is black-tie only. I’m guessing you didn’t bring an evening gown with you?” Lilli asks.

“I—” I gasp. I only brought a regular dress for a small gathering. I don’t even own anything black-tie worthy. I’m not even sure I know what something like that would look like and it certainly is not in my budget. But the thought of being underdressed feels dreadful.

“Relájate.Relax,” Lilli says reassuringly. “I figured that was the case. That’s why I came over early. I thought we could do a little dress shopping while getting to know each other, and do not worry about the cost. I got you covered.”

“Lilli.” I gasp. “I can’t let you pay for something like that.”

“It’s no problem.” She waves her hand. “Consider it a gift. My brother might be the happy-go-lucky type, but I’ve never heard a smile in his voice until he met you. That’s worth more to me than the cost of a gown. Plus, it will be fun. We can get to know each other better.”

“Well…” My eyes shift to Alex as if to ask for reassurance.

“I think you should go,” he answers my unspoken question. “I don’t want you to feel out of place. Especially with meeting my family…and half the town.”

“What about you?” I ask, realizing that he only brought a pair of dress slacks and a button-down shirt.

“I have a tux here in case I ever need it.” His eyes glance over to where the main house sits.

“This will be so much fun!” Lilli claps her hands, then turns to her brother. “I promise I’ll take great care of her.”

“I know you will,” he responds appreciatively.

“I guess I better go get dressed.” I look down at my robe. I have to admit, I’m kind of excited for this little shopping trip. I never got to go to my prom or anything, so now I’ll know what it feels like to get all dolled up.

“Yup!” Lilli grabs her coffee cup and another one for me. “Pick out a pastry and we can eat on the drive over. I know the perfect boutique that will have something to accentuate those amazing curves of yours.”

“But nothing too accentuating.” Alex gives a lopsided grin. “I prefer to keep those curves all to myself.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Lilli waves her hand. “We’ll meet back here at two to get ready, do our hair and makeup. The limo is coming at four to take us to cocktail hour.”

“Cocktail hour?” Alex whines.

“Yes. Once the party got upgraded to a larger event, they added in a cocktail hour.”

“Of course they did.” Alex’s tone deepens and the muscle in his jaw ticks.

“Everything will be okay,” Lilli soothes. “And just think, now you get to spend the evening with two of your favorite girls.”

26

Alex

Ifucking hate bow ties. They remind me of ventriloquist dummies. Although I guess that’s not too far off from reality. A good portion of my life has been one big script, so I suppose the look is fitting. The only difference between me and a ventriloquist dummy is that the doll usually says funny things. I’m not allowed to have a sense of humor. Why? Because people could take a joke the wrong way. One sarcastic remark gone wrong could destroy us for life.

Life wasn’t always this way. I do remember a happier, carefree time when it was acceptable to be myself. My parents’ careers didn’t fully take off until after I was born. Up until the age of seven, we lived in a much smaller house, and besides the nuances that come with being the youngest of a large family, our life was pretty normal. My dad would help us kids with homework and Mom would cook dinner. I have fond memories of family picnics at a local park and long drives to the beach.

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