Page 81 of Flawless

“You like it?” I ask with a lifted eyebrow.

“I love it! Where’d you learn how to braid hair?”

“Just practicing on mine when I was a teen. I kept working at it and working at it until I got decent. Then, when I went off on my modeling career, I had the opportunity to practice on other girls.”

The familiar nausea and regret rise within me as those memories return. Memories of getting the other girls ready to go out on their “dates” with men who would only desecrate their bodies the same as the men that I was with did to me.

“Well, you’re not just decent. You’re not even good, Dani, you’re great!” Zee Zee declares.

“Thank you, Zee.”

I get up, head into my bedroom, and return with a pair of turquoise earrings.

“Here, you can wear these. I thought they would go perfectly with your turquoise tank top and leather and turquoise sandals,” I say, extending the earrings to Zee Zee.

Her eyes widen, and she says, “You’d let me wear these?”

“Of course, I would.”

Zee Zee’s bottom lip trembles just a bit, and she says, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, doll.”

“Would you mind?” she asks, holding her head sideways so that I can put the earring in her right ear.

“Not a problem at all,” I say, affixing the earring to her ear.

After I place the other one on, we make small talk for a little while until her friends arrive. The community is having a luau on the beach tonight for the teens. The girls are all excited about it, but I’ve opted to stay inside.

I want them to have fun without all the attention being on me.

“Have fun,” I tell her as she leaves.

Zenon leans in and presses a kiss on the top of his daughter’s head.

“Remember what I said, stay where you’re visible, remain with your friends, and no hand-holding or kissing,” Zenon says, wagging his finger.

Zee Zee’s friends giggle as she groans, “Papai!”

“Girls, go on,” I say, holding the door open and giving Zenon a warning glare.

“What?” he asks, holding his hands out at his sides.

“Did you have to embarrass her that way?”

“I wasn’t trying to. I just wanted her to remember that we have rules in place is all.”

“You know that she’s growing up. I think she’s done a great job of proving that you can trust her.”

“That’s my baby, Dani.

“I know.”

“I just want to protect her.”

I place a hand up at his face and say, “I know you do. You’re doing a good job. By the way, why aren’t you heading out for the luau?”

“I thought I’d stay inside with you tonight.”

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