Page 58 of Faking the Face Off

CHAPTER 20

ANNA

For the most part, except for the clickety-clack of my heels as I move from my room to my bathroom and back again while getting ready, the house is silent.

The girl in the mirror staring back at me isn’t the same one who stood here looking at herself a few weeks ago. She’s not even the same one who stood here yesterday. The person I see looking at me has changed more in the past few weeks than she has in months, and I’m really proud of her.

There’s a knock at the front door. I can hear my dad answer it, the shuffle of his feet as he makes his way back here to get me. I sneak in one last look in the mirror, smoothing my dress and double-checking my hair, before turning around to greet him as he appears in my doorway.

“Anna, there’s a man—” he begins, only to stop short as he comes into view. “Oh, sweetheart. You look gorgeous.”

Grinning, I sway from side to side. I’d picked out a dress to wear tonight that is a replica of a 1950s A-line tea dress. It’s knee length, black, and comes off the shoulders, the neck forming a V. I’d gone all out for the night, even buying a pair of long gloves to wear, but currently I’m holding them up in my hand and showing them to my dad.

“Thank you,” I say, waving them around. “But I need to know: to glove or not to glove?”

He steps inside and grabs the gloves from my hands, throwing them on the bed. “Nah, you don’t need any gloves. Your mom liked to always do this thing when we’d go out somewhere. She’d put on her whole outfit, then she’d always take one thing off. I think she learned it from Gloria Vanderbilt.”

He’s so cute. “It was Coco Chanel who said it—to take off one thing you’ve put on before you walk out the door, in that less is more way.”

“Yep, that’s her.” His smile is approving and there’s a lightness in his step that hasn’t been there in months. “Well, Cinderella, your chariot awaits. Only your chariot looks a lot like a town car.”

“Ollie said he’d send one,” I say with a chuckle as I grab my purse and throw a few things in it.

“You still haven’t seen him since he got back, have you?” he asks.

I shake my head. Somehow we’d never found a way to get on the phone last night nor today. I’d fallen asleep in front of the television only to wake up at midnight with drool on the side of my face, a half-eaten cookie still in my hand, and three missed calls from Ollie. Today we played the best game of phone tag ever, until he texted me saying he’d send a car and would explain everything I missed tonight.

“You two,” he says, eyeing me. “It really is the real thing, isn’t it?”

How do I answer that? Is it? I thought it was, but the last two days doubt has crept in. However, my trust in Ollie has accompanied it, so while I’ve been wanting to ask him about what Molly told me she saw, I’m also a big enough girl, and adult enough, to know I don’t need to ask him. Not everything is as it appears, like in the side-view mirror of a car.

“I’d like to think so,” I say softly, closing my purse and standing at attention. “Tell me. Do I look okay?”

“You look more than okay, sweetie. Like I said, you are gorgeous. He’s a lucky man, and don’t ever let him forget it.” He steps forward and wraps his arms around me, my giant father holding me close. “I’m so proud of you. Whatever this is with Ollie, it’s nice to see you so happy these days.” He sighs, holding me tighter still. “That kid has been around for so long. I always knew he had a crush on you, but never thought he’d get a chance.”

“Dad!” I giggle as I pull away only to find him smirking as he holds his hands out beside him.

“Hey, I may be a little worse for wear right now, but I’m still witty. And truthful, too,” he adds, wagging a finger in the air.

“You are very witty,” I acknowledge by patting his arm as we make our way down the hall and to the front door. I stop at the hallway table to grab my wrap and notice he’s got a bill from the hospital sitting there. “What’s that?”

“I finally got someone on the phone at River City General who was willing to be bribed.”

I tilt my head in surprise. “Bribed?”

“Well, that bill was paid by someone, but no one would tell me who. So, I was feeling cheeky and made a joke.”

“What kind of joke?”

“I offered the woman I was talking to a couple of VIP tickets to see the Renegades play, with a meet and greet after,” he announces, looking very pleased with himself as he eyes me.

“Did she go for it?”

“Sang like a canary. Meowed like a cat. Neighed like a?—”

I hold up a hand. “Dad. Give me the headline, not the descriptors that lead up to it.”

“She told me that Oliver Decker had come in and paid my bills so I’m up to date.” He narrows his eyes. “Did you ask him to do that?”

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