Page 27 of Out of the Dark

I’m not sure why she thinks that has anything to do with me—all I’ve done is make his life more complicated—but I nod anyway. "Gotcha."

"Okay, open your eyes."

I do, and Dani clasps her hands together in excitement. "Ah, it looks perfect! Okay, now for some mascara."

After adding some pencil eyeliner to my lower lash line, she holds a wand and makes me blink a few times to coat my eyelashes with the makeup, and then she grabs a soft pink lipstick and swipes it carefully over my lips.

When she steps back to examine her work, she gives me another one of those wide grins and says, "Oh my god, you look fuckingamazing."

Her casual use of the word "fuck" startles me—I’m still getting used to hearing it, but this may be the first time I’ve heard a woman say it.

I turn to face my reflection, and I’m shocked at what I see in the mirror; It’s still me, obviously, but with a new added layer of sultriness. Dani has swiped the eyeliner up in a small wing extending past my eyelids, and the darkness of the makeup makes my eyes seem to stand out. It’s a subtle enough change, but it amplifies everything to seem more dramatic. The glossy lipstick is the perfect finaltouch.

"Hair tiiiiime," Dani sing-songs.

She decides to straighten my long blonde hair rather than curl it, then pulls the front pieces back away from my face and clips them in the back. Whatever she sprayed in my hair makes it shiny and soft, and by the time she’s finished, I feel like an entirely new person.

In the matter of twenty minutes, Dani has helped me gain a confidence I didn’t know I had with just a few simple changes. I look in the mirror and I don’t see a plain, awkward girl—I see a woman who is pretty and, dare I say it, even a little sexy. And not by hiding anything on my face, but by emphasizing it. It’s empowering.

"This is amazing," I say, looking at Dani. "Thank you. Seriously. I didn’t know I could look like this." I know I’m a bit plain, and attempting to look prettier was always regarded as vanity at home. But this doesn’t feel like vanity, it feels like confidence.

She offers me her hand to stand, and I take it. "It was my pleasure. And I know you might not care to hear me say this, but Mark is going to be drooling over you even more now." With a wink, she drags me toward the bedroom door, and we head toward the living room.

A few more people had arrived during the time I’d been in the room with Dani. I’m a half-step behind her as we make our way through the living room where the TV shows a man in a coat with a microphone talking about the new year.

All eyes turn to us. Which is fair, since Dani is the host of the party alongside Shane, but there’s only one set of eyes I care about. Mark’s gaze is locked on me from across the room where he leans against the wall with a drink in hand. His lips are parted slightly and his stare intense, and I give him a shywave. I’m barely listening when Dani introduces me to the couple beside her, but I smile and introduce myself all the same.

Finally, she asks, "Do you want a drink?"

It’ll only be my second time ever drinking, but I have a feeling that wine might loosen up the tension buzzing inside of me.

I tell her yes, and we make our way to the kitchen where she pours us each a glass of champagne. I take a sip, savoring the light, bubbly flavor.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

I think about it for a second. "Good. Nervous, I think. I haven’t ever really been to any parties like this, so this is pretty new for me."

"Well, I’m glad this could be your first," she says with a gentle sort of understanding. I can tell she’s curious but doesn’t want to pry, but she’s been so incredibly kind that it feels less daunting to tell her a bit more.

"I’m glad, too. I come from a very religious background, hence the no makeup and no parties thing. That’s why Mark took me in—I was living out of my car and delivering pizzas for a job."

"Wow." She takes a sip of her champagne. "I knew you were in a tough situation, but he didn’t tell us all that. I’m really glad he happened to find you. Plus," she adds, "now I have a new friend because of it!"

People are rapidly arriving now, and pretty soon the living room and kitchen are filled with people milling about. I’ve been introduced to so many people whose names I can’t possibly keep track of, but I manage to at least remember Dani’s friend Audrey, who came alone. Her purple hair makesher easy to remember, and if that wasn’t enough, she has the type of personality my mom would have called a "firecracker." She’s not afraid to make herself heard, and she has an attitude that screams strong, independent woman.

I wish I could be more like her. I wonder what it’s like to have that sort of easy confidence, to not be afraid to take up space or stand out.

Eventually, I make my way back toward Mark, who’s standing with Shane and laughing at some story a woman is telling about her husband next to her.

Awkwardly stepping beside Mark, I insert myself into the small group of four and stay silent. Thankfully, they continue to converse and I have a moment to breathe until Mark says, "Guys, this is Claire. Claire, these are good friends of ours from the—" he cuts himself off. "Well, they’re good friends that we’ve known for a few years now. Sarah and Quentin."

I smile and shake each of their hands. They look a bit older than Mark, but not much. "It’s nice to meet you."

They both return the sentiment, and Dani sidles up to Shane’s side with Audrey in tow just as we finish introductions.

"Oh my god!" Sarah exclaims, walking up to Dani to examine her necklace. "Is this a new collar?"

Audrey chimes in. "Isn’t itgorgeous? Seriously, I need to find myself a man half as kind—or as rich—as Shane."

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