Page 19 of Snowflakes Over Starr's Fall
“I think they’re a little too fancy,” she told Zoe. “And I’m afraid this sweater, beautiful as it is, is going to make me look like Jessica Rabbit.”
Zoe raised her eyebrows. “And that’s a bad thing?”
“Considering this isn’t a date?—”
“I know you keep saying that,” Zoe cut across her, “but I just don’t believe you.”
“Well, you should,” Jenna replied slightly tetchily. She’d always admired Zoe’s feistiness, but less so right now. “I’m not sure I even like Jack Wexler as a person, so why would I go on a date with him?”
“Lots of people go on dates with people they’re not sure they like,” Zoe replied, the voice of reason. “That’s why they go on the dates.”
Jenna just shook her head. She wasn’t about to argue the point yet again. She’d done that enough over the last two days. “Not the pants.”
“Okay.” Zoe put them back. “Fair enough. What about a pair of jeans?”
Jenna sighed. The sweater was soft, and beautiful, and she realized she didn’t want to rock up to Jack’s big house on Bantam Lake looking the way he’d expect her to—like a colorful mess. But did she want to look sexy?
“Just own it,” Zoe advised, as if she could read Jenna’s whole thought process. “Stop worrying about what Jack Wexler thinks.”
“I’m not worried about what Jack Wexler thinks,” Jenna retorted automatically. Zoe arched a skeptical eyebrow, and Jenna sighed. “Fine. I’ll try on the sweater.”
Since Zoe didn’t seem interested in giving her privacy, and Jenna told herself she wasn’t a prude, she pulled off her t-shirt right there and grabbed the sweater. As she pulled it over her head, she savored the softness of the cashmere, even as she acknowledged it was pretty snug.
“Va-va-voom,” Zoe remarked in appreciation as Jenna pulled it down over her hips. “You look amazing. And yes, a bit like Jessica Rabbit, although that reference is alittledated, but it’s a good look, trust me.”
Jenna eyed her reflection doubtfully. If even her references were dated, was she too old for this? The sweater was tight, although not as tight as she’d feared. She wasn’t showing yards of cleavage, just a generous hint of it. With a pair of normal-looking jeans, she supposed it wasn’t an outrageous outfit, but would it look like she was trying to impress Jack?
“Don’t overthink it,” Zoe advised. “And remember, Jack is not that dude back in New York or San Francisco—or wherever—who was obviously a douchebag.”
Jenna jerked her gaze from her reflection to stare at Zoe in shock. “You know about him?” She had never told Zoe about Ryan. She hadn’t toldanyoneabout Ryan, except for Rhonda, and Annie, and a little bit to Zach. Okay, three people was clearly three too many.
Zoe shrugged her assent. “I know the basics. I think everyone does, Jenna, to be honest. You remember this is Starr’s Fall, right?”
“I know, but…” She shook her head slowly. She’d thought she’d kept her private life private, but clearly she’d been fooling herself. Why wouldn’t people know about that old heartbreak, when they seemed to know everything else? “What do you know?” she asked Zoe, steeling herself for her reply.
“Only that you dated some rich guy who led you on and then broke your heart. Typical city slicker.” She shrugged, her eyes alight with interest. “You can tell me the details, if you like. I won’t pass them on.”
“No, thanks.” Jenna had no intention of imparting those painful details to anyone. Zoe, and apparently the rest of Starr’s Fall, knew enough, and while she knew everyone would be sympathetic, she still didn’t like them knowing. “It was a long time ago.”
“Exactly, and your date is in less than an hour. You’re going to wear the red sweater?”
Jenna glanced at her reflection again, torn between wanting to be exactly who she was and no one else and needing to show Jack Wexler—and everybody else—that she could in fact be different. She was overthinking this, she decided with exasperation. It was just a sweater, after all, and a very nice one at that.
“Okay,” she relented. “I’ll wear the sweater.” It had been very generous of Liz to gift it to her, after all.
“Great. Now we can move on to hair and makeup.” Zoe reached for her backpack. “I’m thinking understated and sophisticated, barely there but beautiful. We’ll style your hair in glossy waves and do atinybit of contouring and lip. What do you think?”
Considering Jenna never wore makeup or did anything with her hair, that sounded like a lot.
“I don’t know…”
“Come on.” Zoe withdrew a set of straighteners from her bag. “You have the most gorgeous hair, Jenna. With a little styling, you’ll look like Julia Roberts. One look at you and you’ll be able to knock Jack Wexler over with a feather.”
Nowthatwas a prospect that had some appeal. She’d like to surprise Jack, Jenna realized. She’d like to show him how he’d underestimated her. Suddenly, this whole evening took on a different complexion—not one of her being prickly and defensive, doubling down on what she’d already said and done, but bowling Jack over with how different she could be.
“All right,” she told Zoe recklessly. “Bring it on.”
9
