Page 253 of The First Time
Chapter Eight
Lizzy stares into the vanity mirror as she brings the pencil to her waterline. She draws a perfect line of espresso. "See? Easy."
Uh…
The makeup artist doing our lesson looks to me. "What do you think, Kat? Are you ready to try it again?"
How can drawing on your face be this hard? I'm not exactly Picasso, but I'm well above average when it comes to pen to paper.
Lizzy hands over the pencil.
I cross and uncross my legs. I stare at my reflection in the vanity mirror as I bring the pencil to my eye.
I trace the line along my lashes. The top. Then the bottom. It's not too bad. A little messy. But close.
"All we need to do is clean it up a little." The makeup artist picks up a brush with an angled tip. "Close your eyes."
I do.
She runs the brush along the line I drew. "Okay. Open."
I stare back at my reflection. That looks better. A lot better. More smudged and sexy than smudged and amateur. "Can I try?"
"Of course." She smiles.
I line my other eye then I pick up the brush and trace my work. My blending isn't quite as expert as hers, but it looks alright.
"I like it," Lizzy says. "It's sexy."
"Yeah?" I ask.
"Like you're walking home from your one-night stand." Lizzy picks up a tube of red lipstick. "Try it with this. Screams sex appeal."
"It's too red," I say.
"Guys like red." Lizzy looks to the makeup artist. "Right?"
"Yes, but honestly, guys don't know anything about makeup. My boyfriend is always telling me how pretty I look without makeup when I have a natural look going. It doesn't matter how many times I tell him I'm caked in product. He keeps insisting." The makeup artist scans the rows and rows of lipstick. She grabs something in a deep berry. "Let's try this. It's a little cooler. Not quite as bright. I think it will suit you."
I take the lipstick, pout, apply two coats. It's dark and rich, like a glass of red wine. Or a raspberry. Between the lipstick and the smoky eye, I look like an adult. Like a sexpot, actually. Like I'll be the one driving Blake out of his mind.
"Oh. I'm going to find one." Lizzy smiles at the makeup artist. "Do you think you have any palettes in purple? Shimmery or matte."
"I'll check." She moves to another row.
Lizzy turns to me. "Are you going to fess up?"
"To?" I play dumb. The berry lipstick really is working for me. I can see it smudged on Blake's lips. Or his neck. Or his collar. Or just below his belly button.
"Since when do you care about makeup?"
"This is fun, isn't it? The lesson."
"Yeah." Lizzy looks back at her reflection, checking her shimmery purple eyeshadow. "It's awesome. For me. But you… no offense, Kat, but you look sorta confused and frustrated."
"It's not my skillset."
"Don't you work on Tuesday nights?"
