Page 233 of Dangerous Encore
9
Piper
The next dayis a blur of airports, jetlag, and long walks on the beach. It's beautiful here. Paradise. But I don't take in much of the crystal blue water, the sweet air, thebrightsky.
My stomach is churning with nerves. My chest, my head, my entire body islight.
This is reallyhappening.
Tomorrow.
The thought flits through my mind all night. Sleep comes late, obscenely late. Even though my alarm isn't set to go off until noon, it's a cruelawakening.
I'm alone. In myownroom.
I insisted on tradition, the two of us apart all day until we cometogether.
Forever.
I'm too nervous for coffee. Or breakfast. Or anything but showering, dressing, and meeting Violet in herhotelroom.
She throws her arms around me with a squeal. "It's reallyhappening."
I nod. "Itis."
She smiles. "I was wondering when you'dcrack."
"Huh?"
"You're nervous." She pulls me inside the room and points to the vanity where the makeup artist issettingup.
Why does her room have avanity?
Nofair.
The makeup artist, a pretty woman with long, dark hair, smiles at me. "Are youready?"
Iam.
Ireallyam.
* * *
I've never been sonervous I lost my appetitebefore.
It's strange, forcing myself to eat my room servicelunch.
It doesn't taste likeanything.
I've never been so nervous that food doesn't taste likeanything.
I don't wantcoffee.
That's…
That'sridiculous.
The makeup artist is good. Slow, but good. She starts with Violet, and takes an eternity sculpting her features with softmakeup.
