Page 78 of Shutout
“Wow, Thanksgiving has changed you,” she says, her expression sparkling with admiration.
I grin. “I’m very thankful I have another chance.”
“Let’s do this!”
My heart kicks hard, almost to the point of giving me vertigo. “Wait.” They pause in the middle of walking out of my bedroom. “I, uh, could use with a little booster.”
A moment later, we bust out the wine coolers that Dee is officially old enough to buy on her own. She’s reasonable and only has a glass, and since she had a big head start, she finishes getting dressed and hiding all her va va boom-ness under a massive down coat before she’s out the door for her date.
Mina and I stay behind to get properly ready. This implies more drinking, which makes the makeup application more challenging, but the whole process less barf-inducing than it’d be if I was in my senses.
“Am I doing the right thing?” I ask her while she’s doing my makeup.
“Totally. You’re going after what you want.”
“And what if he doesn’t want me? What if this really destroys our friendship?”
Mina snorts. “I’m pretty sure he already wants you.”
“I want to believe you. I’m just so used to getting deflated at the end.”
“Once you get married, you have to make me the maid of honor and not Dee, though.”
I give a noncommittal hum from my throat, not just because I know Dee would dispute that. But also because I’m not trying to get Brooke to propose to me here. I just want him to notice me first. To really see that I’m not just his friend he can talk about anything with—including his girlfriends. But in fact, his next girlfriend.
I’ll focus on being hislastgirlfriend after that.
After we’re dressed up sans coat layers, we look at each other on the full-body mirror in Mina’s room. Unfortunately, the sweet wine swooshing in my belly doesn’t imbue me with confidence anymore.
“What was I thinking? This sucks.”
Mina smacks my butt. Hard. “Stop that shit. You look really freaking hot. In fact, you’re making me look frumpy.”
“Shut up, you look amazing.”
“So do you, silly goose.”
I run my eyes down my reflection. The most comfortable part of the outfit is my black combat boots. But I must’ve forgotten to throw out this pair of black skinny jeans, and I deeply regret it now. “Can I at least change into a different pair of jeans?”
“Why?”
I shrink into a little raisin. “You know I’m self conscious about my hips and my butt.”
I’ve always hated that my bottom is one, sometimes two sizes larger than my top. My ex was an ass-guy—in more ways than one, I suppose—and he’s the reason I took to wearing skinny jeans. But at least I used to balance it out with looser tops that disguised how disproportionate my body is. And wearing a tight corset top made of black lace and wires mightbe a bit too much highlighting the problem. I close the blue jean jacket tighter.
“Listen to me, you fool.” Mina grabs me by the shoulders and either she sways, or I do. Maybe both. “There is no guy at O’Malley’s who will be able to keep his eyes off you. So you better focus on Brooklyn because Dane is mine, okay?”
“I thought you were going to give me a pep talk, not that.”
“That was the pep talk.” Her eyes pop. “You’re so hot, you could snag any guy you wanted tonight and whenever. Remember that. Now, do I look like I want someone to keep me warm?” She’s in a blue bodycon dress that doesn’t hide any of her curves, and see-through tights that will literally make her freeze.
“Yes, I think you’re in real danger of hypothermia.”
“Excellent. Then we’re ready.”
CHAPTER 27
BROOKLYN
