Page 31 of New Girl in the City
Chapter 8
“Is that what you’re wearing to an art opening?” Claudia was leaning against the doorway, giving me a slow up and down look. I had been relaxing, or at least, I had been, as I stood in front of my window eyes on the skyline after a long day at work. Things were still going full tilt and we’d had some good noise from Claire about Claudia’s resume.
The two had chatted that day, and I expected a nice offer to come in for her soon. It added a sense of urgency to get as much shit done as possible. I’d be the last senior PR associate on staff if she made the move. All I would have to help me were an army of untrained interns, and a couple of junior associates who hadn’t quite handled a firm as large as Arington. I rolled my eyes at her reflection in the glass.
“Yes, and I want to know what’s wrong with it?” I gestured down at the smart half sleeve sheath dress I wore. It was charcoal gray which yes, I knew might be a little severe for a date, but it did make my figure look awesome. I had dressed it up with touches of gold jewelry and lipstick that was a little darker than normal.
I looked fine.
“I look fine,” I told her as much, and she rolled her eyes at me.
“We don’t want fine, Mel. We want a knockout. A bombshell.” She grabbed at the air with both hands and I backed up at the movement.
“I am fine. It’s a first date with a sometimes artist, fine is good, Claudia.”
She pulled a face. “This date isn’t about him. It’s about you, honey. And we need big for you. I could give two shits about him.”
I paused at that. She had me there, but I was miffed all the same. “I’m fine with fine,” I told her.
She groaned and stepped into my office, kicking the door shut behind her and hefting her bag onto my desk. “Can we please stop using that word? It’s like we’re talking about my grandma or something, okay? Fine is gone. We are done with fine from here on out.”
“Fine,” I said, and grinned when she shot me daggers.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she muttered, rummaging in her bag.
“What are you doing rooting around in your bag like it’s the Barney bag?” I asked, taking a step back when she looked up at me in confusion.
“The what?”
“Nothing, just—” I paused, not sure how to explain the particulars of a purple talking dinosaur or why it would need a bag of infinite items to please a gang of kids. “Just get on with it.”
“I’m here to save your date.” She held up a tube of lipstick then and gave me an excited smile before pointing at my chair. “Now sit.”
I shook my head, holding my arms up in front of me in an X. “No, I’m good.”
“No, you’refineand we both know how I feel about that word. So sit your cute ass down and let me add some drama to this thing.”
I scowled at her, but I sat all the same and watched her warily as she pulled a dress out of her bag. My mouth fell open. “You have a dress in there?” I gaped.
“No, of course not,” she laughed and then held up another dress, “I have two.”
When Claudia said she was going to add some drama what she meant was she was going to redo my makeup, hair, and force me to try on not one, but two dresses, before giving me her heels to wear on my date. I looked down at the borrowed heels and winced, shifting in them.
They were a lovely gold, perfectly paired to the blush colored fit and flare dress she’d forced me into. I touched the neckline and resisted the urge to pull the off the shoulder sleeves a tad higher. They were not to go higher, as instructed by Claudia, because they “showed off the goods.” She would know if I pulled it even a centimeter higher, so below my shoulders the slightly ruffled neckline stayed.
She’d redone my makeup, just a little more extra than I had. I was happy with the effect she’d achieved with a thick cat eyeliner and liberal use of highlighter around my brow bone and cheeks. My darker lipstick was done away with, in favor of a shade warmer and more in tune with my outfit and the summery weather outside. I didn’t hate it. Okay, I loved it. Claudia was right, this date wasn’t about the man, it was about me. I was glad we had gone a little more than ‘fine.’
The only thing that was mine still was my mini gold clutch that I’d decided on to match the few pieces of jewelry I wore. Hoops earrings and a thin chain that touched the top of my collarbone. My fingers stroked the chain lightly and I breathed out a deep sigh as I took in the street. I made sure to look up one way and then down the next as I waited for Liam to arrive.
I’d already figured out at the gym that he knew about the date but that didn’t make it any easier to have him be the one to drive me there. I almost decided on taking a taxi, but Claudia refused me the indulgence. ‘You have a driver. Use him.’
I hated thinking about it like that.
Using him. Whatever it was that was going on with us, it was not that. I didn’t ever want it to be that. But this was his job which made the whole thing tricky.
I had asked him hesitantly on the way to work. I worried I was biting into the man’s social schedule. A man his age, and one with his looks, definitely had to have somewhere else he wanted to be, but he waved me off with a curt. “It’ll be good overtime, and your company is generous. Don’t worry about it, Mel.”
There it was again.Mel.
