Aimee (A Time for Love Book 3) Read Free Page B

Tom.
    Charlene managed to appear slightly more enthusiastic when she showed up at Aimee’s apartment on Saturday. Aimee rarely wore makeup, since it often didn’t hold up well in the heat of a busy commercial kitchen. But she had assembled all the cosmetics and makeup tools she had and grouped them in baskets on the coffee table, along with assorted hand creams and hair styling products, in a setup she remembered from a high school slumber party.
    “Do I need this much help?” Charlene asked as she set her bag on the floor beside the couch.
    “Not at all. I just thought it’d be fun getting ready together. And I need help.”
    Aimee knew she was fortunate; she was blessed with a near-flawless complexion, its creaminess set off by her straight, black hair. But her recent crying jags had left her skin blotchy and pink, and her eyes were puffy from tears and lack of sleep. Tom had told her he preferred her natural look, so she’d gotten out of the habit of wearing makeup, but she definitely needed some tonight if she didn’t want to scare off her first match!
    “Do you have any soothing cream?” Charlene asked.
    She examined Aimee’s collection and selected a tube. Soon she had Aimee’s face slathered in a cooling mint gel and her nails painted with a sparkly frosted rose. She was efficient at everything she did, and Aimee felt completely incompetent next to her. She’d first met Charlene her junior year of college, when Charlene was starting law school. Aimee worked as a student clerk at the law library, and Charlene came to study in the reading room every day. Once, when Tom was late picking Aimee up, Charlene gave her a ride home, and the two gradually became friends.
    Now Aimee was thankful her friends hadn’t given up on her throughout the entire Tom fiasco. Once or twice, Tish had told her she should think about what she was doing, but Charlene had just been silently supportive. She didn’t deserve such a good friend. Tears stung her eyes again, and she tried to wipe them away without smudging her nail polish.
    “What’s wrong?” Charlene asked.
    “You’ve been such a great friend,” Aimee sniffled. “I don’t deserve you.”
    “You deserve happiness,” Charlene said firmly. “And who knows, maybe tonight will be the start of a wonderful relationship.”
    Her smile seemed more genuine this time, and she began rifling through the basket of lipsticks to find one that would match the nail polish.
    Thanks to Charlene’s help, Aimee looked better than she had in ages, she thought as she studied her reflection in the lobby mirror. Her hair gleamed, and the subtle makeup made her eyes look larger than normal. She felt confident in her appearance, and she hoped her date would appreciate it.
    “Good evening.”
    Whitney, the blond receptionist, showed them to a small conference room.
    “Edwina will be with you in a moment.”
    As soon as the younger woman left the room, Aimee turned to Charlene. “What if I can’t think of anything to say? What if he hates cooking, and that’s all I know to talk about?”
    “Don’t worry; it’ll be fine,” Charlene said calmly. “If you need me, I’ll help out. But if Edwina’s as good as Dana and Tish say, you and your match will hit it off instantly.”
    Her words made sense, but they didn’t really ease Aimee’s sudden anxiety. She hadn’t dated anyone but Tom in over six years, and she was afraid she’d be clumsy and awkward. Or worse, what if he said or did something to remind her of Tom, and she started crying? Maybe she wasn’t ready to date yet.
    Before she could sink deeper into a spiral of nerves, the conference room door opened, and Edwina walked in. She was neatly dressed, as always, in an old-fashioned blouse and skirt. She smiled, and Aimee felt better.
    “Your date is set in 1917,” she told them. “I have some period clothing you may want to wear.”
    She gestured to a rack of clothes Aimee hadn’t noticed before. Of course, the time