embarrassed. "Why not?"
"Do you know how long straightening locks like mine would take? I don't have time for that. Braids. Then I don't have to worry about my hair every single morning."
"If you say so. Back to my hair. What should we do with it tonight?"
She studied my hair, holding it out and rubbing it between her fingers. "It's nice and thick with a great texture. We can do a lot." She leaned over, glanced at the screen, and pointed to a wavy style with half the hair in a loose bun at the base of the head. "That would look so beautiful on you."
"You don't think it would cover the straps in the back?"
Sasha pursed her lips. "Hmm. Good point, but you could pull half of it over the front. Best of both worlds, don't you think?"
"Yeah, that might work."
"We'll try it, and if it doesn't work, I'll do an updo."
She got to work, and before long, my phone buzzed.
"It's Carter." Blood drained from my head.
"We'd better get that dress on you!"
I accepted the call. "Hi, Carter, I'll be right down."
"I'll be waiting." His voice was so smooth it made it easy to picture him in a tux.
The call ended. I put my phone down and squealed.
Smiling, Sasha pulled my dress out of the bag and unzipped it. "Step inside."
I did and she zipped it back up.
She stepped back and looked me over. "You could be on the cover of Glamour magazine."
Curious, I went into the bathroom and looked in the full-length mirror. My mouth gaped. Though I wasn't sure what to expect at the exclusive party, I was sure I wouldn't have any trouble fitting in.
"Come on," Sasha called. "Can't leave that hot guy waiting."
I hurried out, slid on my new, sparkly silver pumps, and grabbed my purse.
"You can't take that," Sasha exclaimed.
"Why not?"
She rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. It's a good thing you have me." She went into her closet and pulled out a tiny sparkly clutch.
"Will my phone even fit in there?"
"Of course. That and your wallet and a few makeup items. All you need for a date."
"You're the expert." I dumped the contents of my purse onto my bed and stuffed what I could into the miniature bag.
Sasha gave me a once-over. "Girl, you're going to be the best looking one in the place."
"Stop." But I couldn't help beaming. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course. If I was your mom, I'd be taking a million pictures right now. Wait, gimme your camera. I'll take some so you can send them to her."
My chest constricted. Maybe one day I could.
"Hand it over."
Fumbling, I pulled it out of the clutch.
She grabbed my phone and held it up. "Say cheese."
I forced a smile, feeling the start of a lump in my throat.
The flash shone a couple times and Sasha studied the screen. "Perfect."
"Come on, we've made Carter wait long enough."
My knees felt weak. I reached for my phone.
She shook her head. "I'll need pictures of the two of you."
I couldn't argue with that.
We headed downstairs. I could hear Carter before I saw him. He was discussing baseball with Landon. We came into the kitchen.
Carter had his back to us, but Landon looked at me and whistled. "Lookin' good, roomie."
Sasha pushed me closer to the guys. "I know, right? Makes me want to go out somewhere fancy."
Carter turned around and our gazes met. His hair was slicked back and he was even more gorgeous in a tux. I almost dropped the handbag.
"You look beautiful." He picked up a plastic box from the table, pulled out a corsage with white roses, and slid it onto my wrist.
"Stand over by the wall," Sasha directed. "Picture time."
Carter flashed me a handsome smile and put his arm around my shoulders. We stood where Sasha pointed, in front of an empty wall.
She snapped a few pictures and handed me my phone. "I'm so jealous."
I glanced down at the image on the screen. We did look great—he was gorgeous and I barely recognized myself. I slid the phone into the clutch. "I'm sorry it took me a little longer to get ready than I thought."
"Not a problem. You were well worth the
"Do you know how long straightening locks like mine would take? I don't have time for that. Braids. Then I don't have to worry about my hair every single morning."
"If you say so. Back to my hair. What should we do with it tonight?"
She studied my hair, holding it out and rubbing it between her fingers. "It's nice and thick with a great texture. We can do a lot." She leaned over, glanced at the screen, and pointed to a wavy style with half the hair in a loose bun at the base of the head. "That would look so beautiful on you."
"You don't think it would cover the straps in the back?"
Sasha pursed her lips. "Hmm. Good point, but you could pull half of it over the front. Best of both worlds, don't you think?"
"Yeah, that might work."
"We'll try it, and if it doesn't work, I'll do an updo."
She got to work, and before long, my phone buzzed.
"It's Carter." Blood drained from my head.
"We'd better get that dress on you!"
I accepted the call. "Hi, Carter, I'll be right down."
"I'll be waiting." His voice was so smooth it made it easy to picture him in a tux.
The call ended. I put my phone down and squealed.
Smiling, Sasha pulled my dress out of the bag and unzipped it. "Step inside."
I did and she zipped it back up.
She stepped back and looked me over. "You could be on the cover of Glamour magazine."
Curious, I went into the bathroom and looked in the full-length mirror. My mouth gaped. Though I wasn't sure what to expect at the exclusive party, I was sure I wouldn't have any trouble fitting in.
"Come on," Sasha called. "Can't leave that hot guy waiting."
I hurried out, slid on my new, sparkly silver pumps, and grabbed my purse.
"You can't take that," Sasha exclaimed.
"Why not?"
She rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. It's a good thing you have me." She went into her closet and pulled out a tiny sparkly clutch.
"Will my phone even fit in there?"
"Of course. That and your wallet and a few makeup items. All you need for a date."
"You're the expert." I dumped the contents of my purse onto my bed and stuffed what I could into the miniature bag.
Sasha gave me a once-over. "Girl, you're going to be the best looking one in the place."
"Stop." But I couldn't help beaming. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course. If I was your mom, I'd be taking a million pictures right now. Wait, gimme your camera. I'll take some so you can send them to her."
My chest constricted. Maybe one day I could.
"Hand it over."
Fumbling, I pulled it out of the clutch.
She grabbed my phone and held it up. "Say cheese."
I forced a smile, feeling the start of a lump in my throat.
The flash shone a couple times and Sasha studied the screen. "Perfect."
"Come on, we've made Carter wait long enough."
My knees felt weak. I reached for my phone.
She shook her head. "I'll need pictures of the two of you."
I couldn't argue with that.
We headed downstairs. I could hear Carter before I saw him. He was discussing baseball with Landon. We came into the kitchen.
Carter had his back to us, but Landon looked at me and whistled. "Lookin' good, roomie."
Sasha pushed me closer to the guys. "I know, right? Makes me want to go out somewhere fancy."
Carter turned around and our gazes met. His hair was slicked back and he was even more gorgeous in a tux. I almost dropped the handbag.
"You look beautiful." He picked up a plastic box from the table, pulled out a corsage with white roses, and slid it onto my wrist.
"Stand over by the wall," Sasha directed. "Picture time."
Carter flashed me a handsome smile and put his arm around my shoulders. We stood where Sasha pointed, in front of an empty wall.
She snapped a few pictures and handed me my phone. "I'm so jealous."
I glanced down at the image on the screen. We did look great—he was gorgeous and I barely recognized myself. I slid the phone into the clutch. "I'm sorry it took me a little longer to get ready than I thought."
"Not a problem. You were well worth the
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