He takes my face in his hands. “Lilly Jacobs, sometimes I wonder if you pay any attention at all to life around you. I have wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Why do you think your Nana got such great rent in the Marina?”
I shrug. “I thought maybe you had an old lady fetish. Or maybe you were gay and didn’t want to be tempted by some young guy, and then—”
Max puts a finger to my lips and starts cracking up with laughter. “Never mind, okay? I just have an ‘old lady fetish,’ as you so aptly put it, for one particular old lady, because she has a hot granddaughter. I’m a very patient man, Lilly Jacobs, but I think I’ve been patient enough.”
I laugh and look down. Then he lifts my chin back up toward his. Max kisses me firmly on the lips, and I’ll admit, if I had an objection I have no idea what it was.
I turn to see Sara loving the limelight of the fashion journalists, and I look at my Nana and see a mother. Nana knew exactly what she was doing inviting Valeria to Max’s place. Nana’s smiling like a Cheshire cat! I look at Max, whose dark, expressive eyes make me feel like I’m the queen of the castle. Then, I think about Poppy and Morgan. In all of these people who love me unconditionally, I see a mirror of who I really am—who God created me to be. Bad hair and all. To sum up Psalm 139, I am all that and a bag of chips!
Two Months Later:
I did make Women’s Wear Daily, and I did make a business out of the scraps Sara Lang left me. Money will continue to be an issue until I can get my gowns made a little more quickly, but bad hair has not completely ruined my life, after all. I know that now. In fact, life is good. Max Schwartz assured me he isn’t living an heir’s life, and that’s good with me. (But you’d never know it by the diamond brooch of his grandmother’s that he recently gave me.)
For the first time, I’m in love with a man who has seen my hair in full bloom and isn’t scared of it! And we’re taking it slowly. I hang out at his place in the evenings, enjoying the view and his company, while he takes notes on television shows. I sketch and think about how I’m going to meet my fabric costs that month. Every now and again, I’ll look over at him and wonder, How did I get here? Me. Lilly Jacobs—actual designer and girlfriend. What could be better than this? Oh wait, I can’t go there. I may be all that…but I’m realistic too!
Nana seems to think I’m settled and has suddenly found a life of her own with a man she met—at bingo, no less. As for Morgan and Poppy—the best friends a girl could ever have—I’ll let them tell their stories at the next Spa Girls weekend. This time, with pickles.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Content
Acknowledgments
Part I: straight
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Part II: wavy:
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Part III: boing!!!!
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
She's All That Page 28
