Elizabeth didn’t realize when she drifted off herself and it was bright morning when she opened her eyes. Confused, she sat up and blinked at the sunlight streaming through the living room windows.
Riley was folding the blanket she’d placed over Dylan. Their eyes met and his smile was agonizing because much like the ones she often wore, it wasn’t real.
“I heard him leave just after dawn. I’m sorry, Elizabeth.”
One side of her mouth lifted. “Don’t be. I’m not.”
Then she got up and went about her day.
She shoved down the hurt that Dylan left without speaking to her. She repressed the pain of knowing she was not “that girl” for him and never would be.
Instead, she worked and studied and went on with her life.
That was who she was.
Chapter Five
Age 22
There were so many days between when Dylan made love to Elizabeth for the first time and when she saw him again that she wondered if he was still alive.
The weekend following her finals for her third year of college, she went to dinner with Nana, Riley, and his lovely older boyfriend Donovan to celebrate. She was officially about to enter her last year to obtain her bachelor’s degree.
Her grandmother rallied after a yearlong recovery and Elizabeth could not have been more grateful to have her still with her.
She was unsure if Jewel Clayton knew that her granddaughter had lost her virginity just down the hall from her bedroom but it was one thing Elizabeth never discussed with anyone.
Not even Riley.
That night with Dylan, those feelings belonged to her, and she did her best to keep them in a box to protect the rest of her heart.
There were times when they exploded from where she kept them hidden and the pain would wash across her mind, leaving devastation in its wake. For a little while, she’d pretend to have a cold to explain the congestion and puffiness of her face.
It always passed.
Seeing her best friend’s happiness helped.
Almost thirty, Donovan Taylor loved being around the women in Riley’s life. He was stunningly good-looking and lived in the city where he worked as a financial analyst. His calm demeanor was a pleasing balance to Riley’s youthful enthusiasm.
They’d been dating for almost a year and Elizabeth knew there would come a day when her best friend would move out of her home to live with his lover. Donovan was the only man to treat him exactly right in the years they’d known one another and the Clayton women loved him for it.
As a couple, they were beyond gorgeous. Riley’s dark red hair and blue eyes complemented Donovan’s black hair and green eyes. Sometimes, the older man would get nose to nose with Elizabeth and growl, “I used to have the prettiest green eyes. They’re nothing compared to yours.”
She would laugh and shake her head.
A few days following the end of term, the couple insisted on taking her out for the day after they dropped Nana off in the morning with her friends.
They took the ferry into the city. She didn’t know what they planned but being in their company was always fun.
Until they got out of a cab in front of a salon.
Tugging against their hold, she murmured frantically, “No. Please don’t make me go in there. Please, Riley.”
To her complete mortification, she began to cry on the sidewalk of a busy Manhattan street.
“Elizabeth, honey…”
“Please, Riley.”
They huddled around her and walked a little way past the front doors of the salon both of them used. Donovan frowned in confusion.
Riley hugged her and held her head against his chest. “Ssh, it’s alright.”
“They’ll make me feel bad, Riley. It’s why I ask Nana to cut my hair. Please don’t make me go in there and have to pretend as if it doesn’t hurt my feelings. I’m so tired of doing that.” Her sobs intensified and Donovan removed her from Riley’s arms to take her in his.
“Elizabeth, I would never let someone hurt you. You can trust me to always notice and protect you.” She leaned back to look at him and his smile was sad. “Riley told me about high school and I was furious. I made him cry.”
“He didn’t mean it.”
“No. I know he loves you and you love him. He’s the man he should have been but there is never an excuse to overlook another person’s pain, Elizabeth.” He stroked her hair back from her face. “You’ve gotten so used to being that teenage girl that you didn’t notice that you grew up.”
“I’ll never be beautiful, Donovan.”
“Perhaps not like a magazine model but you are lovely, sweetheart. You have gorgeous hair, flawless skin, and the biggest green eyes I’ve ever seen. Your body is strong and fit and your smile never ceases to make me feel happier just for seeing it.”
Burying her face in her hands, she sobbed even harder and he held her tight.
“No one, especially someone with a heart like yours, should ever doubt how attractive they are, Elizabeth. No one should reach almost twenty-two without ever being told how fantastic you make the people around you feel.”
He rubbed her back as Riley stroked her hair. Eventually, when she began to calm, he pulled her back a bit and wiped her tears.
“I ask you for one day, Elizabeth. One day of your total trust. If you give me that and you hate it, I’ll never ask you to do this again. I promise that no one will hurt you, no one will make you feel bad, and we’ll be with you the whole time.”
“What…do you want to do?”
“I want you to let me have your hair, nails, and toes done. Then I want you to let us take you shopping. Nana won’t be finished with her bridge tournament until much later so we have all day. We’ll go to a late lunch at my favorite little bistro. Say you will, Elizabeth.”
“I don’t wear little sizes…”
“I happen to know your exact sizes and have already scouted the best boutique to take you to. You’re going to love the clothes I put you in.”
He cupped her face in his palms. “Someone as beautiful on the inside deserves to feel just as beautiful on the outside. Let me do that for you.”
Elizabeth swallowed hard and gave a hesitant nod.
His smile was brilliant. “You won’t regret it. Now,” he linked his arm with her and Riley held her other hand, “BiBi is terrific. You’re going to get along great.”
Inside the shop, slow music played with a pounding beat. It smelled so good and there were no other clients that Elizabeth could see. An incredibly tall woman turned behind the front counter and gave them a huge smile.
When Elizabeth was in elementary school, she’d gone to summer camp when Nana asked her to try it. The experience was a total disaster but one thing she remembered fondly was toasting coconut-covered marshmallows.
This woman had skin the same color with pretty freckles in a slightly darker shade scattered over her face. Her eyes were a lovely shade of light brown and her hair matched it in soft waves past her shoulders.
“You must be Elizabeth!” She nodded shyly. “I’m BiBi. Come here, darling. Let me see you.”
Walking around the high counter, she lifted Elizabeth’s hand and patted it. She wore pretty ballet flats, shiny brown pants that hugged her curves, and a bronze top that made her skin and eyes stand out dramatically.
“Mm hmm, I can see exactly what you need.” The stylist trailed her fingertip over Elizabeth’s brow. “You trust me and you’ll be downright giddy when you walk out of here. That, I can promise you.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
A muscular arm wrapped around Elizabeth’s waist and she realized BiBi was several inches taller than her six feet. Within moments, she was settled into a large swivel chair at a marble station and the salon owner stood behind her with her hands on her shoulders. For a long moment, she simply stared into Elizabeth’s eyes.
“I’m taking in your body language and I think someone thinks the mean things she’s heard in her life mi
ght be true. That those silly boys and girls in your past hurt your feelings so many times that you started to believe what they were saying. I’m here to tell you…all that was bullshit.”
Elizabeth’s eyes went wide.
“Hmm, you think I didn’t have haters? You think it didn’t hurt me? I know your pain, Elizabeth. Differently, but I know it.”
Leaning close, she whispered at her ear, “I was born a Benjamin but I always knew I was a BiBi. I understand more than you think and we’re going to get you to a better place because you’re fucking lovely.”
There were tears in Elizabeth’s eyes as she nodded at the woman in the mirror. BiBi smoothed her hair and gave her a wink.
Hand on her hip, the stylist glanced over at Donovan and Riley. “You two stay here and entertain yourselves. I cleared my morning because I’m going to take my time and make sure our girl is happy.”
“We’re in no hurry,” Donovan assured her. Then the two men grinned and sat together on the sofa along one wall to wait.
“Excellent…Miss Elizabeth, let’s get started.”
Over the next hour, her hair was cut and washed. The end result was a relaxed but shaped style that fell to the middle of her back.
“You have thick, healthy hair. Women come in here begging to get this exact shade of mink brown so we are not fucking with the color at all. I’m going to give you ponytail holders that won’t cause breakage. That’s why you get these little flyaways here and here. By angling it in, you narrow your jaw and bring the focus up to your incredible eyes.”
The effect was achieved with a brush and a blow dryer. Even Elizabeth was confident she could probably duplicate it herself.
BiBi took her to the pedicure chair. “You settle in and enjoy a nice soak for your feet. Honey, turn the chair massager on! Donovan said you’ve run the marathon two years in a row. Is that right?” Elizabeth nodded. “I ran it a few years ago and never again. My feet hurt for weeks.”
“I love it. I feel like I’m flying when I run.”
Nodding sagely, the stylist shot back, “I feel like that when I shoe shop.”
It was a unique experience to talk with another female around her age. To connect with someone who thought about things she’d never learned. Nana hadn’t been a girly girl but she’d been born with a petite build and lovely features.
Her son, Elizabeth’s father, looked like his father and she’d inherited their features and height.
BiBi kept up a steady stream of conversation that drew her in and made her smile – something she never thought she’d do in such a place.
When they passed the second hour at the salon, Riley went to get the three of them coffees and brought BiBi her favorite smoothie.
“Damn them…they know how many calories are in this and torture me every time they have an appointment.”
Winking as she sipped, she added, “I gotta keep my girlish figure right and tight.”
As she worked, she explained what she was doing and why. She gave Elizabeth tips to take care of herself at home that were inexpensive and didn’t take much time.
“Your skin is perfect. I cannot use the words moisturizer and sunblock enough. Come see me every couple of months for a trim. Now I’m going to show you makeup…stop that, I’ll make you love it.”
Thirty minutes later, she swiveled the chair dramatically and Elizabeth stared at a face in the mirror that she didn’t recognize.
Standing behind her, BiBi used her fingertips to show what she’d done. “I lightly thinned and shaped your brows. Not too much but they have more definition now. Keeping them shaped makes your eyes pop even more. I didn’t use foundation because you don’t need it. This is a tiny bit of eyeliner, a touch of mascara – which you really don’t need either, a dash of blush on the upper slope of your cheek, and a lipstick in the brown family.”
She blinked rapidly against tears and BiBi smiled. “I used waterproof eye products because I could tell how sweet your heart was the minute you walked in.”
Leaning down, she stared at Elizabeth. “That is who you are. That is the woman you’ve been…probably for years but you couldn’t see her. Now that you know she’s there, you have to let her out.”
“I’ve never been pretty before.” The words were barely audible.
“You’ve always been pretty. Hurtful words clouded what you saw but it doesn’t change that beauty was right there the whole time. All I did was add a bit of color and style your hair.” Squeezing her shoulders, BiBi said gently, “Don’t you give anyone the power to hurt you or make you feel less than you are, Elizabeth…not even yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, honey.” She tugged her up from the chair. “I hear you’re going clothes shopping.”
How much she didn’t want to clothes shop must have been written on her face.
“Remember that you were terrified when you walked through my door. It’s going to be okay.”
“It was so good to meet you, BiBi.”
With the side of her finger under her chin, she tilted Elizabeth’s face up and gave her a light kiss on her lips. “The pleasure was mine. I expect to see one of your new outfits when you come back.”
Riley led – dragged – her out while Donovan paid for everything she’d had done. “But I…”
“No. From now on, you’re going to let us do things for you. After everything you’ve done for me, after the love and acceptance you’ve shown my relationship with Donovan, even how you were with BiBi…you fucking deserve good things.”
He hailed a cab and a few seconds later, the three of them piled in the back with Elizabeth in the middle.
After Donovan gave the address, he turned to Elizabeth.
“Look at you...the real you was right there the whole time.” He reached up and smoothed a lock of her hair. Then he grinned and sang, “Told you sooo.”
They laughed all the way to the boutique across town.
The woman who owned the place introduced herself. “I am Iliana Toriskova but it is big mouthful. You call me Miss T.” She wasn’t very tall and Elizabeth experienced a moment of nervousness.
There was a glint in her eye as Miss T sized her up. “You are zaftig, yes? Clothes in most stores never fit just right, yes? You will love my things. I am the smallest person in my family…the runt? My dear mama was taller than you and my sisters taller still. I make the things pretty for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Let us begin.” Clapping her hands, two young women came from the back of the shop. “These are my nieces, Borja and Tarisse. They will help you.” When Elizabeth hesitated, the small woman frowned. “You will be fearless. As women, we battle daily. This is yet another. Go.”
Taking a deep breath, she followed the two women through a heavy curtain into a large room with a circular bench in the center. There were packed clothing racks lining every available wall.
Elizabeth suspected the girls were fraternal twins and they were lovely. As tall as she was, they were far leaner with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
They fussed over her in tandem, staring at her with deep concentration and speaking to one another in Russian as they held different color swatches near her skin.
Finally, they smiled happily and gestured for her to undress.
She did so with a lump in her throat. Standing in nothing more than her bra and panties, her freshly painted toes curled into the thick carpet.
While they measured her body, she stared at a spot on the far wall. She knew her shoulders were too broad while the rest of her was too narrow. Breasts that were too small for her height were matched only by the fact that she didn’t possess an ass. She didn’t have to wear a bra and often didn’t.
Riley peeked around the curtain and saw her silent distress. “What angel?”
“Can’t you and I just share clothes?”
It wasn’t a joke. For several formal school events, she’d worn one of his suits and they’d gone together. The only th
ing that made people look twice was her hair. His jeans fit her just right.
He grinned as Donovan stepped up beside him.
“You do rock a suit, Elizabeth. I’m not remotely kidding. The night I met you both, I had my eye on your butt before Riley’s.”
She laughed and found it funny that such compliments made her feel warm and happy.
“You need options. Clothes you feel good in; that inspire confidence.”
Riley came further into the room and sat on the bench with Donovan beside him. “I love sharing clothes with you, darling but pairing my jeans with a top that suits your mood would be so nice for you.”
They made themselves comfortable but the women didn’t even glance at them or seem to find their presence odd.
Her best friend winked. “It’s that obvious.”
She smiled. “That’s because you’re both so damn gorgeous.”
“Flatterer.”
Attention fully on Elizabeth again, Borja and Tarisse walked around her, holding clothing against her skin. Some they nodded, some selections received sharp shakes of their blonde heads.
When there was a pile of approved items, they began to dress her. If she tried to help, they patted her hands away.
The first outfit was casual. Khaki capris in a style that flattered her frame. It was paired with a pale green top that flared out slightly from her body, giving her the appearance of hips. They found a lovely pair of leather flip-flops that showed off her new pedicure.
There were several business casual sets that worked with her leanness in positive ways she’d never considered.
Pretty flats and very low heels that would work when she started teaching. Most of their selections were pants but the two dressier skirt sets didn’t make her feel unwieldy.
When they came toward her with a formal gown, her automatic memory was her first dance in sixth grade that still managed to make her sad.
She backed up and bumped into Donovan. He smiled down at her. “Tsk tsk, darling. You need one…or two…lovely dresses in a classic style that you can wear for special occasions. Just like food, you have to try it before you insist you hate it. Be brave, Elizabeth. You have this.” With a wink, he added, “Other times, you slip into a well-tailored suit. Yes?”
Completely Wrecked: A Dramatic Romance Page 5
