by Jamie Canosa
“Morning.”
“Oh . . . Good morning, honey. I . . . um . . . oh . . .” Mrs. Parks was bustling around the kitchen with her own cup of coffee, which she set on the counter to open a cabinet and proceeded to stare at with her hands on her hips only to spin around in search of her coffee again, which was now on the counter behind her.
If I’d had a couple more gallons of caffeine pumping through my system, it might have occurred to me to help her. But as it was, I looked on in amused fascination. I’d never seen her look so . . . flustered.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Of course. Why?” I could have sworn she sounded . . . nervous?
“No reason.” Easing behind her, I picked up her mug and held it out to her.
She sighed when she saw it. “Thank you.” A wry smile hinted on her lips. “I’m a bit of a mess this morning, aren’t I?”
I shrugged. “You haven’t finished your coffee yet.”
It was a good enough excuse for me.
“No, I suppose I haven’t. But I . . . To tell you the truth, I’m a little nervous about tonight. And a little excited.” The smile that had been playing on her face turned conspiratory and spread wide. “I haven’t been on a date in a long time.”
“You have a date?” I grabbed the pot and dumped it into an oversized mug. I was going to need fuel for this.
“Not so much a date,” she hedged, “as a work function. With a colleague—who happens to be a man. A very attractive man. That involves dinner and dressing up.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“Good. Because you’re coming, too.”
What? “What?”
“You and Caulder, both. I have two extra tickets. It’s a charity gala for the hospital. They do it every year and it’s always quite the event.”
More caffeine. Drink faster. Scalding my tongue and throat on a large gulp, I stuttered through a mildly coherent response. “I . . . I don’t think I—”
“Please, Jade? I have absolutely nothing to wear and I need your help. We can go shopping together this afternoon. A girl’s day. Just you and me.”
“Whatever it is she wants from you, I suggest you just agree and get it over with.” Caulder breezed into the room, freshly showered and smelling like heaven. “She’s the most persistent human being on the face of the planet.”
“Really? I thought that was you.”
He grinned as he leaned around me to grab the coffee pot that was running dangerously low. “Where do you think I get it from? It’s really not worth arguing with her. Or me.”
Didn’t I know it.
Sighing, I shook my head and watched Caulder scowl as the last few drops of coffee plunked into his half full cup. “Alright.”
***
I stared at my reflection in the mirror and couldn’t help but laugh. The floor length fiery red gown covered in sequins with the thigh high slit was incredible, but it was definitely not me.
“Maybe not that one.” Mrs. Parks grinned at my reflection over my shoulder. “Can you bring us the blue one, please?”
A team of employees had been at our beck and call since we walked through the front door, providing everything from refreshments to pantyhose at the snap of a finger. I felt like I’d fallen into a movie. Pretty Woman maybe.
A tall, slim blonde appeared with a stunning sapphire blue dress draped over her arms and Mrs. Parks squeezed my shoulder in excitement. “Isn’t this fun? Don’t tell Cal, but you have no idea how badly I’ve always wanted a daughter to do these types of things with.”
It was an offhand statement that lodged in my mind like the lump deep in my throat. Prancing around dressing rooms, playing dress-up was never the type of thing I thought I’d enjoy, but seeing the first real spark of life in her eyes in months . . . I would have done it all day long.
The blue gown slipped over my head and fell smoothly in waves of silk to my ankles. The bottom layer was embellished with black roses. On top of that were two layers of shimmering blue silk that wrapped around from the back and met at my waist in the front. The halter design added an elegant touch. As did the rhinestones embedded in the halter strap wrapping around my neck and cutting a wide swath along the waist line. It was in one word: Perfect.
“Oh, Jade.” Mrs. Parks hand covered her mouth, but I could see the smile in her eyes. “You look stunning. This one. Definitely, this one. Do you agree?”
I wouldn’t have disagreed if she’d picked me a sack to wear, but the girlie part of me that had never once indulged in owning a fancy gown—not for prom, or a sweet sixteen, or any other occasion—wanted that dress more than anything in the world.
“Yes. Definitely.”
She had the gown packaged along with the classic LBD she’d chosen, and I refused to even consider what it meant that neither of them even had a price tag.
From there she dragged me to a spa across town. A spa. I couldn’t believe it.
Hot water sluiced over my forehead and down my neck. Strong fingers massaged my scalp, nails scraping along the sensitive skin and I groaned in pleasure. I’d never been to a salon like this before. I’d had my hair trimmed at the Quick Cuts at the mall a time or two, but nothing like this.
Scented candles burned throughout the parlor, filling the space with aromas of jasmine and sandalwood. Some kind of new age relaxation music filtered softly through speakers hidden amongst the endless plant life, making me feel like we were in the middle of the jungle rather than the middle of a high-end strip mall.
Beside me, Mrs. Parks laughed at a story her stylist was telling her and I shut my eyes. This moment felt too good to be true and I just wanted to hang on to it.
Another burst of hot water and the magical fingers were gone, replaced by a soft, fluffy towel being wrapped around my hair and squeezed.
“This way.”
Following behind the tall, slender woman with the fancy up-do that looked more like it belonged on a runway somewhere than hidden behind a black apron, I dropped into a leather spinning chair. Through the reflection in the mirror in front of me, I watched Mrs. Parks have her hair wrapped, chatting with the woman who did it. Beneath the lighted mirror, I noted the ten thousand different tools of the trade spread out on a long counter. Evidently, hair care took a lot more than a bottle of cheap shampoo and a brush.
“You really should trim your hair more often.” The stylist—Tina, according to the name tag pinned to her apron—ran her fingers through my hair, pausing to examine the ends. “We’re going to have to cut off several inches to remove all these split ends.”
I knew my hair was a limp, scraggly mess. A disgrace to a place like this. It was humiliating to have her examining it so closely, but it was the last she said on the matter. After agreeing to let her do whatever she felt was best, I let the stylist do her thing. Honestly, I didn’t care what she did. I’d always hated my hair and she was a professional. It wasn’t like she could possibly make it any worse.
Mrs. Parks settled into the seat beside me and I watched as her hair was cut and curled, not wanting to see my own until it was finished.
The entire spa was cordoned off into sections. Before entering the hair salon, we’d been directed to the nail station where I’d had acrylic nails applied, polished, and painted. They were gorgeous. A deep blue to match the dress with a single black rose on the ring finger of my left hand. But I was quickly coming to realize the price of such beauty. They got in the way. Of everything. I’d jammed them—which hurt more than I’d imagined—no less than twenty times in the last half hour. To avoid destroying them, I was going to have to relearn how to do everything from opening a door to holding a pen.
A tug on my hair hard enough to jerk my head snapped me back to the present. My eyes lifted to the mirror and my mouth fell open. She wasn’t a stylist, she was a magician. The drab, mousey brown color I despised had a gleam to it that brought out the lowlights underneath. And the wild frizz that made me look like I shoved a fork in a socket ten months out
of the year had been tamed.
Tina used a long brush to pull all of my hair away from my head, and some kind of fancy clip to roll it back in again. A French twist. I’d seen them in magazines before on celebrities, but I’d never imagined I could look like one of them.
“Wow.”
“You like it?” Tina’s reflection grinned at me.
“It’s amazing. Thank you.” I twisted my chair to face Mrs. Parks. “What do you think?”
“You look beautiful.” Her approval alone made me giddy. “I’m almost done here and then we’ll head home. It’s almost time to start getting ready.”
Ready. For the gala. Where there would be lots of people. Including Caulder.
Doing all of this with Mrs. Parks as some kind of silly girlie activity was one thing, but putting myself on display in front of all those people . . . My new nails started tapping on the arm of my chair with a satisfying series of clicks that my nubby fingers had never made.
***
It turned out Mrs. Parks had a little magic of her own. She wielded a mascara wand—and a whole ton of other supplies—like a pro. All of which were scattered across the vanity in her bedroom where I sat examining my reflection for the billionth time that day.
My skin looked like porcelain. And my eyes . . . Thick black lashes and smoky eye shadow brought out the blue in my eyes, making them look wider, deeper, brighter. My lips were painted a pale pink and silver chandelier earrings dangled from my ears.
“You ready?” Mrs. Parks stood in the doorway, looking like someone half her age, only more sophisticated. Soft blonde curls were pinned back, falling in waves over her bare shoulders. The sleeveless little black dress was fantastic paired impeccably with silver peep-toe pumps.
For all intents and purposes I looked ready. The dress, the hair, the makeup, the jewelry. But I didn’t feel ready.
“Okay.” It wasn’t like I had a choice. After all the time and money she’d spent on me, I couldn’t exactly hide out in her bedroom all evening.
I must have seen one too many movies because when I reached the top of the staircase, I fully expected to find Caulder waiting for me at the bottom. He wasn’t. He was in the living room, still wrestling one black dress shoe onto his foot, but that didn’t make him look any less amazing. In a classic black tux, fitted to showcase his wide shoulders and broad chest he looked good enough to eat. A thought that had me biting my lip before I could remind myself not to.
When he noticed me standing there, he froze. And stared. It was a bit nerve-wracking, actually. He didn’t say a word. He just stared at me.
“Isn’t she perfect?” Mrs. Parks gave him a nudge, breaking the spell, and brushed a stray hair from his sleeve.
The heat in Caulder’s eyes nearly melted me on the spot. “Almost.”
Almost? What did I do wrong? Was my makeup smeared? I’d been making a conscious effort not to touch my face. Was it my hair? Was it starting to frizz again?
“One final touch.” Caulder slowly lowered my hand from where I’d been patting at my head and linked his fingers through mine. His free hand came up to about eye level and a flash of silver dropped.
I felt my eyes begin to water and blinked furiously not to ruin all of Mrs. Parks’ hard work. Dangling from his fingers was my angel pendant on a new silver chain.
“Where did you . . .?”
“Under my bed. Turn around.”
He released my hand and I felt the familiar weight rest against my chest. Sure fingers drifted over my bare shoulders and down my arms.
“There.” His whispered breath stirred the hairs around my ears. “Perfect.”
Now. Now I was ready.
Twenty
Two enormous chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting the room in a pale blue glow that went along with the evening’s theme, Winter Wonderland. A four sided bar consisting of frosted glass counters stood at the center of the room. The round tables lining the walls were covered in white cloths that sparkled with silver glitter. Several white leather benches and seats were clustered together at the end of the dance floor, a long, polished stretch of wood with white and blue spotlights roving across it.
I didn’t go to my prom. Without Kiernan, I didn’t see a reason to. But this was very close to what I imagined it would have been like, only better because the only person I recognized in the entire place was Caulder. And he was right by my side.
Music pumped through the room. Not the pop tunes you’d hear at a high school dance, but something more classical. Instruments. I wasn’t a string aficionado, but even I could recognize a violin when I heard one. Up on a balcony overlooking the room was a small orchestra.
People stood clustered around the bar. Some sat at tables, or chatted in the secluded seating areas, or picked from the buffet at the far end of the room. All of them looked incredible. Long flowing gowns, fitted three-piece suits. Fancy. Sophisticated.
“Caulder Parks, isn’t it?” An older gentleman with pure white hair and a cold smile, dressed sharply in a tailored suit extended a hand to Cal, which he graciously accepted. “You’re Claire’s son, aren’t you? The one studying medicine?”
The only one studying anything anymore, I thought to myself in a fleeting moment of misery. A thought I knew I shared with Caulder the moment a dark shadow clouded his eyes. I nudged his foot with mine and watched the darkness recede.
“Yes. I’m sorry. Yes, I’m Caulder Parks. It’s nice to formally meet you, Doctor Roberts. My mother’s told me a lot about you.”
“All good things I hope.”
“Of course.” Caulder’s arm went around my waist—the whites of his teeth shining against the darkened backdrop of his neatly trimmed facial hair I loved so much—and gave me a warm squeeze, “I’d like you to meet Jade Carlson.”
“A pleasure, my dear.” Doctor Roberts extended me the same hand.
It was strange. I don’t think I’d ever shaken someone’s hand before. So very formal and proper. It almost felt silly. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
For the next few hours we mingled, making introductions and shaking the hands of finely dressed men and women. I was beginning to get the impression that medicine was a lot like politics—it involved a lot of butt-kissing, something Caulder didn’t seem particularly fond of.
While I’d overheard an astonishing number of ‘yes, sir’s and ‘no, sir’s—or ma’am in a disproportionately low number of cases—being tossed around, Caulder actually engaged in debate. He challenged their opinions and ideas with his own. A few seemed put out by his enthusiasm, but most appeared to be impressed. He wasn’t even in medical school yet, and Caulder was already making a name for himself. He may not have been sure if medicine was where he belonged, but I was.
Through it all, I did my best to smile and nod, careful to keep my mouth shut and eyes averted. If there was one thing I knew, it was how to avoid attention. I’d practically mastered the art . . . except, I had the star of the show at my side. As privileged as I felt to be in his presence, he was a little too much like a spotlight, casting me too brightly in his glow.
“Caulder.” A gorgeous blonde in a spectacular red dress cut low enough in the front to show she had confidence in her figure—as she should have—approached us, followed by a dark haired girl in a black halter top gown. “Long time.”
“Beth?” Caulder did a double take. “Hey. I didn’t know your family was involved with the hospital.”
“My mother. It’s one of her pet projects. She’s a generous donor to all sorts of things. I swear, every weekend if it’s not a banquet, it’s a ball.”
Beth only had eyes for Cal, but her friend was busy sizing me up. I got the impression she wasn’t impressed with what she saw.
“So, how have you been? I haven’t seen you around campus lately.” Beth tipped her head and batted those mile long lashes like a pro. She really was stunning.
“I’m . . .”He hesitated only a fraction of a second. Unnoticeable. To anyone but me. “Good. Thanks. I’
m taking some time off. Marjorie.”
Cal nodded to Beth’s friend and her scowl flipped into a mock grin. “Caulder. How nice to see you again.”
“How’s Tom?”
I felt completely lost. Adrift at sea, floating around the edges of their conversation with no navigation. With effort, I managed to keep my fingers from my mouth, but I did tug at the string of the purse I’d borrowed from Mrs. Parks.
“Who cares?” Marjorie huffed.
“They broke up last month.” Beth shrugged and offered her friend a sympathetic smile.
“What about you, Caulder? What have you been up to?” Marjorie’s eyes flicked to me again and I felt a knot beginning to form in my stomach. “Doing some babysitting tonight?”
His back stiffened and he drew me closer, forcing me into a conversation I had every intention of running from. The heat was practically melting the skin from my cheeks.
“I’m sorry. Beth, Marjorie,” he clipped her name, leaving no doubt that he wasn’t pleased with her, “this is Jade. My date for this evening.”
“Huh.” Marjorie’s vindictive gaze blatantly scanned me from head to toe and all I wanted to do was duck behind Cal and dig a hole to somewhere in China.
Whether he picked up on that or simply had excellent timing, I didn’t know. But when he took my hand and started to lead me away, I didn’t care. “If you’ll excuse us. We’re going to get something to eat.”
We were clear across the banquet hall, near the buffet tables, before I slid my hand free. My stomach felt like a pretzel, it was twisted into so many knots. The last thing I wanted to do was put food in it.
“I’m going to go to the ladies room.”
Caulder’s eyes narrowed on my face and his lips thinned. “Marjorie’s a bitch, Jade. She’s always been a bitch. You can’t listen to anything she says.”
“I’m fine, Cal.” Lying queen of the liars. “I just need to freshen up. I’ll be right back.”
