“Belt?” Cece cringed. “Not sure if you’ve noticed, but I don’t have your flat stomach or your tiny waist.”
“This scarf is plenty long enough, and I don’t have a flat stomach either, I just dress like I do.”
“And apparently practice witchcraft.” Cece eyed Blaise’s midsection. It looked pretty darn flat to her.
Blaise chuckled. “O ye of little faith.” She had the scarf reduced to a thin tube and started working it through Cece’s belt loops, then she tied it in a jaunty knot. Once that was done, Blaise produced more things from her tote: yellow, blue, and green hoop enamel earrings, three slim bracelets enameled in the same colors, and a woven straw clutch trimmed in blue leather.
She handed over the earrings and the bracelets. “Pop these on.”
Cece did as she was told, and held out her arms. “What do you think? Am I presentable?”
Blaise gave her a quick once-over, her gaze oddly lingering on Cece’s forehead. “Pretty close.”
“You want to do something with my hair, don’t you?”
“And your eyebrows. Are you game?”
“I’ve come this far.”
Blaise grinned. “I’m going to need tweezers.”
Ten minutes later, Cece’s brows had been plucked and filled in with a little bit of eyeshadow she’d forgotten she owned, and she was now wearing a thin yellow headband. At least she could feel the headband. She’d yet to see it.
Blaise had also applied mascara, a little eyeliner, some blush, and lipstick, all from Cece’s virtually untouched makeup collection, but Blaisehadn’tlet her look in the mirror yet.
Blaise stepped back. “Okay. Go look.”
Cece ignored the bathroom mirror and went straight to the full-length one on her closet door. She faced herself. Her mouth came open. “I look…cute.” And somehow, a little younger.
Blaise nodded. “You look very cute. And bowling appropriate.”
Cece checked herself out from a few different angles. Blaise was a miracle worker. “I look too good for bowling. But we are having dinner, too. Also at the bowling alley, but still.” She leaned closer to the mirror. “I think the last time my brows were this presentable was at my daughter’s wedding.”
She glanced at Blaise. “Can you teach me to do whatever you did to them myself?”
“Sure.” Blaise nodded. “It’s really easy.”
“Maybe for you. This is great. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Go have fun. You can return the stuff tomorrow. And don’t forget the clutch on the bed.”
“I won’t. Thank you again.” Jonas probably didn’t deserve this much effort, but looking like this, she had a good chance of wiping out her terrible first impression.
After Blaise left, Cece put her things in Blaise’s clutch, which was from a brand called Tory Burch, took one more look in the mirror, and headed out to meet Jonas.
But not before she took a selfie. She didn’t send it to anyone, because she’d then have to explain why she looked like this, but she wanted proof of it all the same.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Blaise’s amusement over Cece’s easy transformation was not going away anytime soon. It had been fun to do and Cece’s reaction was the cherry on top.
Blaise went back to her house, put away the things Cece hadn’t borrowed, then changed into beach-walking clothes: cropped leggings, a long-sleeve T-shirt, her cap, sunglasses, and sneakers. It was time to get Beau out for some real exercise.
It would be good for both of them, especially after that indulgent coconut cake she’d had at Brick’s. She wondered if he’d seen the announcement in this morning’s newsletter about the upcoming bake-off.
That cake felt like a surefire winner. Maybe she’d mention it to him when she saw him next, although she could already predict it wouldn’t be something he’d be interested in. Then again, maybe he’d surprise her.
She doubted it.
