Page 77 of Finding My Charming

She had addressed me by name, so she knew who she was talking to, but I had no idea where she was headed with this conversation. I considered hanging up and going back to bed, but once Grandma had an idea in that crazy brain of hers, nothing could stop her.

“I just barely woke up. Someone turned off my alarms.”

She made a disapproving noise. “Your mom was supposed to tell you I’d be over at nine to pick you up.”

“Why?” I hadn’t meant to sound like a brat, but I could count on two fingers — maybe even one — the number of times she’d come over with the intention of spending time with only me.

“She told me you had the day off, and you might have forgotten, but you will be a college student in just a few weeks, and your mother mentioned your new interest in clothes.”

She gave me less than a second to respond.

“Hmm? It really is time to update your wardrobe. This is the perfect opportunity to freshen up one’s style.”

She wanted to take me shopping? Of the millions of things I could think of happening today, this was not even close to being something I’d guess. Never.

“I have been working on my clothes. I went shopping the weekend before last.”

She made yet another noise. “Yes, April told me, and it’s a great starting point, but you’ll need more. Now get up and be ready by nine. Bye now.”

I fell back into my pillows and groaned. One day off. I finally had one day off, and Grandma had managed to commandeer it. Just perfect.

Bye, lake. Bye, tan. Bye, Ari. Would have been nice to see any of you.

I checked the time and jumped to my feet in one movement. I had twenty minutes before the drill sergeant got here, and she did not tolerate sweats or a makeup-free face.

Luckily, it looked like I was the only person home, so I had the bathroom to myself without having to worry about April pounding on the door, or even worse, watching over my shoulder, correcting every attempt I made to apply eyeshadow.

Who cares if I’m not blending right? I would learn on my own eventually. I didn’t need — or want — my little sister giving me pointers, even if she was the master of the subject.

With lightning speed, I showered, brushed my hair so it would dry naturally straight, and applied minimal mascara and blush before running back into my room to throw on the nearest pair of skinny jeans and a cute top I’d borrowed from Ari and never remembered to return. Convenient.

I picked up my phone and purse and was rushing down the stairs when a single knock sounded on the door. Before I could open it, Grandma let herself in, calling my name. I was literally three feet from her.

“Oh! Hi, honey. I didn’t see you there.”

Good to know that not only am I the family disappointment, but I’m also the invisible one. Maybe I do have magical powers after all.

“Hi, Grandma.” I tried to say it with enthusiasm, I really did, but it came out sounding pained.

“Are you ready?” This would have been a perfectly normal question had she not been eyeing me up and down with a slight frown.

“Yup.” I said it tightly while staring at the ceiling, silently asking what I’d ever done to deserve this.

Yet another disapproving noise from dear Grandmamma. “Well then. Let’s go. We have much to do.” She turned and walked with an elegance I could never duplicate to her car parked in the driveway.

One day. I could survive this. My parents knew where I was and who I was with, so if she tried any funny business, people would eventually come looking for me.

Deep down, I figured she wasn’t that bad, but how could I really know? She’d never wanted to spend time with me before, and now it was under suspicious circumstances. If I had to make a bet, I would say April had put her up to this. I wondered then what she could be getting out of it.

My mind wandered with the possibilities, and when I finally came back to reality, we were parking in front of the mall. We’d gone the entire drive without a single word to each other. This day was going to be awesome.

At least she seemed to be true to her word. Too many witnesses here for her to do anything sketchy.

I followed her out of the car and into the very first department store we came to. My parents and I hadn’t discussed what I would be paying for since I wasn’t making money working, but Dad had been giving me some cash here and there. I felt a little awkward at the thought of breaking that to Grandma. She silently led me upstairs to the home department of the store. She acted like a woman on a mission, and the people around us took notice. If anyone got caught in her path, they quickly dashed out of her way. It was amusing for a few moments before it started feeling uncomfortable. Several of the store associates were watching her with mixed expressions of dread and anxiety.

She came to a stop in front of a woman about her age who was wearing a name tag that said Martha. Grandma greeted her by name with a tight smile.

Martha looked between me and Grandma and gave us both a warm smile. “Hello, Mrs. Glover. It’s a pleasure to see you again. Is this the granddaughter you spoke of?”