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Mara didn't return a sympathetic glance. She wasn't sure she approved of twelve-year-olds in lingerie chic, but she was from Sturbridge, so what did she know. She had already spotted girls Zoes age wearing Porn Star T-shirts on the beach.
Jacqui walked out of her dressing room in a mini Polo shirt and the briefest striped denim shorts. "What do you guys think?"
"That is to die!" Eliza screeched. "Those look insane on you. Jac, don't you think Mara should try this on?" Eliza asked, holding up the dress.
"Is perfeito. You must. We insist," Jacqui agreed. The two of them pushed Mara into a dressing room.
"Oh, all right, but just for fun," Mara said. Jeez, it was so tight, how did anyone get their hips into this thing? She zipped
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it up in the back and looked behind her at the mirror. It barely covered her butt! So that was what the matching underwear was for.
"Hey, guys, what do you think?" she asked, stepping gingerly out of the dressing room.
"Muito bonito, " Jacqui pronounced.
"What did I tell you?" Eliza asked. "But you need shoes. Sorry, but those Reeboks aren't going to cut it and don't you dare think you can wear your cowbo
y boots with that."
Jacqui nodded and picked out a pair of matching red plastic Sigerson Morrison high-heeled flip-flops. "Here, put these on," she said, slipping them on Mara's feet.
The extra height lengthened Mara's legs, which were getting good and brown from their daily excursions to Georgica Beach. "Perfect!" Eliza crowed. "Except for the hair. Have you always worn it that way?"
"Why? Is there something wrong with it?"
Eliza tut-tutted. "We're going to have to let Pierre have a hand in it." She punched some numbers on a cell phone. "Pierre? It's Eliza. Do you think you could come and visit me later? I've got a friend who really needs your help."
"Jim would never let me wear this in public," Mara said, scrutinizing herself in the mirror.
"Who's Jim?"
"My boyfriend," Mara reminded them. The two of them seemed to have some kind of amnesia whenever Mara told them
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anything about her life back home. "He's kind of pissed at me already for leaving him this summer."
"Right. Mr. Numero Uno," Eliza teased. "Why? Can't he visit? Aren't you from Boston? That's only four hours away."
"Sturbridge. And yeah, it's not that far, but Jim's kind of a homebody."
"God. What a baby," Eliza said. "If I were him, I'd want to keep an eye on you!"
"And who cares about Jim? Esquece ele. That's going to blow Ryan's mind!" Jacqui said.
"What do you mean?" Mara squeaked.
"Don't tell us you don't notice the way he looks at you. And he's supernice to you all the time." Eliza smirked. Shopping always made Eliza more magnanimous.
"He's nice to all of us," Mara said stubbornly.
"Have it your way." Eliza shrugged.
By habit Jacqui began putting away the sweaters they had disturbed. She was enjoying herself as she folded the cardigans into perfect squares. But as she laid them on the shelf, she looked out the window and almost dropped the whole load. Outside was Luca! Her heart started to beat. They almost never saw each other during the day anymore. He always had some sort of excuse--he had to go back to the city for a family event or he had to go on a fishing trip with his dad.
"Luca! Luca! Um momento! she said excitedly, heading for the door, still wearing all of the store's clothes. She scrambled out to
