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Chapter Eleven
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“You look so pretty.” My mom smiles as I enter the kitchen. “I have to hand it to Lucy. That girl really does have a knack for style. Look at you.” She gives me a full sweep with her eyes.
“Mom.” I look down at the deep blue dress that would be touching the ground if not for the silver heels my mom loaned me for the night.
“I have to say, I’m surprised you agreed to this.” She gives me a knowing look.
My mom knows that I’m harboring a slightly obsessive crush on my best friend’s boyfriend. And despite all the ways she’s tried to help me cope with my feelings, I haven’t listened to a single one. I don’t know if it’s because I’m convinced they won’t help or if it’s because I’m afraid they will. The truth is, I don’t want to bury what I feel for Alec. What I want is to tell him how I feel. And since I know I can’t do that, I’ll continue to suffer in silence.
“You know Lulu. She doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.” I purposely leave Alec’s hand in me going completely out of it.
“I know.” She lifts her cup of hot tea to her lips and takes a tentative drink. “I’m just worried that maybe you didn’t think this all the way through.”
“If you’re referring to Alec, it’s fine. It will be fine. He’s Lulu’s boyfriend. That’s not going to change. I need to get used to seeing them together.”
“Maybe you should just be honest with her,” she offers.
“Yeah.” I snort. “Because you know how well that would go over.”
“Hope, Lucy has been your best friend for years. If you can’t talk to her, who can you talk to?”
“You,” I counter.
“I love that you feel like you can come to me. And I’ll always be here if you need to talk, you know that. But there are some things that onlyyoucan resolve by talking to the people involved.”
“You and I both know that talking to Lulu is not going to solve anything. Alec is her boyfriend. It is what it is.”
She gives me a look that tells me she wants to say more but is deciding to hold her tongue.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I think the boys are going to be fawning all over you tonight. I mean it, Hope. You look so beautiful.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I offer her a smile, my heart leaping into my throat at the sound of the doorbell ringing. “Well, that’s my ride.” I slide my cell phone into my small wristlet purse.
“Not so fast.” She stops me before I’ve had a chance to take one step. “You’ve lost your mind if you think you’re going to leave without me getting some pictures of you girls.”
“Mom,” I groan.
“It’s my motherly duty.” She snags her phone off the kitchen island before following me toward the front of the house.
I hesitate at the front door, wondering if it’s too late to change my mind. I could run upstairs, have my mom answer the door and tell them I came down with the flu or something.
Then again, I know Lu and there’s no way she wouldn’t come in to check on me. And by check on me, I mean verify that my story is legit. Even if I had time to take the dress off and change, there’s no way I could get all the bobby pins out of my hair or the makeup off my face in time. Especially since my mother insisted on having me wear her lipstick that’s impossible to get off without special remover. I think it might be a hard sell that I’m sick when my lips are painted deep plum.
Taking a breath, I tug open the door to find Alec standing on the other side, looking dapper in his black suit and red tie. I’m rendered momentarily speechless.
“Wow.” I see his lips move but it takes several seconds for the sound to reach my ears. Something in his expression causes my heart to do a little flutter in my chest.
“Hi,” I manage to croak out, looking past him right in time to see Lulu coming up the front steps. Her knee length strapless dress is the exact same shade as Alec’s tie. Of course they coordinated. I should have expected nothing less of Lucy Brown.
She looks stunning, not that she doesn’t always. But she looks even more so tonight. Her lips are painted bright red to match her dress, which clings to her slender upper body before it flairs at the waist. She has her blonde hair tied up in a formal updo, much like mine. Only where mine has little pieces purposely left out and curled, hers is completely up, giving her a sophisticated look.
“Oh my god, Hope. Look at you!” She steps around Alec and wraps me in a brief hug. “I knew that dress would look incredible on you,” she tells me, taking a full step back. “Wendy, you did an amazing job on her hair and makeup.” Her gaze swings to my mom who’s standing in the doorway behind me.
“It pays to have a mom as a hairdresser.”
“Speaking of which.” My mom steps out onto the porch next to me. “I was a little offended that you didn’t come see me yourself,” she tells Lulu.
