AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Remi tried to do as her sister said, but she was uncomfortable, and the curling iron was giving off a lot of heat. It made her want to squirm. “Sorry.”
Once she gave Brooke the go-ahead to do her stupid makeover, the rest of the day went by in a whirlwind. They went shopping for a dress and tried on everything in about twenty stores. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but still. It felt like that. Remi didn’t like any of them but finally gave in to Brooke and bought a red silky one with heels that matched, mostly because it was getting late in the afternoon and Brooke was getting pushy.
Then it was the makeup and hair. Sheesh, how long can a person sit while someone fusses over their skin and hair? She just hoped that Brooke had obeyed her instructions. She wanted a very light makeup look. She wanted it to look natural.
Brooke opened the curling iron and let the last curl fall to Remi’s shoulder. “There. Hold still.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said, a bit annoyed at all the bossiness.
Brooke grabbed the hairspray and proceeded to make sure nothing within a ten-mile radius wouldn’t move for the next three hours. Remi waved away the cloud of chemicals now choking her. “Are we done?”
“Yes. Stand up.”
Remi did as she was told. Brooke led her over to the floor-length mirror on the wall. She tried not to trip as her heels wobbled. When she looked up, she had to hold in a gasp. She turned her head slowly to the side. Brooke had done a great job with her hair and had even obeyed her instructions to give her a natural look. It made her skin glow, and you really couldn’t tell she was wearing makeup. It wasn’t like she imagined at all, plastic and fake. She actually looked nice. “Wow.”
“See? I told you.” Brooke nudged her. “You’re beautiful.”
She frowned. “You think I need makeup to be beautiful?”
Brooke grabbed her shoulders and turned her. “No. Not at all. You have a natural beauty. You just hide it behind baggy clothes, ponytails, and low self-esteem.”
“I’m not hiding, I’m…” Her voice trailed off as she stared at her reflection. She always thought that Brooke got all the beauty genes, and she got…well, nothing. She was short and clumsy, and everything Brooke was not. But looking at herself right now, she didn’t see the dumpy-looking girl she always thought she was.
Maybe Brooke was right. Maybe shewashiding. Hiding because she didn’t think she could be elegant like her sister. Hiding because facing the fact that she was undesirable was too much to bear.
Was that why she agreed to marry Tavon? The thought made her balk. Was she so sure no man would want her that she had said yes to marrying Tavon just because he asked? Her throat grew dry.
“Look at you,” Brooke said, turning her to the mirror. “You don’t need makeup, or a man, or anything else. What you need is confidence. Stand tall. You are amazing just the way you are.”
Remi couldn’t believe it. She was standing next to her sister and, for the first time in her life, she didn’t feel like the one who lost out. She straightened her back. “You think I have a chance with Colton?”
She scoffed. “Of course. Colton is really into you. I can tell. Why else would he have ditched the hot superstar girl to hang out with you? You just need the courage to tell him how you feel.”
“Really?” Remi turned to her sister. “You’re not just saying that?”
Brooke squeezed her shoulder. “I wouldn’t lie to you. Besides, you have to tell him tonight. We fly home in the morning.”
Nerves shot through Remi. “Yeah. I know.”
Brooke gave her a small shove. “Now, go to the dance. It’s already started. I’m meeting Mark in twenty minutes, and I need to get ready.”
Remi brushed her hair over her shoulder and took in a deep breath. “All right. Here I go.”
“Good luck!”
She nodded and headed out the door, crossing the courtyard and entering the building that housed the large ballroom where the dance was held. The music could be heard in the hallway as she approached the doors. She swallowed her nerves and entered.
Twinkle lights were hung across the ceiling, creating a shimmering effect on the fabric that hung down. People dressed in their finest milled about, some dancing and some talking. She scanned the room looking for Colton and spotted him by the wall near the small stage where the band played. He wore a tuxedo and looked like he’d walked off a movie set.
She circled around the dance floor making sure she didn’t trip and fall on her face. She wanted tonight to be memorable, but not in that way.
As she approached, Colton turned to her. His eyes widened and his gaze traveled over her. “Wow.”
The way he said it sent a shiver of pleasure through her. But it also made her self-conscious. “Brooke made me buy a dress.”
He nodded. “I can see that.”
She shifted under his scrutiny. “How was your day?”
