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Rayne nodded. “Of course when we first met, she was still Ben. And averydifferent person. But once she made the decision to listen to what her heart and body told her, she was so much happier.” She smiled. “I liked her before, but after….” She sighed. “We were close.”
Dan leaned forward, his hands clasped. “Just not as close as you would have liked.”
Rayne’s cheeks flushed, and her eyes widened. “How did you…?”
Dan gave a modest shrug. “Let’s just say I’m good at picking up on things.”
“I’d hazard a guess that might be the understatement of the year.” Rayne cleared her throat. “Well, seeing as you already know that part… it was nothing heavy.” She gave a half smile. “I asked, she said no, and we left it at that. I hoped I hadn’t ruined what we shared, and thankfully we stayed friends for years after college. We’d meet for coffee, catch up, go see a movie, stuff like that.” Another smile, only this one was more relaxed. “We shared a common interest, and that formed the basis of our relationship.”
“That would have been art, considering your job and hers,” Dan proffered.
She nodded. “Art was our life, so we always had plenty to talk about.” Rayne tilted her head to one side. “You know what I loved most about Cheryl? You always knew where you were with her. No subterfuge, no hidden agendas…. If she had an opinion, she shared it.” She bit her lip. “At least, she did.”
“What changed?”
Rayne stared at the tabletop. “She’d have been twenty-five, I think, when I first got the feeling she was holding out on me. It was a few months after that scumbag assaulted her.” She grimaced. “I’d never seen her in such a mess. Come to think of it, that was the longest we ever went without meeting up. It must have been about five months before I saw her again. And what a transformation.”
“What do you mean?”
Gary was curious too.
“She turned up at our usual coffee shop, and… wow.” Rayne’s cheeks pinked. “She’d had a boob job, and she looked amazing. But it wasn’t just the boost it gave to her confidence. It was more than that.”
“Did she ever talk about her personal life?” Gary inquired.
“Nope. It was always her latest portrait, how her dad was doing, her work at the museum. But that light in her eyes, the spring in her step. She couldn’t fool me.” Rayne smiled. “She’d met someone. It was written all over her.”
Saturday, November 25, 1989
RAYNE WAScertain she was doing a great impression of the Cheshire Cat fromAlice in Wonderland: she hadn’t stopped smiling since Cheryl walked into the coffee shop and joined her at her table.
“Sweetheart, you look like a million dollars.”
Cheryl’s face flushed. “I do not.” She removed her heavy coat and soft-looking scarf and placed them carefully over the back of the chair before pulling it out to sit facing Rayne. “Oh, thanks. You already ordered for me.”
Then Rayne got a better look at her, anddamn, her face felt as if it were on fire.
“You’ve had a little work done since I last saw you.” Cheryl’s usual attire of high-necked blouse or top was no longer in evidence, and in its place was a low V-necked sweater that revealed new curves, not to mention a stunning cleavage.
Cheryl’s eyes sparkled. “I’m still getting used to it. Sometimes I catch sight of my reflection in a store window and I don’t recognize myself.” She peered at Rayne through long lashes. “Do they look okay?”
Rayne snorted. “Youarekidding, right? Honey, they look fabulous.”
Cheryl’s cheeks went from pink to red.
They chatted about their work and the portrait Cheryl was working on. Cheryl shared photos of it, and as usual Rayne was in awe of her talent. What was different, however, was Cheryl. It wasn’t just the implants or the glow about her.
She was practically buzzing.
Rayne leaned forward, lowering her voice. “So what gives?”
Cheryl blinked. “Excuse me?”
Rayne smiled. “You can’t fool me, sugar. It’s written all over you.”
“What is?”
She laughed. “Oh my God, Cheryl, never decide to start playing poker.”
