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Natalie nodded slowly, then dropped her gaze to my hair again.
Dr. Donaldson was always professional. Above and beyond the normal requirements. In fact, maybe I should have been preparing notes to steer our conversations away from infectious disease. Our tablemates had not appreciated his mini lecture on superbugs last year—they’d had to send their entrees back to the kitchen uneaten after his foodborne illness tangent.
Natalie patted my shoulders. “I think this is as good as I can get it.” She gave me a hand mirror, and I stood, turned around and maneuvered so I could see the back of my head in my reflection. We’d practiced last night, but tonight’s chignon looked even better.
“That looks perfect—definitely takes this out of the ‘you paid twenty bucks for that’ level.”
“Wait until you see the makeup. I spent all last night practicing a mauve smoky eye.”
I raised an eyebrow, but I certainly didn’t have a better plan, so I submitted to her makeup artistry. Within fifteen minutes, I was glad, too: good makeup took the dress to theI’m at least a hundredairelevel. I didn’t feel like I was playing dress up to go pretend to be an adult with my classmates. I was a professional going to a gala as an invited guest.
Natalie grinned at me. “I think he’ll notice.”
“Who?” The innocence in my voice rang false to my own ears, and I caught a glimpse of my exaggeratedly wide eyes in the mirror I was still holding. I put it down on the vanity and turned away from Natalie, my gaze landing on Phil. Even the plant wasn’t buying the act.
Maybe we all already knew exactly whom I meant.
Ellie was late enough for me to worry we’d miscommunicated. I caught myself composing alliterative explanations to give to Cassidy to defend my delay when Ellie texted that she was downstairs.
Parked in a loading zone, her white Escalade was utilitarian to my taste, but it had nice trims—and so did she as she met me on the sidewalk outside my building. Something about her tulle gown draped with ribbons of gold sequins felt like resort wear, almost festive, especially with her perky blonde ponytail.
“You’ve grown up,” I greeted her.
Ellie threw her arms around my neck, and once my brain caught up, I returned the embrace. “Look at you! You’re the one who’s grown up.”
She had a point: she couldn’t have been much taller than she was as a preteen.
Ellie knocked on the tinted passenger window, and it rolled down. “This is my roommate, Jenna,” she announced. The curvy brunette in the passenger seat was rocking an equally beachy green gown.
“Davis saved my life when I was eleven,” Ellie intoned, suddenly somber. Apparently that was my introduction.
It was more or less my fault she’d fallen in the water in the first place. “Oh, no, I—”
“Don’t be modest.” Ellie whacked my arm. “It doesn’t suit you at all.”
We laughed and traded compliments on our attire. “And now I get to play chauffeur!” Ellie opened the back door and I climbed in.
Ellie provided Jenna’s life history on the short drive to the convention center: she was from the mountains of North Carolina, she had an unimaginable number of siblings whom apparently she was close to, she’d moved here in the fall, and she worked in the ICU.
“Oh,” I said, “you must know Debbie Harding.”
“Um, yes, do you?”
Clearly I hadn’t thought this conversation through. I couldn’t claim the poor nurse as my nemesis when she was oblivious to the struggles her name had started. “Only by reputation.”
“Is that good?” Jenna turned around to ask, her eyes wide.
“Yes,” I lied.
“I hope you don’t want to steal her away.”
“Don’t despair. I wouldn’t dream of diverting Debbie.” I had to bite my lips to hold back the smile. Hopefully I’d be able to tell Cassidy about this diminutive debacle directly.
If I’d worried about what Cassidy would think of me escorting two women into the gala, I didn’t have to. A trio of nurses claimed Jenna as soon as she walked in. “This is Debbie,” Jenna announced, gesturing to a middle-aged woman with dark hair.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, turning up the wattage of my smile to hide any awkwardness.
Debbie looked from Jenna to me and back again, confusion written in every crease of her forehead. “Nice to meet you too?” she said at last.
