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Chapter 12
Red? Or black?
I stood in front of my closet, mentally debating which shoes to wear. The show we were going to see after dinner was Jane's choice: an all-girl band that covered late seventies punk. I didn't mind The Clash, so I was game, although Eric had been bitching all afternoon.
"If I wanted to listen to a high-pitched version of 'London Calling', I'd teach it to my four-year-old niece," he said as he strode into my bedroom.
He looked his usual dapper self, if slightly more casual than normal in light-washed jeans, a dark-gray T-shirt, and a pair of multi-colored Asics. He sat at my desk, crossed one leg elegantly over the other, and started playing with my Eiffel Tower paperweight.
Jane looked up from where she sat at the head of my bed, flipping through some flashcards. She had barely changed her outfit, only switching to slightly more torn skinny jeans and a shirt that was sleeveless.
"Don't be such a Sad Sally. You had your chance to vote, and you abstained. It's simple democracy."
"I was in the bathroom," Eric retorted.
"No one said you had to go." Jane flipped over another card and scowled. "But I'd be happy to inform Mr. Sterling that you decided to stand him up this evening. I'm sure your boss would love that."
"Can you guys give it a rest?" I asked as I finished sliding on two different shoes. "Since you're both here, help me pick."
One was a chunky red sandal with a block heel I'd gotten at a flea market last summer; the other was one of my favorite black ankle boots with the silver toe. I wore high-waisted, dark-wash skinny jeans, rolled up slightly at the ankle, and a cropped top with wide, black-and-white horizontal stripes. My hair, tossed into a messy ponytail at the top of my head, revealed the two sets of studs in my ears, and I had Brandon's thick silver cuff on my wrist. It was a more retro look than I would normally go for, but more importantly, it was comfortable and cool. It was going to be hot inside the club, so I wasn't interested in wearing anything too binding or suffocating.
Jane pursed her lips and looked at both, nodding. "I see what you're doing there. Sort of a Debbie Reynolds versus Debbie Harry kind of choice, isn't it?"
"Don't you have anything less clunky?" Eric asked with a nonplussed shrug. "Stilettos would be hot."
With a withering glance at Eric, Jane said, "Pay no attention to Justin Bieber. He liked his women teetering so they are easily immobilized."
Eric scowled. "I resent that."
Jane tipped her head toward my right foot. "Obviously the red. They go with the whole Bettie Page vibe you've got going on. Nicely done, by the way."
Then she opened my nightstand drawer and threw a handful of condoms at Eric. Two hit him in the face.
"Jane!" I yelped. "What the hell?"
Jane smirked at Eric, who just glowered while he gathered up the multi-colored packages littering his lap.
"I thought he needed some help with his accessories too," she said sweetly.
"That's so thoughtful, Jane," Eric said as he dropped the condoms on my desk. "So kind of you to help a guy stay safe."
"Oh, they're not for your safety," Jane retorted. "They're for whatever godforsaken girl you convince to let you up her skirt. Just remember, Eric, no means no."
I rolled my eyes. "You guys are impossible."
I pulled the boot off and grabbed the other sandal, opting for height since my date stood nearly a foot taller than me.
"Come here, Ms. Pin-up," Jane said.
She pulled her lanky limbs up from the bed and went to my desk, where I kept the small box containing my spare selection of cosmetics. She pushed Eric out of the seat and shoved me down in his place. Eric just scoffed and stalked out to wait in the living room, but I did catch his quick brown eyes flicker back to Jane for a second before leaving.
"Mascara and lips," Jane dictated as she squatted down to fix my makeup.
I obediently looked up while she touched on mascara. Jane was a whiz with cosmetics; she'd been fixing my face since we met.
"Thanks," I said. "I can't go out anymore, you know, now that I don't have you to do this for me."
She grabbed lip liner and lipstick and motioned for me to open my mouth slightly so she could apply them.
