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“She is!” Caitlin took Alissa’s hand and pulled her toward the bathroom. “But Dane is gorgeous and this nerdy, slightly rumpled newspaper girl vibe isn’t going to work. Put your best foot forward.”
Alissa shrugged and let Caitlin steer her into the bathroom. A line of fancy skincare products that weren’t there before sat next to the sink, along with palettes of makeup.
“Let’s start with skincare. Use this one first,” Caitlin said, handing Alissa a sleek pink tube. “It’s a cleanser.”
Alissa did as she said, relief washing over her as she cleaned her face. Caitlin had always been better with this kind of thing, and Alissa wanted to look good for Dane. He always looked good, like he put time into his appearance every day without going too overboard. Like his outfit today— one of his tailored shirts and a green cardigan that was the same shade as his eyes. Alissa wouldn’t have minded if he wore the same thing to the date. Or dinner. Whatever this was.
“Wow, my skin is so soft,” Alissa said after she finished with the cleanser and its accompanying lotion. “You use this every day?”
“Yup.” Caitlin took a step back and studied her twin’s face. “Let’s pick out an outfit before we do your makeup.”
They went into Alissa’s room again, looking at the pile of clothes on the bed. Alissa’s wardrobe was mostly neutrals and earth tones—they were easy to match when she was in a rush to get out the door. But the clothes on the bed were much more Caitlin, all bright, coordinating colors.
“I think a dress, tights, and boots would be perfect,” Caitlin said. “Dressy, but casual enough to blend in at The Crab.”
“I can’t remember the last time I wore a dress.” Alissa picked up a hot pink dress. “This is a little much. People could use me as a marker if they were lost at sea.”
“It’s notthatbright.” Caitlin took the dress from Alissa and put it aside. “How about a deep red dress?”
“Sure, that’s not too big of a leap.” Alissa picked up a long-sleeved, garnet red dress that cinched at the waist and flowed to a few inches above her knee. And more importantly, it looked comfortable. “It’s pretty.”
“Try it on.”
Alissa took it to the bathroom and undressed, pulling the dress on. It fit perfectly and suited her well. It didn’t feel like she was dressing up as Caitlin or dressing up like someone else.
“I love it,” Alissa said, stepping out of the bathroom.
“It looks great!” Caitlin clasped her hands together. “Dane will love it. Let’s do your makeup and hair.”
Alissa’s heart fluttered at even hearing Dane’s name. Caitlin sat her down at the desk in the corner and adjusted the lights so she could see Alissa’s face. Alissa let Caitlin take over with her typical take-charge attitude.
“What if I’m reading this wrong?” Alissa asked as Caitlin tapped some tinted moisturizer on her face. “What if he literally wants to talk about writing and nothing else? What if it’s not even close to a date?”
“I’ve seen him look at you. I’m pretty sure he asked you on a date while convincing himself that he didn’t.” Caitlin snorted and picked up some blush, swirling a brush into it.
“I hope so.”
Alissa had thought about dating back in Denver, but not in a serious way. The dating scene was overwhelming and she couldn’t find anyone she clicked with. But Dane felt different. Ever since they first met, he had sparked her curiosity. His grumpy exterior, intense focus, and devotion blended together to form one interesting package. But he’d started to show what was underneath, little by little—the encouraging, earnest man who showed up to the surf competition and watched it with a writer’s eye.
“Okay, your hair,” Caitlin said. Alissa hadn’t realized she was done with her makeup. “I’m not sure of what to do.”
“Well…” Alissa played with her curls. “Something not this.”
“Of course.” Caitlin played with Alissa’s hair. “I know just what to do.”
With some creative uses of pins and hair spray, Caitlin transformed Alissa’s hair into a fun updo that suited Alissa well.
“Voila!” Caitlin guided Alissa in front of the bathroom mirror.
Alissa could hardly believe it was her. Most days, she rolled out of bed and wore a comfortable outfit she’d worn a million times, but now she was polished and not overdone. The dress flattered her figure and the color complemented her brown hair and eyes. But at the same time, she looked like herself.
“Thank you, Caitlin. I look amazing.”
Caitlin beamed. “No problem. I know you’ll wow him.”
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Dane needed to kill time.
