Elaine said suddenly. “Carter!”
Her brother looked wary. “What?”
“Go somewhere else. No, I don't mean into the other room. Go to the beach.”
“But it's dark,” Carter said.
“Then go to the gift shop,” Elaine said. “Go to the hair salon. Go anywhere, but don't come back for an hour. Molly and I are going to have a talk, and I intend to tell her things that are not meant for male ears.”
“But I—”
Elaine gave him a look that Molly didn't see. She did see Carter's response, though, and it was immediate. He stepped backward, toward the door. “I feel a sudden craving for fresh air,” he said. “And scotch. I think I'll go to the bar.”
When he was gone, Elaine turned to look at Molly. She shook her head. “Wrong,” she said, sounding irritated. “All wrong. I should have known better than to let Carter tell me that this was a simple matter of physical appearance. Do you know what your problem is, my dear?”
“Yes,” Molly said. “My problem is that I'm stuck on an island with two people who want to tell me what my problems are. Beyond that, I don't care.”
“Oh, but you do,” Elaine said. “You care very much. Why did you agree to come on this trip?”
“To help Carter,” Molly said.
“But you've already convinced yourself that this project is doomed. That's no help to Carter, and it's no help to you, either.”
“That's totally unfair,” Molly said indignantly. “I'm doing my best. It's not my fault that I can't—”
Elaine sighed. “You have no idea how fortunate you are that I'm here. Now sit down, and let me take that wig off.” She moved to stand behind Molly, pulling out the hairpins with careful hands, collecting them into a neat pile. “There is a terrible mountain called ‘I Can't,'” she said, “and a beautiful valley called ‘Can't I'! The time has come, my dear, to decide where you would rather live.”
“Excuse me?” Molly said. Her scalp was beginning to tingle as the pressure of the pins eased.
“I want to teach you something that has nothing to do with enhanced bosoms and the rest of that scientific foolishness of Carter's,” Elaine said, and then lifted one finger warningly. “Now to be sure, I am not discounting the importance of good grooming. We all have a personal obligation to be our best selves. But I can tell you right now that charm does not come from the chest.”
“Tell that to Jake Berenger,” Molly said.
“Nonsense. It's you and Carter who need to be told. If this plan is so brilliant, then why wasn't it an instant success? Why aren't you out there, right now, sipping champagne with a handsome billionaire? I'll tell you why. All of the bleach and the padding in this world won't help you if you don't know how to sparkle from within.”
“You have got to be kidding,” Molly said. She stood up, lifted the wig off of her head, and dropped it on the couch, where it fell into a sullen lump like a yellow Pekingese. “Look, I know the old cliché about needing to love yourself first, but I'm perfectly happy with myself, and this conversation is really not necessary.”
“Oh?” Elaine said. “Happy? So happy that ten minutes ago you were almost in tears? Why were you so upset?”
“I wasn't upset! It was the contact lenses. My eyes—”
“I'll tell you why,” Elaine continued. “For reasons known only to you, you have been afraid to try to be an attractive woman. But that shameful brother of mine actually managed to convince you that his silly disguise would magically turn you into a femme fatale. It didn't work out quite that way, did it?”
“No,” Molly said. “It definitely didn't. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed.”
“Your worst fear seemed to come true,” Elaine continued dramatically. “You thought that this
proved
that you weren't attractive to men,
even when you tried
”
Molly gritted her teeth. “I'm feeling very jet-lagged,” she said. “Good night.”
“My dear,” Elaine said
Her brother looked wary. “What?”
“Go somewhere else. No, I don't mean into the other room. Go to the beach.”
“But it's dark,” Carter said.
“Then go to the gift shop,” Elaine said. “Go to the hair salon. Go anywhere, but don't come back for an hour. Molly and I are going to have a talk, and I intend to tell her things that are not meant for male ears.”
“But I—”
Elaine gave him a look that Molly didn't see. She did see Carter's response, though, and it was immediate. He stepped backward, toward the door. “I feel a sudden craving for fresh air,” he said. “And scotch. I think I'll go to the bar.”
When he was gone, Elaine turned to look at Molly. She shook her head. “Wrong,” she said, sounding irritated. “All wrong. I should have known better than to let Carter tell me that this was a simple matter of physical appearance. Do you know what your problem is, my dear?”
“Yes,” Molly said. “My problem is that I'm stuck on an island with two people who want to tell me what my problems are. Beyond that, I don't care.”
“Oh, but you do,” Elaine said. “You care very much. Why did you agree to come on this trip?”
“To help Carter,” Molly said.
“But you've already convinced yourself that this project is doomed. That's no help to Carter, and it's no help to you, either.”
“That's totally unfair,” Molly said indignantly. “I'm doing my best. It's not my fault that I can't—”
Elaine sighed. “You have no idea how fortunate you are that I'm here. Now sit down, and let me take that wig off.” She moved to stand behind Molly, pulling out the hairpins with careful hands, collecting them into a neat pile. “There is a terrible mountain called ‘I Can't,'” she said, “and a beautiful valley called ‘Can't I'! The time has come, my dear, to decide where you would rather live.”
“Excuse me?” Molly said. Her scalp was beginning to tingle as the pressure of the pins eased.
“I want to teach you something that has nothing to do with enhanced bosoms and the rest of that scientific foolishness of Carter's,” Elaine said, and then lifted one finger warningly. “Now to be sure, I am not discounting the importance of good grooming. We all have a personal obligation to be our best selves. But I can tell you right now that charm does not come from the chest.”
“Tell that to Jake Berenger,” Molly said.
“Nonsense. It's you and Carter who need to be told. If this plan is so brilliant, then why wasn't it an instant success? Why aren't you out there, right now, sipping champagne with a handsome billionaire? I'll tell you why. All of the bleach and the padding in this world won't help you if you don't know how to sparkle from within.”
“You have got to be kidding,” Molly said. She stood up, lifted the wig off of her head, and dropped it on the couch, where it fell into a sullen lump like a yellow Pekingese. “Look, I know the old cliché about needing to love yourself first, but I'm perfectly happy with myself, and this conversation is really not necessary.”
“Oh?” Elaine said. “Happy? So happy that ten minutes ago you were almost in tears? Why were you so upset?”
“I wasn't upset! It was the contact lenses. My eyes—”
“I'll tell you why,” Elaine continued. “For reasons known only to you, you have been afraid to try to be an attractive woman. But that shameful brother of mine actually managed to convince you that his silly disguise would magically turn you into a femme fatale. It didn't work out quite that way, did it?”
“No,” Molly said. “It definitely didn't. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed.”
“Your worst fear seemed to come true,” Elaine continued dramatically. “You thought that this
proved
that you weren't attractive to men,
even when you tried
”
Molly gritted her teeth. “I'm feeling very jet-lagged,” she said. “Good night.”
“My dear,” Elaine said
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