a redhead. There’s a pink lipstick that would be just right with your light coloring.”
“I guess I could try the lipstick.”
“Not so fast,” I said, and put on a French accent that was so bad it made Lana Jean giggle. “Madame Katherina, who does zee famous make-overs of zee stars, requires you to be putty in her hands. We start weeth a bubble bath and shampoo.”
“You’re crazy,” Lana Jean said. “I can’t take a bath at your house.”
“You are not at a house. You are at zee salon of zee famous Madame Katherina. I will provide zee shampoo and bubble bath, and while you are bathing I will even wash and dry your clothes.”
I guess I wasn’t subtle enough, because Lana Jean looked down at her shirt and jeans and mumbled, “Okay. So they’ve got a few spots.”
“You want to make a good impression on Travis. Right? So don’t think about anything except how great you’re going to look with a new hairdo and makeup and all that. I’ve got a blue skirt that’s too tight for me to get into, and it would look terrific on you. Want to go for it?”
Lana Jean turned those trusting cocker spaniel eyes on me, as though she were willing to put her life into my hands, and said, “Will Travis think I look pretty?”
“You bet,” I said, and led her to my bedroom, where I pulled out the full blue cotton skirt and sacrificed a pale blue blouse to go with it.
She was so excited about the clothes, it was hard to get her into the bathroom, but eventually she emerged, wrapped in an oversize towel. I got out some mousse, a comb, the blow dryer, a curling iron, and set to work.
Before long Lana Jean’s hair fell softly around her face, turning up just a little at the ends. She watched me intently, every step of the way, and when I stepped back, saying “There. How do you like it?” she stared at her reflection as though she couldn’t believe it.
“Travis will like it, won’t he?” she whispered.
“He’ll love it. You saw what I did. You can do it too.”
“No, I can’t. We don’t have a blow dryer and all the other stuff.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I immediately got busy with my makeup samples and began applying some of them to Lana Jean’s face.
She didn’t turn out to be a raving beauty by any means, but her eyes seemed larger and her mouth prettier, and the makeup base covered most of the blemishes on her skin. I had to pull Lana Jean away from the mirror so she could get into her washed and dried bra and panties and the new blouse and skirt.
When she had finished dressing and called me into the bedroom to show me how she looked, she had the same expression on her face that Cinderella probably had when her fairy godmother got through with
her
makeover.
“I can’t believe it’s me!” Lana Jean squealed.
Mom came in to see if we were hungry yet for dinner, and she did a doubletake when she saw Lana Jean. “You look beautiful!” Mom said.
Lana Jean glowed. “I
feel
beautiful,” she said. “And I’m not going to eat a thing because I don’t want to ruin my lipstick.”
“You can put on more lipstick,” I said, but she shook her head.
“Not until Travis sees me,” she insisted.
Mom looked at her watch. “It’s nearly five-thirty,” she said. “Why don’t you go to the carnival now? You can get hot dogs or pizza and whatever else they’re selling right there.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said. The sooner we went to the carnival, the sooner we could come home.
“You can take the car,” Mom told me. “Just give me an idea of when you’ll be home.”
“Eight,” I said.
“Midnight,” Lana Jean said.
“Compromise,” Mom suggested. “How about ten? If you want to stay later, just give me a call.”
Gritting my teeth, I led Lana Jean to the car. Ten o’clock seemed like a week or two away. In spite of Lana Jean’s excitement, I didn’t look forward to going to the carnival.
The rides and booths were set up on a large lot that had
“I guess I could try the lipstick.”
“Not so fast,” I said, and put on a French accent that was so bad it made Lana Jean giggle. “Madame Katherina, who does zee famous make-overs of zee stars, requires you to be putty in her hands. We start weeth a bubble bath and shampoo.”
“You’re crazy,” Lana Jean said. “I can’t take a bath at your house.”
“You are not at a house. You are at zee salon of zee famous Madame Katherina. I will provide zee shampoo and bubble bath, and while you are bathing I will even wash and dry your clothes.”
I guess I wasn’t subtle enough, because Lana Jean looked down at her shirt and jeans and mumbled, “Okay. So they’ve got a few spots.”
“You want to make a good impression on Travis. Right? So don’t think about anything except how great you’re going to look with a new hairdo and makeup and all that. I’ve got a blue skirt that’s too tight for me to get into, and it would look terrific on you. Want to go for it?”
Lana Jean turned those trusting cocker spaniel eyes on me, as though she were willing to put her life into my hands, and said, “Will Travis think I look pretty?”
“You bet,” I said, and led her to my bedroom, where I pulled out the full blue cotton skirt and sacrificed a pale blue blouse to go with it.
She was so excited about the clothes, it was hard to get her into the bathroom, but eventually she emerged, wrapped in an oversize towel. I got out some mousse, a comb, the blow dryer, a curling iron, and set to work.
Before long Lana Jean’s hair fell softly around her face, turning up just a little at the ends. She watched me intently, every step of the way, and when I stepped back, saying “There. How do you like it?” she stared at her reflection as though she couldn’t believe it.
“Travis will like it, won’t he?” she whispered.
“He’ll love it. You saw what I did. You can do it too.”
“No, I can’t. We don’t have a blow dryer and all the other stuff.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I immediately got busy with my makeup samples and began applying some of them to Lana Jean’s face.
She didn’t turn out to be a raving beauty by any means, but her eyes seemed larger and her mouth prettier, and the makeup base covered most of the blemishes on her skin. I had to pull Lana Jean away from the mirror so she could get into her washed and dried bra and panties and the new blouse and skirt.
When she had finished dressing and called me into the bedroom to show me how she looked, she had the same expression on her face that Cinderella probably had when her fairy godmother got through with
her
makeover.
“I can’t believe it’s me!” Lana Jean squealed.
Mom came in to see if we were hungry yet for dinner, and she did a doubletake when she saw Lana Jean. “You look beautiful!” Mom said.
Lana Jean glowed. “I
feel
beautiful,” she said. “And I’m not going to eat a thing because I don’t want to ruin my lipstick.”
“You can put on more lipstick,” I said, but she shook her head.
“Not until Travis sees me,” she insisted.
Mom looked at her watch. “It’s nearly five-thirty,” she said. “Why don’t you go to the carnival now? You can get hot dogs or pizza and whatever else they’re selling right there.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said. The sooner we went to the carnival, the sooner we could come home.
“You can take the car,” Mom told me. “Just give me an idea of when you’ll be home.”
“Eight,” I said.
“Midnight,” Lana Jean said.
“Compromise,” Mom suggested. “How about ten? If you want to stay later, just give me a call.”
Gritting my teeth, I led Lana Jean to the car. Ten o’clock seemed like a week or two away. In spite of Lana Jean’s excitement, I didn’t look forward to going to the carnival.
The rides and booths were set up on a large lot that had
Similar Books
