total popped up, but I never lost my composure, handed over my debit card, and punched in my pin number.
I continued through the mall, shop by shop, finding some shoes and boots and a few accessories. I hated shopping, but I was having fun today. I felt like I was building a new and improved me. As I passed one of the smaller shops, I saw they were offering free makeovers—a bid to sell ridiculously over-priced makeup, no doubt. I thought ‘why not’ and slipped through the doorway.
The clerk was all too happy to show me to a chair and sing the praises of the latest ‘back to school collections.’ She worked on my face and chattered away, asking me to close my eyes, suck in my cheeks, or pucker my lips as needed. I complied, and in a shorter time than I had feared, she spun me around to face the mirror. I was stunned.
The girl looking back at me was beautiful. Her eyes were dark, mysterious, and smoldering. Her complexion was flawless, her cheekbones well defined, her lips full. She looked older, much more mature, and rather sensual. My dad would kill me.
I bought everything she had used, including the brushes, and had her give me tips and pointers before I left.
I decided to do something that would normally seem very odd to me, but today I felt different . I found the nearest bathroom, dug through my new clothes, and changed right there in a stall. Off with the old me, and on with the new. The finishing touch was clipping on my new phone in its new black leather holster case.
I checked myself out in the wall mirror near the sinks and groaned. My hair didn’t look right. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a proper haircut, so that was next on my list. There were several places in the mall, so I picked the one with the fanciest name and asked if they had time for me. The stylist ushered me back, asking what look I was going for. I had no idea.
She flipped through a few books with me, and I pointed out some cuts I liked, or at least the things I liked about the different styles. We decided that leaving it long was best, but she wanted to give it some layers and add highlights. I had never colored my hair, not even a little, but since this was the new me, I told her to go for it. I made it clear I didn’t have a lot of time to spend working on my hair, so it had to be something I could work with that wouldn’t take forever .
The cutting and coloring took ages, but once that was done, all she did was wash, rinse, and dry. I watched as my hair fell into place, soft and feathery around my face, cascading over my shoulders. It looked so shiny, shimmering as the light reflected off the newest shades of color throughout. I had never loved my hair so much.
After a substantial tip, and a more substantial bill, I glided back out into the bustling mall. I was starving, and when I looked at the time, it was clear why. I decided I should end my day, call Dad, and get home. Perhaps I would parade around the mall while I waited, though; I hated wasting a good dressing-up. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number as I strolled along with my bags slung over my shoulder, pretending to be nonchalant.
“Timeless Treasures, this is Steve, how may I help you?”
Him again. “Hey Steve, let me talk to Dad.”
“Hey, Jessie. Your dad’s in the back cataloging all that new stuff. He told me to just lock the store, pick you up, and take a late lunch when you called. Took you long enough, I’m starving!”
“Yeah, yeah, sorry to ruin your day. Just meet me at the main entrance in fifteen then.”
“You got it.” He hung up without fanfare.
While I was strolling and talking, I noticed I had been getting a few looks. Quite a few looks. I knew by the type of looks that they were appreciative. One poor guy got a whack to the back of his head from his girlfriend for it. That made me smile, but not until they had both passed by. I was
I continued through the mall, shop by shop, finding some shoes and boots and a few accessories. I hated shopping, but I was having fun today. I felt like I was building a new and improved me. As I passed one of the smaller shops, I saw they were offering free makeovers—a bid to sell ridiculously over-priced makeup, no doubt. I thought ‘why not’ and slipped through the doorway.
The clerk was all too happy to show me to a chair and sing the praises of the latest ‘back to school collections.’ She worked on my face and chattered away, asking me to close my eyes, suck in my cheeks, or pucker my lips as needed. I complied, and in a shorter time than I had feared, she spun me around to face the mirror. I was stunned.
The girl looking back at me was beautiful. Her eyes were dark, mysterious, and smoldering. Her complexion was flawless, her cheekbones well defined, her lips full. She looked older, much more mature, and rather sensual. My dad would kill me.
I bought everything she had used, including the brushes, and had her give me tips and pointers before I left.
I decided to do something that would normally seem very odd to me, but today I felt different . I found the nearest bathroom, dug through my new clothes, and changed right there in a stall. Off with the old me, and on with the new. The finishing touch was clipping on my new phone in its new black leather holster case.
I checked myself out in the wall mirror near the sinks and groaned. My hair didn’t look right. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a proper haircut, so that was next on my list. There were several places in the mall, so I picked the one with the fanciest name and asked if they had time for me. The stylist ushered me back, asking what look I was going for. I had no idea.
She flipped through a few books with me, and I pointed out some cuts I liked, or at least the things I liked about the different styles. We decided that leaving it long was best, but she wanted to give it some layers and add highlights. I had never colored my hair, not even a little, but since this was the new me, I told her to go for it. I made it clear I didn’t have a lot of time to spend working on my hair, so it had to be something I could work with that wouldn’t take forever .
The cutting and coloring took ages, but once that was done, all she did was wash, rinse, and dry. I watched as my hair fell into place, soft and feathery around my face, cascading over my shoulders. It looked so shiny, shimmering as the light reflected off the newest shades of color throughout. I had never loved my hair so much.
After a substantial tip, and a more substantial bill, I glided back out into the bustling mall. I was starving, and when I looked at the time, it was clear why. I decided I should end my day, call Dad, and get home. Perhaps I would parade around the mall while I waited, though; I hated wasting a good dressing-up. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number as I strolled along with my bags slung over my shoulder, pretending to be nonchalant.
“Timeless Treasures, this is Steve, how may I help you?”
Him again. “Hey Steve, let me talk to Dad.”
“Hey, Jessie. Your dad’s in the back cataloging all that new stuff. He told me to just lock the store, pick you up, and take a late lunch when you called. Took you long enough, I’m starving!”
“Yeah, yeah, sorry to ruin your day. Just meet me at the main entrance in fifteen then.”
“You got it.” He hung up without fanfare.
While I was strolling and talking, I noticed I had been getting a few looks. Quite a few looks. I knew by the type of looks that they were appreciative. One poor guy got a whack to the back of his head from his girlfriend for it. That made me smile, but not until they had both passed by. I was
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