All That Really Matters

by Nicole Deese

  With the poolside photo shoot looming, I’d raced home after finishing up my second official mentor group at The Bridge—which had gone swimmingly after handing out all twelve goodie bags to each girl at the house—and started the detailed process of applying my favorite tan-in-a-can secret potion to my ghostly white self. After living in a winter tundra for five to six months out of any given year, this girl needed some big-time help in the self-tanning department. Thanks to my tried-and-true method, it was a simple fix. I’d even documented my entire tanning process once—showing specific techniques for known problem areas around fingers, heels, knees, and that problematic elbow skin region. The Ten Commandments of Fake Tanning by Makeup Matters was one of my first breakout videos. Something like a hundred thousand views within the first forty-eight hours.

  But really, “Thou Shalt Not Apply Tanner Without Proper Exfoliation” is a rule that should never be violated, lest you find yourself looking like you were caught in a rusty rainstorm. There were few things as unattractive as a bad self-tan.

  Outside the tinted window of the black Escalade I’d been riding in since the airport, palm trees, rocky cliffs, and glimpses of the Pacific Ocean blurred together. I rolled down my window just a tad, breathing in the salty air and wishing once again for someone I could enjoy the moment with. At least Ethan was on his way soon.

  I’d been to California for work-related reasons many times over the past couple years, but never for an on-location photo shoot at a celebrity’s poolside patio simply because “there was no better place to shoot.” Ethan had made sure to copy and paste that sentence from The Fit Glam Kit’s marketing team.

  As the Escalade pulled up to an automatic gate leading to Sophia Richards’s Malibu estate, my jaw unhinged. The mansions in Malibu were next level. This kind of wealth and glamour never failed to boggle my mind.

  A text chimed from inside my purse. It was from Val.

  Val

  You there? How is it? Is Ethan there with you? Why do I feel like a nervous mother?

  I smiled.

  Molly

  I’m fine, Mom.