by Claire Adams
“Wow, that’s a really sad story, and his friends seem like jerks. I can see why you wouldn’t want to date the guy. But you should still want to look amazing for the reunion. It’s not just about him. It’s about everyone there, and it will be fun to knock their socks off.”
“His friend Bryce isn’t all that bad. He’s married now and a decent guy, I’m not sure about Mike. I heard he’s just as much of a jerk as he ever was, but he did play professional football for awhile, and I think he’s come back a few times.”
“Bryce is just a nerdy old guy now,” Kendall added, back from inside the house with an armful of dresses. “When Robert and I stop by Bryce’s house, he’s more concerned with what’s going on in their yard than anything interesting. He’s basically turned into Dad.” We both laughed at the idea of anyone being as obsessed with their lawn as our father was.
“I’m not going to turn Tyler’s head. He dates models and actresses. How about we just concentrate on getting me looking as good as I can so I’m confident and can have some fun?”
“Then don’t worry about him, you’re right. Let’s just get you looking amazing so you can have a fun night. Screw all the loser guys from high school,” Hannah said, full of empowerment. “A woman doesn’t need to get dressed up for a man. You can get dressed up because you want to look smoking hot for yourself.”
“If I was doing this night for myself, I’d be home in my pajamas drinking a bottle of white wine.” I snickered. “But if you two want to waste your afternoon playing dress up with me, then I’ll let you.
“Really?” Kendall screamed with excitement. “You’ll let us make you over?”
“Don’t make it sound like I’m some homeless person you need to help. I’m not that bad off.” I twirled around playfully. “A little primer and paint and I’ll clean up just fine.”
“See, that’s the kind of confidence I want to see, Kelsi. You are kick ass, and you know it; stop playing like you don’t know how beautiful you are,” Kendall said as she grabbed all her things she needed to make me over.
“Let’s get this old clunker made over into a sports car.” I laughed.
The girls laughed with me, but I was serious. I knew how to do my own hair and makeup, and my body was banging hot, if I did say so myself. It was silly that they thought I needed a full-on makeover to wow my old high school classmates. But if they wanted to do the work and I could just sit back and relax, who was I to argue?
“Hannah, go grab your makeup and some false eyelashes. I’m going to run home and get this amazing black dress I bought on clearance. Oh, and some heels. Kelsi doesn’t own any sexy heels. Do you own a strapless bra?”
“I thought you already had a dress?” I said in total confusion. “You literally have tons of stuff in your arms. That’s not enough? What about that dress?”
“There’s a better one,” Kendall said as she almost ignored my comment.
“What kind of dress is this anyway?” I protested.
“It’s a dress that needs a strapless bra. Do you own one?”
I had to picture my drawer full of bras and panties, and I couldn’t for the life of me remember if I still owned one. It wasn’t like I ran around in strapless tops all summer long or anything like that.
“Of course I own one,” I lied; I had no idea if there was still one in my drawer.
“Okay, Kelsi, we will be back in an hour. Finish your chores and be ready for a revolutionary look.”
“Kendall, I feel like you’re just trying to get me to do all the work today,” I teased.
“We are.” Hannah laughed as she left with Kendall.
As much trouble as the two of them were, I was damn lucky to have them. Not only did they keep me grounded in who I wanted to be in life, but they were the best friends a girl could ask for. Kendall had been a pain in my ass growing up—she didn’t like it in Rainbow, Texas and talked all the time about moving away to New York or Los Angeles—but she was a good sister to me. I wasn’t all that bad of a sister myself. Together we made one hell of a team.
The reunion didn’t matter all that much to me at all. High school was a part of my past that I tried not to think about very often. I had been filled with self-doubt and shyness back then. I could hardly walk into a room without looking for Tyler and making sure he was there to keep me by his side. Having a boyfriend during those formative years took away the sting of learning to socialize in groups, but as soon as he was out of my life, I had to learn all those skills anyway.
Life was different for me now. I could be the life of the party if I wanted to, but I chose not to be. Kendall and Hannah made fun of my interest in being a wallflower at parties, but I didn’t need to be the center of attention. I enjoyed sipping my wine and hanging out at the edge of the craziness. Talking all night long to people I didn’t know was not my idea of fun.
By four o’clock, the girls weren’t back yet, but I knew I had to jump into the shower if I was going to get ready before the dance started. The excitement of the evening hit me when I climbed out of the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and walked out of my bathroom to a room full of beauty equipment and Kendall and Hannah waiting for me.
“Ready?” Hannah said as she held up a blow-dryer.
“You look like some sort of hair Nazi with that thing. Do you think you could have brought a bigger hairdryer? I’m not sure that one is big enough.”
“You joke now, but when your hair has perfect finger waves in it, you won’t be joking any longer,” Hannah said with a completely serious look on her face.
“I think I might.” I laughed.
“Just get in the chair and let us get to work. We’ve decided on your look for the night and will need at least two hours to accomplish what we are trying to do,” Kendall said seriously.
“Fine, I’ll let you do what you’d like.”
“Hannah, get the body glue, hot iron, and primer out of my bag,” Kendall said as if she was getting ready to build some sort of bookshelf.
“I’m not a building project.”
“Are you going to trust us or not? I can’t have you second guessing everything that’s going on here.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“Look at me. Do I look like someone who would let you go into this event looking horrible? No, the answer is no. You have to relax.”
Kendall was much more fashion forward than I was and I knew she wasn’t going to let me look like a maniac. We didn’t have that typical sisterly competition because we had been interested in entirely different worlds. I loved the artistic world of opera and theater combined with the rugged world of horseback riding and our ranch. Kendall loved the glitzy world of fashion and the latest trends. She got bored with theater but put up with it in our small town since it was all we had, but she really wanted to get involved in television commercials, modeling, or film.
Growing up, Kendall tagged along with me every now and then, but mostly she had her own friends and her own life. We stayed away from each other and didn’t end up fighting or annoying each other like many sisters did. I knew I could trust her on this night. All joking aside, Kendall was really good with fashion and makeup styling.
“I’m all yours; make me look like a movie star,” I joked.
It took longer than two hours, closer to three hours, before I was finally finished. There were face masks, cleansers, primers, and a variety of shading and highlighting that went into my makeup. The surprise to me was how young and vibrant I looked and not at all like I’d spent so much time on my look.
My hair was in perfect finger waves and looked elegant, yet a little casual. It certainly seemed appropriate for our small reunion. Then there was the dress. Kendall knew fashion and had found this couture dress at a resale store. It was a deep emerald green, but looked more like a black, with piping in all the right areas to show off my figure. The plunging neckline required that I wore some special tape to keep my breasts looking perky and prevent the dress from falling open when I moved.
“I’m pretty,” I joked as I stood up straight and admired myself in the mirror.
“You are stunning,” Hanna added.
“I just worked with the amazing canvas I had in you. Kelsi, you are a striking woman. I really wish you didn’t hide yourself in those t-shirts and jeans all the time. We need to get you a new wardrobe.”
“One thing at a time,” I said as I continued to look at myself in the mirror. “I think I like this look, though. Wow, I’d even date me.”
The girls and I all laughed as we finished securing me into the dress and I slid the amazing shoes on. I had to practice walking in the shoes for a little bit, though, since I had not worn heels in several months.
My lifestyle was a casual ranch life; I didn’t have a need for doing my hair and makeup. The horses certainly didn’t care what I looked like, and neither did the locals who boarded their horses with us. It wasn’t like I was going on dates or even looking to date someone. Our town was too small, and I already knew every single guy in it and had turned them down already. No, I had no dating prospects in my town.
Even going to my reunion all dolled up wasn’t about finding a man to date. I didn’t want to date Tyler. I just wanted him to see what a knockout he gave up on. He needed to know that I wasn’t missing him. I didn’t care about him or that he was some handsome millionaire. None of that mattered to me. I was doing just fine, and he was going to see me at the reunion and be jealous as hell that I looked so damn good, and he couldn’t have me.
“Do a model walk – let’s see how those shoes work for you,” Kendall said as she and Hannah went to sit in the living room.
With one hand on my hip, I walked as I watched each step I took. I kept my head up high but couldn’t seem to take my eyes off my own feet for fear that I would tumble and fall. My four inch heels weren’t as easy as I remembered them being.
“Look up,” Hannah yelled at me.
I looked up and felt my ankles wobble as I tried to keep my balance. Then just as I hit the carpet of the living room, my right ankle gave out, and I tumbled forward onto the floor. Luckily, I landed on the soft carpet, but I looked ridiculous as I lay there in my fancy dress with my hair and makeup looking perfect.
“Are you all right?” Kendall asked.
Hannah and Kendall grabbed my hands and pulled me up onto the couch. My ankle was a little sore, but it didn’t seem to be in that bad of shape, but all my confidence had slipped right out from under me, and now I felt like that awkward high school girl I once was.
“This is a bad idea. What if no one else is dressed up? I don’t want to go in there looking like this if everyone else is just in a cocktail dress or casual. I should change.”
“Kelsi Lynn Sullivan, you will not change!” Kendall yelled. “You look amazing. This is a black-tie event, and you’re going there looking like a movie star. If anyone else shows up in a cocktail dress, it will be them who looks ridiculous, not you.”
“It’s all about the confidence, Kelsi; you have to own the look. You know those celebrities who wear torn jeans and heels; they own it. Sure, they look odd when compared to people in their sweatpants, but everyone is still looking at the confidence the celebrity has. They are wishing they had that kind of confidence. You are the celebrity.”
“Be the celebrity,” Kendall added onto Hannah’s pep talk.
“But, I’m not a celebrity.”
“Tonight, you’re a drop-dead gorgeous woman who all those old high school guys are going to be fighting over.”
“Kendall, most of the people who are going to show up already know what I look like every day. They aren’t going to be impressed.”
Kendall reached over and placed her hands right in front of my breasts as she dramatically looked at them and then back up at me.
“What are you talking about? These girls have never been out like this. Every guy is going to be tripping over himself to talk to you. Even the ones who see you every day here in town. Trust us, Kelsi. The key is in your confidence. You know when you acted in that community theater show and you played the vixen?”
“Yeah, the red-headed vixen who distracted the killer?” I asked.
“Yes, you are her tonight. Don’t be you, be her!”
“Oh my God! Kendall is right. You have to be her. Think of tonight as a community theater production and you are the vixen. Commit to it. You have to commit to the part,” Hannah said as she stood up and dramatically started moving around my living room.
“You two do know you’re crazy, right?” I laughed.
“Yes, and I also know you’re going to drive those men wild tonight. No matter how you think you’re feeling. Play the vixen. Keep your shoulders back, chest out, and look them all in the eyes. Don’t get stuck standing in the corner. Let the guys talk to you and ask them questions so they keep talking. You are in control. You are the vixen,” Kendall said.
“Exactly, you are the vixen,” Hannah added. “Now say it with us. I am the vixen.”
“I am the vixen,” I said quietly as I rolled my eyes.
“No. More convincingly.”
“I…am…the…vixen,” I said stronger.
“Again,” they both demanded.
“I AM THE VIXEN. I AM THE VIXEN. I AM THE VIXEN,” I repeated until I actually started to believe I could play the part.
Chapter Three
Tyler
“A tuxedo? I thought a suit was good for this?” I said to Bryce when I got off the plane to see him in full black-tie apparel.
“I have a tux, I’m wearing it, damn it. When do I ever get a chance to wear this thing?”
“Fine, but I’m just wearing my black suit. No one around here is going to know the difference.”
Although I had been home a few times over the years, this was the first time I actually was going to see people from high school. Normally, my visits just involved seeing my family and maybe a meal with Bryce and his family, but never much more than that. I was busy; I came home for my parents and my sister and focused on them when I was there. Not many people in town were of interest to me.
“When was the last time you were here?” Bryce asked. “I swear I’ve met in you in Vegas more times than you’ve actually been back to town.”
“Vegas is the best. I would pick hanging out with you there over this any day of the week. Let’s get over to see my Dad, though. I want to visit with him for a little bit before we are tortured at this reunion.”
“Torture? Really, Tyler? You’re going to see all your old high school friends and drink some free booze. Even you have to appreciate free booze.”
“Yeah, yeah, who doesn’t like free booze?” I agreed, although I really didn’t care at all about free alcohol. I could literally buy whatever drinks I wanted for the entire room I was in, but I knew it was important to Bryce, so I went along.
We drove straight to the hospice where my father was at only to find that he was deep asleep and my mother and sister had gone back home. It was disappointing to see him sleeping, but I couldn’t wake him up and ruin what looked like such a peaceful sleep.
“Your father was up all morning waiting for you. He just got too tired and finally fell asleep about a half of an hour ago,” the nurse said.
“Should I wake him?”
“No, he struggles so much with sleep. Maybe you could write him a note and I will read it to him when he gets up. You could come back later tonight or tomorrow if you’d like.”
“When is the best time to visit him? I’d like to work on his schedule instead of having him wait for me.”
“Ten in the morning would be good. He normally is up around five and then goes back to sleep for a nap. This morning he was up just a little after ten. He stays up until noon and then goes back to sleep for a few more hours. So, I’d say ten in the morning or around four in the afternoon are your best times.”
“Then I will be here tomorrow morning at ten. How is he doing? He looks so thin.”
The question was pro
bably something that hospice nurses were asked all the time. How did someone really answer a question about how a dying person was doing? We had come to the end of hope; there were no more treatments, no more dreaming of a cure. Now, all we could do was ensure his last few days were filled with love and comfort.
“He’s feeling no pain and sleeping comfortably today. I’d say today is a good day. Are you going to the high school reunion? My daughter says it’s going to be a huge evening.”
“Oh, who is your daughter?”
“She didn’t actually graduate from here; she is working with the catering company. You guys have a great time. You are going, aren’t you?”
My facial expression must have shown her the dilemma I was wrestling with. How could I go to some party while my father lay on his death bed? I should sit there with him. Hold his hand and give him the comfort he needed. It felt so wrong to be going to a party.
“I could just stay here with him,” I said quietly as I looked from the nurse to Bryce.
“Your father would want you to live your life still,” Bryce pushed.
“It’s true. Your father is resting soundly and I don’t see any signs that he’s going to have a difficult night. Life is about living it to the fullest, and from what I know about your father, he certainly wouldn’t want you to sit here and just watch him sleep all night.”
She was right. My father never had a wasted moment of time in his life. He worked hard, and when he was done working, he always gave the family his undivided attention. My father knew how to relax better than I did, I was certain of it.
My level of relaxation usually involved a fun night in bed with a sexy woman, but I never truly felt relaxed. In my ideal world, I would spend an evening at the theater or go horseback riding, but I hadn’t done that in years. Business was too time consuming, and the women I hung out with weren’t the type who wanted a relaxing ride through the countryside. Although, I couldn’t exactly blame my lack of relaxation on the women I was with; it was my fault, and I knew it.
“You’re right. He’d think I was being ridiculous if he woke up to find me just sitting here staring at him. I’ll still go with you to the party.”