She flashes a bright smile. “Ready?”
I shake my head enthusiastically, getting a laugh from Randa. We get out of the car and head into the salon. “Hey, Rita!” I tell our hairstylist.
She smiles warmly at us. “Hello ladies, what are we doing today?” Her dark hair is pulled back in a perfect bun. She has a friendly smile and her manicured fingers are long, polished to perfection. She’s been our regular lady for years now.
“I’m here to get my nails done.” Randa says. “But I’m also considering dying my hair. Maybe I’ll just go with some red highlights instead.” Rita directs Randa to the nail area.
Although I’ve only ever had my hair trimmed, it surprises Rita when I say, “Yeah, I want highlights and my nails done too.” I smile. Luckily we came at a time where it’s dead and there’s another employee on duty so we’ll both get done around the same time.
“Well, this is a surprise. What’s the occasion?”
Randa tells her in an overly excited voice, “It’s Sky’s first date!”
Rita beams her pearly whites at me, “Well, let’s get started, shall we?” She ushers me to the chair.
Five hours later, we’re sitting in the food court eating lunch, before we embark on a shopping spree. My hair has noticeable blonde highlights and I’m quite fond of Randa’s dark red ones, no not candy. It suits her, even though I can’t imagine why she’d want darker. Her blonde hair was to die for, why ruin it? But I understand needing a change, a different look. Mine wasn’t drastic, yet it’s more than I’ve ever done. And I’m in love with it, because not only did I get color added to it, but I also had it cut short into layers. Okay, not too short, it’s still shoulder length, whereas before it went past my back. It’s easier to maintain now, so I’m satisfied. Randa had her nails painted a red color, I got American tips. I feel all girly.
“Do you think Jackson will like my hair?” I wonder aloud. No, I won’t be that girl. I can’t care if he hates it, it’s my hair.
She rolls her eyes, “What a silly question. He’s gonna love it. You look smashing.”
A laugh slips out as I take a bite of my Subway sandwich. “Who the hell says ‘smashing’ anymore?”
She points a finger to herself. “Me. I do. Deal with it.” She finishes her cheeseburger. “Okay, I need more tops and some jeans. That’s all I’m looking for.”
“I need more panties.” I admit. I’ve never owned sexy underwear.
Her eyes widen and she starts shaking her hands, “Oh! Victoria’s Secret. We’re so going there.”
A few hours later, I carry a bag from Victoria’s Secret. It was interesting shopping for panties with my best friend. I bought some satin, lacy and cotton panties that were in a sale bin. I don’t expect anyone see them on me, but it’s for my own body image. I’m actually excited to wear them; there’re all sorts of colors. I got one thong, just to try out. I’m not too keen on having stuff riding up my butt. But it’s all part of the experience and feeling sexy.
When we get to Kohl’s, I’m not in the shopping mood anymore. Really, I just hate trying on clothes. I mean, you can only take off your pants and put new ones on just to be let down because they don’t fit so many times before it becomes a nightmare. But I put on a smile and get out of the car, trying not to spoil the mood. This is Randa’s place of expertise. We enter the store and head straight for the junior’s section. I walk right to the Capri rack, pulling out a couple of sizes to try on. I have more than enough shorts, but I find a couple of cute pairs for the hell of it.
“Oh, this is cute, Sky.” I glance at the spaghetti strapped dress Randa is holding up. I can’t tell if she likes it for her or me so I just nod and continue my quest for clothes that don’t suck. I move onto the blouses and tanks. I decide that I’ve got enough in my arms and should take the stuff to the fitting room.
The sounds of zippers and buttons fill the fitting room as I try on a thousand different bottoms and tops. I like a few of the tops and they fit me quite nicely, bringing out the light tanned color of my skin. I put them aside in my “I’m buying for sure” pile. And then let out a long sigh, staring at my jeans and Capri pants.
Randa stands outside the door. “Did you find anything?”
“Yeah, some cute blouses.” I answer, reluctant to change. “I guess I have to actually try these on. Ugh, did I ever tell you how much I hate trying on jeans?”
Randa laughs, waiting outside the door. “I know, but if you don’t try them on, you might miss some really sexy jeans that make your ass stick out. Guys like the way jeans fit on skinny girls with a big butt.”
“Uh, thanks? I guess.” I laugh, not sure if it’s a compliment. I sit and glare at the clothes. “Wanna come in and help me? I need motivation.” When Randa pushes on the door, I get up and unlock it for her to come in. I was never shy in front of her when changing into clothes but I just hate taking them off and putting them on over and over.
“Okay, let’s go; take off your shorts and start throwing these on.” I do as I’m told, operating in slow-mo.
Halfway through my fitting, I find it hopeless and frustrating. Either they’re too tight around the waist, loose around the hips, the back sticks out, too big, too short, too baggy, not the right style. “Gah, this is ridiculous! Why can’t anything fit right?”
“You need to gain a little bit more weight around the hips. A couple of them fit nice in the ass area, though.”
“It’s hopeless. What am I going to wear tonight?”
“Hang on, I’ll be right back.” She leaves the dressing room. I sit feeling defeated, hanging the clothes up on the opposite rack of my blouses.
Randa comes back a few minutes later with a couple of dresses. One is a long red Maxi dress, striped on the skirt, spaghetti straps, nothing special about it but for some reason, I take it from her hands and hold it to my body. I picture myself wearing it and smile. “I like this one.”
“Try it on.” She orders.
I remove my clothes and pull the dress over my head, putting my arms through the straps. It goes down to my feet, which I can wear sandals and not trip over it. I twirl around, glancing at the mirror. “I like this.”
“I think you should wear this tonight.” She says and I nod in agreement. We put the rest of the clothes back on the racks, and I keep a couple blouses with a pair of capris.
We make it to the front and pay. She picked a couple of outfits for herself, but she can easily find nice outfits to fit her perfect body. It’s a reason I dislike shopping for clothes with her. Jealousy is a bitch.
On the way back to my house, we jam to some tunes. I dance and bob my head back and forth, singing to Pink’s Get the Party Started. The windows are rolled down, at the stop light a car pulls up next to us, watching us make fools of ourselves. We just smile and wave, still singing. The hot guy in the driver’s seat waves back, smiling too, while the guy in the passenger seat whistles and hoots. We both laugh and take off when the light changes.
When we get back to my house, I invite Randa to stay until we go out. We show my mother what we bought and she freaks when she sees Randa’s hair. “Wow, your hair looks lovely. Do you think your mom will like it?”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll freak out at first, but at least I didn’t dye it all like I originally planned.” I pour a glass of tea for both of us, sitting at the kitchen table.
She grins at me. “Skylar, I love your hair honey. It’s not too drastic, but a bit of a change nonetheless.” Her hands run through the strands. “And it’s shorter too, I just noticed that. I love it!”
“Thanks, mom. I love it too. I thought a new look would be nice. You know, new date, new ‘do.” I move my head from side to side, feeling my hair fly around my face. We sit at the table, talking about trivial things.
“Hey, Sky? Do you have One Tree Hill on Netflix?” Randa asks from the living room. My mother shoos me out of the kitchen to entertain my guest. I plop down onto the sofa next to her and grab the remote.
; “No, but I have it DVR’ed. Wanna watch it?”
“Yes, I’m behind. What episodes do you have on there?”
I flip through the menu and find what episode she’s looking for. We talk about our favorite characters and the situations they find themselves in. I love soap operas and drama TV shows. Sometimes it makes me feel better about the way my life is turning out. I mean, Haley is the nerdy tutor girl but she’s so sweet and friendly. I even think she’s really pretty. She and Lucas were best friends for so long but they never had a romantic relationship. I almost feel like at times, I’m Haley but who is Jackson? Maybe Nathan, yeah, he’s definitely Nathan. He’s my favorite, and so is Haley. I love Brooke too! Jared is definitely Lucas.
“Dan is the biggest douche bag, I fucking hate him.” I glance at Randa, giving her the look that says “language, mother present” and she clamps her mouth shut. “Sorry, I freaking hate him.” She whispers.
Two episodes later, we start getting ready. “Hey, what time is Ian picking you up?” I asked Randa as I laid my clothes out on my bed.
“About 6:30. When’s Jackson coming over?”
“I don’t know, he just said he’d pick me up later.” I send him a quick text asking when he’s picking me up. “I’m gonna take a quick shower, I’ll be right back.” She nods and I leave the room.
I take the quickest twenty minute shower possible, dry my hair and enter my room wrapped in my towel. “Okay, my turn.” Randa grabs her clothes and hits the shower. I plop down onto my bed and check my message; one from Jackson.
Hey, I’ll be there in thirty minutes.
I’m still perfecting my makeup when the doorbell rings. My mom answers and entertains Jackson for a little bit. Nerves start soaring through my body. I can feel the anxiety set in.
Randa slaps my hand, witnessing the shaking. “Relax, Sky. It’s gonna be a blast.”
“I know, it’s gonna be amazing. But I don’t know the first thing about dates. What to expect, what not to expect. How to act, when is the right time to kiss? Or do you wait? Ah! I’m a basketcase.”
She grabs me by the shoulders, sitting me down on the toilet seat. “You need to simmer way down, dear.” I finally laugh. “First of all, forget the rules. Just be yourself. Live in the moment. Whatever happens, don’t fight it. If he makes a move, go with it. Unless you just flat out don’t want to. But knowing you, that won’t be the case. With Jackson at least. I’ll be there if you start to panic. But really, just relax and enjoy the evening.”
We enter the kitchen where my mom and Jackson are sitting at the table eating a cookie.
When he becomes aware of my presence, he stands up and his eyes widen at the sight of me. I watch his throat move up and down as he swallows. Positive sign, I note. “Hi.”
“Hi.” I reply lamely. “You look nice.” He’s wearing a blue dress shirt tucked into a pair of khaki pants, which fits his physique pleasantly.
He smirks, his blue eyes roaming my body. “You look beautiful.”
“Awwww.” We both turn to my mom and Randa watching us in awe, embarrassing the hell out of me.
“Okay, it’s time to go.” I announce, grabbing my purse. “See ya later, mom.” I hug her. She kisses my cheek, wishing us a great evening.
“I’m meeting Ian at my house. I’ll see you guys in a bit.” She gets in her car and takes off.
Jackson opens my door and I hop in. “Thank you.” I sniff the air, inhaling the scent; orange. The inside is clean and newly vacuumed. He gets in and shuts his door, noticing me. “It smelled like an ash tray. I didn’t think it’d be appropriate to take my date out in the stench.”
I cross my legs, sitting as ladylike as possible. “It’s okay, Jackson. You don’t have to change your habits for me. I know you smoke; it’s a nasty habit, but I won’t ask you to quit for my benefit.”
He buckles his seat belt and starts the engine. He watches me for a minute with a wide smile, before leaving my driveway. “You’re really something. You know that?”
“I hope that’s a good something.” I hesitantly remark.
“It’s a really good thing.” He reaches out to touch my hair, “I didn’t get to tell you before, but your hair looks amazing.” I blush, thankful it’s dark in here so he can’t see how easily he affects me. “Also, you don’t need makeup. Your natural look is perfect.” Another blush. Well, I don’t need blush when he’s saying such things to me. But I’m glad he likes me without makeup, since I don’t like wearing that stuff anyway.
He turns the music on; playing Incubus as we cruise to the restaurant.
We pull into the little restaurant in town. Randa and Ian show up shortly after. It’s typically busy for a Saturday, which is no surprise. The place has the best steaks and mashed potatoes. I’m still getting used to my hair being shorter, not being able to put it back in a bun the way I used to. But I like it.
We’re seated in a booth. Jackson sits beside me and every once in a while, I feel him brush up against me. I don’t know if it’s on accident or it’s a sly, subtle gesture, until he pushes against me a little harder, shoulder to shoulder, and winks at me when I glance between us.
My eyes scan the menu, all the while trying to keep chest from exploding with all the sensations coursing through me with his proximity. I already know what I want, but damn, I can’t focus. My hands itch to reach over and touch him. I don’t even have to go that far. Take it slow, don’t rush this.
“Hey, how is everyone doing tonight? I’m Holly; I’ll be taking care of you.” says the pretty brunette. I smile. We give our drink orders and she scampers off, giving Jackson a flirtatious smile. He doesn’t notice.
We soon order our food and chat amongst ourselves above the loud chattering going on around us.
“So, how’s football?” Randa asks, making small talk.
Jackson scowls. “It’s fine. I’m sucking hardcore right now. My head’s just not in the game.”
Dinner goes smoothly; Randa observes closely. My phone beeps in my purse. When I check it, I laugh out loud, look up to see Jackson’s curious eyes and clamp my mouth shut. That makes Randa laugh too. It was a text from her;
Girl, you’re doing great. I’ve been noticing his stares when you’re not paying attention and the subtle touches. He’s so into you it’s not even funny. The tension hanging over our table is freaking hot.
I discreetly read it over and over; my face growing warm. I stuff my phone deep into my purse and close it. Randa’s eyes shift from me to Jackson. He’s talking to Ian so he doesn’t notice our secretive observations. When we finish our dinner, the waitress lays our check down and we pay.
Jackson stretches his upper body and announces he’s going to the restroom. “Okay, so you’re on your own.” Randa tells me. “You’ve got this; go to the beach alone and enjoy the nice evening.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask, on board with the idea of spending time with Jackson by myself, but still curious of her plans.
“We’ll just hang out at my house watching movies or something. Don’t worry about me.”
Jackson returns and I grab my leftover box and we pile out of the restaurant after paying. Another dinner bought for me.
It’s a little windy tonight, but perfect for taking a walk on the beach. And I’m no longer nervous about being alone with him or what to expect. Instead, I’m eager to get out on our own.
“Okay you two, we’re outies. I forgot I had some homework I needed to get done.”
Jackson gives her a look; he’s on to her. “Right.” His head bobs up and down.
She asks. “What?”
“That’s the lamest excuse, Randa. It’s Saturday. No one does homework on Saturday. No one.”
“Well, I’m lame. What can I say?”
He doesn’t buy it, and I watch the scene with amusement. “You’re forgetting, I dated the Queen of excuses, herself. Amber used every excuse in the book for everything.” He glances at me briefly, “And anyway, you could’ve just said you�
��re giving us space, so you and Ian are going to do something else. In which case, I’d say, thank you…I kind of wanted to spend alone time with Sky tonight anyway. But we enjoyed dinner. Let’s do it again sometime.”
After a moment of silence, we all laugh at our ridiculousness. “ Well, fo have fun.” Randa gives me a quick hug and a wink before pulling Ian away. “Call me later Sky; I’ll be in suspense knowing how it went.” She shouts.
Jackson opens my door and says to her, “I’ll be sure to take pictures so she has proof.” He winks at me. Ugh, their ability to wink is making me feel pathetic. But I can’t help the crazy feelings that run amuck when he does that and I love it. It’s so sexy.
The drive to the beach is quiet. I sneak peeks at him, his hand on the gear shift, his leg resting against the side. My mind conjures up an image of him using those hands on me. I close my eyes, letting it take me there, to a place I wanna go but won’t initiate it. At least not now.
With the wind whipping my hair around my neck and my dress flaring around my feet, we walk along the beach. I took my shoes off in the car, loving the feel of the sand beneath my toes. Other beach-goers mill around, playing ball or chasing each other in the water. Jackson finds a secluded area in the sand; I plop down next to him. “It’s nice out here,” he begins, “It’s windy but it’s nicer than the heat we’ve had.”
I lean back on my hands and cross my right leg over the left one at the ankle. Luckily my dress is long. “Yeah, I’m ready to be in cooler climates.”
He looks out to the water. “Being out here takes all the stress away. I feel like I can tell the wind anything and it would just get washed up, but I’d have it all laid out, feeling the pressure lifted.”
I look at him. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
He moves his head, he nods slowly. “I know. That’s one of the things I always appreciated about you, our friendship. You never judged me or thought less of me.”
I sit up and cross my legs underneath me. “Why would I think less of you?”
Torn (Torn Heart) Page 11