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“I love making cosplay stuff. Carson saw these and had to have them in here for his clients. No one has used them, which sucks.” She runs her hands over the big feathers. “They look spectacular.”
I have no doubt.
“So…” She claps her hands and rubs her palms together. “I’ve read over your form, and I see you’re going for simple sultry.”
That’s one way to put it. “Yeah. I wasn’t really sure what look I was going for when I filled that out. Figured simple was best. I have a bunch of outfits with me, because I wasn’t sure which ones I would want to wear.”
“I get that. Better to bring too many and be prepared for anything than have regrets because you held back.”
She gets me. “Exactly.” My smile falls. “But I broke up with my boyfriend months ago, so my original plan is out the window. I called to cancel yesterday but got talked into keeping my slot.” That’s kind of true. Not that the photographer had to say much to sway me. “I want to use these photos to maybe help boost my Instagram account. Well, not all the pics, because they’d probably get me banned, but some of them.” I shut up before I prattle off too much and bore her to death.
Chloe taps the back of a swivel chair for me to sit in. Once I drop into it, she spins me to face the mirror. “Your hair is stunning, Mak.”
“Thanks.” It’s so thick and heavy, I have an undercut to prevent headaches.
“I’m thinking…” Chloe fans my hair out across my shoulders and tips her head. “Soft waves?”
“Sounds good.” I hope she can manage it. “My hair doesn’t really hold a curl for long.”
“Ohhh, challenge accepted.” She grabs a can of some kind of hair product I don’t recognize and sprays it in the air. “Watch me work my magic.”
A half hour later, I’m in full makeup, my hair is done, and I’m in the changing room putting on my first outfit. Chloe talked her ass off the entire time. I’m sure she thought it was helpful, but I couldn’t turn my head off long enough for anything she said to penetrate. She definitely drinks a lot of caffeine if these empty coffee cups are any indication. I swear she talks more than me too. That’s saying something.
Rock music pumps through the speakers in the main room and I hear a man’s voice say, “Mak ready, Chloe?”
“Yeah, she’ll be out in a few minutes. Hey, I’m going to grab a latte down the road. You want anything?”
“I’ll take a smoothie,” he says.
“You’re so weird. Who would choose a smoothie over a triple mocha frap with extra whipped cream and cinnamon?”
I snicker from behind the changing room door, listening to them.
“Why would someone want a heart attack in a cup when they can have joy in a cup instead?”
“I guess that means you want the avocado one with coconut?”
“It’s like you can read my mind, Chloe.”
“Or you just never get anything but that. You’re so boring, man. Switch things up a bit. Be adventurous. Try the watermelon cactus flower smoothie or something.”
“Maybe next time. Hey, see if Mak wants anything too, will ya? Tell her it’s my treat.”
“No prob, boss.”
I back away from the door and smooth out the first of several outfits I’ve brought. I know I won’t wear some of them, but this one was my most scandalous, and I love how I look in it. It’s a black lacey number with a matching see-through robe that fits more like a cardigan. I feel like a million dollars in it.
Until I look in the mirror.
Holy crap. What am I thinking going out in this? “Pull yourself together, Mak. You look great.”
If I keep saying it to myself, maybe it’ll sink in. Besides, I’m paying Cruz Photography a small fortune, so hopefully he has fancy editing software that will make me look like the Mak that lives in my head. I’ll just have to double check to make sure the photographer understands my expectations before I leave.
“Mak?” Chloe softly knocks. “You need me to lace, tie, zip or pin anything?”
“Nope.” I blow out a big breath and swing the door open. “I’m as good as I’m gonna get, I think.”
Chloe’s eyes widen and her mouth drops. “DAYEM GIRL! You are fine!”