Page 70 of Proof

“Me too!” Luna said in response. She was delighted about receiving two compliments in the past fifteen minutes.

“What can we help you with today?” the man asked.

“I want to be sure I’m wearing the right makeup for my hair. I just had it done.”

He brought her near a lighted mirror and checked her face, this way and that. “Your foundation is fine, but I think you might want to ditch the pink blush and go with a more peach and russet tone. Same thing with eyeshadow. Do you normally wear it?”

Luna was grateful her puffy, bloodshot eyes had calmed down since that morning. She removed her big glasses. “Most of the time I just do a quick swipe of light brown. If I’m doing something special, I use a deeper shade in the crease.”

“Let’s try this.” He took a palette off a hook and began to apply a light gold pearl shadow under her brow, and then swiped a chestnut brown to the rest of her lids, followed by a few strokes of black eyebrow pencil and a smudge of brown eyeliner pencil. “Now your eyes have similar tones as your hair, but they stand out because of the eyeliner.” He stepped back. “Most people think they have to draw one steady line, but you can dot the rims and then blend it.” Then he tried a peach shade of lipstick with a little gloss. “Perfection!”

“I think I’m going to try to wear my contacts more often,” Luna said. “Now that I’ve figured out how to wear makeup without looking like a clown!” She turned to Chi-Chi. “What do you think?”

“I think you look beautiful.” Chi-Chi smiled warmly.

“I’m waiting for a pair of cats-eye glasses in a solid amber frame.” She winced, hoping she hadn’t ruined her new glow.

“That will be perfect,” the clerk replied. “Either way, you are stunning.”

Luna did a double take. She could not recall anyone ever calling her stunning. “Cute.” “Pretty.” “Lovely.” Never stunning. Chi-Chi was stunning. Luna began to blush. “Thank you.”

Chi-Chi was grinning. “My friend has gone through a great transformation today,” she explained to the makeup artist. “She used to have hair down to her waist, wore baggy granny dresses, and wire-rimmed glasses most of the time.”

“You could have fooled me,” the man said earnestly.

Luna laughed. “Well, it took me long enough to get here. I’d been sporting that look almost half my life.”

“Now you can start a new one.” He began to pack a few samples in a bag. “Try these on your own. If you like them, you can call me, and I’ll send them to you, or you can pick them up. Or if you live close by, we can deliver it.”

“We’re at the Stillwell Center,” Luna said. “I run The Namaste Café, and Chi-Chi is the creative genius at Silver and Stone.”

“Wait. Are you the one who has the coffee shop there?” He ducked his head slightly and whispered, “You do readings?”

“Uh, yes,” Luna whispered back.

“I was going to stop in, but the café was busy.” He looked her over from head to toe. “You were the one with the long braid and maxi dress?”

“That would be me. Correction. That was me. This is the new me.”

“I approve,” he said.

Luna reached into her purse and handed him her business card. “Please call and make an appointment. Gratis.”

“That’s very kind of you,” he replied.

“You have been very kind to me. Thank you.” She took her small bag of samples, shook his hand, and said, “Please don’t hesitate.”

Chi-Chi and Luna walked back to the eyeglass shop and picked up Luna’s new frames. Maureen was right—they went well with her hair, and now her makeup, too. On the way to Three Brothers, Luna could not wipe the smile off her face. Chi-Chi looked over at her. “It is nice to see you smiling again. And again. Now I understand what they mean by ‘retail therapy.’ ” She laughed.

“And hair, and makeup, and glasses therapy.” Luna chuckled.

They were the first to arrive at the pizzeria. Gorgio greeted them. “Nice to see you, Chi-Chi. And who is your new friend?”

Chi-Chi didn’t answer, and Luna stared at him without saying a word. Then her face broke out in a big smile. It gave her away immediately.

“Luna! Que bella! I didn’t recognize you!” Gorgio was truly surprised.

“I needed a change,” Luna explained.