Page 120 of Unlikely to Stay
Chapter 26
Brant looked around Main Street.Freckles was right.The town was hopping.In addition to the town regulars, Brant noticed several people wearing bathing suits under tank tops and shorts, lake shoes on their feet, and a white streak of sunblock on their noses.Definitely people venturing into town from the lake for the Fourth of July festivities.
Suddenly, he saw exactly where he wanted to go first.“Let’s go over there!”he said, pointing the direction his eyes had taken him.
“The face painting booth?”CC wrinkled her nose.“Why?”
“Because we’re getting our faces painted.”
“No, we’re not,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Why not?”
“Because face painting is for little kids.”
“Maybe I want to act like a kid today.Come on.Do it for me?”Brant batted his eyes.
“Fine,” she huffed.“But I get to choose what you get.”
“Only if I get to choose yours.”
“Will it be embarrassing?”
“Nope.”
“Promise?”
Brant held out his pinky.“Pinky.The only deal is if you go first you can’t look at it until mine is finished.And what we choose is a surprise.”
Freckles sighed but nodded her head in agreement.“I want to go first.”
She and Brant walked over to the booth.The painter had tons of pictures posted on several standing screens enclosing the chair where she painted her clients.He had his pick of a plethora of designs—a peacock, the head centered above the nose and feathers fanned around both eyes, a butterfly framing both eyes, a fairy sitting on one eyebrow with streaks of bright colors rippling and curving down the side of her face.Finally, Brant located the perfect one.
“I want this one for her,” he said, motioning the painter to the picture he found.
“I can do it,” she replied with a smile.“Give me a few minutes.”
“I picked one,” he told CC, who was standing on the side with the paintings for boys’ faces.“She’s ready for you.”
“Promise I won’t look stupid?”
“You’re going to love it.”
“I’ve already picked yours out, too,” she said with a smile.
“Can’t wait.”Brant watched as the artist got out the paints—which looked like crayons—she would need for CC’s face.He leaned against the pole of the tent canopied over the chair and watched, fascinated to see the creation come to life on Freckles’ face.In just a few minutes, what Brant had chosen was an exact replica of the picture.
“All finished,” the artist said.“Are you next?”
“Yes, he is,” CC said for him.“Sit down, big boy.”
Brant laughed and plopped down on the director’s chair.“I hope she didn’t trick me into something ridiculous.”
The artist smiled.“I guess you’ll find out in a minute.”
That didn’t instill a lot of confidence in CC’s decision.Nevertheless, a deal was a deal.He simply held his breath and prayed he wouldn’t see a dinosaur face or an alligator sharing his mouth when he looked in the mirror.
“All finished,” the artist said after a few minutes, handing them both a mirror.“You guys can look now.You must be a couple or something.I’ve never seen people choose paintings that close to each other.”