Rising

  “But I only have a little left to do on your curtains and then they’re done.” Sara scowled.

  Gretchen pushed her through the doors of Macy’s Department Store. Perfume floated in the air around them as Gretchen steered her toward the women’s clothing section.

  “Girl, this is a much more pressing matter. This is your first date since I’ve known you, and knowing you, it’s your first date—ever.”

  Sara didn’t disagree, even though it was no longer true. “So.” Sara frowned. “Just because I have a date tonight, I have to buy new clothes?”

  “No, you have to buy new clothes because you need something appropriate to wear. Don’t get me wrong, your clothes are cute, but we’re going to the concert hall. It’s an occasion to dress up. Besides, you need something special to wow Shane Adams.”

  “It’s Xanthus,” Sara said.

  “Xanthus? Sounds Greek. So what’s his last name again?”

  “Dimitriou.”

  “Ooo... he is Greek. I still can’t believe you’re dating your landlord. Do you think he’ll lower your rent now that you’re lip-locking?”

  “We are not dating. This is one date. And he is not lowering my rent.” She had to put her foot down somewhere.

  “No denial of the lip-locking? You kissed him, didn’t you?” Gretchen’s eyes were wide as she smiled.

  “He kissed me actually.” Sara felt her face heat. That was a testament to how little experience she had—that she would blush just because someone had kissed her. Gretchen had told many more colorful stories about her love life and she had never blushed.

  “Oh, wow. We are so getting you a killer dress for tonight. One that shows some skin.” Gretchen plowed on through to the women’s department.

  “No. No showing skin.” Sara shook her head.

  “How are you going to wow him without showing him some skin?” Gretchen stopped next to a display rack, pulled a yellow, strapless sundress up to her body, and gazed in a nearby mirror.

  “Why do I need to wow him?”

  “Girl, you have a lot to learn about men.” Gretchen held the dress up to Sara. “I don’t know. I think this yellow washes you out. Let’s see what you look like in blue.” She pulled a shiny, navy blue dress off the rack.

  “I don’t like my blues that dark,” Sara said. “Besides, I don’t think that style is me.”

  “You’re so not going in a muumuu.”

  “I don’t wear muumuus.”

  “Not technically, but you do tend to cover yourself. It wouldn’t hurt you to show a little more skin.”

  “How about I wear a bikini top?”

  “No need for sarcasm.” Gretchen held up a white, sequined dress with spaghetti straps and a deep V-neck, practically down to the waist. “Oh, look at this dress. If you wear this, you’ll have to bring along a crash cart. This’ll stop Shane Adams’s heart.”

  “I don’t think so. How about we find something with a little more fabric?” Sara suggested and wheeled toward a dress rack.

  “Wow, look at this. I love this color.” Sara pulled a shimmery, aqua blue, wraparound dress off a hanger. “It’s sleeveless. Does that show enough skin?” Sara held it up for Gretchen’s expert inspection.

  “Not as much as I’d like, but the dress is amazing. And I think you like that blue so much because it’s the exact color of your eyes.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Sara wheeled into the general direction of the dressing rooms.

  “Just where do you think you’re going?” Gretchen propped her hand on her hip.

  Sara stopped and wheeled back around. “I was going to try it on. Is there something wrong with that?”

  “Girl, you can’t try on only one thing. Let’s find a few more to compare.”

  “Oh good grief, you always make shopping for clothes a big event.”

  “It is a big event. One you should enjoy more. Now come on. Let’s keep looking.”

  Two hours and four changing sessions later, Sara paid for the blue dress. Gretchen pushed her chair away from the checkout counter. “I sure hate to use this thing.” Sara put her credit card back in her purse.

  “I’m sure you do. What is your balance on that thing?” Gretchen paused to pick up a sample perfume bottle. She sniffed it, sprayed a little on her fingertips, and dabbed behind her ears.

  “Ninety-nine dollars and ninety-eight cents,” Sara answered.

  Gretchen laughed. “Was this your first purchase on that card? How long have you had it?”

  “Yes, it’s my first purchase, and I’ve only had it for six months.” Sara sighed. “I shouldn’t have used it. It’s going to take me forever to pay off the charges.”

  “Girl, you look amazing in that dress. It’s definitely worth it. Maybe you should tell Shane to bring a bib. He’s going to be drooling all over himself.”

  Sara rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

  “No, really,” Gretchen said. “You should show off your curves more often. You have such a tiny waist, and with breasts your size, you look like a Barbie doll. Women pay thousands and thousands of dollars trying to get a figure like yours, and you hide yours under T-shirts. It’s practically criminal.”

  “Where are we going?” Sara realized they were moving past a line of retail stores inside the mall’s atrium, when they should have been in the parking lot.

  “To get your hair done.”

  “No. No way. I already spent too much money on the dress. There is no way I’m getting my hair done.”

  “Sara, I’ll pay. Let’s just call it payment for my draperies.”

  “Draperies that aren’t even done yet.”

  “Oh, I trust that you’ll finish them. Now I know this hairdresser. He’s a legend. And he also happens to be my date for the night, which is why he agreed to do your hair on such short notice. He didn’t want to have to look at bad hair all evening.”

  “Very funny. And I thought all male hairdressers were gay.”

  “That is so not true.” Sara looked doubtful.

  “Okay,” Gretchen said. “Maybe it’s true for most, but not Hal. I think he just likes playing with women’s hair. Personally, he’s completely straight.”

  “Okay, but no matter what he says, I’m not going short. I like my hair long.”

  “You like to be able to hide behind your hair. It’s like your own personal curtain. But I agree. Your hair is gorgeous long. I think you could use some layers though to give your hair shape.”

  “Hair has shape? Who knew hair had shape?

  “Hair definitely has shape.” Gretchen laid Sara’s doubts to rest.

  “All right, I’ll get my stupid hair done. But I’m doing my own makeup tonight.”

  “No argument there. Your skin is perfect and your makeup always looks fine, when you wear makeup.”

  “Okay, let’s get this over with,” Sara said as Gretchen wheeled her through the doors.

  A short, sandy blond man with a lanky build and amazing green eyes stepped forward and gave Gretchen a peck on the lips. “Gretchen, you look stunning, as always.”

  “Hal, you always know how to make a girl feel special.”

  So this was Hal. He was just a few inches taller than Gretchen’s five feet. Sara hoped he wasn’t self-conscious about his height. Next to Xanthus, everyone seemed miniature.

  Hal looked down at Sara. “Oh, Gretchen, you told me how much potential she had but I had no idea until now.”

  Sara wasn’t sure how to take being talked about in third person when she was sitting right there in front of him.

  “You’re beautiful, Sara.” Okay, maybe she could forgive him for his lack of manners. “With my help, you’ll be a goddess.” He reached out, lifted her hair, and let it cascade through his fingers.

  Sara wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Um… thank you?”

  “What kind of products do you use?” Hal continued to run his fingers through her hair. Gretchen was right. He really liked playing with women’s ha
ir.

  “Um, strawberry-scented VO5 shampoo.”

  “And?”

  “And a hairdryer?”

  “You’re joking.” His eyes brushed over her hair as he inspected it. “Your hair has a softness and natural shine that I’ve never seen before. You wouldn’t believe how much effort it takes to get a shine close to yours. How long has it been since you colored it?”

  “Um, I don’t color it.” She shook her head.

  “Amazing. The color is incredible, black as midnight. With the right cut, it’ll be stunning. We just have to keep it long. I couldn’t bring myself to cut off so much perfection.”

  He draped a smock over Sara, wheeled her in front of a mirror, pulled out his scissors, and began to snip. Hal’s scissors danced over her hair. Like confetti, little clumps of hair began to fall.

  Sara closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle snipping and soft tugs on her hair. In the background, the soft chatter of voices and the sound of the television played for those who actually had to wait for their appointment.

  A news program ran and a man’s voice hummed in the background, “Famous deep-sea diver, Josh Talbot, has been missing for over twenty-four hours and is presumed dead. He was last seen diving off the coast of Sicily. Searchers have yet to locate his body.” Sara shuddered at the thought of him drowning at sea. “We’ve just received breaking new from the west shore. Let’s go to Amanda, who is on the scene.”

  Sara opened her eyes, looked at the screen, and saw an inferno. “There has been a massive explosion at Roc Manufacturing on the west shore of Oahu. Firefighters are attempting to contain the inferno, but so far, the winds are fueling the flames. It appears that no one was injured. Four security guards on duty were found unconscious but otherwise unharmed on the south side of the complex. It’s not clear what happened to them or what the source of the explosion was. Hopefully, we will have a statement from them soon.”

  “Wow,” Sara said. “That’s pretty scary.”

  Gretchen sat down on a swivel chair next to Sara. Her eyes drifted over the television screen absently. “Yeah, it’s really sad. But I’m not going to let anything dampen the mood of your first date, Sara. We are going to have a wonderful time and there’s to be no talk of explosions tonight. Speculate all you want tomorrow.”

  Sara smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”