Ginger following behind her, then she pulled several items out of her red patent leather tote bag. “Lookie what I brought.”
My first guest had arrived, which left me speechless. Well, technically she was the second guest since Ginger lived here. I couldn’t believe this was happening that girl friends wanted to come hang out with me. It seemed unreal and part of me wanted to hide in the other room in case they somehow realized they’d made a mistake by coming and bolted. Me? Insecure? Maybe just a lot .
Swallowing the lump in my throat, my gaze dropped to the bottles in Avery’s hand. “What are those for?”
She gestured to the purple streaks in her shoulder-length hair, which she wore pulled back at the bakery but had styled down tonight. “I catch you staring at my hair all the time. Don’t you dare deny you do.”
My immediate reaction was to protest. But Avery would just pin me down anyway, so I went to the fridge and shrugged. “It’s such a beautiful color.” I opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a bottle of champagne, hoping a (very full) glass would calm my nerves. “I can’t figure out how you keep the streaks so vibrant.”
“I dye it every week.” She used a tone that said she thought everyone would know that was how you retained the color. “As you will also have to or believe me, the color will fade. Oh, did I mention the surprise I promised you tonight? We’re dying a lock of your hair purple. Surprise !”
I gaped at her happy grin. “I can’t dye my hair purple.”
She held the bottles higher. “Why not? I have everything you need.”
The doorbell rang again, so I glanced at my roommate.
Ginger raised a finger. “I’ll get that. But first, I have to state for the record that a purple lock would look fabulous with your blond hair.”
I couldn’t believe they were ganging up on me! Even though the color of Avery’s hair was beautiful, I couldn’t dye my hair purple for a lot of reasons. Tons. Now I just needed to come up with one. . . .
“I’ll think about it,” I said, hoping I could stall her while I figured out what was holding me back. I really did have hair envy, but people would notice me if I had purple hair. They might even stare at the color like I’d done with Avery’s. If they looked too closely they’d see my imperfections, so it was safer to keep under the radar.
Avery took the champagne flute I handed her. “Don’t worry. A few of these and your fear will fly right out the window,” she said.
“Fear?” I frowned, pouring a glass of champagne for Ginger and whoever had knocked on the door. Avery was so off base. “I’m not afraid.”
She raised a brow. “Then why won’t you say yes?”
I stared at her pretty purple hair, wondering how she’d ever had the guts to dye so many streaks. But I was not as brave as she was, so I raised a shoulder. “It’s just not . . . me.”
“I’m not buying that excuse, but it’s your choice.” Avery took a sip of champagne, then eyed the dining room table strangely. “Uh, what happened there?”
“Don’t ask, but also don’t eat any of it,” I said, then twisted around as my old co-worker Ellen Holbrook came into the room.
Ellen was a pretty woman, who looked like the typical girl next door. She had dirty-blond hair, green eyes, and a majorly protruding baby belly that made me wonder how she managed to say upright. She’d always been polite to me at the office when we’d worked together, but I’d never been included in her in-group social outings no matter how much I’d wanted to be. Seeing her here actually made me feel like an intruder at my own party, and I once again felt the urge to go hide in my room.
Her mouth turned upward in a polite smile. “Hi, Melinda. It’s nice to see you.”
“You, too.” I forced an awkward smile, wondering if my nerves had ever been this frazzled before.
“Hellooo!” A cheerful voice rang out then Mary Ann burst into the room. She threw her
My first guest had arrived, which left me speechless. Well, technically she was the second guest since Ginger lived here. I couldn’t believe this was happening that girl friends wanted to come hang out with me. It seemed unreal and part of me wanted to hide in the other room in case they somehow realized they’d made a mistake by coming and bolted. Me? Insecure? Maybe just a lot .
Swallowing the lump in my throat, my gaze dropped to the bottles in Avery’s hand. “What are those for?”
She gestured to the purple streaks in her shoulder-length hair, which she wore pulled back at the bakery but had styled down tonight. “I catch you staring at my hair all the time. Don’t you dare deny you do.”
My immediate reaction was to protest. But Avery would just pin me down anyway, so I went to the fridge and shrugged. “It’s such a beautiful color.” I opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a bottle of champagne, hoping a (very full) glass would calm my nerves. “I can’t figure out how you keep the streaks so vibrant.”
“I dye it every week.” She used a tone that said she thought everyone would know that was how you retained the color. “As you will also have to or believe me, the color will fade. Oh, did I mention the surprise I promised you tonight? We’re dying a lock of your hair purple. Surprise !”
I gaped at her happy grin. “I can’t dye my hair purple.”
She held the bottles higher. “Why not? I have everything you need.”
The doorbell rang again, so I glanced at my roommate.
Ginger raised a finger. “I’ll get that. But first, I have to state for the record that a purple lock would look fabulous with your blond hair.”
I couldn’t believe they were ganging up on me! Even though the color of Avery’s hair was beautiful, I couldn’t dye my hair purple for a lot of reasons. Tons. Now I just needed to come up with one. . . .
“I’ll think about it,” I said, hoping I could stall her while I figured out what was holding me back. I really did have hair envy, but people would notice me if I had purple hair. They might even stare at the color like I’d done with Avery’s. If they looked too closely they’d see my imperfections, so it was safer to keep under the radar.
Avery took the champagne flute I handed her. “Don’t worry. A few of these and your fear will fly right out the window,” she said.
“Fear?” I frowned, pouring a glass of champagne for Ginger and whoever had knocked on the door. Avery was so off base. “I’m not afraid.”
She raised a brow. “Then why won’t you say yes?”
I stared at her pretty purple hair, wondering how she’d ever had the guts to dye so many streaks. But I was not as brave as she was, so I raised a shoulder. “It’s just not . . . me.”
“I’m not buying that excuse, but it’s your choice.” Avery took a sip of champagne, then eyed the dining room table strangely. “Uh, what happened there?”
“Don’t ask, but also don’t eat any of it,” I said, then twisted around as my old co-worker Ellen Holbrook came into the room.
Ellen was a pretty woman, who looked like the typical girl next door. She had dirty-blond hair, green eyes, and a majorly protruding baby belly that made me wonder how she managed to say upright. She’d always been polite to me at the office when we’d worked together, but I’d never been included in her in-group social outings no matter how much I’d wanted to be. Seeing her here actually made me feel like an intruder at my own party, and I once again felt the urge to go hide in my room.
Her mouth turned upward in a polite smile. “Hi, Melinda. It’s nice to see you.”
“You, too.” I forced an awkward smile, wondering if my nerves had ever been this frazzled before.
“Hellooo!” A cheerful voice rang out then Mary Ann burst into the room. She threw her
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