She shrugs. “I don’t know. Now hold still. This goes with your smoky eye look and besides, you’re going to a club, Willa. I can’t exactly put a nude lip on you. You need to be bold.”
“I’m regretting calling you.”
“Oh, codswallop.”
“Are you a hundred years old now?” I fight laughter.
She smirks. “If it’ll get you to hold still, then yes, I am.”
Harlow sits on the bathroom counter watching us battle back and forth. “Let her put it on, Willa. I think it’ll look nice.”
“Traitor,” I mumble, and then reluctantly hold still for Meredith.
She finishes my makeup and moves on to my hair. She braids it on the side, but not like a normal braid, it’s something complicated that I know I could never recreate. Stepping back, she appraises her handiwork and then douses me in a can of hairspray.
Coughing, I ask, “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Never,” she scoffs. “But this needs to last through not only the night but sweat and dancing. I can’t have you looking like you rolled in bed all night.” I blush at her words. “Now, it’s dress time.” She claps her hands and runs into my room and back, carrying a garment bag. “I bought this because it was to die for, but I haven’t had anywhere to wear it yet. But I think you deserve to wear it tonight.”
She removes the dress from the garment bag and my jaw drops.
“Mere, I can’t wear that. I might not have a lot going on in the boob area but what I do have is going to fall out. I don’t think my nipple popping out on a kind of sort of first date is the best idea.”
She rolls her eyes. “Men love a little nip slip. Besides,” she continues when I open my mouth to protest, “I brought tape.”
She reaches into her makeup bag on my counter and shows me the tape.
“Fine,” I grumble.
“Strip, girl.”
I shake my head and she helps me into the dress. It’s skintight and I have trouble shimmying it up over my hips.
Meredith zips the back and helps guide me on where to place the tape.
“One last thing,” she declares, and adds a black choker around my neck. Grabbing my shoulders, she turns me toward the mirror. “What do you think?”
“You look beautiful,” Harlow breathes.
I gape at my appearance. I look like a goddess. My skin is glowing and bronzed, but not overly so, and contrasts nicely with the smoky gray eyeshadow and bold red lip. I might’ve blanched when she pulled out the red lipstick, but the girl knew what she was talking about.
A few loose pieces of hair frame my face, softening the look.
“Okay, you did good,” I admit grudgingly.
Meredith smirks, crossing her arms over her chest. “Always trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
Even the dress, while far more daring than anything I would pick for myself, is perfect.
It’s black and ends higher above my knees than I’m used to, but it’s not short enough for me to feel insecure in. The front dips low, with crisscrossing straps. It definitely exposes way more skin up there than I’m comfortable with, but I know I own nothing in my closet that would be appropriate to wear. I turn to the side.
“Whoa, I have a butt.”
Meredith laughs and pinches my butt. “Of course you do, girl, show it off.”
“You look pretty,” Harlow says.
“Thank you,” I reply.