Beth threw up her hands. “It’s not a ‘hey, let’s get to know each other’ type thing! You don’t have to like him, or get to know him. All you’re going to do is kiss him and you can walk away. There’ll be no clowns or circuses—I promise. And your pockets will be full of mints, so you’ll be fine.” She shook her head. “Please, all I need is a few moments of your life. You won’t be the only one there. I’ll be in the room too, and I’ll make sure you’re okay. Please.”
I gave in. I could never say no to Beth and she knew that fact only too well. “Okay.”
“Really? You’ll do it?”
“Yes.” I shook my finger. “If he’s got a red nose, big feet, and halitosis, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Big feet are a plus. I keep telling you that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Is it always about sex with you, Beth? It always comes down to, ah, penises—doesn’t it? Large ones at that.”
“Have you noticed the size of Ryan’s feet, my friend? My man is packing. And it’s a cock. Say it after me.” She spelled it out by enunciating each letter. “C-O-C-K. You can’t actually have sex without saying it, you know.”
My face flushed. “I’ve had sex, Beth. It’s just been a while.”
She grinned in delight. “Well, maybe tomorrow will be the start of a new era for you.” She pushed a card my way. “We’re using a different studio than usual. Here’s the address. Be there by eleven.”
With a sigh, I picked up the card, holding it by the edges as if it were going to bite me.
What had I agreed to do?
I yanked another shirt over my head, tossing it on the ever-growing pile on my bed, huffing in frustration. What should one wear when they are about to kiss a stranger? Everything I tried on felt wrong. My turtlenecks said I was closed off. My blouses seemed too formal, and the last shirt I tried on made me look like a slut. Should I wear my hair up or down? Makeup? Perfume? What if he was allergic? Kissing someone sneezing and with watery eyes would not be fun. None of this felt fun.
I sat down, my head in my hands. I should never have agreed to do this for Beth. I was introverted. I became tongue-tied when I met new people. I never knew what to say, or how to act, so I remained quiet.
Beth told me to come as myself. Except, I wasn’t sure what myself was when it came to the situation I found myself in. Standing up, I studied myself in the mirror. I looked unremarkable, to be honest. I had certainly been told often enough. The only people who had ever called me pretty were my parents and grandmother. I pushed aside the memories of being called “the ghost” at school by taunting classmates, or the teacher who’d muttered my pale hair color made me look like an old woman.
My hair was blonde—so blonde it was almost white, and hung past my shoulders in a mass of curls and ringlets. It had a mind of its own, and I’d given up trying to tame it. I was average—my eyes were my one positive feature. Large, wide, and a light shade of green, they were unusual. There was a beauty mark high on my cheekbone, next to my eye, and I had freckles. Silly little dots of color scattered across the bridge of my nose and the top of my cheeks like a small road map. I hated them, and I had tried every home remedy to get rid of them, to no avail. I was short and curvy—my figure an overall softness, not a well-placed voluptuousness I envied in others. Beth boasted Ryan could bounce a quarter off her hard abs, whereas a quarter would probably hit mine and roll off. If I could find my abs.
God, this was stupid. Why was I worrying?
I was going to walk into a room, kiss some man, and walk out. No doubt, he would forget about me as fast as I would forget about him. We’d never see each other again. He certainly wouldn’t be looking at my abs—or lack thereof. I would probably be a blip on his radar. I simply needed to be comfortable.
Reaching into my closet, I pulled out my favorite, flowing gypsy skirt in black and teamed it with a white tank top. I grabbed my beloved shrug I had found at a vintage shop—vivid red with small flowers embroidered all over the neckline—and pulled my hair back from my face, leaving it hanging down my back. My shoes were my usual simple flats. Heels and I didn’t get along. The only jewelry I wore was a pair of small, antique hoop earrings and my anklet with charms that tinkled and swayed as I walked. I never took either of them off because of sentimental reasons.
In the bathroom, I slipped in my contacts, blinking furiously at the pain caused by the right one. Confused, I slid my glasses back on, and grimaced when I saw a small tear on the edge of the contact. Checking the cabinet, I groaned—of course, it was my last pair. I had no choice but to wear my glasses or go in blind.
I added a touch of mascara and lip gloss, then looked in the mirror. I looked like me—maybe a little paler than normal, but me. I started to walk out the door, but turned back at the last minute and added a spritz of my perfume.
If he was allergic, too bad.
However, I did tuck my lip gloss in my skirt pocket and a few extra peppermints.
In case.
I stood across the street from the studio, hidden in a doorway, popping peppermints and
tugging on the strap of my purse slung over my shoulder. I had seen quite a few people go in, and I wondered if any of them were the person I was supposed to kiss. A few looked around my age, but I wasn’t sure. I knew Beth said there were four different rooms with crews taping people all day, so it was a busy place. I sucked in a long breath, wondering if there was any way I could get out of this without risking Beth’s ire.
My phone buzzed with an incoming text and I pulled it from my pocket, causing my remaining peppermints to scatter over the sidewalk. Cursing, I crouched down to pick them up while looking at my screen.
I see you across the street. Your mystery man isn’t here yet. Get your scared ass upstairs.
Well, dammit, I thought I was being sneaky, hiding in the doorway. I should have known she’d be looking for me.
With a huff, I bent forward to get the last three wrapped peppermints just as a boot landed on my searching fingers. I yelped in pain as the large foot pressed down heavily, crushing two fingers into the cement. Muttered curses filled the air as the foot pulled back and I fell on my ass, my glasses flying off. I held my aching fingers in my good hand, trying not to cry.
A figure materialized over me. “Fuck, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there! Are you okay?”