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Chapter 6- Lexie

The familiar buzz of a lawnmower and the smell of fresh-cut grass awoke me. My body ached from my dream, now a common occurrence. Each seemed so real; I wasn't sure how to make them stop.

Again, I found myself oversleeping and pulled the fleece blanket over my head. I debated whether to spend the rest of the day in bed until the aroma of coffee from downstairs convinced me otherwise.

"Why do you always let me sleep so late?" I asked Kate as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"Chris asked the same questions when he was here," she answered, poking her head from the Sunday newspaper.I felt my face blush at the mention of his name. 

"When was he here?" I asked, searching for my phone to see if there was a message.

I couldn't help but smile as I saw his name and read the message out loud: 

         Dinner at 7 pm at Anton's. PU @ 6:30Do you always sleep so late?I

 looked up from my phone to find Kate looking at me with raised eyebrows. "That sounds like a date."

"It's not a date, just dinner for a favor."

"Your mind might be saying that, but your face is saying something else."

"No, really it's just dinner. Chris and I have become good friends."

"Really?"

"Don't worry so much," I laughed."I'm surprised you're not worried about what you're going to wear. Anton's is a pretty fancy place," she said.

I hadn't thought of that. Choosing the appropriate clothes had always been a struggle for me unless it involved jeans and a sweatshirt. Kate, on the other hand, was a master at making any outfit look perfect and had the closet to prove it.

"Will you help me?"

"Come on let's go dig in my closet."

We spent hours trying on clothes and modeling for each other until we found a sexy black dress. She applied my makeup and curled my hair. It was great spending time with my best friend and I hadn't realized how much I missed it. We had lost track of time with all of the excitement until the doorbell rang, announcing it was 6:30.

Kate ran downstairs to get the door and I took a few minutes to gather my confidence. I looked in the mirror and was stunned at the reflection staring back. Kate had managed to change my sweet, innocent girl image into a seductive woman. My dull gray eyes gave a vivacious green hue from the smoky eye shadow; the frothy pink lipstick softened my mouth with a provocative hint, and big, rolling curls gently fell down my back.

I stepped back to look at myself in the black, backless dress and wondered if it was too much. Was I giving the wrong impression of a friendship?His voice brought goosebumps to my skin as I nervously peeked around the bedroom door. He stood in the doorway dressed in a precise-fitting gray suit that clung to his broad shoulders and straight hips. His jacket was open, showing a white shirt underneath, slightly unbuttoned, hinting at what lie underneath. I noticed his hands in the front pockets of his pants and grinned.

He turned towards me, and his eyes caught mine offering no expression on his face. I smiled, hoping to see his bright smile, but he continued to stare as if in a trance. His fixed gaze made me uneasy as I started down the stairs

With a deep breath, I managed to put one foot in front of the other to meet him. I was glad Kate had chosen 4-inch heels to give me the advantage of being at eye level with him. His eyes seemed particularly blue in his gray suit and I was surprised I hadn't noticed the many blue variations before. I wanted to break the awkward silence and say something witty, but nothing came to mind. I continued to stare into his eyes, waiting for a smile, but he continued to stare without blinking.