Mr. Lawson's Assistant

Chapter 48

I stood in front of the mirror as Kenya zipped up my new dress. I held my phone in one hand, trying to reply to a work email, and in my other hand I held the heels that Soma was forcing me to wear.
"Honey, you need to put that phone down. It's the weekend and that means no work." Kenya straightened from fixing the back of my dress, and peered over my shoulder to see what I was doing.
I scowled at the phone screen and said, "If I have free time, I don't see how it's bad to get some extra work in."
"This," Kenya made a cicular motion with her pointer finger, "is not free time. This is get-ready-for-girls-night-out time!" She cocked an eyebrow at me, crossing her arms.
Ugh.
In an effort to look upset, I opened the bathroom door and tossed my phone out onto my bed.
"Ouch! What the heck, Oana?!" I heard David wince as my phone hit, what I'd though was the bed.
"Why are you even in here?" I peeked out from behind the bathroom door, knowing if David saw my dress he'd never let me leave the house. Him and his protective-big-brother complex. I shook my head.
David rubbed his shoulder where my phone had hit him and frowned, "I was waiting to see your dress." He was lying.
"And you can't wait in the living room?" I raised my eyebrows.
David sent me a look and shook his head, "Soma won't leave me alone." He lowered his voice as if my roommate could hear him from her shower across the apartment. Behind me, Kenya started laughing, and I turned to shush her, but David heard her and shot me a grin. "Besides, I haven't met all your hot friends yet." He winked, and Kenya covered her mouth to stifle another round of laughter at my expression.
"David!"
My brother grinned successfully and plopped back against the pillows on my bed. "Just sayin'."
I blanched, "Ew! You're such a d-"
Kenya cut me off by saying, "Dork," and giving me a look.
I scoffed, as I closed the bathroom door, "That's not was I was going to say..." I muttered, and I heard David protesting from my room that he could hear me. Turning away from the door, I smiled at Kenya, moving so I could survey the counter of make-up.
"Make me look good." I pursed my lips, and Kenya smirked.
"Good enough to piss off your brother when you try to leave?" She lifted a brush and compact in her hands.
"Even better."
*
I opened my eyes and blinked at my reflection in the mirror. Staring back at me was the ultra-female version of myself, with dark red lipstick and dark mascara. Lining my hazel eyes were both eyeliner and eyeshadow, both with darker undertones as well. The eyeliner was completely black, but done thinly so that I didn't look like a raccoon, and the eyeshadow was just a hint darker than my crimson dress- also done lightly. I admired Kenya's handiwork with wide eyes, my mouth slightly agape. Whenever I'd thought of myself with full make-up, I'd always pictured an obese about of foundation with clumpy eyelashes and bright-colored lipstick. This was far from my mental image. I actually looked kinda hot.
"Umhmm," Kenya hummed in my ear, a proud smile on her face. "That's right." She waved her hand around excitedly, stepping up to finish fixing my hair.
"Wow..." I stared at myself, hardly believing how different- yet the same- that I could look with actual make-up on. And what shocked me even more was that Kenya hadn't spent more than twenty minutes doing it!
Two seconds later, Soma burst into the bathroom midway through singing a song at the top of her lungs, way off key, and froze when she saw me.
"OhMygosh-" She flew into a flurry of half-formed words and explicit hand motions before she finally stopped to take a breath. "I've never seen you so pretty before!" She squealed, not paying attention to the way I pursed my lips at her comment. Kenya laughed and finished tying her dress, before she started on her own make-up. Soma had brought her dress into the bathroom with her, and when she was done fawning over me, she stripped and pulled on her dress too. While the two girls completed the finishing touches on their make-up, I put on Soma's heels and did a test walk around the bathroom. I'd not worn heels this high ever. It was definitely a wobbly first lap, but I was determined, knowing how much David would protest them.
"Looking good." Kenya strightened from pulling back her hair and glanced over at me finishing my fifth lap around the bathroom. I sent her something short of a smile and paused as Soma backed up from the mirror and blocked my path.
Soma held up her phone and clicked the power button, "It's five o'clock. We shouldn't still be here!" She exclaimed, turning and doing a quick once-over her make-up before she waved Kenya and I out into my bedroom. David had left to go sit in the living room, but the second I stepped foot in the living room, he jumped up from the couch and uttered something inaudible.
"I'll be back before midnight." I ignored my brother's six eye sweeps over my dress.
"Holy..." He trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "Where are you going?" He asked quietly, still staring at me with a shocked expression on his face.
I shrugged, reaching down to pull my dress down to my knees again. "Probably to that community dance thing in downtown." I glanced at Soma and she nodded, grinning ear to ear. David stood there for a moment, before he gave me one more look up and down and took a step back. In defeat, he gestured Soma, Kenya and me past him. I caught his eye as I passed, and he reached out to grab my wrist, stopping me.
"Look, I hope you have fun but-" he started, and I crossed my arms. Kenya and Soma wisely left the apartment to wait for me in the hall. "You look really great," He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands, "Just be careful, ok?"
I smirked and lifted my chin. "If anyone touches me, I'll stab them with these heels." That brought a smirk to David's face and he shook his head, groaning as he looked me over again.
"Call me if anything happens..." He closed his eyes, dropping onto the couch and blindly reaching for the TV remote.
I laughed more to myself than at David, then reached out and set the remote in his hand. "I'll be fine. There's no alcoholic beverages allowed." I patted my brother's chest, before turning and heading out the door.
Gosh, Oana, do you never learn?
I thought as I locked the apartment door behind me and turned to my friends.
"Let's go have fun!" Soma squealed and grabbed my hand, pulling me down to the parking lot.