They Call It Magic...

Chapter Six

"Valorie, wake up."

I felt someone shaking my shoulder and I slowly opened my eyes. I was in a car with my head leaning on the window and I was so confused. Had the whole date with Zander all been a dream?

"Are you okay, Valorie?"

I glanced to my left and saw Zander sitting in the driver's seat and I sighed in relief. "I thought I had dreamt up the whole night," I laughed and shook my head.

"You fell asleep on the drive back from the park," he explained.

"Where are we now?" I asked.

"Back at the shop," he explained, taking his glasses off.

I pulled my phone out of my purse and saw that it was already 10:35pm. "This night has been amazing," I told him.

"It's not over yet," Zander smiled. He got out of the car, walked around to my side and opened my door. I swung my legs around in the seat and then he took my hand.

"What's the plan?" I asked, pushing my hair out of my face.

"Follow me," he gestured to the coffee shop. I glanced at the small, dark building and wondered just what he had planned for me.

He led me around the car and up to the coffee shop; he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, which swung open without a sound. Zander walked into the dark room and I heard him fumbling around for something on the far side of the shop. Seconds later, the whole room was illuminated with Christmas lights lining the ceiling and the edges of the counters. I smiled and shook my head and wondered if Zander had Cassie set this up while we were gone.

"You're going out of your way for me, you know?" I told him.

"It doesn't feel that way to me," he shrugged and smiled.

I walked further inside and just now noticed that there was a second, smaller room at the far end of the shop, separated from the main room by one of those countertops that you could lift up and walk though. It looked like the room was filled with smoothie ingredients and also a small fridge. I walked further into the shop and noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw my own reflection in one of the drive-through windows and noticed how all of my makeup had come off and my face was totally bare. My eyes looked too small and nose too big and cheeks not rosy enough and I felt really exposed. I felt all wrong.

"Hey," Zander said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." I muttered.

He walked over to stand by me and wrapped his arms around my waist. His eyes met mine in the reflection and I looked away. "You know, you really don't need to wear all that makeup like you were earlier. You look amazing just like this."

"Right," I sighed.

"Don't believe me?" he asked.

I glanced up and found his eyes in the window; I felt naked and ugly without my makeup on and I didn't know what he was thinking he saw. I saw him tilt his head and look back at me, but it just felt wrong so I just put my head down and closed my eyes.

"You try too hard, Valorie," I felt Zander's arms hug me closer. "You are trying too hard to be beautiful and you already are."

I opened my eyes and turned around to look at him; I felt his stare even before I saw it and I wasn't sure if I trusted myself to speak. I didn't think Zander Corbin was a liar, but I didn't think he was telling me the truth. I knew he wasn't.