After reading a letter from someone she has never met, Gemma Moreno is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity that could change her life forever. Torn between accepting an offer she knows she will never be able to repay, Gemma needs to decide if...
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When I open my bedroom door, my eyes go wide at the scene in front of me. It looks like a department store threw up on my bed.
Before I can say anything, Alexis points to the floor. "Sit down. I'm doing your hair and makeup."
Wincing at the thought, I beg, "Please nothing too crazy."
"I won't. I promise."
True to her word, Alexis curls my hair in loose waves and doesn't cake my face with products. Her skills are an art form, and I keep telling her to go into cosmetology because if she can make a hag like me decent looking, I'm sure she could make a pretty penny off doing makeovers for others.
When I feel the wet tip glide across my eyelid, I ask, "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to go for a winged look to accentuate your almond-shaped eyes, but if you keep moving, I'm going to fuck it up." Placing her hand gently on my forehead and tilting my head back, she continues her work. "Alright, now all you need is a little mascara and some lipstick."
With my makeup done, warmth consumes my body as if someone turned on the heat. A pit begins to form in my stomach, and I feel the anxiety trying to take hold. "Can I be honest for a minute?"
Taking a seat next to me, Alexis nudges my shoulder. "Always."
Trying to pick away at my freshly painted nails as if it is my new life goal to chip them, I admit, "I'm nervous."
My friends perfectly shaped brows pull together, a frown replaces her usual vibrant smile. She interlocks out fingers and gives my hand a light squeeze. "You're stepping out of your comfort zone tonight. How about we just go to a bar, have a few celebratory shots and leave. We can come back here put in a movie and stuff our face with leftovers and cake."
The tightness in my chest starts to deflate, and I begin to believe that maybe tonight won't be as bad as I'm making it out to be. "That sounds perfect."
After patting my knee, she hoists herself off the floor and walks over to my bed. Resting her hand on her slim hip, she taps lightly on her chin as she looks over the clothes she brought over. "I have some cute jeans and skirts, and before you say anything, I know skirts aren't your favorite. I just thought you might like to venture out a bit."
Alexis doesn't just want me out of my shell of insecurities, she wants me to bust through them with a sledgehammer. The truth is that I haven't worn a skirt since that pervert touched me, but this is the new me, a better me. I'm a year older, living in a town in a new state, and I am no longer working in a dive bar. "Give me a skirt."
My friend's brows raise to her hairline as pure joy takes over her face. Letting out an ear-shattering scream, she unexpectedly wraps her arms around my body and tackles me to the mattress. "I'm so proud of you."
Barely able to breathe, I desperately try to get out from underneath her. "Get off of me, you weirdo."
Alexis reaches behind my pillow and pulls out a rainbow-colored gift bag. "I got you a little something." When she sees my eyes almost roll back into my brain, she waves me off and says, "It's nothing big, I promise."
