AURA HIT THE 'SHARE' button on her social media and uploaded the last of her fantasy looks she had saved in her photo album. She stared at the photo for a second, taking in her work of art, before logging out and putting her phone in her bag. Feeling like a part of her was exposed, she shrugged her fears away and entered the quaint restaurant.
Her heart hammered taking in the small establishment. A neutral color palette greeted her, with pops of green from fake plants bringing it to life. Few people sat at their tables, enjoying their lunch. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of eating, and looked around to find her friend.
At the far end of the place, Corey waved at her. She smiled and made her way to him, already hoping to get her hands on the menu.
"Hey," he greeted her. They embraced before settling into their seats. "I'm so glad you came. We need more quality time before you leave me again."
Aura scoffed, shaking her head at his antics. "You know you can visit me in California too."
He pondered the thought for a second, and then nodded. "Watch me cross the country to see Miss Aura Chandler doing her thing!" He snapped his fingers.
She laughed, and picked up the menu in front of her, already eyeing a few potential picks for her lunch.
Corey had invited her to eat lunch together. Since he worked a lot, he wanted to make sure they had time to really be together before the summer was over. She couldn't say no to that. Plus, she was looking forward to spending more time with him.
They ordered their food, and spoke about a myriad of things. She surprised herself when she opened up about her boy struggles back home, telling him she was always afraid of committing to anyone.
"Aura, why are you so afraid?" he asked, taking a sip of his water. "If you find a man that will respect you and treat you right, you don't have to be afraid. Take that leap, girl!"
She shrugged, looking over at the wall beside her. A large painting hung above her, showcasing an abstract piece with neutral tones. She sighed at it, and looked down at her hands.
"I don't know. I hate having to feel trapped with someone. I want to find someone that will make me feel free, not tied down."
Corey studied her for a second. "You like the idea of romance, but I think your perception of it is warped."
She was about to protest when the waiter came over to make sure they were doing fine. Corey told them their meal was superb, which made him blush.
A notification made her phone buzz, so she diverted her attention from the flirting pair to her screen. A message from Gwenn stared at her as she took her phone. She opened it to see that her best friend had messaged her the link to her favorite online beauty magazine, Aphrodite's Gaze. There was an issue on skincare, which led Aura to believe Gwenn was going to bombard her with questions, to which she was delighted to answer.
She decided to answer her text later, and focus on Corey, who was done talking with the waiter. He folded his arms in front of his chest.
"Any particular reason why you chose this restaurant?" Aura asked, raising an eyebrow.
It was his turn to scoff. "We're not done talking about your relationship issues."
"Can't I just have fun playing around?" She shrugged her shoulders, and took her last bite from her meal. "Plus, I usually grab onto many rich ones, and you'd be surprised by everything I've seen."
Corey gawked at her as she threw her head back, laughing. He immediately asked her what she had experienced, so their conversation switched to talk all about her flitting endeavors with men as she struggled to be seen as a makeup artist.
YOU ARE READING
Forever Glamorous
General Fiction"I put on makeup to express myself. I could care less about my so-called insecurities." Aura Chandler was so sure she had her life figured out. After securing a photoshoot gig with up-and-coming musician Lacey Redd, she was convinced she would get d...
