Bowling Dreams & Cheap Wine

Chapter 15

I'm not sure when it happened, but everyone started selling me shit on social media. The skincare lines, the wonder socks, armpit hair removal gel, stackable muffin containers...Before I knew it, my actual in-person invites were becoming a gathering of wine and product pitches for the latest in cracked heel treatments and nail art and my online interactions were becoming virtual parties.

I am not complaining.

I loved my plaid nail designs and holiday-themed tote bags, but I was buying things I did not need like the never-ending candle. It was costing me $$$ when I should have been saving to buy necessities like new air filters and hiring someone to redo my front lock.

The one exception to this rule is Lisa. She sells makeup and flat-out told me I needed to buy so that she could get her free sleeping mask and matching bath robe. "You apply it like this," she says, drawing a line above my eyelid that should match the arc of my brow. "It's called the 'floating crease.' It's hot right now."

"Remind me why?" I open my eyes. Lisa's handiwork looks like someone bumped me while I was applying eyeliner. "Maybe I should stick to the basics?"

"Noooo! Basics are boring. You have to keep things fresh. This year is going to be all about Gwen. You're going to look amazing on every date you go on. Not to mention we're killing it at our weeknight bowling practices. I just love the Spares."

I try to think of sitting across from Nate with my floating crease eyeliner.

"This year you're going to wow the world with your sexy eyes," Lisa declares, cutting off my thoughts. "On the left one, I'm going to use the neon eye shadow."

"Please don't."

She ignores my pleas. "When the Mams make it into the finals, we should all do neon eyes--oh and glitter. Glitter is big right now and stick-on rhinestones for your eyelids."

"It's taken me ten years to get glitter out of my house." That stuff gets on everything. I point to the line on my right eyelid. "How much of this did I buy?"

"You bought the intro pack." She smiles and comes closer. "I'll do the blush next. It's called 'diffused.' Think 1980's, high around the eyes and cheekbones."

That doesn't sound promising. "Why do people keep trying to reinvent the 80s?"

"Because we got the 90s wrong. We're all nervous about having to relive that style disaster. Now, when you show up at the rink those hockey dads won't be able to look away. Embrace the neon."

"I don't want to."

She's in my face, putting on the finishing touches. "I'm sending a picture to Daphne. She'll love it."

"She'll think I've gone crazy." Lisa sells beauty products as a side hustle. Anyone else's product post I could ignore but considering my makeup drawer has foundation with cracks and mascara that I'm surprised hasn't caused pink eye, it was time to replenish.

"Give it a chance, okay?" Lisa continues to apply the blush. The fading sunlight hits the counter in the kitchen turning everything a pretty sun-kissed hue. Her phone beeps and she checks her message, sighing. "Shoot, I have to pick up Drake from a friend's house." She rushes around and tosses everything into her big tote bag with the product logo on the front.

"Have you heard from Tamara?" I help her collect her samples and follow her out.

"A text here and there. She's just busy with work."

I walk her over to the door and open it to find Nate and Noreen coming up the steps.

"Oh, hey," Lisa says to them, showering them with a smile. She turns back and waves at me. "See you at bowling."