Page 13 of Two Hearts' Subterfuge

“I noticed that you were paying a lot of attention to one of my sketches. Why don’t you show me which one?”

“Okay,” Lara replied, thumbing back through the pages. “This is the one.”

Aylin became thoughtful when Lara handed over the sketchbook because the style would be a great fit for Lara. “How old are you, Lara?”

“Thirteen,” Lara answered.

“I thought so. I was about thirteen when everything in my life felt like it was being turned upside down.” She pursed her lips, tapping her finger on the sketch. “If I had a second-hand formal gown made with the right kind of fabric, I could quickly sew this for you, you know.”

Lara blinked. “Now?”

“That depends. You’ve got to go with the entire look I’ve created or I’m not going to do it. Is that permanent hair color in your hair? I’m guessing you’re naturally ash brown like your mom.”

Lara didn’t seem too enthused.

“Tell you what. Let me show you what I mean,” Aylin said, opening her sketch pad. “This is the look you’re wearing now.”

Aylin showed off the sketch she’d drawn of Lara all in black.

“And this is the Lara I see when you smile.”

Flipping the page, she revealed the sketch she’d just finished.

Lara’s jaw dropped open wide, as she shook her head in disbelief.

“I look…”

“Beautiful,” Aylin said firmly. “Let’s do a makeover. I’ll pick up the tab on anything you need. Rene has most everything here at the boutique.”

“Now?”

“Why not?”

“Well, I’m supposed to help hand out costumes for this afternoon’s entertainment, but not for a couple more hours yet.”

“That’s plenty of time to change your look. Go rinse out your hair in the bathroom,” Aylin ordered. “It might be easier for you to just take a quick shower. I can round up some makeup.”

“While you’re fitting me, I guess I could text message each entertainer with the time they’re supposed to be performing since I already have the info on my phone.” She looked so excited. “Can you really come up with a gown like the one in your sketch?”

“If I have the right kind of fabric to work with,” Aylin replied, ready to search the showroom.

“Why don’t you look through the gowns that my mom sent over for resale. There’s one in that exact shade of rosy-purple you used in that sketch.”

Aylin grinned. “What are the odds?”

Lara grinned back at her. “I know. It’s always been one of my favorites too. But I got the short genes in the family so it’s way too long. Even my brother is over six-foot tall.”

Aylin started laughing out loud. She was really enjoying herself. And when she approached the clothing bag andunzipped it, she found what she considered to be a load of clothing treasures inside. Hopefully, Rene wouldn’t mind if she appropriated a few of the donations for a good cause.

While Lara was in back rinsing out her hair, she made a quick call to Desiree.

“I need to talk fast,” she said to her sister. “I want you to listen to this girl’s voice. I’ll send the audio. She’s Eve Loughlin’s little sister, but she’s never performed before. I think she needs to make her debut today while she finally has some confidence in herself.”

Desiree began laughing. “Marc and I are going on as the final afternoon performance, so we’ll more or less have as much time as we’d like onstage. I’ll listen to what you recorded. She has no idea that you’re doing this, does she?”

“No. But I’m giving her a makeover right now. Maybe you could show up with your make up kit in about an hour.”

“Okay. If she’s as good as you think she is, Marc and I will try and convince her to join us for a song or two.”

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