Page 15 of Two Hearts' Subterfuge

“It is pretty odd, isn’t it? But geez she sounded good, Ben,” Joanie said, handing over a costume to the woman who was waiting.

Sighing, Ben glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to get back to the auction.”

“Tell you what,” Joanie said. “Let me put your number in my cell phone and I’ll send you a text when I get a look at this friend of hers when she shows up.”

“Could you, Joanie? It’s not just me who’s worried, but also Mom and Dad,” Ben admitted, giving her his number once she pulled out her phone.

“I figured it was something like that,” Joanie admitted. “I promise I’ll let you know right away. Okay?”

Reaching out, Ben squeezed her hand, waving at Mrs. Frazier again before he headed back into the hallway and then into the ballroom toward the auction stage.

Chapter Eight

Aylin smiled, finally satisfied with the fit of the gown she’d reconstructed for Lara. The rosy-purple color was perfect with her coloring too. The trick was not to make it absolutely form fitting since Lara was painfully thin. Also, it was designed to drape from one shoulder, where there was some intricate jeweled detail, so Lara’s other exposed shoulder’s thinness wouldn’t be so obvious.

Little did Lara know what Aylin had in store for her, and her goal was to make Lara as confident in herself as possible and not give her the chance to say no when Desiree and Marc appeared, expecting her to perform with them. They’d been amazed by Lara’s voice and couldn’t believe that she’d never been onstage with her mom or sister.

Aylin couldn’t really understand it. But if Lara’s insecurity ran that deep, they couldn’t give her the chance to think too hard about performing because then she’d probably try to back out.

“I can pay for the underwear and hose,” Lara said, looking impatient.

“It’s my treat. Besides, you’re going to need a few more things. Some jewelry for sure. Amethyst and jade would look great with this color gown. Earrings especially would highlight your pretty green eyes.”

“I might be able to borrow something in the performer’s dressing room when I go in for my shift in a little while,” Lara said. “The performers are allowed to wear some of the valuable jewelry that gets auctioned off but there’s also a lot of artisan stuff available too. I’m supposed to help out until the banquet begins. Afterwards, I have to meet my family for the awards ceremony.”

Aylin would have to take Lara’s place in the dressing room, she supposed.

Aylin smiled widely as she backed away from the gown. “I can’t wait until we’re finished so you can see the final result. Now we need to work on your hair.”

“Can you make it look like it does in your sketch?” Lara asked, not realizing how vibrant she appeared. It was hard to believe that she was the same girl Aylin had met only a few hours earlier.

“I’m sure going to try. I’m going to have to restock some of Rene’s products for her. It’s really helpful that she keeps these extra beauty supplies here in the workroom.”

“There are a lot of weddings and dances that are hosted here at the Inn. Rene has handed out keys for the shop to Mom and some of the managers, along with the wedding planner here in town in case of any wardrobe or hair malfunctions.”

Just as Aylin was putting the finishing touches on the smooth upsweep of Lara’s hair, which was in surprisingly good shape considering all the products she must have used to color and shape it, someone knocked on the front door of the boutique.

Glancing into the showroom and through the locked glass door, she was relieved to see it was Desiree and Marc, both dressed and prepared to perform onstage.

“My sister and her husband are here. Give me just a minute. Don’t peek at yourself. I want Desiree to tell me how she likes your hair.”

As Aylin made her way toward the entrance, she grinned, unlocking the door. “Hey. I see Marc brought his guitar. That’ll make it easier, I think.”

“You haven’t told her?”

“No. The trick is going to be not to let her talk,” Aylin said.

Both Marc and Desiree began laughing as they followed her into the workroom.

“I thought Rene was returning to help you finish the bridesmaid gowns?” Desiree asked.

“I texted her after I finished the wedding gown. Since she was almost done with the bridesmaid’s gowns anyway, I told her I’d finish them off tonight since I didn’t have anything else to do. Now she’ll be able to attend tonight’s event which she supposedly does every year, according to Lara. She’s usually closed on Christmas Eve, but she’s coming in to help with the fitting in the morning.”

They made their way into the workroom, where Lara sat patiently waiting.

“Lara? This is my sister Desiree and my brother-in-law, Marc. Guys, this is Lara, the girl you heard on audio,” Aylin said.

Lara blinked, obviously catching the word audio.

---