Page 88 of Take It Till You Make It
My mouth drops open. Mom has gone through a lot of transformations since we lost Dad. She lost so much weight that she looked like a walking skeleton. But now, after gaining some back, she looks fantastic. “Mom, do not change anything. You look amazing.”
She freezes and looks at me, disbelieving. “Really?”
I nod, scanning her from head to toe. Seriously, no one would ever know what she’s been through. She’s really made a great physical recovery, at least. Relief floods through me, bringing on a genuine, happy smile. “Truly. You really look great, Mom. Please don’t change.”
“Okay, then. If you say so. You’re the one who has to be seen with me.”
“Besides, we look good together.” I grab her arm and drag her to the full-length mirror in the hall.
Our blues are complementary. Her hair is still a bit duller than it used to be, but her natural blond highlights in her dark blonde hair would make Remi salivate with the need to replicate it. She’s a couple inches taller than me, but we both currently have slim figures, mine a little less curvy than hers.
We bend our heads until they rest against one another. “We look great together,” Mom whispers.
I envision Dad behind us, a hand on each of our shoulders, his unruly blond hair a bit lighter than my current dye job. Eyes so blue they seemed neon. Ruddy cheeks always puffed with a smile. He’d probably be wearing colors and designs that clashed with his and our outfits because he had zero taste in clothing but loved to dress loud. He’d be buzzing with excitement because he was going to a party at an actual celebrity’s house, and he’d tell us how beautiful we are. And I always believed him.
I shift my gaze to Mom, and her gaze seems to be trained on the empty spot behind us as well.
“He’ll always be with us,” I whisper.
She smiles a sad smile and nods. “Such a large personality, it continues without him.”
I choke out a laugh. “Absolutely true.”
There is a gentle knock on the door.
I meet Mom’s gaze in the mirror. “Let’s go to a party.”
She stares at me, something I can’t identify sparking in her eyes. “Let’s.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
We hitrandom pockets of congestion on our way to Crispin’s. I’m nervous because I’ve never been to his place and have no idea what to expect. I take a selfie of Mom and me and send it to Glory, but I don’t hear back from her. She’s going to be so proud of Mom, though, when she sees the picture.
Belinda pulls the limo into the basement garage of a condo complex. She stops in front of an elevator. “Push the penthouse button and enter the code 6371.” Mom and I arch brows at each other before climbing out.
“Thanks for driving,” I say. “We’ll see you later, I guess.”
“I’ll be here ready and waiting.”
I take deep breaths as the elevator rises to the penthouse.
“Nervous?” Mom asks.
I nod. “You?”
She nods.
We laugh.
The doors open.
The place is dead quiet. Hesitantly, we step out of the elevator and look left and right. I scan the dining room ahead of us and lean sideways to look into the kitchen. There’s no one in sight.
“Hello?” I call. “Crispin?”
“Crispin’s not available right now.”
I glance at Mom, and she looks pleased. I do a double-take. What is going on? The voice seemed to come from in front of us. There is a high-backed chair facing away from us. I lean sideways again, trying to see if someone is seated in the chair. It is clearly a female, altering her voice to make it sound deeper, maybe trying to sound creepy.
