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Authors: Darlene Gardner
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asked.
“Sure does." The teen smiled at him through her braces. "Go through jewelry and you can't miss her. Sometimes she even has a line."
"I'd better get over there before someone gets in front of me,” he said.
The teenager's eyebrows rounded like the arches of a bridge. "You mean you'd get in line?"
"Sure," he said.
"I wouldn't have figured you for the sort, but I'm cool with it," the teen said. "It must be true what they say about it taking all kinds."
Puzzled by her comment, Grady threaded his way past glass cases of glittering gold and silver jewelry before Tori's fall of auburn hair caught his attention.
She focused intently on a woman atop a raised stool in front of her. The woman had her eyes closed, as though in some kind of trance. Tori picked up a brush and dabbed something powdery on the woman's nose.
The teen's comment suddenly made sense.
He felt an uncomfortable sensation prick the back of his neck and slowly turned to see a middle-aged woman with pock-marked skin and a cane closing in on him. He'd noticed her shuffling through the racks in the juniors’ department while he questioned the clerk.
Had she heard him say he'd wait in line for Tori? Had she trailed him to watch the show?
"I'm not here for a makeover," he told the woman, who looked at him curiously. He felt compelled to add, "I don't wear makeup. Not that I think there's anything wrong with men wearing makeup if that's their thing. Except it's not my thing because I don't wear it."
His voice trailed off when he realized he was protesting too much. She extended a business-card holder to him.
"I don't care what you do, buddy," she said. "I just wanted to tell you that you dropped this."
He took his business cards with as much dignity as he could muster. "Thank you.”
She walked away and he gladly returned his attention to Tori, who put the finishing touches on the woman's makeup with a sure and steady hand.
If this had been his first glimpse of her, he would have found a way to introduce himself. Her unusual coloring, big eyes and slightly upturned nose made her pleasing to the eye. That was only part of the reason. She worked with a one-track absorption that added to her attractiveness.
But that was dangerous thinking. Grady, more than anybody, knew appearances could deceive.
Tori might not look like anybody's flunky but she couldn't be trusted. She'd lied about the play and, most likely, her reason for following him. No doubt she'd told him other whoppers, too. The fat cat came to mind.
She must have sensed somebody approaching, because she raised a finger without taking her gaze off the woman. "I'll be with you in a minute.”
"Take your time," he replied.
Those big eyes flew to him.
"Grady." Surprise and anxiety clouded her features. The absence of pleasure didn't surprise him, but he found it bothered him. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you," he said. "I would have called but Directory Assistance didn't have a listing for you."
"I'm listed under V. Whitley," she said. "Tori's short for Victoria."
Likely story , he thought, although he had to admit her explanation sounded plausible.
"Didn't you say you drive a VW bug, Tori?" interjected her dark-haired customer, who was pretty enough to be a model. "That's how you should tell the men you meet to remember how you're listed. It won't backfire on you the way it used to on me. My maiden name is Zedney. My first name's Elaine, so my initials were E.Z.”
The chatty customer didn't give either of them a chance to reply, instead asking Tori, "You are done, right?"
Tori had barely nodded in reply before her customer got out of her seat and marched up to Grady. "I need a man's opinion." She tilted up her face. "How do I look?"
Tori had applied her makeup with a light touch, a smart choice considering the woman's natural beauty.
"Great," he answered truthfully. "You should buy everything."
"I was thinking the same thing, but it's good to hear you second that."
“Sure does." The teen smiled at him through her braces. "Go through jewelry and you can't miss her. Sometimes she even has a line."
"I'd better get over there before someone gets in front of me,” he said.
The teenager's eyebrows rounded like the arches of a bridge. "You mean you'd get in line?"
"Sure," he said.
"I wouldn't have figured you for the sort, but I'm cool with it," the teen said. "It must be true what they say about it taking all kinds."
Puzzled by her comment, Grady threaded his way past glass cases of glittering gold and silver jewelry before Tori's fall of auburn hair caught his attention.
She focused intently on a woman atop a raised stool in front of her. The woman had her eyes closed, as though in some kind of trance. Tori picked up a brush and dabbed something powdery on the woman's nose.
The teen's comment suddenly made sense.
He felt an uncomfortable sensation prick the back of his neck and slowly turned to see a middle-aged woman with pock-marked skin and a cane closing in on him. He'd noticed her shuffling through the racks in the juniors’ department while he questioned the clerk.
Had she heard him say he'd wait in line for Tori? Had she trailed him to watch the show?
"I'm not here for a makeover," he told the woman, who looked at him curiously. He felt compelled to add, "I don't wear makeup. Not that I think there's anything wrong with men wearing makeup if that's their thing. Except it's not my thing because I don't wear it."
His voice trailed off when he realized he was protesting too much. She extended a business-card holder to him.
"I don't care what you do, buddy," she said. "I just wanted to tell you that you dropped this."
He took his business cards with as much dignity as he could muster. "Thank you.”
She walked away and he gladly returned his attention to Tori, who put the finishing touches on the woman's makeup with a sure and steady hand.
If this had been his first glimpse of her, he would have found a way to introduce himself. Her unusual coloring, big eyes and slightly upturned nose made her pleasing to the eye. That was only part of the reason. She worked with a one-track absorption that added to her attractiveness.
But that was dangerous thinking. Grady, more than anybody, knew appearances could deceive.
Tori might not look like anybody's flunky but she couldn't be trusted. She'd lied about the play and, most likely, her reason for following him. No doubt she'd told him other whoppers, too. The fat cat came to mind.
She must have sensed somebody approaching, because she raised a finger without taking her gaze off the woman. "I'll be with you in a minute.”
"Take your time," he replied.
Those big eyes flew to him.
"Grady." Surprise and anxiety clouded her features. The absence of pleasure didn't surprise him, but he found it bothered him. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you," he said. "I would have called but Directory Assistance didn't have a listing for you."
"I'm listed under V. Whitley," she said. "Tori's short for Victoria."
Likely story , he thought, although he had to admit her explanation sounded plausible.
"Didn't you say you drive a VW bug, Tori?" interjected her dark-haired customer, who was pretty enough to be a model. "That's how you should tell the men you meet to remember how you're listed. It won't backfire on you the way it used to on me. My maiden name is Zedney. My first name's Elaine, so my initials were E.Z.”
The chatty customer didn't give either of them a chance to reply, instead asking Tori, "You are done, right?"
Tori had barely nodded in reply before her customer got out of her seat and marched up to Grady. "I need a man's opinion." She tilted up her face. "How do I look?"
Tori had applied her makeup with a light touch, a smart choice considering the woman's natural beauty.
"Great," he answered truthfully. "You should buy everything."
"I was thinking the same thing, but it's good to hear you second that."
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