convinced she’d made much of a difference.
She pulled me from the bathroom before I had a chance to look at her handiwork and into the bedroom she shared with Noah, heading straight for the closet. Hangers slapped together as she looked at, and disregarded, top after top before finally landing on one of her liking.
“Here,” she declared forcefully, shoving the top at me. “Put this on, and don’t sass me.”
“Harlow,” I laughed uncomfortably. “There’s no way we wear the same size.”
“No sass!” she shouted.
“Fine, jeez.” I rolled my eyes and tossed the shirt on the bed so I could pull my own off. The loose fitting racer back tank that declared “Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Me” actually fit me surprisingly well. The only place it hugged was across my abundant chest before billowing out around my stomach, effectively hiding the little pudge I could never seem to work off.
“Huh,” I mumbled as I looked down at myself in surprise. “What size is this? I can’t believe it fits.”
Harlow rolled her eyes at me and reached for the hem of the shirt, tucking a small piece into my shorts at the front. “The way you view yourself is seriously skewed,” she informed me. “You think you’re some chubbo, but you aren’t. You’re curvy. That’s a good thing, Chlo. Stop beating yourself down all the damned time.” Taking my hand, she pulled me back into the bathroom and turned me to face the mirror. “See? Gorgeous.”
I gasped. Wow. I was more than a little stunned at the reflection staring back at me. My makeup was miniscule but the shadow managed to give my eyes a gold-ish hue, and the bronzer on my cheeks made me look fresh-faced, my complexion almost dewy. It wasn’t overtly sexy or anything, but I had to admit, with the curls hanging purposefully wild around my shoulders — in a way I’ve never been able to pull off on my own — and the makeup, I looked really… pretty . And I liked it. A lot .
“Huh,” I said again, unable to formulate any other words.
“See!” Harlow smacked the bare skin on my shoulder, causing me to cringe. “And the way this top hugs your boobs is hot . Now let’s go.”
She dragged me back into the backyard, pushing me down on the lounge chair I’d been sitting on earlier. I reached for my discarded margarita and took a fortifying sip. I crossed my legs, Indian-style and placed my glass back on the table next to me. “All right. What do you want me to do?” God, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know the first thing about being in front of a camera, there was no way I’d be able to actually pose.
“Just talk.”
“Huh?”
“Just talk like we were earlier. Act like I’m not here taking pictures of you. Candid shots are some of the best ever. You’d be surprised how great they can turn out. And the best part, they’re how a person looks every day.”
I gave her statement some thought as the backdoor swung open and Ethan stepped out. “Hey Harlow, I’m going to the movies with some friends. I’ll be back by curfew.”
“Okay, shrimp. Have fun. Love you.”
“Love you too,” he chuckled at her nickname for him and turned his eyes to me, doing a brief double take. “Wow Chloe, you look really pretty.”
My cheeks pinched almost painfully at the bright smile that crossed my lips. I barely registered the sound of the camera shutter clicking. “Thanks, hon. Have fun with your friends.”
He returned my smile, his eyes going a little glazed as he stood there in silence for a few seconds. “Uh… yeah. Thanks,” he stammered, giving his head a quick shake. “Um, I-I like your hair like that.”
I giggled at the goofy expression on his face and heard the shutter click again. “Thanks, Ethan.”
“Oh my God, shrimp! Stop macking on the adult and go meet your friends already!” Harlow razzed, making Ethan’s face shine a bright red.
“Shut up,” he groaned, turning back to the door.
“And remember,” she shouted after
She pulled me from the bathroom before I had a chance to look at her handiwork and into the bedroom she shared with Noah, heading straight for the closet. Hangers slapped together as she looked at, and disregarded, top after top before finally landing on one of her liking.
“Here,” she declared forcefully, shoving the top at me. “Put this on, and don’t sass me.”
“Harlow,” I laughed uncomfortably. “There’s no way we wear the same size.”
“No sass!” she shouted.
“Fine, jeez.” I rolled my eyes and tossed the shirt on the bed so I could pull my own off. The loose fitting racer back tank that declared “Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Me” actually fit me surprisingly well. The only place it hugged was across my abundant chest before billowing out around my stomach, effectively hiding the little pudge I could never seem to work off.
“Huh,” I mumbled as I looked down at myself in surprise. “What size is this? I can’t believe it fits.”
Harlow rolled her eyes at me and reached for the hem of the shirt, tucking a small piece into my shorts at the front. “The way you view yourself is seriously skewed,” she informed me. “You think you’re some chubbo, but you aren’t. You’re curvy. That’s a good thing, Chlo. Stop beating yourself down all the damned time.” Taking my hand, she pulled me back into the bathroom and turned me to face the mirror. “See? Gorgeous.”
I gasped. Wow. I was more than a little stunned at the reflection staring back at me. My makeup was miniscule but the shadow managed to give my eyes a gold-ish hue, and the bronzer on my cheeks made me look fresh-faced, my complexion almost dewy. It wasn’t overtly sexy or anything, but I had to admit, with the curls hanging purposefully wild around my shoulders — in a way I’ve never been able to pull off on my own — and the makeup, I looked really… pretty . And I liked it. A lot .
“Huh,” I said again, unable to formulate any other words.
“See!” Harlow smacked the bare skin on my shoulder, causing me to cringe. “And the way this top hugs your boobs is hot . Now let’s go.”
She dragged me back into the backyard, pushing me down on the lounge chair I’d been sitting on earlier. I reached for my discarded margarita and took a fortifying sip. I crossed my legs, Indian-style and placed my glass back on the table next to me. “All right. What do you want me to do?” God, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know the first thing about being in front of a camera, there was no way I’d be able to actually pose.
“Just talk.”
“Huh?”
“Just talk like we were earlier. Act like I’m not here taking pictures of you. Candid shots are some of the best ever. You’d be surprised how great they can turn out. And the best part, they’re how a person looks every day.”
I gave her statement some thought as the backdoor swung open and Ethan stepped out. “Hey Harlow, I’m going to the movies with some friends. I’ll be back by curfew.”
“Okay, shrimp. Have fun. Love you.”
“Love you too,” he chuckled at her nickname for him and turned his eyes to me, doing a brief double take. “Wow Chloe, you look really pretty.”
My cheeks pinched almost painfully at the bright smile that crossed my lips. I barely registered the sound of the camera shutter clicking. “Thanks, hon. Have fun with your friends.”
He returned my smile, his eyes going a little glazed as he stood there in silence for a few seconds. “Uh… yeah. Thanks,” he stammered, giving his head a quick shake. “Um, I-I like your hair like that.”
I giggled at the goofy expression on his face and heard the shutter click again. “Thanks, Ethan.”
“Oh my God, shrimp! Stop macking on the adult and go meet your friends already!” Harlow razzed, making Ethan’s face shine a bright red.
“Shut up,” he groaned, turning back to the door.
“And remember,” she shouted after
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