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Oh, well, yeah, that does solve that mystery.

“Anywho, let’s start with a gloss, shall we?”

Jonathon put a deep conditioning gloss in my hair, leaving it to sit before rinsing it out. He trimmed my hair and put in some flattering layers, telling me hilarious stories the whole time. When he finished, he put my hair in big rollers and sent me to makeup with Kamani.

Kamani’s looks were exotic, and, like everyone else, she was genuinely nice. She was also a goddess with a makeup brush. She made my skin look smooth and dewy with just a hint of blush. She deftly created a smoky eye with gray and purple shadow, perfect liner, and multiple coats of mascara in no time flat, with no mistakes. It looked dramatic, but felt like I was barely wearing any makeup at all.

I’d thought I was efficient when I got ready, but I wascenturiesbehind her.

When Jonathan came back to get me, he pulled the rollers from my hair and applied a small amount of product. My hair fell in a tumble of loose curls with the bottom piecing out this way and that. It was a simple look, but in perfect balance with my makeup.

By the time he finished fussing with each little strand, I was running way behind. After thanking everyone, I almost left without the certificates. I stopped to hug and thank Alicia as she handed them to me, even though I needed to be gone.

When I got home, I began stripping off my clothes as soon as I closed the door, leaving a trail as I walked to my guestroom. I pulled on barely there panties before cautiously removing my dress from its garment bag.

Mindful not to smudge my makeup or ruin my hair, I slid the dress on and fell in love with it all over again. I stepped into my shoes and carefully hooked them before moving in front of the mirror on the door.

My chest tightened and I forced myself to take deep breaths as I tried not to cry. Instead, a giddy laugh bubbled out as I looked myself over.

I was right. I could never settle for just being tolerated.

What meant the most to me, what had me fighting back tears, was that Jake hadn’t sent me somewhere to pick out a conservative dress. He hadn’t suggested I tone down my makeup.

He’d shown that he knew me, and that, most importantly, he liked me as I was.

I was headed towards the living room when I heard a knock at the door.

“Hey, I’m…” I began as I opened the door, my words trailing off when I saw Jake.

I couldn’t imagine ever finding Jake unappealing. I’d just figured that I’d eventually grow accustomed to his level of attractiveness. That my body wouldn’t always react so strongly every time I saw him. At the very least, I wouldn’t keep losing the ability to think and speak.

As I looked at him, his hair pulled back into a messy knot and face unshaven, I knew that time would never come.

Because just as he liked me, I waswayinto him exactly how he was.

Wearing a tailored black tuxedo jacket and gray vest over a black shirt that he’d left open at the throat, Jake looked beautiful. Pairing it with dark jeans and his motorcycle boots, though, he was beyond scorching.

He looked like Jake.

The combination does look sexy, though. Who knew formal badass was such a good look?

Jake pulled me close and kissed me in an entirely inappropriate way in my open doorway. “You look un-fuckin’-believable, Piper,” he whispered against my lips, before letting me go.

“You look hot. Is that how guys are supposed to look in a tux? Regardless, you look badass hot,” I babbled, more than a little flustered as I closed and locked the door.

As always, when Jake threw his head back and laughed, deep and rich, it made being a dingus worth it. I was a dingus often, which meant I got his laugh often.

That didn’t mean I didn’t treasure it every time.

“Glad you think so. Remember that when I’m fightin’ for your attention tonight.”

I laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that.” Other people might want attention, but the idea that they’d be any competition for Jake was hysterical.

When I looked up at him, the humor on his face was replaced with warmth and I knew he was thinking the same thing about my laugh.

“Trust me, Piper, I do worry about that.” His hand slid up my bare arm to my neck, his thumb sliding against my jaw as his eyes followed the movement. “I can’t think of an appropriate way to tell you how you look. I can think of a lot of inappropriate ways to show you, but seein’ as I actually have to be at this shindig, that’ll have to wait.”

Before I could pull Jake inside for some inappropriate behavior, he curled his arm around my shoulders and started walking us towards a seriously kickass limo.