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you?”
    Two minutes later she handed me another pair of killer heels and a dress in a shimmery copper color. “This. It’ll make the green in your eyes stand out. I’m going to make a call. I want to make sure you two get the perfect table. And we got a wine shipment, so I’ll be there tonight. But I swear I’ll act like I don’t know you. Now scoot!”
    It was a testament to how much I loved her that I let her boss me around that way.
    When I was at boarding school I would have killed for a bathroom like the one I had now. Heaven. All the times I crammed myself into one of the tiny shower stalls with their dinky plastic curtains or waited for an empty sink so I could brush my teeth simply floated away, completely forgotten. I luxuriated in the spray of the shower heads—three of them, and all adjustable. They felt amazing once I’d figured out how to aim them so that I wouldn’t drown. I resisted the urge to linger. As seductive as the shower was, it couldn’t compete with the evening I was anticipating.
    Or rather, the company I was going to keep.
    I walked into my bedroom in my towel and submitted before she asked, sitting down in front of Dru. She was armed with her makeup bag and various hair-styling instruments. It was all art to her, from applying makeup to dressing people to decorating buildings. She had the aesthetic thing nailed. I knew firsthand that she excelled at taking care of people.
    When she finished, I put on the dress and looked in the mirror. My eyes did look greener than usual. My hair felt like silk flowing over my bare shoulders. Dru dusted my collarbone and upper chest with some sort of luminous-looking powder that smelled like spun sugar, and between it and the metallic dress I felt really shiny. She had done my makeup in soft iridescent colors that also made me feel very … shiny. Like one of those reflective Christmas globes.
    “Are you sure about this?” I asked.
    “Trust me.” She apparently never heard the trust-me rule either. At my doubtful look Dru said, “No, I’m serious. The lighting in the Phone Company is very soft, lots of candlelight. You’ll glow.”
    “Aliens glow.”
    “Not like that. Here.” She turned on the small lamp on my dresser and turned off the overhead light, pulling my now straight curtain of blonde hair back from my face. I looked in the mirror again. An exotic stranger stared back at me.
    “He’s going to think I tried too hard.”
    “He’s going to be too busy looking at you to think much of anything.”
    And that didn’t make me nervous at all.

Chapter 7
    I arrived at the restaurant early to wait for him, thinking I’d be more comfortable if I were seated first. The maître d’ led me to an intimate little table for two, tucked into a cozy alcove and illuminated by two brushed metal sconces. I felt like some kind of seductress and considered switching tables, but that changed when I caught a glimpse of Michael walking toward me.
    His crisp white shirt complemented his olive skin perfectly. Khaki slacks rode low on his hips and accentuated his muscular build. In the soft light he looked like some kind of dark angel, his eyes almost as black as his hair. They met mine before flickering over my face and neckline. I felt uncomfortable until he let out a low whistle. Then I felt uncomfortable in a whole different kind of way.
    “Hey.” The word came out on a wispy breath of air. I sounded like I was trying to imitate Marilyn Monroe.
    Michael didn’t answer, only smiled and took his seat. I caught the scent of his cologne: light, crisp, and citrusy. Tempting me to move closer.
    I started to bite my lower lip, thought about the gloss Dru had so artfully applied, and stopped myself. “How was your afternoon?”
    “Productive,” he answered, pulling his napkin into his lap. “Yours?”
    “The same.”
    “I talked to Thomas about taking one of the lofts in your building. My roommate from last year transferred, and I’d rather live alone