The Blush Factor by Deborah Bladon

Chapter Twelve

Faith

It’s been almosta week since I had pizza with Matthew, and any lingering doubt I had about whether or not he read the juiciest parts of my diary has all but evaporated.

I’ve replayed our dinner together in my mind over and over again. Our conversation was light hearted and fun. There wasn’t anything sinister about it, and I didn’t catch him staring at me in shocked horror, which I’m sure he would have had he read some of my diary entries.

I’ve reread a few of them, and although they rate a five out of five on the blush factor scale, I’m secure in my belief that I’m the only one who has ever laid eyes on them.

“You look hot as fuck,” Gwynn says as she walks into my bedroom. “I told you that dress was the winner.”

I have to agree.

I asked Gwynn to come home with me after class today to help me pick out what to wear for my dinner with Sadie tonight.

I explained to my best friend that I wanted to look sophisticated. She immediately suggested that we take a detour to the apartment she shares with three of our classmates so I can raid her closet, but Gwynn is six inches taller than me, and our bodies are completely different.

I was able to steer her in the direction of my apartment with a promise that she could do my makeup for the evening.

That was all it took to get her here.

I spin in a circle to show off the fitted black dress I’m wearing. “I’ve had this dress for three years.”

“I can see why.” She lets out a low whistle. “It clings in all the right places.”

I smile at the compliment. “What shoes should I wear?”

She marches over to my closet to look at the three pairs of heels I brought from Hartford.

She picks up the red pumps before she places them down in favor of sky-high black heels. “These are the ones.”

Unsure if I can walk in them, I grimace. “Really? You do remember that I’m meeting a married female doctor for dinner, right? A friend. This isn’t a date.”

Kneeling in front of me, she coaxes me to shove my right foot into one of the shoes. “I’m well aware, but there will be at least a few men checking you out, so why not make the most of that? You might leave there with a full belly and a hard cock.”

I almost double over in laughter. “I won’t be leaving there with a hard cock.”

After motioning for me to grab hold of her shoulder to balance myself while I slip on the other shoe, she glances at my face. “You don’t know that. Have some faith, Faith.”

I smile at that. “Is it makeup time? You’re not going to go overboard, right?”

Bouncing to her feet, Gwynn skims her fingertips over my chin. “I’m going to accentuate what you already have. A smoky eye, light lipstick, and the smallest amount of blush.”

Relieved that she’s on the same page as I am, I lean forward to kiss her cheek. “You’re the best.”

She winks. “I know it.”

* * *

“How can food taste this good?”I ask before I rest my fork on the empty plate in front of me. “I think every bite was better than the last.”

Sadie Reynolds lets out a light laugh. “I agree with that assessment, Faith.”

I look around the bustling restaurant. “If I was married to the owner of a place like this, I’d never leave. I’d eat every meal here.”

“I’ve done that,” she confesses. “When I was pregnant, I stopped in here at least once a day to sample something.”

Dr. Reynolds is living the life I hope to one day. She’s happily married with a husband and children who adore her. Her career is flourishing, and she’s one of the most respected doctors in the city.

“What’s it like being you?” I ask with a chuckle. “You have it so together.”

Taking a sip of the red wine in her glass, she shakes her head. “That’s all smoke and mirrors. Half the time, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next, but I make it work.”

“Do you ever,” I quip.

Running her hand through her brown hair, she smiles. “My motto is family first. If I know Hunter and the kids are well and thriving, I can devote time to my patients. So far it’s working out for me.”

I glance over to where a server is approaching us. “He’s going to offer us dessert, isn’t he?”

“He better,” she says. “Hunter told me to order one of everything on the dessert tasting menu.”

I glance down at the front of my dress. “I don’t know if I have room for that.”

“You do,” she insists. “Besides, I’ve arranged for the kitchen to box up a few meals for you to take home. I remember what it was like in college. Eating takes a back seat to studying.”

I’m touched by the gesture. “Thank you, Sadie.”

“You remind me of me.” She tugs on a lock of my hair. “That’s not to say I was ever this adventurous with my hair, but you have the same determination that I did. You’re going to be a remarkable doctor one day, Faith.”

Coming from her, those words mean more than she can ever know.