some brochures on a counter.
“She had the surgery done?”
“I don’t know,”Gina said, her eyes fixed on the woman. “But she sells the best makeup for Asian women and their eyes.”
“Huh?” Joyce said.
“Trust me.”
“Gina. Wait!” Joyce stumbled out from behind the display, trailing after her determined friend.
Gina plopped herself on one of the white terry-cloth-covered stools and motioned Joyce over to do the same. Joyce was too embarrassed to sit, so she stood next to the stool.
“Aren’t these for people who pay?” Joyce whispered.
“Stop being such a worrywart,” Gina scolded.
The Asian saleslady glanced in their direction and finished arranging her brochures before gliding over to them. Joyce noticed that even her walk resembled something she had seen on television. The perfect swivel in the hips, hands gracefully swinging along. Joyce made a note to herself to practice walking that way at home.
“Do you have a question, girls?”
Gina answered with a haughty voice. “My friend is looking for some eye makeup for her sister’s wedding.”
“Oh.” The saleswoman seemed surprised that theyhad a legitimate reason for being there. “When is the date?”
Gina breezed through the answer. “It’s next week. We don’t have a lot of time because Joyce still has to go in for her final dress fitting, but I told her that you do the best Asian eyes in the business.”
The saleslady issued a charmed laugh. Gina joined in while grabbing Joyce by the back of her shirt. “She’s the maid of honor,” Gina said and forced Joyce to sit on the terry-cloth stool.
Joyce gulped. She hated when Gina did this. How many times had she gotten dragged into one of Gina’s schemes only to have the whole thing backfire? Please, please don’t ask me any questions, Joyce thought.
The saleslady carefully studied Joyce’s face, lightly touching Joyce’s chin when she wanted Joyce to turn her head to the left or right. She smiled at Joyce.
“Why don’t I do your entire face and that way we can really make your eyes shine. My name’s Arlene, by the way, if you have any questions.”
Gina nudged Joyce.
“I’m Joyce.”
Arlene smiled. “Well, Joyce, let’s get started with a concealer for the blemishes and then a light foundation.”
A sleepy feeling of well-being settled over Joyce as Arlene lightly powdered her face with a large fluffy brush. It was like the feeling she got while getting her hair washed before a haircut. It was nice having someone take care of you.
Joyce could feel Arlene’s breath on her forehead as she lightly dabbed a bit more foundation around the scab at her temple.
“You really shouldn’t pick,” Arlene admonished.
“You sound like my mom,” Joyce muttered, her eyes still closed.
“Sometimes mothers do know best. There, you can open your eyes.”
Joyce slowly opened her eyes and stared into the mirror that Arlene was holding up.
“See how smooth your skin looks?” Arlene said. “Now, when we do your eyes, they are just going to pop right out from that flawless palette.”
Joyce scanned the counter for Gina. “Where did my friend go?”
Arlene was rifling through her makeup drawer. “Oh, I think I saw her head over to the escalators.”
Joyce clenched her jaw. She couldn’t believe Gina had left her alone.
Arlene turned back to Joyce, wielding a black pencil. “Let’s get started on your eyes.”
Carefully, with quick, sure strokes, Arlene lined Joyce’s eyes with smoky black. “You don’t have a strong crease in your eyelids, so I’m going to keep the line fairly thin so that we can still get some color on your upper lids.”
“What do you mean?” Joyce whispered.
Arlene stood back to survey her work before nodding. She pointed up to her own eyes. “See this?” She blinked in slow motion. The same twin crescent moons that Gomo had shown her last night appeared and disappeared each time Arlene blinked.
“Some lucky few are born with the
“She had the surgery done?”
“I don’t know,”Gina said, her eyes fixed on the woman. “But she sells the best makeup for Asian women and their eyes.”
“Huh?” Joyce said.
“Trust me.”
“Gina. Wait!” Joyce stumbled out from behind the display, trailing after her determined friend.
Gina plopped herself on one of the white terry-cloth-covered stools and motioned Joyce over to do the same. Joyce was too embarrassed to sit, so she stood next to the stool.
“Aren’t these for people who pay?” Joyce whispered.
“Stop being such a worrywart,” Gina scolded.
The Asian saleslady glanced in their direction and finished arranging her brochures before gliding over to them. Joyce noticed that even her walk resembled something she had seen on television. The perfect swivel in the hips, hands gracefully swinging along. Joyce made a note to herself to practice walking that way at home.
“Do you have a question, girls?”
Gina answered with a haughty voice. “My friend is looking for some eye makeup for her sister’s wedding.”
“Oh.” The saleswoman seemed surprised that theyhad a legitimate reason for being there. “When is the date?”
Gina breezed through the answer. “It’s next week. We don’t have a lot of time because Joyce still has to go in for her final dress fitting, but I told her that you do the best Asian eyes in the business.”
The saleslady issued a charmed laugh. Gina joined in while grabbing Joyce by the back of her shirt. “She’s the maid of honor,” Gina said and forced Joyce to sit on the terry-cloth stool.
Joyce gulped. She hated when Gina did this. How many times had she gotten dragged into one of Gina’s schemes only to have the whole thing backfire? Please, please don’t ask me any questions, Joyce thought.
The saleslady carefully studied Joyce’s face, lightly touching Joyce’s chin when she wanted Joyce to turn her head to the left or right. She smiled at Joyce.
“Why don’t I do your entire face and that way we can really make your eyes shine. My name’s Arlene, by the way, if you have any questions.”
Gina nudged Joyce.
“I’m Joyce.”
Arlene smiled. “Well, Joyce, let’s get started with a concealer for the blemishes and then a light foundation.”
A sleepy feeling of well-being settled over Joyce as Arlene lightly powdered her face with a large fluffy brush. It was like the feeling she got while getting her hair washed before a haircut. It was nice having someone take care of you.
Joyce could feel Arlene’s breath on her forehead as she lightly dabbed a bit more foundation around the scab at her temple.
“You really shouldn’t pick,” Arlene admonished.
“You sound like my mom,” Joyce muttered, her eyes still closed.
“Sometimes mothers do know best. There, you can open your eyes.”
Joyce slowly opened her eyes and stared into the mirror that Arlene was holding up.
“See how smooth your skin looks?” Arlene said. “Now, when we do your eyes, they are just going to pop right out from that flawless palette.”
Joyce scanned the counter for Gina. “Where did my friend go?”
Arlene was rifling through her makeup drawer. “Oh, I think I saw her head over to the escalators.”
Joyce clenched her jaw. She couldn’t believe Gina had left her alone.
Arlene turned back to Joyce, wielding a black pencil. “Let’s get started on your eyes.”
Carefully, with quick, sure strokes, Arlene lined Joyce’s eyes with smoky black. “You don’t have a strong crease in your eyelids, so I’m going to keep the line fairly thin so that we can still get some color on your upper lids.”
“What do you mean?” Joyce whispered.
Arlene stood back to survey her work before nodding. She pointed up to her own eyes. “See this?” She blinked in slow motion. The same twin crescent moons that Gomo had shown her last night appeared and disappeared each time Arlene blinked.
“Some lucky few are born with the
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