“Perfect.”
The one word from Jill a moment later told Claire she’d finished the change. She let the lighter go out with relief. It had started to get warm under her thumb, distracting her, but she’d feared letting it go out before she was done.
“Okay?” Claire asked, lifting her head.
Jill flicked the interior car light on just long enough to look her over, then flicked it back off to avoid attracting attention.
“As I said, perfect,” she assured her. “Come on.”
Sighing, Claire slid out of the car and walked around to meet her, then handed back the magazine photo for her to put away.
“Take my arm, like a gentleman,” Jill instructed as they started toward the entrance to the school.
Claire took her arm, and mentally reminded herself that she was now a man, so she should pull out chairs, take Jill’s arm, and all those other little courtesies.
“What are you doing?”
Claire glanced at Jill with surprise. “What do you mean?”
“You’re swaying your hips.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. You’re walking like a girl.”
“I am a girl,” Claire said with irritation.
“Not tonight you’re not,” Jill said firmly. “Think manly, try to swagger. And don’t talk.”
“Anything else?” Claire asked dryly.
“Yes.” Jill patted her hand and said, “Thank you…By the way, how is the date with Kyle going?”
“Good…until I had to come out here,” Claire said, then recalled the incident with Magda and Ted and quickly related it to Jill who—fortunately—wasn’t upset.
The registration table was empty when they reached the gym. They truly were going to be the last to enter. Jill paused outside the closed gym doors, took a deep breath, then glanced at her and said, “Show time. Just smile and nod and agree with anything I say. Okay?”
Against her better judgment, Claire nodded her agreement, then added, “Just don’t leave me alone.”
“Like I’d abandon Brad Cruise in the same room with a bimbo like Magda on the loose,” Jill said dryly, then pushed through the door. Still holding her arm, Claire pushed her own door open and entered with her, noting that everyone was now seated and servers were moving through the tables delivering the first entrée.
“Perfect,” Jill whispered, pausing just inside the doors to peer around. Their entrance had not gone unnoticed. Several people had turned their way to see who had entered, then more people looked toward them as the first people nudged those next to them. A loud whispering began to move through the crowd, most of it made up of the name “Brad Cruise.”
Claire forced herself to keep her head upright and not flinch and shrink behind Jill. She couldn’t have anyway; Jill was now sailing forward, forcing Claire to accompany her.
“Where are we going to sit?” Claire asked, bending her head to Jill’s ear so she wasn’t overheard.
“We’re sitting with Kyle.”
“What?” Claire’s eyes widened in horror. “But—”
“That way we can distract him from noticing you’re gone, so you don’t have to turn back so soon.”
Claire thought this was a very bad idea, but it was too late to stop it; they were already halfway to the table where Kyle sat gaping at their approach. And no wonder, she supposed. It must be a bit disconcerting to see your sister enter the reunion on the arm of the biggest film star in the world.
“Where are Magda and Ted?” Jill asked as they neared the table where Kyle, Bobby, and Meredith sat in a frozen tableau.
“I don’t know,” Claire murmured, her gaze swiveling to the right, then pausing as she found the pair several tables over from their own. The couple were gaping openmouthed, but then everyone was, Claire thought as she whispered to Jill to look to their right. When she did, Jill’s shoulders straightened and a look of satisfaction crossed her face that made Claire glad she’d agreed to this. She just hoped she still felt that way at the end of the night.
“Magda is ready to shriek and Ted looks like he just ate his shorts,” Jill said, glancing at Claire with amusement. The amusement vanished abruptly, and she forced them to a halt not three feet from the table.
“What is it?” Claire hissed urgently as she noted the alarm on her friend’s face.
Jill hesitated, then turned to fully face her. She put one hand on Claire’s chest and leaned up as if to kiss her. Claire instinctively turned her head to the side to avoid the kiss and hissed, “No kissing. I’m still Claire.”
“Right,” Jill murmured, then Claire gasped as Jill took her hand away, ripping the Claire name tag away with it, as she added wryly, “No need to advertise it though.”