Paradise Disguised(4)

"Geez, Anna. You're not going to the firing squad, and they only poke  hot sticks in your eyes if you wear last season's wardrobe."

"What?" Anna squeaked.

"Relax. I'm kidding. I don't think you're wearing clothes from this  millennia, so they'll probably take pity on you." Mel grabbed Anna's arm  and pulled her through the doors.

"Good morning, Mel," the young man behind the counter said.

"Hi, Paul. Are they all ready for us?"

Paul was a thin man dressed in all black with thick Buddy Holly glasses,  and the most awesome shade of pink nail polish was painted on his  manicured nails.

"Us?" Anna asked curiously.

"I'm going to get a facial and a massage while you're getting you hair  done. Then we'll go eat lunch some place that serves calories. All they  give you here is wheat germ and bean sprouts," Mel said in a whisper.  "But they have great champagne."

"It's nine o'clock in the morning!" Anna said, scandalized by the thought.

"I thought you were turning over a new leaf," Mel said.

"Maybe I'll have a mimosa," Anna said. "That doesn't count does it?"

"That's my girl. Now go get styled, and I'll meet you back out here in a little while."                       
       
           



       

Anna watched Mel disappear down a long corridor, and she was left all alone with Paul.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "You're in very good hands. You'll be a  new woman before you know it. It must be one amazing man to make you  want to do all of this."

"Oh, he's definitely worth it. I've been waiting a long time to feel  like this. I'm a little out of the loop, but Mel told me good men with  health insurance and all their teeth are hard to find."

"Honey, don't I know it," Paul said, winking. He led her down the  opposite corridor from Mel, and they ended up at the far end of the  hall. "You're going to be with Jessica. She's really talented. You'll  like her."

Jessica came out to greet her, and Anna almost fainted at the sight of  the woman with the shaved head. There was a hawk tattooed on the top of  her skull, and her nose and eyebrows had hoops in them.

"I hear we're doing an overhaul," Jessica said.

"Y … Yes." Anna mentally kicked herself for stuttering. It was something she hadn't started doing until twenty-four hours ago.

"Cool glasses. Do you have to wear them to see?" Jessica asked lifting the glasses off Anna's face.

"No, they're only a light prescription. I . . ." Anna stood flabbergasted as Jessica snapped her glasses right in two.

"They didn't fit with your new image," she explained.

"Oh," Anna said as she held the two broken pieces in her hands.

"Can I get you something to drink before you get started," Paul asked.

"I'll take a mimosa. And keep em' coming," Anna said, prepared to drink her fears away.



Mel dressed in the privacy of one of the dressing rooms, her body  relaxed and limber after the massage she'd just received. She couldn't  wait to see Anna. It was long overdue in her opinion.

Mel remembered what Anna was like before her mother's death. The two of  them had been peas in a pod, getting into mischief and talking about  boys. But Anna had withdrawn after Mrs. Hollis died. They'd still been  friends, but there was always something missing. Mel could already see a  difference in Anna in the short time they'd been together that morning.  She'd have to find the man that was having this effect on her and shake  his hand. Now if she could only find her own man, she'd be all set.  Maybe Anna's dream man had a brother.

Mel waited in the lobby impatiently, pacing back and forth in front of a large fountain.

"Calm down, Mel," Paul said, like a mother hen. "She looks great. But I  think you're going to have to feed her soon, because she's had three  mimosas."

"You got her drunk?" Mel asked. "Anna's never been drunk in her life."

"Well, she kept asking for them," Paul said defensively. "Besides, she looked like she needed the extra reinforcement."

Mel was interrupted by the opening door. Anna stood in the center of it, absolutely breathtaking. "Holy shit," Mel muttered.

"Don't you just love it?" Anna asked excitedly, twirling like a ballerina.

Her hair had been highlighted with several shades of dark blonde. It was  still the same glorious length it had always been, but Jessica had  added layers to lighten up the weight of it slightly. The layers also  made it curl riotously down her back. Makeup had been artfully applied  to her already beautiful face-enhancing her looks-and her fingernails  and toenails were painted bright California Pink, the exact shade that  Paul's were.

"You look amazing," Mel said.

"I know, can you believe it?" Anna said, without any modesty at all. "My toes are so sexy."

"Yes, but the flannel shirt and jeans have to go. You passed the grunge stage in the Nineties."

"Well let's go shopping then," Anna said, slurring her words only a little.

"Why don't we get some lunch first, tiger? Then we'll hit the mall," Mel said, laughing at Anna's tipsy state.



Anna started to get her wits back after lunch. "I can't believe I drank  so much. I have to say, though, that it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.  We'll have to do it again. Just not in public next time."

"Well, I hope you've got your credit card handy, because it's going to be smoking pretty soon," Mel said.

Anna was amazed at all the clothes and shoes that filled the stores. And  to her surprise, Mel led her to areas that suited Anna well. She  thought for sure she'd end up with a closet full of tight t-shirts and  hip hugging jeans.

She bought several business suits, since she'd decided to take up her  father's offer of working on the owner's side of Hollis Tools instead of  spending so much time in the store. She'd get to travel to all of the  stores and check on their progress at least a couple of times a year,  and any changes that needed to be made would be her decision. She also  bought several casual pieces for everyday wear and shoes to go with  everything. The beiges and bland colors that currently lived in her  closet were about to be things of the past. Her new wardrobe was an  explosion of color, and she'd never seen so many boxes in her life.                       
       
           



       

"Okay . . . I want a pair of those jeans you have on," Anna told Mel.

"Are you sure? They have holes in them."

"I don't know why, but I think those jeans are really sexy," Anna said.

"Well let's go get a couple of pair and then we'll look for lingerie."

Anna was exhausted by the time they made it back to Paradise. She'd  never had so much fun in her life. If she couldn't get Dylan's attention  now, then nothing would. And the lingerie. . . She'd bought more  lingerie than she could possibly use, but she wanted to give Dylan  variety, just in case. Of course, she'd need instructions to get some of  those contraptions on.

She dropped Mel off at her house, enjoying the tidy neighborhood of  older homes. "Thanks for coming with me today," she said as she hugged  Mel tightly. "We'll do this again very soon."

"Hell yes, we will," Mel said. "I want to go with you when you buy your  new car. I've decided to live vicariously through you. And I really want  to meet this man. Just because he's setting off your hormonal alarms  doesn't mean he'll pass the Mel test."

Anna laughed at her outrageous friend, glad she'd called her to come  with her. She'd missed her more than she realized. "You have nothing to  worry about. I thoroughly plan to be the one that uses him. I need the  practice. I'm not looking for a long term relationship. I just need to  get my lust-hazed brain satisfied so I can focus on other things. This  guy is killing me."

Mel was a little surprised by that statement. Anna was not the type of  woman to indulge in one night stands, and Mel had a hard time believing  that Anna's heart wouldn't become involved once she had a physical  relationship with this guy. She had commitment written all over her.

"I just want you to be careful. The heart is not something to trifle with."

"Yes, Maam," Anna said, rolling her eyes as she waved and drove away.





Chapter Three





Dylan watched out his window as the silver Mercedes convertible pulled  into an available parking spot. He was a little surprised. A car like  that didn't exactly go with the flannel-clad woman he'd seen at the  hardware store.

Her choice of cars made him want her even more. He had a weakness for  expensive cars, like the Aston Martin that sat covered in his garage.  He'd been working too much lately to enjoy the indulgence of a fast  drive in such an incredible machine. His work truck served a functional  purpose, but it wasn't exactly a chick magnet.