“Make what?”
“Nothing. There’s a meet and greet tonight, and they finalize the contestants based on a casual, social interview, so you’re just in time to help me pick out a dress.” She went to her closet, opened it. “Green sundress or white floral Hawaiian dress?”
“How about the black cocktail dress I put in your suitcase for exactly this occasion?”
“Ah, that was you. I didn’t know whether to blame Amelia—”
“I have much better taste than Amelia.”
“And much skimpier. Seriously, Eden, did you really expect me to wear this?” Grace pulled the dress off the hanger. A halter-style cocktail dress, with a low back and above-the-knee skirt, it seemed like she might show less flesh in her swimsuit. “Where did you get this anyway?”
“I bought it for a cocktail party Jace invited me to a few weeks ago, but I didn’t have a magnificent tan . . .”
Grace’s skin had darkened to a beautiful penny shade. She looped the halter behind her neck, let the dress drape in front of her as she stood before the mirror.
“You want to get Max’s attention, wear that.”
“Eden!”
“I’m serious, Grace. From what Jace tells me, Max is a great guy. And very single. Do you like him?”
Oh, it went way, way beyond like. But she kept her voice small, bored, easy. “Sure. He’s nice enough.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Grace sat on the bed. “Like I said, he’s not interested—”
“Then make him interested.”
“No. I don’t—I don’t chase after—”
“Something you want?”
Grace swallowed, sighed.
“Isn’t this what the trip is about? Doing something out of your comfort zone?”
“I’m so far outside my comfort zone I’ve lost sight of it.” She got up and unzipped the dress. “I’ve done everything short of surfing here. I even went parasailing.”
“What?”
“Yes.” She climbed into the dress and zipped up the back. “And this competition is me living way outside my boundaries.” She smoothed the dress over her hips and saw that it didn’t dip too low in front, just enough to show off her tan, accentuate her hourglass shape, and reveal her legs. Who knew she could clean up with such class?
In fact, for a second she took her own breath away.
Silence. Then, “You put on the dress, didn’t you?”
Grace sighed. “It’s too . . . much.”
“You look fabulous in it, don’t you?”
She shook her head, reached for the zipper.
“Stop!”
What, could her sister see through the phone? “I can’t—”
“Okay, let’s go back to the competition. You want to get in, right?”
“Of course. We’ve worked so hard. I’ve spent all week in the kitchen practicing and learned how to make every native Hawaiian dish Max knows. I can chop up a coconut and even core a pineapple. I’m so ready for this. If it wasn’t for tonight’s interview—”
“That’s why you have to wear the dress. In this dress, you know you’re amazing. A winner.”
Grace again picked up her hair, held it away from her neck. Tugged a few tendrils around her face. Smiled. Whoops, too much teeth.
“You got this, Sis,” Eden said. “You want it, go get it.”
Go get it.
She did want it, and if this dress helped . . . “I’ll call you if we win.”
“You will,” Eden said. “Love you!”
The call ended, but Grace let her sister’s words linger and find her heart. You want it, go get it.
Yes, tonight she planned on winning.
The twilight had curled in like a mist by the time Grace finished tying up her hair, adding a few floral bobby pins and a silver and faux—she assumed it was faux—diamond necklace that Eden had also shoved into her bag. She’d even found a pair of strappy black sandals about two inches taller than she’d ever worn before. She dearly hoped she didn’t topple over in them.
But she had to admit, next time she left town, she’d require Eden to do all her packing.
Next time . . . ?
Okay, this vacation had sunk deeper into her skin than she imagined. Making her leave her hotel room looking like a woman who’d never known a life of cutoff shorts, pizza stains, and old Deep Haven Huskies hockey T-shirts.
She looked . . . elegant. Refined. Even sexy, although that word seemed unfamiliar and a little uncomfortable as it touched down in her mind.
Confident. Yes, she’d settle on that description. She wrapped a scarf around her shoulders and hit the button for the elevator.
A low whistle filtered down the hall. She turned and startled at the sight of her teacher, Keoni, walking toward her. He wore a white linen suit, his long dark hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, looking exotic and painfully handsome.