Page 66 of The Recovery Coach
She broke into giggles and he joined her, taking in the ratty-ass look of all the other products he’d chosen.
“The expiration date is a recommendation,” she said through her fingers.
Hazy set the eyeshadow aside and opened some of the other bottles and compacts.He sniffed a decrepit tube of concealer.To his relief, it smelled fine.
He fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“While I do your hair, you’re buying new makeup.Go fucking crazy.”
She doubled over in her seat, laughing at his antics.
“I don’t need new makeup.What I have is perfectly serviceable.”
“No, the fuck it is not.I wouldn’t put any of this on my face.I’m only putting it on yours because we’re short on time, and by some miracle you haven’t destroyed your skin yet.What am I supposed to do if I need to borrow your eyeliner?Or body glitter.”
Still giggling, Livy accepted his phone.She typed in his passcode and opened a shopping app.
“I don’t own body glitter.”
Hazy tutted.“How have you existed this long without body glitter?Fucking tragic,” he said, setting her off again.
She was so fucking easy.He loved that.She found everything he said funny.Even if it was a tiny bit true, or a lot a bit mean.He found a—mercifully clean—makeup sponge and ran to the bathroom to get it wet.
Livy browsed blushes and lipsticks while he got to work painting her face in the steps he’d learned as a teenager watching beauty gurus on YouTube.He controlled the tilt of her head with a light grip on her chin.She closed her eyes, relaxing as he played with the creams and powders.
By the time he finished, she had a gorgeous, glittering smoky eye, and her full, pouty lips were shiny and inviting.Eat your heart out, Lover.Poor guy wouldn’t know what to do with her.
He once again forced the thought away and admired his handiwork.She opened her eyes and twisted toward the mirror, but he caught her chin, forcing her to face him.“It’s perfect, trust me.No peeking.”
She scanned his face, searching for any hint of deception.Hazy didn’t give her any.Her letting him experiment with her hair and makeup and outfits was one of his favorite things.He’d forgotten how much he loved letting this creative part of him out during their years apart.The team’s social media manager had a niece, Cassie, and he’d taught her how to do her hair when her father became a single dad, but she’d outgrown the need for his help years ago.
“I swear to God, if I sit through ninety minutes of this and you made me look like a clown, I’m going to cut your balls off and feed them to you.”
Hazy laughed.“You’ll look beautiful.I promise.”He held out a pinky for a promise.Pinky promises were sacred.A social contract all his friends knew he’d never break.
Livy looped her pinky around his.“Fine.”She twisted in her chair to face the wall.
Hazy let out a whoop, somewhat surprised she trusted him so much.
He slipped the choker he’d found in her jewelry box over her head and pulled her hair free before he curled it.
Letting his fingernails trail over her scalp in the way she loved, he asked, “What would you have done if I said I had feelings for Lover?”
Livy groaned at the scalp massage.The sound went straight to his dick.All he’d ever had to do to win her over was play with her hair.She’d probably like if he pulled it too.
Fuck.No.
He was getting her ready for a date with his other best friend.His best friend, who had never, to his knowledge, asked anyone else out.And Livy deserved someone who recognized how great she was right from the start.It wasn’t Lover or Livy’s fault that it had taken him twenty years to see her.
“I would have canceled the date.”
“Just like that?”he asked.
“Just like that.I’m not here to steal your man.”
A laugh escaped him.“You couldn’t if you tried.I have that one locked down.”
They snickered, and he relaxed.He loved these moments with her, and lately everything had been charged.It had his world off-kilter.
