Wanda shut her eyelids. “But he actually let you go to a night club!”
Natti snorted a laugh. “My father figures it’s better that I try new things under some limitations and conditions rather than outlawing them completely and have me breaking all the rules anyway. It does come with a price though.”
“What’s that?” Wanda asked while Natti reached for the bright yellow eye shadow.
“Each time, before I’m permitted to leave the house, I have to read this huge booklet he created on safety precautions.”
Wanda laughed, nearly making Natti smear her work. “You’re kidding!”
“What do you think I’ve been doing since I bloody got home from school?” Natti grinned and took up the chocolate-colored mascara. “I didn’t even have time to get around to starting my Gatsby report. I was stuck at my desk reading everything from how much alcohol one should drink over a period of an hour to recognizing date rape symptoms. A lot of it is actually helpful knowledge. I just hope I never have to use any of it. Here, put this on while I start your hair.”
Natti handed Wanda an electrifying pink lipstick before picking up a brush and dampening it slightly under the faucet. She ran the brush through Wanda’s hair, pulling it back away from her face. She then sectioned off pieces and rolled them with the curling iron up to Wanda’s scalp.
“So, Seth will be there.” Wanda glanced up at Natti through the mirror.
The mere mention of his name felt like a blow to Natti’s stomach. “Yeah. I don’t know if we’ll run into him or not, but he’ll probably be there.” Wanda shifted in her seat, her hands shaking. Natti gave her a reassuring smile. “Nervous about seeing him there?”
Wanda’s eyes looked heartbroken when they glanced her way in the mirror. “He really likes you, you know.”
Natti was unsure how to respond. Though she had been reciting her every reason to avoid Seth at all costs, the news made Natti’s heart flutter with delight. She wanted to feel his touch again. To feel his lips brush gently against hers. She couldn’t stand it. Her body and mind were at odds, and it was simply too heart wrenching to figure out all her emotions.
“I wish he would just look at me once,” Wanda whispered. “I mean, really look at me. Like he seemed to on the tennis court.”
Natti rolled her eyes. “That’s just him trying to distract you from your game, Wanda. He was playing you.”
“I know. It was nice, though—getting a little of the same attention he gives the girls he’s always with.” Her eyes became distant and dreamy. “His mere presence always makes my head spin. And do you know what else, when he touched me, a sort of tingling coursed throughout my entire system. It drove me wild, making me want more.”
Wanda’s description caught Natti’s full attention. “Tingling, did you say?”
Her friend’s cheeks turned scarlet. “Yeah, I know. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”
“No,” Natti said. “Not—Not at all. I can feel it too . . . sometimes.” So she wasn’t alone. How many others have felt the same exact sensations she had? Was that what attracted her to him? What kept her wanting to come back for more? And how can he create such an effect? A part of her wanted to tell Wanda more, but she wasn’t sure where to start. “Is that . . . Is that what you normally feel around him?”
Wanda shrugged with a silly grin. “Well, ever since I met him in elementary school, I could feel an attraction. A crush, I guess. I always thought it would eventually fade, but from middle school on, the feeling actually grew stronger. Unfortunately, I’m not his type.” Her smile faltered as she pointed at her face, Natti getting the hint that Wanda was indicating her glasses. “Bad vision and a die-hard Trekie. Yeah—probably not his thing. Anyway, it seems that his attention has shifted.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Haven’t you noticed? These past few days, his eyes have always been on you.”
Natti glanced at Wanda and swirled her in the chair. Her pulse was starting to beat a bit faster. “No. I haven’t noticed.” She had been too focused on ignoring him.
“It’s true. And they say his girlfriends are going mad because he won’t—you know. They’re literally shaking with frustration because he keeps pushing them away.”
Natti’s heart galloped in her chest. She had to hide her delight behind a wicked smile. “Probably having a dry spell. You know what they say about too much of a good thing.”
Wanda gazed at Natti, not even snickering at her little joke. “Yeah, maybe.”
Natti put down the iron. “All right, take a look and tell me what you think.”
Wanda stood up and turned to the mirror. Her jaw dropped. Slowly a grin appeared on her face. The outfit fitted nicely to her curves, and the makeup brought out her eyes.
“Natti! I . . . I . . . I can’t believe—”