I smiled at her, the exact opposite of my internal reaction. “You know what? I trust you,” I said, and kissed her on the cheek before leaving the room.
“Wait a second,” my mother called after me. I stopped, and she opened her jewelry box. She withdrew a pair of earrings; a single emerald at the center of each stud, surrounded by diamonds.
“Oh my God,” I said, staring at them. They were incredible. “Mom, I can’t—”
“Just to borrow, not to keep,” she said with a smile. “Here, stand still.”
She fastened the studs to my ears. “There,” she said, her hands on my shoulders. “You look beautiful.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But don’t lose them, okay? They were my mother’s.”
I nodded, and went back to my room. It was time to deal with the dress. I withdrew it from its garment bag. Stepping into it would be safest—that way, I could stop if it threatened to tear. To my great surprise, it slid on easily. But it dipped dangerously low in front and dangerously low in back, exposing more skin than I was used to. Much more.
Too late now. A glance at the clock told me I had only five minutes before Daniel had to leave to meet his little nerdlet. I slipped on the shoes my mother had given me. They were slightly too tight but I ignored that and, balancing mostly on my toes, walked into the foyer. I met Joseph as he headed to his room.
“Ohmigod, DANIEL! You have to see Mara!”
Blushing furiously, I pushed past him and stood by the front door, itching to fling it open and wait in the car for my older brother. But he had the keys. Of course he did.
Daniel materialized from the hallway in a business suit with his hair slicked back and wet-looking, and my mother appeared shortly after. They stood there and stared for much longer than was necessary while I fidgeted, feigning boredom to hide my embarrassment.
Finally, Daniel spoke. “Wow, Mara. You look like … you look like …” His face scrunched as he searched for words.
A look passed over my mother’s face, but vanished before I could interpret it. “Like a model,” Mom said brightly.
“Uh, I was going to say a lady of ill repute.” I shot Daniel a look of pure poison. “But, sure.”
“She does not, Daniel. Stop it.” The golden boy was scolded. I smirked.
“You look beautiful, Mara. Older, too. Daniel,” my mother said, and turned to look him in the eye. “Watch her. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
He raised his hand in a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Once we were in the car, Daniel put on some Indian music. He knew I was not a fan.
“Can I change it?”
“No.”
I glared at him, but he ignored me as he pulled out of the driveway. We didn’t talk until we reached the highway.
“So what are you supposed to be, anyway?” I asked him as we lined up behind the mass of cars, stalled and blinking in the traffic.
“Bruce Wayne.”
“Ha.”
“I’m sorry, by the way.” He paused, still watching the road. “For not telling you about the case.”
I didn’t say anything.
“Mom asked me not to.”
I stared straight ahead. “So naturally, you listened.”
“She thought she was doing the right thing.”
“I wish she’d stop.”
Daniel shrugged, and we were silent for the rest of the drive. We crept along in traffic until we finally turned onto Lincoln Road. It really was captivating. Neon lights illuminated the buildings, some sleek and some gaudy. Drag queens glittered down the sidewalks next to scantily clad revelers. Parking was impossible, but we eventually found a space near the club and paid an obscene amount of money for the privilege. As I got out of the car, my feet crunched on the broken glass that dusted the pavement.
I walked behind Daniel slowly and carefully, knowing that one misstep would send me hurtling toward the glass-and-cigarette littered concrete, thereby ruining my normal teenager excursion. And the dress.
We stood in line and waited our turn. When we reached the stereotypically muscled bouncer, we handed over our cash for the cover charge and he stamped our hands without ceremony. Daniel and I walked past the rope into the pulsing club and I could tell his confidence had worn a bit thin. In our lack of partying experiences, at least, we were equals.