Chapter 37

"No, no, no, that goes over here!" Zoe yelled. She was busy mixing a large bowl of sweet potatoes. "The pie tins are in the fridge. Can you grab them?" she yelled.

"Zoe, calm down. Everything will be ready for tonight," Robert said.

He'd been with her since she opened. She had her doubts when she hired him, but he turned out to be a loyal and valuable employee.

She looked at him and sighed. "We've just been so busy since all the social media stuff went out. I'm grateful, but a little overwhelmed," she said, rapidly stirring the pie batter.

"If you stir that any more, it'll turn to liquid." He laughed.

She looked at the bowl and stopped stirring. "Okay, okay. You're better under pressure," she joked.

"I'm going to prep all the sides for tonight. Your pies tins are already out on the counter." He pointed to several pie tins.

"Oh, I didn't see those," she said sheepishly.

He smiled at her. "Look, go take a break. I got the pies."

She reluctantly put down the mixing bowl. "Thanks, Robert. I've been at it since about 5 this morning."

"I know," he said. "Now go sit down somewhere. I got this."

Zoe shook her head, left the kitchen, and went out into the main dining area of the restaurant. It was strange for it to be empty this time of day. She'd decided to close the restaurant when Anna had shown her the number of tickets that were sold.

It's going to be very crowded in here, she thought to herself.

The stage area was decorated with a large partition. The backdrop was black, with silver letters spelling out MARIGOLD SHELTER 1ST ANNUAL OPEN MIC. The microphone sat in a tall mic stand. On each side of the mic were instruments, a small drum set, and a guitar and bass. This had been Chloe's idea.

"We need to have live musicians to assist the poets," she said during a yoga class. Zoe looked at her. "Okay, don't they like to get paid?"

"Let me handle it," Chloe said while trying to hold her downward-facing dog pose.

And handle it she did. Zoe looked around the room and sat down in the closest chair to the mic stand. "Well," she said, "here we go."

Lily was now fully dressed. She'd purchased a dress from the thrift store. It was solid black, with a V-neck. It was plain looking, no-frills or slits. She tried to find a pair of shoes but could find only a pair of black petal pushers.

She placed the dress and shoes into a bag, then walked over to the phone and dialed Tallulah, who answered on the 2nd ring.

"Hello?" Tallulah answered.

"Hi Tallulah, it's me, Lily. I'm coming to your house. I found a dress and some shoes," she said.

"Great. Do you need the address again?" Tallulah asked.

"No, I have it. If I don't like the makeover, no pictures, right?" she asked. Her voice quivered a little.

"Yes, if you don't like the makeover, no pictures," Tallulah replied.

"Okay. Bye."

Lily hung up the phone, took a deep breath, grabbed the bag with her dress and shoes, and left the hotel room.

Chloe honked as she pulled up in front of Tallulah's building. She waited until Tallulah emerged, then waved and jumped out of the car.

"Wow, you weren't playin', were you?" said Tallulah as she looked at all the bags in Chloe's back seat.

"I know this is important to you and Lily, so I brought everything I could find. I even found some clothes she might like. I have shoes, tights, tops, makeup, hair products – the works! You know a bitch a Girl Scout."

"You're my favorite!" Tallulah said, hugging her.

"So where's Lily?" Chloe asked while handing her some bags.

"She just called and said she's on her way. I hope she likes whatever you do."

They made their way up to the 2nd floor and into Tallulah's apartment. Tallulah opened the door and let Chloe in, then shut the door behind her.

"So much stuff!" Tallulah said.

"Well, I thought we could do something with you, too," she said, setting down the bags. "Me? What's wrong with me?"

"Well, basically nothing, but we could do something about your lack of makeup, and maybe style these locs. I also brought something for you to wear," she said matter of factly. "I've never been good with makeup, Chloe. You know this."

"I know. So while we wait for Lily, have a seat." She grabbed a kitchen chair and set it in the middle of the small living room. "Let a bitch work her magic."

Lily stepped off the bus and walked to the apartment building. She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and checked the address, then quickly put the paper back into her pocket and walked into the apartment building. She was walking up the first step when she heard an apartment door open. A small Hispanic woman stuck her head out the door.

"Hola, are you looking for Tallulah?" Mrs. Herrera asked.

Lily nodded.

Mrs. Herrera smiled at her. "Go upstairs, first apartment." Lily nodded and said, "Thank you."

She turned and headed up the steps. When she reached the top, she paused. She looked at the door, gripped her bag a little tighter, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

The door swung open, and there stood Chloe. She was dressed in a form-fitting baby blue dress. Her makeup was flawless, and her hair flowed down her back. Taken aback by her beauty, Lily stared and opened her mouth but didn't speak.

"You must be Lily," Chloe said excitedly. "I've heard so much about you. Come in," she said, moving to one side and allowing her entrance into the apartment.

Lily slowly walked into a mess of bags, makeup, hair care products, clothes, and shoes. She looked up to see a very different looking Tallulah come out of the bedroom. She gasped as Tallulah spoke.

"Lily, I'm so glad you made it. This is my very good friend Chloe. She's our resident stylist." "You look so different. I wasn't sure if it was you."

Tallulah laughed. "Yeah, it's me. Chloe thought I could use some highlighting. I���m the hostess tonight."

Tallulah's locs were placed on top of head in a princess style bun. Her eyes were done in a smoky style, with hints of blue, purple, and gold. Her eyeliner was deep back and outlined her entire eye. She wore fake eyelashes, which made her blink furiously. Her lips were a dark mahogany and accented her eyes. Lily thought she looked beautiful, elegant, like the women she'd seen in You & Me magazine.

"You look beautiful," Lily said.

"And so will you," said Chloe. "Now take off your coat and hat. What's in the bag?" "M…m…my shoes and dress," Lily shyly said.

Chloe reached out her hand for the bag. "Can I see?"

Lily shook her head and handed Chloe the bag, then watched her face as she pulled out the dress.

Chloe held it up and said, "This is pretty, but I have something I think you'll like. If you don't, we can always go with this. Okay?"

She shook her head yes. She liked Chloe. "Okay." She took off her coat and hat and laid them on the sofa.

"Great. Now come sit," Chloe said, patting the kitchen chair.

Lily sat down and took a deep breath. Chloe kneeled in front of her and grabbed her hand. "Lily, it'll be okay. You're naturally beautiful. I'm only here to enhance that beauty. I'm by no means a professional stylist, but I know a li'l something about makeup and clothes. Okay?" Lily shook her head yes and smiled. "Good. Now let's get started. I want to start with your hair. It's so beautiful. Let's keep the natural look and add some curl and some color."

As Chloe gently stroked her hair, she was talking as if they were old friends. Tallulah watched her. The way she smiled and made Lily laugh. The way she made Lily feel at ease. She would chime in from time to time but watching Chloe work was a thing of magic. She had a natural flair for style.

She'd tried, several times, to get Tallulah to wear makeup and switch up her wardrobe. After several years, she'd finally backed off, but she hadn't given up. She was always giving Tallulah makeup samples or dragging her to some sale at some department store. Tallulah preferred jeans. She was a writer. She worked either in a small office or from home, so why dress up?

She'd also tried a makeover for Zoe, too, and did manage to talk her into getting a weave. Zoe hated every minute of it. She complained so much, Chloe took it out a week later. Zoe preferred her natural twists, organic face products, and flat shoes.

"How are we friends?" Chloe would ask every time she tried to get Zoe to wear a pair of heels.

After a few hours, Chloe had Lily sitting in the kitchen chair, laughing and talking. She'd just finished applying a rust/gold hair dye to her hair. Lily sat in the chair, with a plastic shower cap on her head.

"So now that we have the color in, let's talk about your outfit for tonight," Chloe said excitedly.

Tallulah was sitting at the kitchen table, working on her article. She was IMing Sharon while Chloe took Lily into the bedroom.

TB: My friend Chloe is doing her makeup, hair, and clothes. Lily was not happy about the photographer

SE: That's great. Your article will be fantastic. I can't wait to read it.

TB: Sylvia is okay with everything?

SE: Yes, I talked to her. It's better we print the story

TB: Okay. Who is the photographer?

SE: I will send you her info. She should be there at 7 pm. I will let her know to look for you

TB: I won't be hard to find. I'm hosting. Last-minute thing

SE: I wish I could see it. Good luck to you and Lily. Bye

TB: Bye

Tallulah closed her laptop. She could hear Chloe giving her expert opinion on Lily's clothes. Her cell phone buzzed. She quickly clicked it on.

"What up, Zoe?"

"Busy. Happy, but busy. What time are you coming?" "In a few. I –"

"Come now. I could really use your help."

"Okay. I just need to change my clothes. You okay?" Tallulah asked.

"I'm good but could use an extra set of hands," Zoe said.

"I got you. See you in a few."

"Thank you. Love you."

Tallulah clicked off the phone, then got up and walked into the bedroom. Lily was dressed in a soft yellow dress. It had a slight V-neck, and the length was just above her knee.

"Lily, you look great!" Tallulah exclaimed as she walked into the bedroom.

"I like it, too, just not for this event. Too dressy," Chloe said, putting her hand on her hip. She put a finger across her chin and was deep in thought.

"Well, I like it," said Tallulah. "What do you think, Lily?"

Lily turned at looked at herself in the full-length mirror. The dress was pretty. She swayed from side to side, then said, "I think it's beautiful but too fancy for me."

Chloe frowned. "No dress is ever too fancy for you to wear, but I feel you. Remember, you make the dress; the dress doesn't make you. I've got other stuff for us to try."

Lily shook her head and continued to gaze at herself in the mirror.

"Hey, I just spoke to Zoe. She needs my help, so I'm leaving now," Tallulah said. "Can you make sure Lily gets to the restaurant?"

"Of course. Take my car. I'm going to have Stanley pick us up here," Chloe said.

"Stanley? Stanley Roberts?!" Tallulah asked.

"Yep. He asked me to go with him. I think of it as work," she answered.

Tallulah shot her a side-eyed look. "Really?"

"Whatever, it's a date. Lily, let me make a phone call, then we can rinse the color out."

Chloe grabbed Tallulah by the arm and led her out of the bedroom. "It's not a big deal. I'm not dating him."

She reached for her purse and handed Tallulah her keys.

"Okay, you're not dating him. Can I date him? 'Cause he fine," she joked.

Chloe let out a sigh. "He is fine and soooo nice. I do like him, but, well, I don't date clients. Even a rich, fine ass shot of Hennessy like Stanley Roberts. You know my assistant gave me the green light to date him because at least I sound white?" "What?" Tallulah said, surprised.

"Yes, girl. But that's a few bottles of wine type of story. You'd better get going. You know how Zoe is."

"You owe me wine service, soon," Tallulah said.

She hugged Chloe, grabbed her bag, notebook, and clothes, and darted out the door.

Chloe pulled out her cell phone and dialed Stanley. She was surprised to get him on the first ring.

"Chloe, I'm so glad you called. What time should I pick you up?"

"Hi Stanley, slight change of plans. I'm going to text you the address. I'm helping out a friend. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Text me. See you around sixish?" he said.

"That'll be great. Thank you."

"Anytime," he said.

She clicked off and texted him the address, then smiled and went back into the bedroom. "Now let's try this one, then we can rinse."

Tallulah entered through the back door of the restaurant. She was surprised at the number of people bustling around. She recognized the regular staff but saw a few new faces running around. She spotted Marc, busy mixing a large container of mac and cheese. He was talking and laughing with Robert, Zoe's regular cook, and didn't notice her come in. Before she could walk over to him, Zoe grabbed her by her arm and dragged her into the office.

"I'm so glad you're here, girl. I don't think I've ever been this busy," she exclaimed while sitting down.

"Okay Boss, what do you need?" Tallulah said.

"Well, we're almost done, but I need all the veggies cut for the salad. Can you prep for me? Please…pretty please?" Zoe said, holding her hands in the prayer position.

"You know I hate prepping, but I'll do it," Tallulah answered. "Show me what and where." Zoe stood up and clapped her hands. "Yea! I love you. You're my favorite."

Tallulah shot her a side-eye. "Really? And what about Chloe?" "Oh, she's my favorite, too. Besides, she ain't here."

"I know. She's giving Lily her makeover. When I left, she was dying her hair and finding her something to wear. I swear that the girl missed her calling. She's a fashionista for real."

"She did your makeup, too?" Zoe asked, staring at Tallulah. Tallulah shook her head yes. "You look pretty." Zoe took her face in her hands and turned it from side to side. "Stop blinking so damn much," she said.

"I can't help it. These damn eyelashes. I don't know if they're going to make it to showtime." She laughed.

"Well, you know me, less is more. I like the old face. This is a good face. But I like your real face."

She hugged her friend and led her out into the kitchen. Tallulah made eye contact with Marc as she entered the kitchen. She smiled and started to walk towards him. He waved and met her halfway.

"Hey, you. I haven't seen you for a while. How are you?" he said, hugging her.

She hugged him back. "So much has been going on," she said.

"You look different. Good, really good. I mean, you always looked good, but you look different now. I like it," he said.

"Well, I'm hosting tonight, so Chloe thought I needed to switch up my look."

Marc smiled. His smile was the kind of smile that could have you daydreaming about making babies.

"Well, if you aren't too busy, Ms. Hostess, I'd love to take you out after the show. Maybe get a drink or something?" he said.

"Okay, I'd love that." She could feel herself blushing. She was getting warm all over. He had that effect on her.

Zoe stood there, watching them talk. She sighed and said, "Can we work now?" She threw Tallulah an apron and pointed to a counter full of fresh vegetables. "Get to cutting." She laughed.

Tallulah nodded and looked at Marc. "The boss has spoken," she said.

Michael sat in his office, going over the latest issue of BW. He was in his editor zone when he was interrupted by the buzzing of his cell phone. He quickly checked and smiled when he saw it was Zoe calling.

"Hey, you," he said.

"Hi, I was just checking in. I haven't seen you," she said.

"Yeah, I know. I've been busy working on the last couple of issues. I even dusted off my resume and will start looking for a real job."

She could hear the hurt in his voice. She paused, then said, "Do you want to hang out after the show tonight? I could get some wine."

He smiled and said, "That's the best offer I've had in a long time."

"Good, I thought we could go to my place. After tonight, I need a break from the restaurant." "Okay, I would say my place, but it's pretty cluttered with boxes and stuff." "No worries. See you later?" she asked.

"Of course. I'll be there around 7 pm."

"Okay, see you soon," she said.

Michael clicked off the phone and put it down. He started at the layout. His eyes were drawn to the empty space where Tallulah's article would go. He sighed and went back into editing mode.

"Here are the revisions you asked for, Sylvia. Are you sure you want to do this?" Mr. Meyer asked.

"Yes, I'm sure."

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