Virgin Lips

16. I'm onto you

"Where's Ben?" I asked once Valerie was done dolling me up. I did tell her I would go to work right after, and a filthy diner is the last place ever to be dressed nice and wear full makeup, but she said I ought to look great for my first date. No, it didn't matter either that I told her it wasn't a date. Jeremy did specify it the first time, when he asked to grab breakfast together, didn't he? He said it wouldn't be a date. So it's only presumable that this one wouldn't be either. Makes sense, no?

Valerie, head tilted to the side as she stared at me, left finger on her lips, clear sign she was left in thought, answered absentmindedly: "Work."

I frowned. "I thought he was off on weekends."

She laughed. "Darling, he's never off."

"But ..." I pressed my lips when she looked at me weird. He told me we could spend the weekend on this ... new path I'm supposed to get onto because he's off, now it turns out he went to work on a Sunday?

"Do you have a purse?" Valerie asked.

"Uh ... yeah ..." I pointed at the wardrobe.

She headed there, and fumbled a bit. Needless to mention, my room was a mess of clothes and beauty products, all stuff Valerie had brought. "Just this one?" She held up the black messenger bag I used in college.

"No, there's a smaller one."

"You mean the worn-out brown shoulder bag you always use?"

I nodded, halfway between embarrassed and annoyed. I don't care about bag or shoes or clothes, I thought that was clear by now.

Valerie sighed, throwing the messenger bag back into the wardrobe. "Good thing I brought those, too." She claimed, then went over to the last paper back she hadn't opened yet. Case in point, there were a few bags of different types.

"How did you manage to take all this stuff here?" I couldn't help asking.

She chuckled. "Honey, I never lift a finger." When she saw me frown, she rolled her eyes, and pointed at her body with her bejeweled hands. "Womanhood 101, Joanna. Men are happy to play knight in shining armor if they believe they have a chance at a reward later on, if you get what I mean." She winked.

"Uh ..."

"Tell me, do you carry your own suitcase when you travel?"

"Well, I don't travel much." Or at all. Most I've been to was to and from New York and my hometown.

"What about when you arrived to New York? Or during college?"

I thought for a moment. "When I got to the dorms I usually found someone that would help me with the suitcase if they saw me struggling, yeah."

Valerie grinned. "Boys?"

"Uh ... yeah."

"Then you see what I mean, don't you?"

Not really. "They were just being nice."

"They were trying to get to know you, honey."

Oh, come on. Do I really have to believe that guys don't do anything just for the sake of being nice or polite? Should I believe Ben has ulterior motives, too? He's been even too helpful. I mean, he did kiss me, but that doesn't mean anything, he regretted it immediately.

"Now ..." Valerie inhaled deeply as if tired yet proud of her work, "let's check you out." She dragged me to the bathroom, where there was the only big enough mirror in my apartment.

I gulped when I looked at my reflection. That was me? Joanna Brooks? The same Joanna Brooks I see in that same mirror every day? Nah, that's not possible. Valerie had me wear a red jersey dress that reached below my knees, with something she called body chain – which I heard for the first time existed – as accessory; black boots. All in all it was an easy attire, yet it was a mix of casual and elegant. I could have just as easily worn it in the morning or at night, I think.