On The Couch [Editing]

Chapter Nineteen

Well this is it, the night of the Halloween party. Friday night.

We were told to lock our offices up tight and close all the blinds to the windows on the inside for Halloween décor. Everyone had a half day at work so the décor crew, caterers, and music bookings could come in and set up. The big wigs were really going all out. I could only imagine what they were turning the place into.

I watched Boxer play in the grass on one of the lawns in my apartment community as I planned out my evening. Boxer is all better now for the most part and enjoying being outdoors for once. He needed to get some fresh air for a while and since I had a half day I took him out.

Eddie would be picking me up at seven pm. I told him I preferred to meet him at the office, but he insisted arriving together for the clients, 'would make a better impression' he said. I was not happy about that arrangement. He was trying really hard to make this seem like a date rather than business socializing. It did not make me feel like this party would be a success.

Boxer yelped bringing me out of my thoughts. I smiled, watching him chase a bug that was flying around him. Maybe it was a dragonfly? At least from the way the dusk light hit the wings reflecting in blues and greens on them, that would be my guess.

“Come on boy time for mommy to get ready,” I called to him.

He yelped in protest chasing after the bug a little further before he came trotting up to me following me back home. I put out some fresh water and dinner for him. I checked on my TV dinner that was in the oven. I figured something quick would give me more time to get ready.

Stacy, I discovered, is bringing Kenneth with her and she refused to tell me about their costumes. It would be nice to see some familiar friendly faces instead of all work relations.

Then there would be Evan. I tried asking him what or who he would be going as to the party. He just smiled and refused to answer me in therapy on Tuesday. My nerves rattled and tingled with the possibilities. I played along when he asked me the same thing. If he wasn’t telling, neither was I. The flirtation had totally made me feel like a giddy school girl on the chase.

I ate my dinner fast and cleaned up. Deciding on a quick shower, I set out to get ready for this event. After drying my hair from the shower, I set curlers in and started on the make-up. The costume or dress, shoes and jewelry were laid out on my bed neatly.

I found the signature mole to be the hardest part to create from Marilyn Monroe’s look. Luckily, I was already pale in my skin tone so I matched pretty well and didn’t have to put on heavy layers. My blending wasn’t perfect, but it would be low light so I didn’t think it would matter much. The only thing I lacked was the eyelash extensions. There is no way I was going to try and put those on.

Satisfied with my make-up job I turned to the task of getting dressed. Though it covered everything the amount of skin still revealed in the plunging neckline made me nervous on two fronts. The first, annoyed that Eddie would see me like this and probably be ogling, the second, Evan, whose ogling I would welcome. Just the thought made my cheeks flush.

Back to the bathroom, I spied Boxer watching me like a hawk, following me around from room to room.

“You making sure I get it right?” I asked him as I began to take the curlers out.

My hair would be my ebony shade instead of Monroe’s classic blonde, but against my pallor it would be a nice distinct contrast. I was not going to wear a wig and get heated up by that. So much already would be heating me. My hair is longer so I used a lot of bobby pins to hold it up and set it right. As I gazed at my reflection in the mirror I think I did a good job creating the look.