The Falcon Prince

Chapter 19

Ria was glad she had made Carly go shopping. They both needed today. Carly needed it so she would know that they were still best friends, and Ria so that she could get her head screwed on straight.

Sure, Ria could probably start her own business on New Symtaria. What better place to have an animal grooming shop than on a planet where everyone shifted into animals? She could make a fortune.

Her only problem would be getting a loan. Their small town bank was progressive, but she was pretty sure her loan officer would consider it high risk. What would happen if she defaulted? They certainly couldn’t foreclose.

And even though Kristor had told Ria she was a princess, she was almost certain it would turn out to be an empty title. It wasn’t likely that she had a castle and a trunkful of gold. No, she was much better off right where she was.

“You’re miles away,” Carly said.

Startled, Ria looked around. She remembered she was waiting for Carly to try on an outfit that Ria had to practically force on her.

Ria smiled. “More like a zillion miles.” When Carly looked confused, Ria laughed. Then she got a good look at her friend.

“Wow!” The snug black jeans rode low on Carly’s hips and the white top hugged her curves, veeing low in front to show the swell of her breasts and short enough that her belly button winked.

Carly blushed. “Wow? Really?”

“Oh, yeah. Really wow.”

Carly turned and faced the mirror, then blinked. “Good Lord,” she breathed. “Ria, I look…so different. This isn’t me. I feel as though I’m looking at someone I’ve never met.”

Ria walked up behind her. “You look sexy as hell. This is the woman you should’ve met a long time ago. I’ve been trying to get you to dress like this for years, but all you ever wear are dull brown clothes. You remind me of a little mouse.”

“But my brothers would kill me if they saw me dressed like this.”

“Because they have some mistaken idea that you should be forever pure. Look at the women they date, for pity’s sake. They wear a lot less than what you’re wearing right now.”

“You’re right, they do. And my brothers all act like idiots when they come around. Maybe I should stop caring about what they think.”

“That’s the attitude! Finally!”

Carly turned to the side and ran her hands over the top, tugging at the hem. “I look so tall, though. Someone like me shouldn’t wear heels.”

“Neil is tall.”

She frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You like him, but you don’t feel confident around him. When he sees you dressed like this, believe me, his eyes will pop.”

Carly’s shoulders slumped. “You’re just saying that because you’re my friend.” She turned to the other side. “I don’t know, I’m just not sure about this new look.”

Was she blind? Apparently. Ria looked around, and spotted a couple of hotties in business suits walking down the sidewalk. She dragged Carly over to the window.

“What are you doing?”

“A test.” She knocked on the window. The men stopped and looked at her. Ria pulled Carly from behind, waving her hand in front of her.

One guy grinned. The other rushed toward the door.

“Ria, what have you done?”

Oops. She hadn’t expected quite this kind of reaction. The guy opened the door and rushed over, sliding to a stop on the tiled floor.

“Can I have your phone number? I mean, was that some new way to ask a guy out? It worked.” He grinned.

Carly stepped closer and whispered, “Do something, Ria.”

“Actually, uh, my friend wanted a man’s opinion to see if her husband might like what she has on.”

His face fell. “Oh, you’re married.” He brightened. “Ever wanted to have an affair?”

“No,” Carly said over Ria’s shoulder.

“Opinion?” Ria asked again.

He grinned and Ria wondered if she shouldn’t at least get the guy’s number for Carly, but then thought about the wishful look she’d seen in Neil’s eyes. No, that wouldn’t be right, and she wouldn’t do that to him.

“Hot. If she models that in front of her husband, expect to be in bed in under ten.” He turned his attention to Ria.

“We’re both married,” she quickly told him.

“Just my luck.” He smiled once more, winked, then joined his friend on the sidewalk.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Carly said.

“I was tired of you not believing me. Now, will you buy the outfit?”

Carly walked back over to the mirror and looked at herself from all angles. “I always thought I was too tall.”

“I’d kill for legs like yours.”

“And Neil will like this look?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Carly took a deep breath. “Then I’ll buy it.”

When Carly went into the cubicle to change back to her street clothes, Ria came to a decision and made a call. This was not distancing herself from Kristor, but she needed his help. They talked for a few minutes. She was just saying good-bye when Carly stepped back out.

“Mom.” Ria smiled and waved the cell before dropping it back into her purse. A small lie, but it was for a worthy cause.

They shopped some more, then chose a tea room for lunch. The frilly atmosphere was the perfect place. There were white Christmas lights draped through a grapevine edging the ceiling, rather than molding, and around fake trees. The tables were covered with red cloths with little bouquets of dried roses, and the room smelled like sweet potpourri.

The waitress showed them to a corner table beneath an alcove, then gave them a couple of menus. After she left, Ria inhaled. “Ginger spice. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“We haven’t been here in a long time,” Carly said. “It’s very relaxing.”

“Mom and I came a few weeks ago. I can’t get enough of their flavored teas.”

They decided on what they wanted, then placed their order. Ria completely and totally relaxed as she drank in the Victorian surroundings.

“So, what is going on with you and Kristor?”

Sucker-punched. “Going on?”

Carly raised her eyebrows. “Don’t play coy.”

“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully.

“But you like him.”

“Yes, I do. If the circumstances were right, he’d be the ideal man.”

“And they’re not?”

Ria shook her head. “He wants me to leave with him. Go back to his…home. He’s leaving next week.”

Carly drew in a sharp breath. “You’re not, though.”

Ria didn’t say anything.

“You haven’t known him long. Please say you won’t go without letting me know. He could be here illegally or something.”

Here illegally? That was pretty much a gimme.

“I promise you’ll be the first to know if I decide to leave.” She really hated that she might have ruined their outing, but she wanted to prepare Carly for anything. Or was she preparing herself?

“She’s in the bathroom so I can’t talk long,” Carly told Donald. “Kristor is leaving next week, and Ria might go with him. We can’t let her. Not until we know more about this guy.”

“You called immigration, right?”

“Yes. I already told you that. They acted like they were bored and underpaid.” She frowned. They probably were. “Maybe I shouldn’t have hinted rather broadly that Kristor was an alien from another planet.”

“Why the hell would you do that?”

“I was desperate for a response from them and I thought they might pay more attention.”

His sigh came across the phone. “I’ll see if I can’t be a little more persuasive. Stay close to her, and find out everything you can about this guy.”

“I’ve gotta go, here comes Ria.” She snapped her cell closed and dropped it back in her purse. “Moms.” She chuckled, knowing it came out sounding strained.

“Let’s pay the bill, then run get a manicure and pedicure,” Ria said. “I feel the need for more pampering.”

“I’m all for that.”

Carly needed something to relax her jangled nerves. She was not about to let her friend leave town with a man from God-knows-where, to an imaginary country just so he could murder her or something. Even if it meant that what she was doing would end their friendship, she was willing to take that chance. Ria meant too much to her.

There was a place in the mall that took walk-ins. They were lucky and got right in. Maybe it would settle her nerves. What if Ria never spoke to her again? Her stomach did flip-flops just thinking about it. She glanced at Ria. What was she thinking? Did Ria suspect that her best friend had notified the authorities that Kristor might be here illegally? She didn’t look as though she did.

Ria eyed Carly out of the corner of her eye. She was starting to act a little funny again. Kind of nervous. Ria wondered what was going on with her.

But then, maybe she was just anxious about wearing her new clothes in public. The girl had looked seriously hot, though.

“What would you ladies like done today?” the receptionist asked.

Ria turned her attention away from Carly and glanced at the woman’s nametag: DEBBIE. “We’d like the works, Debbie. Manicure, pedicure, and eyebrow waxing.”

“I’m not sure about the eyebrow waxing, Ria.” Carly looked skeptical.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Okay, another small white lie. But Carly was looking bushy. Probably because she’d never had them plucked or waxed.

“You’ll barely feel a thing,” Debbie agreed. “Your eyebrows really need a trim.”

“Well, okay.”

Ria breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Let’s do the wax first.” Might as well get it out of the way. By the time Carly finished with her manicure and pedicure, maybe she would have forgotten about the waxing.

They followed Debbie to a chair in the back and Carly made herself comfortable. Debbie spread the sticky solution around the eyebrows and in between.

“That’s warm,” Carly said. “Kind of nice.”

When Carly closed her eyes, Debbie and Ria exchanged looks. Co-conspirators. Debbie smoothed on the little pink pads, pressing them down nice and firm.

“Ready?” Debbie asked.

Before Carly could ask ready for what, Debbie pulled the first pad off. Carly’s mouth dropped open and she sucked in air, but before she could say anything, Debbie jerked on the other pad.

Carly glared at Ria. “You said it wouldn’t hurt!”

“It doesn’t, if you’re not a bushman.”

“I just need to do a little plucking,” Debbie said, holding up a pair of tweezers.

“It will be so worth it. I promise.”

“Pluck you,” Carly growled, but laid back and closed her eyes, wincing as Debbie shaped her eyebrows.

But the transformation was unbelievable. Ria had tried to talk Carly into doing this years ago, but she always refused, wanting to keep her look natural. It was another lie one of her dumbass brothers had told her: That natural was the best look.

Maybe the thought that Neil liked her had changed her mind, and that’s why Carly wasn’t protesting overly much.

Ria parked in front of her house, put the car in park, and turned the key off.

“You mean you’re not tired of my company yet?” Carly asked.

“Never. I have plans.”

“What kind of plans?” Carly’s smile slipped.

“Good plans. Trust me.”

“The last time I trusted you…”

“Carly!”

“Okay, okay.” She laughed.

“And bring in the bag with your new clothes.”

Carly groaned. Ria only hoped she would thank her in the morning.

They went inside, taking the packages to the bedroom. Ria glanced at the clock. They had an hour. “Go ahead and change into the black jeans and that little white top.”

“And what will you be doing?”

“I’m changing, too.”

“Oh, we’re going out together?”

“Yes.”

Carly relaxed and smiled. “A whole day together. We haven’t done that in a long time.”

Ria pushed her toward the bathroom, then hurried to the kitchen and poured two glasses of courage—merlot, to be exact. She wanted her friend nice and relaxed for their evening out. Yeah, she knew Carly thought they would be alone, and her friend might want to kill her when she learned the truth, but it was worth taking the chance to see Carly finally happy with a guy.

When she returned to her bedroom, Carly was just coming out of the bathroom.

“You really look hot,” Ria said and handed her one of the glasses.

Carly faced the full-length mirror. “Wow, I do look pretty good. Who would’ve thought waxing your eyebrows could make that big of a transformation?”

“How many years have I been trying to tell you that?”

“Okay, okay, you were right and I was wrong. Correction—my brothers were wrong.”

“Now sit.” She motioned toward a chair.

“Why?”

“Have I killed you yet?”

“No, but there was the time you convinced me we could rappel off the side of that mountain.”

Ria frowned. “It wasn’t a mountain, only a little hill. And I really thought I had the rope anchored pretty good.”

“You didn’t.”

“Duh. I realized that when you made it to the bottom in about two seconds.”

“I sprained both my ankles.”

“Bruised, not sprained. Big difference. I said I was sorry, and I waited on you for a month. And I know your ankles were a lot better after the first week.”

“It was nice having a servant, though.”

“Sit,” Ria ordered.

“Okay, okay.” Carly walked over and sat in the chair. “No hot wax.”

“Not even a little bit. I promise. You’ll like what I’m going to do. Now, drink your wine and relax.”

She went to the bathroom and gathered everything she would need, then piled it all on the dresser. Carly took another drink of wine, then Ria took the glass from her and set it down, but within reach.

“Close your eyes.”

Carly hesitated, then closed them.

Ria began rubbing moisturizer on Carly’s face.

“That feels good. It smells nice, too.”

“You need to moisturize your face every morning and night.”

“I don’t have wrinkles.”

“You don’t want to get any either, do you?”

“This will stop wrinkles?”

“It will help.” She handed her the glass of wine. “Drink.”

Carly took a drink, then handed her back the glass.

Foundation, drink, blush, drink, then powder. Ria studied her handiwork. Not bad. Carly’s complexion was evened out now.

Ria still couldn’t believe she was letting her do all this. Never once had Carly wanted to do girly things like makeup. Maybe she was mellowing. Must be from all the times they watched Beaches and Steel Magnolias.

“Can I look?”

“Not yet.”

Smoky eye shadow, dark brown eyeliner, and then mascara. And the final stroke from the artist’s brush, deep red lipstick. Ria stepped back. “Open your eyes.”

Carly did as she asked.

Ria’s eyes widened. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected but holy cat shit, it wasn’t quite this.

“What?” Carly asked. She turned in her chair until she faced the mirror again. She stared at her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. “Is that me? Really me?”

“Oh, yeah.” Ria nibbled her bottom lip. “Do you like it?”

“Like it? Do you need to even ask? Crap, why didn’t I let you do this years ago?”

“Because you grew up surrounded by brothers who tried to make you think being a girl was silly, and that women who look like you do now couldn’t possibly have a brain.”

“You’re absolutely right. I just never realized how wrong they were.”

Ria handed her the glass of wine.

“Isn’t this yours?”

“Drink it. I’m going to the bathroom to change and then we’ll be ready. I can’t drink and drive.”

“Oh, yeah. I feel like I’m doing all the taking. What are you getting out of all this?”

Ria chuckled. “Don’t you know? Friends enjoy giving. Besides, you’re always doing things for me. I’m not keeping score.”

“Then get changed. I’m ready to party.”

Ria grabbed the bag with her new clothes and hurried to the bathroom to change. She only hoped Carly was ready for what Ria had planned.