Lauren takes one look at me and immediately says, “No way.”
“What?” I ask.
“You are not hanging out with that boy wearing Keds. They don’t go with your dress.”
“I need to be able to walk,” I say.
“You also need to look hot. What else did you pack in that tiny little bag?”
I let her rummage in my suitcase, and she comes up with a pair of high-waisted white shorts with a flouncy tropical-print top that ties at the midriff.
“Better for showing off your legs,” she says. “But you still can’t wear those shoes.”
She examines what I brought—the sneakers, the espadrilles, a pair of heels, and some surprisingly cute Tevas—and scoffs at me. “Nope.”
“Shall I go barefoot?”
She sails over to the walk-in closet where our butler, Crisanto, meticulously arranged her seventeen pairs of shoes when he unpacked her bags. She selects a pair of pointy-toed flats.
“They look uncomfortable,” I say.
“They have a rubber sole and are made of recycled plastic bags, so they mold to your foot.”
“Let me guess. Brand partner?”
She nods. “And they paidverywell.”
I slip them on. They’re actually quite comfortable, and they do nice things for my legs.
“Perfect,” Lauren says. “By the end of the day you’ll be married.”
“Is there a chapel on the boat?”
“No clue, but there’s definitely an Elvis impersonator, and I think they’re required to be wedding officiants by law.”
“I would actually love to be married by an Elvis impersonator.”
“I’ll start making a Pinterest for your wedding. I assume you want the cape and rhinestone jumpsuit era?”
“Obviously. Okay, I have to go.”
“Wait,” she says. She pops into the bathroom and comes out with a tube of lipstick. “Wear this.”
I open the cap and am blinded by a nearly fluorescent shade of coral.
“What is this color? Hot orange?”
She winks at me. “It’s Dior Cruise. And I get two thousand dollars every time I post about it.”
“I can’t wear this outside. I’ll look ridiculous.”
“No, you’ll look glamorous. Justtryit.”
I put it on and gape at myself.
It’s amazing. My skin has never looked creamier, and my eyes have never looked greener. It perfectly complements my top.
“Wow,” I say.
