Behind the Shade

Jasmine glanced at her wristwatch which said 4:50 PM...Almost time. She began putting all the other things she used for work away, wiped down her workstation, tucked her chair neatly under her desk, and grabbed her bag, which was slightly heavier than usual. Inside were a carefully folded change of clothes, a mini makeup bag, and a pair of thigh-high, black boots.

She sent a text to her mom "I'll be out tonight with Katie. Don't wait up, love you!"

"Be safe, sweetie." Her mom replied.

Jasmine slipped on her denim jacket and she stepped into the evening crowd. Commuters walked by, but her mind was elsewhere. Tonight wasn't just about being Katie's moral support, she couldn't shake the anticipation of meeting Aiden and his cousin

She flagged down a cab and slid inside, rattling off the address to Katie's place. As the car pulled away, she checked her phone. Katie had sent a series of texts

Katie: Why aren't you here yet?

Katie: Please tell me you packed

some makeup!

Katie: And hurry!

On my way. Relax, drama queen. Jasmine replied, hitting send.

Jasmine paid the fare and stepped out when the cab pulled up outside Katie's house. She could hear the familiar sound of pop music drifting down from the second-story window. She walked up and knocked, bag in hand.

Katie's mom opened the door with a warm smile

"Hi, Jasmine. Come on in."

"Hello Mrs Saunders," Jasmine greeted politely, stepping inside

"Is Irene home?" She asked, glancing around

"No, she's at a friend's place"

"Okay.."Jasmine's stomach growled, she rubbed the back of her neck, sheepish.

Mrs Saunders raised an eyebrow. "You forgot to eat again?"

"We had a busy day at work today" she explained

"Still, you should always find time to eat. The first batch of cookies is ready. Go get some. Your bestfriend's upstairs, probably tearing her closet apart."

"What would she do without me?" Jasmine deadpanned, earning a delighted laugh.

Jasmine helped herself to cookies and juice before heading up the familiar stairs. She knocked on Katie's bedroom door.

"Come in!" came the muffled response.

"I've got my hands full," Jasmine called back.

"Finally! I thought you'd never get here," Katie said swinging the door open

Jasmine stepped inside, immediately spotting the mess. Tops, dresses and skirts, strewn across every surface. Katie stood in front of her full-length mirror, holding up a silver sequined dress with an expression of indecision.

"It looks like the hulk threw a tantrum in here." She said, setting the tray on the nightstand and dropping her bag on the bed.

"I can't decide what to wear," Katie groaned. "Maybe we should have gone shopping."

Jasmine flipped through the clothes that remained in the dresser and pulled out a blue dress with a thigh slit. "This one. It's sexy but not over the top. Pair it with the black strappy heels."

Katie held it up in front of the mirror. "It's perfect"

Jasmine pulled out her makeup bag and gestured towards the bathroom. "Get in here. Bring a chair"

Katie walked in with the chair, setting it in front of the mirror.

"Any particular look you want to go for? Jasmine asked, mixing foundation shades.

Katie shrugged. "Work your magic"

Jasmine nodded and got to work, starting with cleaning her face followed by moisturizer and primer. Foundation came next, followed by soft angled brows, light eyeshadow, and just enough mascara to enhance Katie's naturally long lashes. She completed the look with pink tinted lipstick and gloss.

She styled Katie's hair into curls, and pinned it up into a loose top knot, leaving a few strands to frame her face.

"All done. Take a look," Jasmine said, stepping back.

Katie gasped. "Wow... I love it. Thanks baby"

"I'm glad you approve. Now go get dressed while I do justice to these cookies"

Katie disappeared into the closet. "You need to get ready too, Jasmine!"

"Yeah, in a minute."

Jasmine unzipped her bag and pulled out her outfit, a black tube dress. She stuffed the last cookie into her mouth before heading to the bathroom to touch up her makeup: winged eyeliner, fresh gloss, and a bit of hair fluffing as it was already styled from the morning. She slid into her dress, zipped up her boots, and walked back into the room.

"How do I look?" She asked, doing a quick spin.

Katie nodded in approval "Hot, as usual. Now, let's go we're running late"

They hurried downstairs, waving goodbye to Katie's mom in the kitchen.

"Have fun, girls! Be safe!"

They settled in for the hour-long ride to the restaurant in the cab. Katie kept fidgeting with her dress.

"You look amazing. Don't be so nervous." Jasmine reassured her.

Katie nodded, closing her eyes briefly before exhaling softly.

Jasmine launched into story about a particularly funny experience she had on a job a few weeks back, to distract Katie. By the time they pulled up to the restaurant, Katie was laughing.

Jasmine stepped out first and held out her hand to Katie, who took it giggling.

"This place is nice," Katie murmured as they approached the entrance.

"Yeah," Jasmine agreed.

They were led by the host to the table at the far end, where Aiden and his cousin were already seated. Aiden stood, smiling, and waved them over.

He greeted Katie with a kiss on the cheek. "You look beautiful" he whispered.

Jasmine caught the compliment, watching a blush creep up Katie's cheeks.

He pulled out her chair like a proper gentleman.

"I hope it wasn't too hard to get here?" He asked, eyes still on Katie, they had yet to look away from each other

"Not at all." She smiled. "Aiden, this is my best friend, Jasmine."

"Nice to finally meet you, Jasmine. She's told me a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope" Jasmine replied with a teasing smile

"You bet," he turned to the woman beside him. "This is my cousin, Celine."

Celine stood to hug Katie, who seemed a bit winded and pleasantly surprised "It's so nice to finally meet you! Aiden hasn't shut up about you. Now I get it. You're gorgeous!"

Katie laughed. "Thank you. You're really pretty too."

"Hi there," Jasmine said, offering a wave.

Celine gave a small, almost shy wave in return.

Jasmine found herself momentarily stunned by the soft lines of her face and those expressive brown eyes framed by long lashes. Damn. She really is pretty.

Aiden cleared his throat gently, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She shrugged. "Let's order."

"What would you like, Katherine?" Aiden asked, already scanning at the menu as he signalled the waiter

Dinner started off well, conversation flowing easily between them. Jasmine warmed up quickly to both Aiden and Celine. Aiden wasn't just good-looking__he was well-mannered. Jasmine found herself in a lively discussion with Celine, who shared stories about her career as a travel journalist and her love for art.

"That sounds exhausting, and fun," Jasmine commented

Celine grinned "It does have it's moments. That's enough about me. What about you? Aiden said you and Katie are in band?"

"Yep."

"Now that's cool! So do you play any instruments?"

"I don't play anything, actually. I sing"

"I'd love to hear you sing sometime."

"Really? We'll invite you the next time we perform."

"I'd love that," Celine said, smiling wide.

Katie glanced between them. "I'm glad everyone's getting along."

The evening continued with shared stories, easy rapport and laughter. They all felt completely at ease with each other. As they finished dessert and prepared to leave, Jasmine caught herself smiling.

She glanced at Katie, who looked completely at ease next to Aiden.

Looks like I worried for nothing. She's in good hands.