"Garish...? My god Brenda, you're going to have that poor man proposing tomorrow night, I've never seen a more perfect shade on any- one!!!"

"Hope so, not the proposal. . . but that he'll like it."

"We'd better go out and look for a new dress for you to go with that style!"

"Let's go, I've had something in mind, anyway." I said coquettishly.

"I bet you do, you've probably got more tricks and female wiles up your sweater sleeve, I wouldn't be surprised."

We found a small fashionable boutique, closer to downtown. When the girl came to help us, I told her that I was looking for something conservative in velvet, navy if possible. She had a pretty number, with a short hem, A-line skirt, three-quarter sleeves ending in a lace cuff and a string bow, under a white peter pan collar. After trying it on, Jean and I both agreed that if I didn't take it, I'd be crazy. On the way out I picked up a length of navy velvet ribbon.

The next afternoon, I started early, with a bubble bath, shaved again, and slipped on my silky undies and nylons. Jean came in and brushed my hair and did my nails, a soft pink. It was almost 7:30 by the time I had finished my primping, and I quickly got my new dress on and Jean zipped it up the back. Then I pulled out the ribbon and ex- plained that I wanted her to put it right behind the crown of my head and let it trail down the length of my hairdo. When Bill came to pick me up, he was stumbling for words and almost tripped, while looking at me while he helped me into the car. The night, with a perfect dinner, some close dancing, and gentle kisses, brought us together, almost perma- nently. By the time he had kissed me goodnight, he'd talked me into dates for the next month at almost every free moment.

The next three months were just as wonderful. Jean had been pulled off my "case" and I was set on my own. We still lived together, as good friends and sisters, but I didn't need much more than sisterly advice at odd moments. I went back to school, taking some extra courses in psychology for my masters, and in the afternoons I enrolled in a modeling course. Jobs followed the training and I had my picture on the cover of some of the local magazines. Following this training, I

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