Poison Ivy

“Time to hit it!” Nick smiled, pushing my wheelchair down towards the elevators. I tried to insist on not being pushed in one, but the guys wouldn’t let me do anything that went against the nurses wishes, of course. I held my head down, trying not to look at anyone because I looked like a goof.
“I can walk, you know.” I said to them as we got closer to the front door of the hospital.
“We know, but we like this.” Joe smiled at me. Stefani was waiting beside a large black SUV and I rolled my eyes.
“Way to be conspicuous, you guys.” I said, finding my sunglasses in my purse and putting them on. I didn’t see any photographers around and had to ask. “Why are there no paparazzi?” I asked, looking at them. I stood up while Kevin tried helping me into the SUV, and put my hand up to him.
“Someone left an ‘anonymous’ tip that Jonas Brothers were going to be eating at Benihana and the anonymous tipper thinks Joe’s dating someone new.” Stefani looked around.
“You’re good.” I squinted my eyes and she giggled. I made my way all the way to the back of the large car and Stefani sat beside me. The boys rode up front and talked about the upcoming album.
Stefani turned towards me and smiled, “So, tell me about Kevin.” She grabbed my hands and held them.
“He’s cute? I like him? He slept in my bed last night?”
“No!” She gasped. “Anything happen?”
“Not really.” I shrugged.
“Wow…So did you know?” I love Stefani’s enthusiasm.
“Know what?”
“That like…all of the men in the house have a crush on you?”
“No they don’t.” I waved my hand and turned.
“Yes! They do!”
“How do you know that?” I looked at her directly in the face to make sure she wasn’t telling a big fat one.
“Because I’ve over heard Nick talking about you, it’s obvious Kevin likes you, and Joe has admitted to me that he’d tap that.”
“He did not tell you that.” I laughed.
“Yes he did, because I asked him.”
“But…you’re all cute and bubbly and…small.” I whispered the last part.
“So?” She gave me a weird look. “Oh…I see. You have that complex.”
“What complex? I don’t have a complex!” I scoffed at her.
“Yes you do. You’re a big girl with enough confidence to take on a small country, and you think because you are big you have to hide behind your confidence. You don’t see how beautiful you are, really. Care if I give you a make over?”
“A make over? Really?” I said. Then it hit me…my hair is a little gross ninety percent of the time, and I hardly wear make up. It made me wonder how I got so many men.
She shook her head up and down so fast I thought her neck would pop out of socket. “Fine. Do what you will. But no dye jobs, I’ve had enough trouble keeping my hair this naturally blonde.” I pointed to my head and she rolled her eyes at me.
“Fine.” She giggled and gave me a hug.

“Crop her hair to the shoulder, give her some bangs, and do nothing with the color.”
I was shocked to hear the instructions she was giving the hairdresser. She let me have a week to heal a little before we did this. I had went back to the doctor once and he said I should have no initial scarring. I was excited about that and they took my bandages off. It wasn’t too bad, but it didn’t look like low cut shirts were in line for a while.
The hair dresser took me to the sink and started the wash. I leaned back and took in the relaxing massage.
I heard from Joe, the gossip man, that Kevin went over to Danielle’s house shortly after I got to go home. He said that Kevin had a talk with her and that she shouldn’t be bothering me anytime soon. I was a little afraid of what maybe Kevin was capable of, but I don’t actually think he would ever do anything in the first place.
Stefani told me that Kevin was so distraught about the accident, he was ready with a lawyer for the suing to begin if it had really damaged me. After hearing that, I was super excited that it wasn’t as bad as I initially thought.
“What is your name?” The German accent wove through his words, making me crave kielbasa.
“I’m Josie.”
“So cute. Please, lean back, have fun, I do hair.” He smiled in the mirror at me and I was a little worried. He seemed very serious to be saying ‘have fun.’
When he was done though, it turned to be completely worth it.
“I love it!” I screeched to Stefani.
“I knew you would!” She giggled and hugged me. I brushed back the freshly straightened hair, and didn’t miss my bouncy curls at all. We left shortly after that and she was taking me somewhere to find me some decent work clothes to be Kevin’s assistant.
“You realize he’s seen me at my worst and it doesn’t matter, right?”
“Yes, I know, honey, but he’s a man.”
“What does that mean?” I asked. All my experience with men…and nothing came to mind when someone said that.
“That means you got to look cute at all times to make him come back. Why do you think I hardly ever not look cute?”
I had to reason with that, because she hardly ever did not look cute. She found a shop that sold punk-type clothing for plus size girls. I have to admit, she did her research and I left there with the coolest clothes I’d ever seen. “So what do I do now?” I asked.
“You call Kevin, tell him you want to go to dinner tonight if he has no plans, I go home, teach you how to do this,” She made a hand motion around my face and I sighed, “and then you stunt like no other.” Her smiled widened more and I had to giggle.
“First of all, you just said stunt. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my make up.” I scoffed.
“There isn’t…you just don’t know how to flatter yourself. Take it from a professional.”
“How are you a professional?” I put my hands on my hips and looked at her seriously.
“This.” She flipped out a card from her purse. It was a small like a driver’s license, except it was a mini diploma from the Aveda Institute.
“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t know.” I apologized.
“I know make up like you know biochemistry, honey.” She snapped and we walked back to her car.

“Ya know…I actually kind of like it.” I looked at myself in the mirror and was surprised by her craftiness with black eyeliner.
“Thanks…I guess.” Stefani giggled. I laughed at her facial expression and helped her clean up. She was a make up artist alright, but she could really create a whirlwind of a mess. As we washed her brushes under my sink’s faucet, Nick and Joe walked in and sat on the couch.
“Hey ladies.” Joe said. Stefani turned and smiled at him.
“Hey kids, what’s up?”
“Just bored.”
“So you congregate here.” I wiped my hands with the dish towel and turned to face them.
“Wow…Josie…you look amazing.” Nick smiled.
I blushed, “Thanks, Nick.” I looked down at the ground where Stefani was tapping the top of my foot. I looked at her face and she was grinning. I took it as a ‘told you so’ and rolled my eyes. “I’m going to go get ready.”
“To go out with Kevin?” Joe asked.
“Yeah.” I said. “Why?”
“Oh, he’s busy, he said he might be a little bit late, but he said he’d meet you at the restaurant still.” Joe said, like he was reading it from a message.
“Okay…why’s he going to be late? He had nothing on his schedule this afternoon.”
“He said something about his friend Stacy. No big deal.”
My heart sunk and I wanted to throw up. Stefani saw my face and followed me into the bedroom.
“Be right back, boys.” She said as she came through my bedroom door. She shut it behind her and I plopped down on the bed.
“Why even go?”
“Because Stacy is one of his best friends. She’s nothing to him but a friend.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Go, get ready.” She demanded. I sighed and got up from the bed. I pushed her out of the room before getting down to nothing so I could change. I put on the fishnets I’d bought today with the black pencil skirt. I was torn between a silk, zebra print shirt and a plain, black button up.
I went with the black, button up so I could wear red heels. I called Stefani into the room to get her approval and she tweaked my jewelry a bit. I grabbed my bag and left them all in my living room watching TV. Then I got curious and walked back in.
“Nick?” I asked.
“Yeah?” He turned to look at me.
“Come outside for a second.” I walked out to be beside the pool and he came soon after.
“Josie…you look absolutely gorgeous.”
“That’s what I wanted.” I said and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, kid.” I smiled as he grinned at me. I walked to my car and started the drive to the restaurant.