Chapter 5: Just You and Me
** Harper **
Harper spent the rest of the week cursing herself inwardly. She couldn't believe she had actually agreed to the movie invitation, especially after her purposefully keeping out of touch with Eli for years. When the weekend finally arrived, she still found this meeting absurd on too many levels, and she wasn't sure whether she should be feeling thrilled or anxious.
Maybe a little bit of both, she thought as she stood in front of the mirror for the millionth time. The fact that she had spent a whole hour of her Saturday evening waffling over what to wear was probably a good indication of her conflicted state. How was she supposed to dress for the occasion anyway? Was this meant to be a work meeting, a friends' catch-up, or some kind of date? And just what type of strange place was this theater called The Balconies?
Harper wasn't a social butterfly, so she couldn't claim that she knew Davenshire inside out after four busy years of college, but she thought she would've at least heard some gossips if such a bizarre business existed around town. According to their website, The Balconies was a boutique theater with only ten seats. They only ran midnight showings. Tickets were only available to members, and membership was strictly by invitation. It sounded more like some sort of cult club rather than a movie venue.
What on earth did Eli have in his mind for tonight?
Harper let out a defeated sigh as her own clueless eyes stared back at her from the mirror. She studied her image in the latest choice of garment. Black wasn't her go-to color, but she had decided to dig up this little black dress from the back of her closet for once, hoping that the universal style would live up to its reputation and work for any occasion. It did seem to fare better than all the other choices so far — the deep V-neck gave her the lure, which she expected might be fitting for the type of movie they were going for, and the pleated skirt added some levity, rendering the look less risqué.
She turned around, judging from all angles before coming to the conclusion that she'd be able to blend in with any audience in this dress. The only problem was how much the color dulled out her hair. She usually liked to leave her deep auburn curls falling loose over her shoulders, but maybe with black, it'd be better to wear her hair up?
It had been a while since she last attempted a braid, and she hoped she still remembered how to do one. She'd also need to find out which earrings go best with that hairstyle. And makeup ... Heels ...
Darting a look at the clock, she wondered if there were enough hours left before midnight for her to get ready.