"He wouldn't look at me twice if he didn't want the water," Kate said finally.
"Listen to yourself, Katie girl. Have you looked in the mirror lately?"
"I look every day, and it never gets any better. Still the gawky kid with the big lips and wild hair. Why would he look at me when he has all of those gorgeous women at his beck and call?" Kate sighed and pouted at Tilly.
"When will you listen when I tell you that beauty is in the eye of the beholder?" Tilly nudged her with her elbow.
"That's just your way of making an ugly duckling feel good about herself."
"Pfft, it is not." Tilly laughed and swatted Kate on the shoulder. "If you got out of those scruffy clothes and did your hair, you would know what I'm talking about. But as stubborn as you are, you never listen. Now, this old body needs an early night. See you in the morning, child." Kissing Kate on the top of her head, she rose to her feet. Tilly left, shutting the door behind her.
Kate rolled over and hugged her knees to her chest. When did my feelings go from disdain to disappointment? Anyone would think I was looking forward to sex with Magnus the way I'm carrying on. Last week he was the most despised man on the planet; now I'm dejected that he wasn't home when I went to visit. Twenty-two years old and still a virgin. That is laughable. Fancy getting a man like him as my first lover though. She snuggled down in her bed, closed her eyes, and imagined running her fingers through his perfectly groomed black hair, mussing it up as he nuzzled at her breasts.
* * *
"Katie, phone for you," Tilly called from the kitchen window.
Kate ran inside, scraped her boots off at the kitchen door, then went to the phone. She grabbed it before sliding down to sit on the floor in the hallway, her feet up on the opposite wall.
"Hello," she said breathlessly.
"Kate, hi," Magnus said, his smooth deep voice sending a tingle racing through to her toes.
"Uh…hi." Her tongue suddenly felt thick in her mouth. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks. There was a parcel of home baking on the kitchen counter. I gathered it was from you."
Kate could hear the smile in his voice and it sent thrills shooting through her body. "Yeah, um, Tilly figured you might like some home-baked goodies. She cooked up a storm yesterday and thought, you know, that we could share since we signed that deal. You know, the water rights…" Kate bit her tongue, horrified at the way the conversation was going. She had never had trouble get her words across before.
"Thank her for me, will you? That was very kind of her. I was wondering if you wanted to come for dinner again tonight. Start fresh and see how we go?"
"Um, yeah, that would be nice, thanks."
"Okay, see you about seven." Magnus hung up, and she sat with the phone cradled to her ear.
"Oh, Kate, you idiot."
"Magnus?" Tilly asked, looking in the hallway.
"Yes. He's asked me to dinner tonight at his place and said to say thanks for the cakes."
"Now here is your chance to show how good you can look if you take a little bit of trouble with your appearance." Tilly wiped her hands on a tea towel.
"Why would I?" Kate tried not to sound keen.
Tilly raised an eyebrow at her and shook her head."Just make sure you are in here early so you can get ready for your date. I won't have you leaving this house in jeans and an old shirt. It's time you took more notice of the world around you, my girl, and made the best of the good graces God gave you." Tilly poked her finger in Kate's face.
"Right." Kate pulled herself up off the floor and jammed her hat on her head as she frowned at Tilly. She headed back outdoors to work, determined to get through the day without fantasizing over the man.
* * *
"Holy crap, that's just plain freaky." Kate looked at herself in the mirror. She twirled around, letting the full skirt of the dress float up over her knees before settling down softly around her legs. "I can't believe I look so much like her."
Tilly had taken one of Kate's mother's dresses from the storage box in the attic. She had washed and pressed it, then took it in at the waist to make it fit Kate's slim figure. The soft pink brought out the highlights in her hair. Her hair, freshly washed and pinned neatly on the top of her head, allowed tendrils that curled down over the back of her neck.
"Told you that you were beautiful, but you couldn't see the real you for the dust and old clothes." Tilly sounded as proud as punch with her efforts.
"I could hardly dress like this for work anyway." Kate was still looking at herself in the mirror. The dress was fitted at the waist with a sweetheart neckline that cut low enough to show the soft curve of her small, firm breasts. Her arms were bare, and her tanned legs long and slim like a young colt. She shook her head at the shoes Tilly held out to her.
"No way. I draw the line at walking in those things." She crossed to her wardrobe and rummaged around in the mess at the bottom, then eventually pulled out flat, black strappy sandals. "These will do." She pulled them onto her feet and twirled in front of Tilly again. A satisfied smile played on her lips. She gave a quick spray of rarely used perfume and sighed, wishing now that she had gone into town and brought herself a new bra and
