Maggie couldn’t deny herself a guilty snicker and then sobered up. Well, she tried anyway. “Aww, leave poor Arthur alone. He’s a nice guy in a sea of asshats. And Dee, being a pod person herself, deserves someone equally as nice. Plus, he’s kinda hot in a very nerdy way, dontcha think?”

One perfectly manicured eyebrow rose along with the corner of one side of Liv’s mouth. “Whatever. In any case, there is no excuse for you not to let me do this.” Liv laid the bags on Maggie’s bed, unzipping them with military precision.

Stepping back, she glanced from the clothing to Maggie and back again several times. “Okay, clothes for tonight. Alice let me have a few things from her store to bring over here for you. They’re all really cute and it would only be a couple hundred bucks and I think you should buy them all. But, I’m willing to leave you alone for a week if you buy at least one outfit. Come on, I know they’ll all look great on you.”

Despite her amusement at Liv’s hard sell, Maggie broke out in a nervous sweat. “Didn’t you just tell me how beautiful I was on Friday? Why do I need a make-over?”

“You are beautiful, Maggie. But these clothes will fit you. You’ve got a great body but you never let anyone see it because your clothes are all at least a size too big. This stuff isn’t tight or slutty, it’s just modern and it’ll flatter your figure.

“A trim and style of your hair will frame your face. You don’t need those glasses tonight because I’m driving anyway. Oh, and by the way, I made you an appointment at the eye doctor for Tuesday. I’ll meet you there. You need new frames that better fit your face. Contacts would be nice too, don’t you think?”

Cripes, the woman was a steamroller! Maggie eyed the door, considering her chances for escape. Liv caught it and shook her head as she stepped in front of it, blocking Maggie’s way.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Maggie knew by the set of Liv’s face that she wouldn’t win this one. She sighed and Liv grinned, sensing imminent victory. Still she added a few things to sweeten the offer. “Sam will be there. Probably with some skanky date. You know you want him to see what he’s missing. Better yet, Shane Chase will be there too. Let’s show that dumbass what’s what.”

Unable to hold it back, Maggie let her grin spread over her face. “You play so dirty!” But she was already looking through the stack of clothes on her bed. She had to admit the stuff was really cute. Liv did have good taste for a girl who used grape kool-aide to dye a dog’s fur back when they were kids.

Liv’s eyes sparkled as she pulled out a dark blue scoop necked blouse and a denim skirt. “I like these the best. You have great legs. Not that anyone would know since you always wear those long teacher skirts. And ugh, worse, the mom-waisted pleated khaki pants. Pleats! Oh the agony of watching any woman under eighty wear pleats!”

Maggie burst out laughing at the look of disgust on Liv’s face.

“To go with it, those cute boots we saw in the window of Radison’s last week.”

“But I didn’t buy those boots, remember?”

“Yes you did. You can pay me back later.” Not bothering to look up, Liv pulled them out of the bottom of one of the garment bags and put them on the floor. “It’ll be perfect. The skirt is the perfect length and the boots will come to the top of your calf. Well, what are you waiting for? Try on the whole outfit.”

“If I do this will you stop setting me up and trying to make me over?”

“Well, I hate to point out that if I do this, I will be making you over. But I promise to not try again for the next six months.”

“I’ll take whatever I can get. Fine, hand me the clothes. But I’m wearing my glasses. I’m not gonna be blind just to look cuter.”

Liv grinned and handed the outfit over to Maggie. Once Maggie had undressed, Liv shook her head in amazement when she saw Maggie’s underwear. “Girl, you’re something else. Look at those undies! I always forget that you’re wild beneath the clothes.”

Fighting a blush, Maggie smiled. “What? A girl needs pretty undies.” She looked down at the forest green, lacy, high cut panties and the matching demi-bra. Pretty panties and bras were somewhat of a weakness for her. She had drawers full of the stuff.

“Girl, you’re a mess of contradictions. Now, get those clothes on.”

Once changed, Maggie looked down at the outfit and back at her reflection in the mirror. Liv had been right. The clothes weren’t tight but they showed her figure. She looked pretty. The skirt came to just below her knees and the boots weren’t too high heeled that her feet would be dying in half an hour. She tugged the bodice of the blouse up a bit, it showed more boobs than she normally did. “Liv, jeez, you can see my boobs.”

Rolling her eyes, Liv clucked her tongue. “Now, shug, don’t exaggerate. You can see your cle**age, big difference. Even at that, it’s just the very top of your cle**age. I promise you it doesn’t look slutty or even daring. Wow, I’d forgotten that you had br**sts with all those buttoned to the chin shirts you wear beneath the bulky sweaters.”

“Janie is the sweater girl. She’s the one with the great figure.”

Startled, Liv gave Maggie an appraising look up and down. There were moments when Maggie revealed another small, but bone deep wound her mother and sister had laid on her and it broke Liv’s heart.

“Mags, you’ve hidden your light under a bushel for far too long. You look so pretty dressed up like this. Jane Marie is not the only pretty sister. Stop letting her mess with your head.” She motioned to the chair. “Come on now, let’s get the rest of you done.”