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Description
Alec stared at her, tilting his head to the side. Maybe if he just saw her from another angle, the sight before him would make more sense.

"...Jane?" he ventured. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course. Why?" She turned away from her vanity mirror and looked at him quizzically. Her bobbed hair was curled into perfect ringlets that framed her pale face. She was in the process of pinning some of them up, but they kept popping out of place as soon as she had them situated. She scowled as another curl sprung away.

Alec shrugged. "I've just never seen you worry so much about your hair before. And what you're wearing--"

She frowned, her eyes flashing. "I am a girl, Alec. I can wear a dress if I want to."

"You hate wearing them. You told me so." Besides, he thought, it wasn't just any dress. It was a clingy, shoulderless thing that looked like it had come straight out of one of the wives' closets. Maybe it had. The skirts looked far too long for Jane's five foot height. "So why are you wearing that now?"

Jane shrugged and turned away. "No reason," she said. Her voice seemed to catch in her throat. After a few moments, she gave a short gasp, the sort of sound she always made when she was trying not to cry. He was beside her in an instant, studying her face anxiously. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and her lips trembled.

"Jane," he prompted. Her eyes flew open and she looked up at him, her expression slightly panicked.

"...I don't want to seem small," she said, quieter than a breath. She twisted her fingers together, and her face reddened.

He knew, then. He didn't understand it, since he had never experienced anything like it himself, but it seemed reasonable enough. Jane was in love with someone.

"You should leave your hair down," he muttered. "You look prettier that way." Jane looked at him in surprise, and then slowly nodded. Alec started to walk out of the room, adjusting his tie as he went. He stopped at the door to look back at Jane, who was pulling all the pins out of her hair and desperately trying to flatten the curls with her palms. He smiled and left, letting the door click shut behind him.
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Jane trying too hard to impress one of her bosses again.

Description
Alec stared at her, tilting his head to the side. Maybe if he just saw her from another angle, the sight before him would make more sense.

"...Jane?" he ventured. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course. Why?" She turned away from her vanity mirror and looked at him quizzically. Her bobbed hair was curled into perfect ringlets that framed her pale face. She was in the process of pinning some of them up, but they kept popping out of place as soon as she had them situated. She scowled as another curl sprung away.

Alec shrugged. "I've just never seen you worry so much about your hair before. And what you're wearing--"

She frowned, her eyes flashing. "I am a girl, Alec. I can wear a dress if I want to."

"You hate wearing them. You told me so." Besides, he thought, it wasn't just any dress. It was a clingy, shoulderless thing that looked like it had come straight out of one of the wives' closets. Maybe it had. The skirts looked far too long for Jane's five foot height. "So why are you wearing that now?"

Jane shrugged and turned away. "No reason," she said. Her voice seemed to catch in her throat. After a few moments, she gave a short gasp, the sort of sound she always made when she was trying not to cry. He was beside her in an instant, studying her face anxiously. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and her lips trembled.

"Jane," he prompted. Her eyes flew open and she looked up at him, her expression slightly panicked.

"...I don't want to seem small," she said, quieter than a breath. She twisted her fingers together, and her face reddened.

He knew, then. He didn't understand it, since he had never experienced anything like it himself, but it seemed reasonable enough. Jane was in love with someone.

"You should leave your hair down," he muttered. "You look prettier that way." Jane looked at him in surprise, and then slowly nodded. Alec started to walk out of the room, adjusting his tie as he went. He stopped at the door to look back at Jane, who was pulling all the pins out of her hair and desperately trying to flatten the curls with her palms. He smiled and left, letting the door click shut behind him.
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Jane trying too hard to impress one of her bosses again.