Aplomb

"I wish I had what you had," she said.

"What, a zit?" Marcia leaned in closer to the mirror to examine the offending bump.

"No," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Confidence. Pride. Sex appeal."

Marcia stopped prodding the pimple and turned to her friend. "You think I'm sexy?"

"Don't you?"

"Well... yeah."

"My point exactly. If you asked me that, I could never say 'yeah' or 'yes' or even 'maybe,' not in a million years."

"I think that's your problem," Marcia said. She faced the mirror again.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're trying to get the chicken before the egg." She frowned and gave up. Her bag of makeup would have to do the trick. "Just relax and think you're sexy. Say yes even if you don't mean it. Soon enough, you will."

Lily leaned back against the wall. "Hmm" was all she managed to say.