Second Look (A New Beginning Book 3)

by Connie Stephany

  After she got off the phone, she had to do a few of the tasks she hated. Dishes, laundry and scrubbing the bathrooms were her least favorite things to do.

  Later, as she balanced her checkbook, she thought about how the move back to Minnesota was good for more than just being home with family. Being a single mom meant she couldn’t always afford everything she wanted. She wouldn’t give up Amber for the world, but she had to admit sometimes finances were hard. Luckily, the promotion came with a very nice increase in pay.

  Additionally, her house in Arizona sold for more than she expected, which meant she had more to put down on her new home in Minnesota. That meant lower house payments than she budgeted for plus Zimmerman was less expensive than Mesa.

  She was thankful for the extra funds to make things not quite as tight each month. However, it also meant she could afford to splurge just a little more than she allowed herself to do before.

  After her checkbook was balanced, Jennifer got up and danced around her kitchen. For the first time in a long time, she could afford to treat herself to a new hair style and a new outfit.

  Jennifer’s one guilty pleasure was getting her hair done. She also didn’t buy a lot of extra clothes for herself, seeing as though she wore scrubs to work on a daily basis. She didn’t have all that much in her closet to wear on a date.

  She made an appointment at Bella Salon with Katie. She was her longtime friend who used to do her hair before she moved to California, even back in high school. She trusted her completely and was really happy to be able to go back to her.

  Jennifer’s appointment was on Wednesday evening, so Jennifer brought Amber along. It was a long time since Amber’s last trim, so while Jennifer had a complete makeover another stylist was taking care of her daughter.

  Jennifer missed having Katie do her hair when she lived out of state. She was thrilled to find out what Katie would do to her hair.

  After the initial hellos and the hugs between the girls, Katie got down to business.

  “So, what are we doing today? Looks like whoever was doing your hair took nice care of it, at least!” Katie spun Jennifer around in her chair and looked at her through the mirror.

  “Well, to be completely honest, I don’t really know. I know that doesn’t help, so, you can pretty much do what you want.” Jennifer watched in the mirror as Katie’s eyes lit up and a grin slowly formed on her face.

  Jennifer raised her finger in the air and continued, “Before you go completely crazy, I have a couple rules. My hair needs to stay long so no more than an inch off, and no crazy purple or orange or blue anything. I want to knock Adam’s socks off.”

  Katie was tiny at only 5 feet 2 inches and was as cute as could be. She had a very short pixie cut, something only she could pull off with her cute little heart-shaped face. She had a smile that lit up her entire face.

  “Are you serious? I know exactly what I want to do!” Katie started clapping her hands, getting the attention of everyone else in the salon.

  Jennifer took one more peek over at Amber before Katie got started. It was the first time she brought Amber to a fancier salon, and she was enjoying herself at the next station. The stylist was just taking Amber back to the shampoo bowls. The kid was in girly heaven, just like her mommy.

  As she enjoyed getting her hair done, because having someone do her hair was pure bliss, she let her thoughts roam. She had experience many firsts with Adam. She thought about their first date and her first kiss.

  Fourteen years ago…

  “What did you think about dinner?”

  Adam was smiling but looked a little unsure.

  “I thought it was amazing. I can’t believe you cooked this yourself.”

  Adam’s smile grew, his face glowing with pride making him look even more handsome. She glanced down at his mouth.

  “I got a few pointers from my mom, but yes it was all me.” Adam stood up from the table and said, “Be right back.”

  As Jennifer waited for Adam to return, she got nervous. Would he kiss her tonight? It was their first date, so perhaps not yet. If he did, it wouldn’t only be their first kiss, but her first ever. It made her anxious for the end of the date to find out.

  Adam said as he came back in the dining room. He was holding a cake platter with a decadent cake on top. The entire cake was covered in chocolate ganache and had chocolate covered strawberries strategically placed in rows where the cake would be cut.

  “Ta-dah!”

  “That looks delicious!”

  Jennifer was full, but she definitely could make room for that.

  “I hope so.”

  Adam carefully cut a piece of cake and put it on a plate. Inside contained red velvet cake and a middle layer of chocolate fudge.

  Jennifer pretended to wipe drool from her mouth and it made him laugh.

  She was surprised when he didn’t cut another piece. Instead, he took a strawberry off the top of the piece he cut and brought it to her lips.

  “Take a bite.”

  His voice was deep sent shivers down her spine.

  As she stared into his eyes, she took a very small bite. He shook his head. “You can do better than that.”

  This time, he shoved it in further and she was forced to take a much larger bite. He stared at her mouth while she chewed. She moaned at the flavor of the chocolate and strawberries on her tongue.

  “You have a little chocolate on your lip.” Before she could wipe it off, he leaned in and covered her mouth with his. It was so unexpected she didn’t even have time to be anxious. Instead, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feather-soft kiss.

  When he pulled back, she looked at his mouth and started laughing.

  The corners of his mouth fell. “Why are you laughing?”

  “Now you have chocolate on your lips.”

  She continued to laugh until he shrugged and kissed her again, although this time by the time they were done, the chocolate had disappeared.

  *****

  It almost seemed like a second chance at a first date. Sure, they went to the game, but Amber was with them so she didn’t really see it as a date.

  After daydreaming about their first kiss, she didn’t have much more time to think. She and Katie chatted and she kept her eye on Amber.

  Two hours later, Katie announced it was time for the big reveal.

  Katie made the whole process really fun. Jennifer wasn’t allowed to see anything, and was turned away from the mirror the whole time.

  She glanced to the floor and saw some hair sitting there. At first she was a little shocked because some of the pieces were longer than she expected to see, but she could feel her hair was still long. Some of the hair on the floor was a dark chestnut brown while other pieces were more of a lighter golden blonde.

  Katie told her she was her last client for the day. She curled her hair with some crazy spinning curling iron and she applied just a little bit of makeup to touch up her look.

  Jennifer was so damn excited she couldn’t contain herself.

  “Well, are you ready to see my masterpiece? Your hair looks amazing, if I do say so myself.” The excitement made Katie’s voice even higher than normal and Jennifer’s stomach dropped.

  Jennifer nodded, and then her chair spun around towards the mirror, as Katie said to her, “Adam’s going to flip a lid when he sees you. You look gorgeous.”

  Jennifer couldn’t believe her eyes. Her dark chestnut brown hair flowed into long curls with light golden blonde highlights. The colors made her eyes pop, with golden flecks she never noticed before. Her new hairdo was stunning, and it made her feel amazing.

  “Oh, mommy, you look so beautiful.”

  Jennifer turned her head towards her daughter, and gave her a wide smile, one that made Amber return it and run up for a hug.

  “You like it?”

  “I love it, mommy! So pretty!” Amber reached out to touch the curls, and was staring in awe at her hair.

  “I’m so glad! I love it too.” Jennifer
looked up at Katie, and then said, “Thank you so much! You’re a miracle worker!”

  “I loved doing this for you,” Katie told her, waving her hands in the hair. “It’s great to have you back in Minnesota.”

  A brilliant idea hit Jennifer. “Can I come back and have you do my hair and makeup on Saturday?” She had to go shopping anyway, so she could go on Saturday and then stop in here for her hair and makeup before heading home in time for her date. It would be perfect, if only Katie would agree!

  Katie started to laugh, clearly thinking she was joking, and Jennifer continued. “No, I’m dead serious. I know you are always super busy, but do you think you could squeeze me in around 4?”

  “You’ll be able to recreate this, honey, I know you can! You don’t need me!”

  “No, really, I’m 100% serious! I want to look perfect for my date, Katie. Please!” She was not above begging or bribery, if necessary.

  “Well, if you’re serious, of course I’ll make room for you. Let me just go pencil you in. You may have to wait or have me go back and forth between you and another client, but I’ll make it work.” Katie turned and walked away towards the front of the salon and receptionist.

  “I’ll tip extra!” Jennifer called out after her. “Thank you! You’re the best!!”

  “Mommy, what’s a tip?” Amber asked, reminding Jennifer she was still standing there and that she hadn’t yet said a word about how pretty her daughter looked.

  “Sweetie, that’s a little extra money to show your appreciation for someone doing a good job. People give money to waitresses, people who park your car and other people who do services for you, including hairstylists like Katie!” It was a bit of a hard concept to explain, but she could see Amber’s face light up with understanding.

  “Oh! Well you should give Katie a hundred million dollars for a tip, mommy, because she did the best job EVER!”

  Amber was beaming, which made her feel pretty damn good.

  “Well, I agree! And you know what? The girls who did your hair and your nails should get a tip too, don’t you think? You look so very beautiful, my sweet little girl!” She reached over and gave Amber a big hug.

  Katie made her way back over to the girls and said, “Okay, girlie, I got you penciled in for 4:15pm for hair and makeup. You should wear whatever new outfit you pick out so I can see it and be sure to style your hair and makeup to match.” Katie reached out and tamed a curl that had gotten twisted with Amber’s hug.

  “Perfect. Thank you so much, Katie. You’re seriously the best.”

  The girls gave each other a hug, and then Jennifer went up to the front to pay her bill. The bill would hurt her pocketbook, but it was totally worth it.

  “Thank you so much Ginger and Lacy! I love my hair and my crazy nails!”

  “What a great job remembering your manners, Amber! I’m so proud of you,” Jennifer told her. “Now, are you hungry? It’s way past dinnertime.”

  Jennifer held out her hand to Amber and she took it as they walked out the door. She was a confident, new woman and could handle anything that came her way.

  *****

  Saturday arrived and she wasn’t sure if it took forever or if it was too soon. The butterflies in her stomach went wild.

  It helped her confidence when all of her co-workers were gushing over her new hairstyle that week.

  Amber was going to be staying over night with her grandma and grandpa. She was thrilled to spend more time at the lake again. Jennifer had made plans to meet up with her parents Saturday morning.

  After breakfast, the girls cranked the music and drove to meet Jennifer’s parents halfway between their houses. This was the plan so that neither of them had to drive too far, but as luck would have it (or very clever planning on her part), it just so happened that the halfway point was four miles from the Albertville outlet mall. Yes, it was as awesome as it sounded, because it had absolutely every store she could possibly want to visit, and then some.

  After giving Amber several hugs and kisses, as well as her parents, Jennifer was off again, headed back towards the mall they passed to get to the meeting point.

  Jennifer thought about asking Mandi and Cassandra to come with her, but she didn’t want to tell them about her date with Adam, at least not quite yet.

  Jennifer had fun by herself and spent her time in only a couple stores. Luckily, she was able to find a great deal on an entire new outfit, which was flattering to both her figure and her new hair.

  She found a summery green top with lace cutout at the shoulders and it went down into a v, showing off just a peek of her cleavage, enough to see it but hidden enough to remain classy. The green was a shade darker than teal. It made the blonde pieces of her hair stand out even more and flattered her darker complexion. She chose a pair of Guess jeans with bling on the back pockets, which made her butt look perfectly curvy and her legs skinnier than ever.

  She also bought a new purse. She found herself daydreaming of hitting it rich when she looked through the Coach store, but until she actually won the Powerball she just couldn’t bring herself to spend that much money on a purse. However, the one she found at Guess was exquisite and it was on sale for less than one she bought at Kohl’s the year before, which was now falling apart at the seams.

  The finishing touch was found in a jewelry store nearby, which was a pair of dangly silver and teal earrings, a matching bracelet and a dainty necklace to go with the green shirt. Perfection.

  She had to laugh when she added up all the receipts. Her entire outfit, including the purse, cost less than the purse she was drooling over in Coach. She had to be proud of that, even if she did spend more money on herself than she had in a long time.

  Jennifer used the dressing room at Guess to change into her new outfit. She cleaned out her purse and transferred everything to her new one. She tossed her old purse in the trash as she walked out the door, a feeling of satisfaction running through her.

  It was finally time to head over to the salon to have Katie help her put the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. Even though her date with Adam inspired the new hair and clothes, it was something she should have done a long time ago.

  Chapter Eleven

  Adam

  Back in the saddle again

  Although his week seemed to drag on, Adam kept himself as busy as possible.

  One day during the week, he went with his mom and Mandi to his dad’s grave. He brought his dad’s favorite beer while his sister brought flowers. The still-fresh dirt mound was just starting to sprout out grass over the top, a reminder that it wasn’t very long ago that they had buried him.

  Adam opened the beer and poured it on his dad’s grave. “Cheers to you, dad. I miss you.”

  On Thursday night, he cleaned his house from top to bottom, for one, because it needed it and for two, just in case Jennifer came over after their date. He had no expectations, but he wanted to be prepared, just in case.

  At least work was a distraction. Adam loved his job.

  He was the Director of Application Development at a leading health insurance company in Minneapolis. He got a job right out of college and worked hard to fast track his way to the director position. He was damn good at what he did and they rewarded him for it. He didn’t have a ton of extra money after buying his house, but he had enough to live comfortably. Luckily he was working on a large project that took a lot of his concentration.

  The end of the week was finally here and he was thankful he was able to work from home on Fridays. He also started work very early each day, so without any meetings to contend with the work that needed to be done, he shut his laptop by mid-afternoon and called it quits for the weekend.

  After a quick lunch, Adam mowed the lawn, making him sweat. He eyed up the water. Jumping in would be a perfect way to cool off. He made his way down to the lake and dove off the end of his dock.

  He grinned as his head surfaced.

  One of the many perks of living on a lake.

  After
cooling off in the water, Adam spied an over abundance of weeds on the shoreline and shook his head. He prided himself on having a sandy beach for his friends to swim in but that meant he had to spend time each week to keep the weeds at bay.

  He quickly ran inside, grabbed a cold beer and then headed back out to the lake.

  As he worked on the weeds in his swim trunks, without a shirt, sipping his beer, Adam kept thinking about Jennifer and Amber. The subject of Amber’s father hadn’t come up yet. He assumed she found out a long time ago, but he still hadn’t heard anything more. Who was it? What kind of relationship did they have with him? Was there anything between him and Jennifer?

  How many times had he asked himself these questions over the past few days? He was driving himself insane.

  He wasn’t sure how the hell to bring up the subject, but he just had to know what he was up against. He figured she’d get around to telling him, but he had to admit it was driving him crazy.

  As he looked around his shoreline, he could picture Amber and Jennifer swimming and laughing and spending time at the lake.

  He wanted to make that a reality.

  *****

  One Friday per month, when his softball league didn’t have a game, Adam’s house was the designated hangout for several of his friends. With his dad’s health failing and then later his death, Adam’s friends hadn’t been over in almost two months.

  Friday morning, he called several of his buddies and rounded up the gang for a last-minute barbeque. He supplied the food and they were in charge of the beer.

  Every one of the usual suspects was able to come over that night and he was looking forward to catching up.

  Tom was the first of his friends to arrive. He carried a case of beer in his hands and he wasted no time putting it in Adam’s fridge.

  “Hey bud, how’s it going?” Tom grabbed a bottle and offered it to Adam. “Beer?”

  “Thanks.” Adam took the beer and chugged half of it down. “Damn, I guess I was thirsty.”