Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
STEVIE
“Okay, so we asked Levi to let you choose your favorite outfit today,” Em starts.
“That way we can get a sense of your style,” Kami continues.
Em nods. “Exactly. We want you to be comfortable and still be yourself, but more chic.”
Kami shrugs, and I give them an unsure smile. Knowing that they’re trying to be helpful, and I’m thankful for it, I motion my hands to the stores.
“Where do we start?”
Em points to the right. “Over there.”
When my eyes go to where she’s pointing, I see a display window with mannequins wearing white shirts and different kinds of jeans. Not to say that I mind wearing white-colored clothing, but it’s not my daily style.
Em must notice my hesitation. “It might look mediocre, but the plan is to find pieces in different stores to put outfits together. This one in particular is great for the kinds of jeans you like.” She smiles excitedly.
“They’ll also have them in different colors, materials, and patterns.
Skinny, loose, high-rise, mid-rise, and all in between.
” She claps and takes Kami’s and my hands.
One thing I will say about Em is that she always has some pep in her step.
Kami gives me a look. “Shopping is her cardio.”
We giggle while Em side-eyes us and drags us into the store.
Luckily, today is a good day for me, health-wise.
After last night, I didn’t think it would be.
My brain was going a thousand miles per second after that surprisingly good kiss…
okay, great kiss. It was the first time I had wanted to kiss someone else since Andrew, and it was so different from my previous experiences.
It was sensual and hot, while others have been tame and mediocre.
Yet, after drinking some chamomile tea—which, when mixed with my medication, makes me sleepy—and doing some thinking, I got a full seven hours.
When my eyes opened and I felt refreshed, I decided to put whatever happened last night between Levi and me aside so we could enjoy the day.
We’re roommates, and we had a moment of weakness.
It’s the first time we’ve gotten physically close to doing anything, and Levi had been drinking.
He was vulnerable and seemed as lonely as I am in the romance department.
He seemed relieved by my decision to ignore what had happened, and we were able to have a normal conversation.
Surely, I can find someone else who kisses and does other things just as well?
This may be a sign that it’s time for me to go on a date or sleep with someone new.
Am I the kind of person who can have casual sex? Maybe, but it’ll need to be with someone I’m at least semi-familiar with. However, I’ll never know if I don’t try. That is the last thing on my list to accomplish. Right now, this makeover and my auditions come first.
I put my game face on and turn to the girls. “Let’s do this.”
For the next two and a half hours, Kami, Em, and I visit ten stores.
We get heeled boots I never would have bought if they didn’t look so good with the new pairs of pants that match.
In the bags, there are also new shirts, blouses, and sweaters of all different colors, but we mostly stuck to my favorite ones: light brown, burnt orange, light green, dark red, and dark yellow.
The girls respected all of my decisions and gave me that extra boost of confidence I needed every time I went into a dressing room.
All these clothes make my stuff back home look twenty times cheaper. Needless to say, I’m emptying my closet and donating everything.
While shopping, one of my main concerns was outfits for the bars.
Kami has an edgier look. Her primary colors are black, gray, and shades of red.
Meanwhile, Em is the complete opposite. She looks expensive and like old money, mainly wearing white, beige, silver, light pink, light blue, and some other colored pieces here and there.
Between the two of them, there was an amazing in-between, and that’s exactly what they chose for the nights I decide to go to the bars or a club.
After we left the last store, Em convinced me to change my clothes before seeing the guys. I have to admit, I’m excited for Levi to see me. After all, this was his idea, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.
In a few minutes, we arrive at the hair salon. My eyes widen at the ample space. It has flowers hanging from all around. The seats are sleek and white, while the mirrors have gold and pink accents. The grand salon reeks of money.
Every time we make a purchase, I feel terrible about the amount Jake is spending on all of this. I’m not stupid, I know the man is loaded, but we’ve only known each other for a few weeks.
“Hey.” Kami bumps my elbow. “Stop feeling guilty. Jake could’ve said no to Em if he wanted to.” She smiles. “Trust me when I say this is nothing compared to his weekly expenses.”
Although Em means well and has helped me immensely, Kami seems to understand where I’m coming from economically.
I jump when Em shrieks, running to hug a woman with smooth platinum blonde hair on the other side of the salon.
She waves us over. “Come meet Sofia.”
Kami and I catch up with her, introducing ourselves to Sofia. She and Em continue to speak Italian while I’m put in a chair. Em’s Italian is a little choppy, causing her to look more hesitant than usual. It’s not a side I’ve seen of hers before.
Sofia and Em cease their conversation once I’m comfortable. The stylist looks at my extremely long and admittedly flat brown hair. She grabs a clean brush and combs it while glancing at me in the mirror every now and then. Kami and Em stand quietly on the sidelines.
“From what I can tell, your natural hair should have tighter waves than this when it’s shorter, yes?” Her Italian accent is light and soothing.
I try remembering what my shorter hair looked like a couple of years ago. I’ve wanted to try something different for a while, but Andrew always liked it long, even if it lacked shape and volume.
“Don’t cut it, babe, you’ll look too much like a tomboy if you do.”
“Yeah,” Tiffany agrees. “You’ll look a lot nicer once it grows out more.”
Rubbing my forehead, I shake away the memory and nod, answering Sofia’s questions.
“Yes, it does have tighter waves, but it used to get frizzy.”
She hums. “You weren’t using the right products.
If you’re interested in going back to your natural tight waves, I can give you a list of instructions on how to use each product.
” She’s quick to continue. “After a while, you’ll be doing it in a snap.
We also have a sale on our hair dryers, which include a diffuser and hair mask.
” She points to a table where the products stand.
“So, what do you think? Are you ready to bring back your beautiful natural hair?”
A moment goes by, then another. More of Andrew’s words come to me.
“The cut will only bring back the frizzy hair you always hated. What’s the point in that?”
My blood boils and adrenaline spikes. Every single day that passes allows me to realize how much control my ex had over me. I wasn’t like that before him, and I’m fucking pissed I ever allowed it in the first place. My condition already runs a massive part of my life, and the rest is up to me.
“Fuck it. Chop it off.”
All the girls, including Sofia, smile broadly.
“I think a shoulder-length layered bob will suffice. It’ll curl and reach a couple of inches past your chin.” She tips her head slightly. “What about a light brown balayage with some auburn highlights to add more dimension?”
I throw my arms up. “Why not?”
Em claps. “Oh, this is so exciting.” She points to Sofia. “We’ll need a full face of makeup and products to take as well.” She then turns to Kami. “That’s your specialty.”
Kami dips her chin. “Don’t worry.” She lays a hand on my shoulder. “We won’t go too heavy. Only something to bring out the green in those eyes and accentuate your cheekbones.”
Letting out a deep breath, I agree to all of it.
Sofia claps her hands twice. “Gabriel, I need another pair of hands, and call someone over to do makeup in two hours.”
Closing my eyes, I think of Levi and his friends waiting, feeling a little shitty over how much longer we’re going to take.
As if reading my thoughts, Kami says, “I’ll text the guys and tell them they have time to catch a movie, don’t worry about them.” She quickly texts Cameron and nods a couple of seconds later. “Done.”
Sofia ties my hair and grabs a pair of scissors. “Let’s go, people.”