Chapter Six
Makeover
Ella
Two weeks have passed since the night I set the dating app up on my phone. Since then, I’ve gotten a bunch more matches.
However, I quickly realized a lot of the guys weren’t genuine contenders.
One guy immediately asked for nude pictures, and another guy straight up asked to have sex.
He didn’t even speak to me first. I’ve gotten a little better at weeding out the guys that want to date and those that just want to waste your time.
I smile down at my phone from the picture that Mitch sent me. Our next project is to change the sink in the boys’ bathroom. I sent him a few ideas of what I was looking for, and he sent me the order confirmation for a vanity he bought.
ME: I love it. But I told you to let me buy the vanity.
Mitchie: Woman, how many times have I told you, I’m not taking your money? I got you, Ella. I promise.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I swear that man has a heart of gold. How many people do you know would go out of their way like he does for his best friend’s ex-wife? I mean, I know he’s only helping because of his godsons, but it feels nice to have someone looking out for me.
Me: Thank you. One day I’ll pay you back.
“Girl, who has you smiling down at your phone like that?” Jada’s question pulls me out of my head.
I quickly slid my phone back into my purse. Jada lived up to her promise and finally got me in to see Jameel.
His salon was in the downtown area. His client list was top of the line. Women came from different states to get their hair done by him. I felt so out of place amongst this white marble and nude, clean line salon.
“That’s not just any smile,” Kareem, Jada’s ex-husband, says. “That is the smile of a woman in love.”
I duck my head to hide my face. If only that were true.
“Now, friend, you haven’t fallen for one of your matches already, have you?” Jada takes the empty seat beside me.
“No,” I shake my head. “That was just Mitch. We were talking about the sink in the boy’s bathroom.”
“Who’s Mitch?”
Jada tosses her long hair over her shoulder. “Relax, Cupid. She and Mitch are just friends.”
Kareem leans back in his seat. His dark chocolate, unblemished skin is flawless in his fitted blue suit.
He reminded me of Morris Chestnut in the 90s.
Not so much by looks, but his entire style from the low-cut fade to the thick low brows, and the perfectly trimmed goatee.
Even the way he talked put me in mind of the actor.
“That doesn’t mean they can’t end up together. Jameel and I were just friends, and so were you and I.”
Jada rolls her eyes. “You and I were never an actual couple. And the only reason you were friends with Meel first is because you couldn’t fuck him because we were still married.”
Kareem lets out a hearty laugh.
From my understanding, before Jada and Kareem ever got married, they had been childhood friends.
A friendship that has remained even after the divorce.
Apparently, Jada always knew Kareem was gay but agreed to marry him to protect his image.
Kareem is an attorney too, but he works at one of the most prestigious and conservative law firms in the city.
Not to mention, his father is the pastor of a large church about an hour away from here.
Just then, Jameel walked around the corner. He has a lighter complexion, much lighter than my peanut-brown skin tone. His hazel eyes were gorgeous. And he had one of those bone structures that models love.
“Hey babe.” Kareem stands as soon as his man is in front of him.
The two of them kiss so passionately that I get that ache in my heart. I miss being in love like that.
“Alright, you two,” Jada says, climbing to her feet with me beside her.
Jameel pulls away from Kareem and goes over to Jada, placing a kiss on both her cheeks.
“And look at you, looking like a queen. I told you those shoes would be a great addition to your wardrobe.”
Jada sticks her foot out, showing off her alligator-skin high heels.
“I’m so glad my ex-husband found someone with a little style,” she says. “Lord knows the man can’t match a damn suit with a tie.”
“Don’t I know it,” Jameel chuckles.
“Okay. I’m standing right here.”
Jameel goes back over to Kareem and wraps his arms around him. “We know, baby. That’s why we said it.”
He and Jada laughed before sobering up.
“Alright,” Jameel says. “Now, who is this friend you need me to makeover?”
Immediately, I start to feel out of place again. Next to the three of them, I looked like I had climbed out of a discount bin at Goodwill.
“Oh, wow!” Jameel grins as he walks up to me. “You are gorgeous.”
“Uh, thank you.”
Jada crossed her arms over her chest, giving me a narrowed gaze. “She doesn’t always see that. Glad you could point it out to her.”
“Don’t worry, I get it.” Jameel winks at me. “Let me guess, somewhere along the way you lost yourself in being a mommy and a wife, and you forgot you are a beautiful and sexy individual.”
Damn, he did get it. Like I said, it’s not that I thought I wasn’t beautiful. It’s just that I’ve gone so long without worrying about how other men saw me I never even took the time to see myself.
“I’m getting back to finding that part of me.”
He smiles warmly. “That’s why we’re here. We are going to bring that sexy woman back out. So, what are you thinking?”
He tugs at my low ponytail, running his fingers through it.
“I honestly don’t know. I’ve always worn my hair long.”
He tilts his head to the side. “Do you style it in any certain way?”
“No,” Jada answers before I can. “It’s always in a ponytail.”
I playfully stick my tongue out at her. “Hey, I never said I was a hairdresser. Besides, I don’t have all the time in the world to do my hair. With work, the boys, the renovations and baking, I need something quick.”
“Hmm,” Jameel hums, tapping a finger to his chin. “How much do you trust me?”
Granted, this is my first time meeting the guy, but I had all the trust in the world in him. I’ve seen what he is capable of.
“I trust you.”
“Uh oh, Ella,” Kareem chuckles. “Careful. You might walk out here with a bald fade.”
I don’t think I have the face structure to pull that off, but if Jameel says I do, I’d believe him.
“No,” Jameel scoffs, pulling my hair out of the ponytail holder. “I would never go that short without permission.” He drags my hair over my shoulders. The split ends fall just past my breasts.
“What are you thinking of for color?” Jada asks. She steps up beside Jameel as they both study my hair.
“Color?”
Jada chuckles. “Oh yeah. Time to let go of the black. Remember, this is all about a new you.”
She’s right. I didn’t want to walk out of here the same old Ella. I wanted a new look. A new view of life and myself. It’s time.
“I think I have an idea. Come on.” Jameel grabs my hand and hauls me over to his station.
I take a seat in his chair and let out a deep breath. In that exhale, I was letting all my inhibitions go. Goodbye to the old Ella and hello to the new.
When the chair finally spins back around to the mirror, my breath catches in my throat.
There is no way I’m the same woman I was when I walked in.
My long bra-length hair has been cut to a face framing layered, shoulder-length bob.
The dark chocolate, honey blonde, and caramel highlights make my brown eyes stand out even more.
“Do you like it?” Jameel asks.
I’ve been sitting here staring at myself in the mirror, turning my head from side to side.
“It....It....” The tears come immediately. “It’s so beautiful.” I finally get the words out.
Jameel lets out a breath and fans himself. “Girl, you had me nervous.”
We both laugh as I rake my hand through my hair.
“I went for something different, but still low-maintenance. This requires a wrap at night and some curls if you want to recreate this volume. But with your face structure, this bob is perfect. And with those brown eyes, I knew these highlights would make everything pop.”
I couldn’t turn away from myself in the mirror. I don’t think I’ve felt this beautiful in years.
“Holy shit,” Jada’s voice appears behind me. I look past my reflection in the mirror to see her and Kareem standing behind us with our lunch. “Ella, you look stunning.”
“She’s right. You look amazing.”
“Thanks, guys,” I blush and look back at the mirror. “I guess I’m finally ready to go on a date now.”
Jameel waves his hand through the air. “Girl, you were already ready for that, but now you can feel more confident.”
“I’ve been out of the dating game for so long. It all feels foreign to me.”
Jada places a bag of food on the vanity in front of me before spinning the chair around so I can face her.
“It’s like riding a bike. You just need to tell these men what you will and won’t tolerate. Be assertive, let them know you make your own money, and don’t need theirs.”
Kareem steps up beside Jada and places his hands on her shoulder. “Jada Mae, I don’t think that method works for everyone.”
Jameel snorts, and I laugh. Look, I love Jada. She is independent and outspoken and could eat a man alive in a courtroom, but that wasn’t me.
“Honestly, Ella.” Kareem steps forward. “The best advice I can give you is to be your most authentic self. Don’t try to be anything you're not or hold yourself back. The best way to find true love is to find the person who loves and accepts you for who you are.”
“Awww, babe. That was good advice.” Jameel places his hands over his heart as he admires his fiancé.
Jada shrugs Kareem’s hands off her shoulders. “Whatever, you can try it his way.” She points at Kareem. “But if it doesn’t work, you can always go back to trying it my way.”
I have to shake my head and laugh at that.
“Now eat up,” she says, handing me my food. “After this, we have to take you to get your eyebrows and body waxed.”
“Wait,” I ask, shaking my head. “Why am I getting waxed?”
Kareem ducks his head while Jameel chuckles.
“The fact that you have to ask, is the reason you’re getting waxed.”
It’s after 6pm when I finally pull my car into the driveway. This was Andrew’s weekend, so I didn’t have to worry about the boys.
My skin felt raw, yet replenished. After the wax, we both went and got massages. Climbing out of the car, I grab my few groceries from the back seat.
“Hey, Aunt Ella,” Jacob calls out.
I look up just in time to see him rushing over toward me. He’s already so tall, and he’s only ten.
“Hey, baby. You’re back so soon?”
“Yeah. My mom went to Vegas with her new boyfriend.”
I’ve never been a Valerie fan. From the first moment she and I were introduced, I got a bad vibe from her.
I’m convinced the only reason she had Jacob was to keep Mitch.
Now that she can’t use her son to get over on Mitch, she finds every reason in the world to drop Jacob off with his father.
Although Mitchell doesn’t care and would probably prefer Jacob full-time, it pisses me off how she treats her son.
“Well, I was planning on cooking lasagna for dinner. Do you want to come over and get some?”
Jacob’s face lights up. The kid loves my food. No matter what I cook, he devours it.
“Heck yeah!” He beams. “Dad was just going to order pizza tonight.”
I chuckle at him. What kid passes up pizza for home cooked meals? I ruffle his curly hair. He takes the bags out of my hand and heads for the porch. I don’t have to worry about him waiting on me, he knows the combination to the door lock.
“Jacob, where are....” I turn at the sound of Mitchell’s voice.
The moment he spots me, his words falter, and he stops walking. The way his gaze roams over me makes my belly flutter.
My entire body heats as if someone turned a furnace on inside me. I duck my head, pushing my new hair behind my ear.
When I look back up, Mitchell is standing in front of me.
“Wow!”
“I know. Who knew I could look like this, huh?”
His gaze narrows briefly before he reaches out and untucks my hair from behind my ear.
“I knew,” he simply says.
The air between us grows thick. I’m sure he’s just being his usual sweet self, but the way those simple words tie my stomach in knots.
It feels as if a heartbeat is throbbing between us.
I feel so stupid thinking this. I’m so desperate for companionship, I’m actually willing to believe my friend is interested in me.
Looking down, I shake the wayward feelings away before looking back up at him.
“I...um....invited Jacob for lasagna. I hope you don’t mind.”
Mitch glances to the left, widening his legs, he turns back to me. “No. I don’t mind. Val cut her two weeks short, so I haven’t had time to go grocery shopping yet.”
I try to offer Mitch the same respect he gives me by not meddling in his relationship with his ex-wife, but sometimes I forget that rule. Like right now.
Folding my arms over my chest, I ask. “Again?”
Mitch runs a hand from his mouth to his chin. “Yeah.”
“How is Jacob taking this? It feels like he has less and less time with her.”
“He’s behaving as if he’s unbothered, but you know Jacob. He’s an easygoing kid.”
Jacob was definitely easygoing. It’s no wonder he and Cam are best friends. They both have the same temperament. However, Cam was devastated when Andrew and I got divorced. Jacob took the separation between Mitch and Val pretty well.
“Let’s hope he remains that way. But in the meantime, I’ll try to spend a little extra time with him. See if he says anything to me.”
Mitch’s face lights up with a beautiful smile. He reaches out his hand and grabs mine bringing it between us.
“Thank you, El. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
I wave his remark away with my free hand. “You’d be just fine. You’re an incredible father, Mitchell.”
He dips his chin at me. I wait for him to release my hand, but he didn’t. Instead, he leads me into my house. His rough large hands swallowing mine. I don’t make a fuss. I allow him to lead me inside. Even that slight gesture warms my body.