Page 21 of A New Year In The Presidential Suite

“If she’s a true Pierce girl like you and me and Aurelia, she’ll arrive when she damn well pleases,” I said, teasing Flo.

“That’s what I’m afraid of. Any word from Guy Phillips?” Flo asked.

Lori could hear the interest in Flo’s voice and responded. “As a matter of fact, he and I are going to the movies on Saturday.”

“Wow! Hooray for you, Lori. This is the first date you’ve had in a long time. I saw him the other day. He’s still as hot as he was in high school. This is exciting!”

“I admit I’m a little nervous,” Lori said.

“You’re still a hottie, if that’s the right word for you. But you know what I mean. You always were prettier than I am.”

“Not true,” said Lori. “But I think I’ll get my hair done Saturday morning. I need it, and this is the perfect excuse to spend the money on taming my curls.”

“I don’t think you need it, but if it makes you feel better, go for it,” said Flo. “My little boy is crying. I’d better go see what’s happened. We’ll talk later. Sunday morning, for sure.”

Lori laughed, knowing Flo wouldn’t be the only sister she’d be talking to that day.

CHAPTER TWELVE

LORI

Saturday morning, Lori awoke with a sense of excitement. She felt as though being on a date with Guy would close a loop that had remained open for the past few years.

Lori was happy she’d made an appointment to get her hair done. After visiting The Beach House Hotel and seeing how well-maintained some of the women there were, she developed a new awareness about maintaining her appearance.

Working with kids all day, she’d forgotten that jeans and tops that could be easily washed free of spit-up were fine for the job and hanging around home, but she needed something better to wear on an actual date. Lori went through her closet and decided to make some thrifting trips in the next couple of weeks. And she knew just the place to do it. Working those side jobs made such trips possible.

She pulled on her favorite sweatshirt and a pair of jeans to go to the beauty salon. Franco, her hair stylist, would be pleased to see her this early in the morning. He’d squeezed her into his busy schedule by making her arrive before his first appointment.

Before she left the house, Lori made herself a cup of coffee and toasted a slice of wheat bread. She spread honey on the bread and ate it as she gazed outside. The bird feeder she kept was now empty. No doubt, the goldfinches had feasted there. For such small birds, they sure were piggy. She’d try to remember to refill the feeder when she returned.

Driving through the town, Lori realized how much she loved it when she saw a neighbor lift her hand and wave. She wanted to travel, especially after visiting Florida, but she knew her place was in this town, where she was known and loved. Ellenton and its people had helped her through the worst time in her life. She’d always be grateful to them.

At Hair Designs, Franco greeted her with a kiss on each cheek and ushered her to his special section of the salon.

“How was Florida?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair as she sat in his chair. “I’ll put extra conditioner on to help with a little dryness. So, the trip?”

“The Beach House Hotel was absolutely gorgeous. I felt like royalty staying there,” gushed Lori. “It was a real treat.”

“You look fabulous, my dear,” he said, giving her a fatherly smile. In his late fifties and with beautiful gray hair, he’d been doing this job all his life. The salon he owned was extremely successful because he ran it like one of the top ones in New York City. Clients were offered comfy robes, glasses of bubbling water, and top-notch service as he and his carefully selected coworkers did their work.

Franco stood behind her chair and studied her image in the mirror. “I think this time we should go a little shorter, enough to let the curls have a softness of their own.”

“Do whatever you think you should,” Lori said.

“A little color? Perhaps a faint touch of a lighter color to add to your brown for a little interest? I see the sun in Florida has done that in places,” said Franco.

Lori drew a deep breath. A new year meant changes. Now more than ever.

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Two hours later, Lori left the salon feeling as if she’d left the old Lori behind. She was thrilled with the way her hair seemed to shine no matter where she turned her head. Curls hung softly around her face.

Sliding behind the wheel of her car, she knew it was time to go to her favorite thrift store to find the perfect outfit for tonight’s movie date with Guy. For the first time in a long time, she was excited by the prospect of finding a few treasures for her nonworking wardrobe. Nick used to laugh at the way she went bargain hunting, but she liked expensive things for a bargain price and was willing to take her time to find them.

ReNew was a store of carefully vetted items, many of which were on consignment from women in New York City’s upscale suburbs. It was an excellent resource for the shoppers who were willing to spend a little more money than usual.

Just as Franco made his salon upscale, ReNew was far from a usual thrift store. The carpeted interior and private dressing rooms were adorned with silk flowers and featured a spring-like floral aroma. The racks of clothes hung on padded hangers in sections by kind of item.