Free Playing for Keeps by Dara Girard

allowed some length at the nape of her neck, and soft smooth waves on the top of her head. She looked chic, and felt like a million dollars. To add character to her hairstyle, he added soft purple and red highlights throughout, making her hair illuminate, depending on how the light hit each hair strand. Stacy looked and felt like someone totally different. Damion gave her a supply of hair products and instructed her to make sure to wash and condition frequently, plus get a regular trim to keep the hairstyle fresh and alive.
    After her experience with Damion, Stacy felt ready for her appointment with Missy, the makeup artist. Missy looked as if she could be an extra in a sci-fi movie with her spiked blonde hair and extravagant make up. But she immediately put Stacy at ease with a quick smile. Several layers of cleansers and moisturizers later, Stacy had her brows shaped and eyelashes curled. Which was a first for her, at least by a professional. She had thick, heavy eyebrows but Missy shaped them, creating an amazing look.
    Then Missy showed her a trick, using clear mascara to first coat the lashes, and how to use a specially designed eyelash curler, amazing Stacy at how much having her eyelashes curled opened up her eyes and made her entire face open up. As part of her final finish, Missy outlined Stacy’s eyes with a smoky dark purple kohl eyeliner that made her dark brown pupils stand out. For her lips, Missy showed Stacy how to 'customize' her lip coloring, by adding just a small amount of foundation to vary the color slightly from the top to her bottom lip.
    "You want your lip color to work for you, not against you. You want whatever color you select to emphasize your mouth and what it stands for. Your lips need to compliment your face, and draw attention to who you are, and what you are about. Take the time to select the colors that work for you and your skin tone, and of course, to match or work with the colors you plan to wear, and you will be amazed.
    "I can tell you’re the type of person that doesn’t go for the perfectly flawless look, so you don’t have to use a foundation all over your face. Just in certain spots." Next Missy showed Stacy how to apply foundation, only on her cheeks and the middle of her forehead, and blend it evenly with the rest of her skin tone, for a natural look. Stacy looked stunning. Before she left, Missy handed Stacy a small collection of brightly colored eye shadows, "Now, whenever you are feeling just a little adventurous, or want to 'spruce' up your look, just use one or more of these, they are excellent for making your eyes standout, and you will get the attention you want."
    Stacy grinned. Right now, she only cared about getting one man's attention.
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
    "Oh wow!" Julia said when she opened the door. Stacy wanted her friend to be the first one to see her makeover. She had driven to Julia’s gated community and had checked her hair one more time before ringing the doorbell to her friend's exclusive brownstone. Julia stared at her. "You look amazing." It had been a couple of weeks since she'd last seen her.
    "Getting rid of an ex will do that," Stacy said stepping inside. She followed Julia to the kitchen and heard the TV where Julia's seventeen-year-old daughter, Emily, sat in the family room.
    Julia hugged her friend. "What happened?"
    "I've finally got a life and I've met someone. We're meeting again soon."
    Julia took Stacy's coat and hung it in the closet. "And you thought you'd never find love again."
    "I didn't say anything about love. But he's great. I'm taking things slow," she said although in truth she wanted to speed things up. She couldn't wait to see Chance again.
    Don't do this to me , she heard Chance say. Stacy froze surprised by how real and close his voice seemed. Like an auditory hallucination.
    Julia looked at her concerned. "What is it?"
    Stacy shook her head feeling foolish. Her face growing warm. She had to get herself together.