Room for Rent

"It's a surprise," was all she'd say.

The truth was that she'd managed to put away almost $250 from the checks Trevor had paid her since moving in even after getting quite a few things for the kids for school and two new tires for the car.

For the first time since before the affair, she was planning on using a good chunk of it to do something for herself; something she hoped would make a difference in the way someone saw her. And if it didn't, she felt like trying something new was long overdue.

"Henley! What a nice surprise!" Fran said the moment she walked in. "How are you?"

It was said with such concern, it made Henley acutely aware that she was a divorced woman raising two kids by herself.

"I'm doing okay, Fran," she replied as cheerfully ass she could. "In fact, I'm thinking about a new hairstyle."

"Wow! This is big!" her stylist teased. "So...what did you have in mind?"

Henley did her best to describe it when Fran said, "I think I know exactly what you're talking about."

She walked over to a coffee table, picked up a magazine, then opened it.

"Like this?" she said as she handed it to her customer.

"Yes! That's it. How did you know?"

"I've had two other women ask me for it in the last month, and it's going to look amazing on you!"

"You think?" Henley asked.

"No. I know," Fran told her. "Now you just relax, and I'm going to make you beautiful!"

"Good luck with that!" Henley said with a laugh as Fran had her sit down before tilting her chair back to wash the hair that fell to the middle of her back before cutting it.

Half an hour later, Henley had 18 inches less hair and a gorgeous new style that looked amazing. Fran showed her how to set it and brush it out, as well as how to create the bang-like look in front which she loved just as much.

"We're just cutting some of your hair to a length that will allow you to comb it over your left eyebrow like this," Fran explained as she showed her client what do to.

"Wow. That is so different!" Henley said as she looked at herself.

"It makes you look younger and cuter, sweetie," the stylist told her.

"Younger. If only," Henley sighed.

"I'm 52, hon, and I'd die to be your age again," Fran told her with a laugh.

She was a larger woman and added, "And your size!"

The daily elliptical workouts had helped her drop a full dress size, and she could now easily fit into a size 8 or a medium top or a skirt of the same size. She'd been wearing a 10 for over a year and could fit into a medium, but as they say, 'it wasn't pretty'. That meant her dresses were now too big, and she was planning on doing something about that as soon as she left the salon.

"Thanks, Fran. I've been working out the last couple of months or so, and I feel really good."

"Oh? Is there maybe someone new in your life?" her longtime hair guru asked with a playful smile.

"Yes. Or I guess I should say, 'I hope so'," Henley replied as she looked at her reflection in the mirror again and wondered if that someone would like it as much as she did.

Of course, that thought caused to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with her or if she'd become desperate enough to think that this...someone...would suddenly throw himself at her because of a new hairstyle. But that voice wasn't as loud as the one that told her she was going shopping for some new clothes as soon as Fran finished up. Something...softer...to really change things up.

Henley paid in cash then checked the amount that was left before tipping Fran $10 and thanking her.

"My pleasure, and if this doesn't catch his attention, then he's blind...or gay!" Fran told her friend.

"He's definitely not gay," Henley replied with a nervous laugh.

"Then go get him!" Fran urged before giving Henley a friendly hug and wishing her luck.

Ten minutes later she pulled into the Manhattan Town Center Mall and headed directly to her favorite store. Dillards wasn't the biggest name in fashion by any means, and even Manhattan had nicer stores, but for the money, it was the best place in town as far as she was concerned.

It had been many months since she'd actually shopped. She'd bought a thing or two online, but it had been a long time since she'd been out by herself with time to browse and try things on.

A young girl of about 20 approached her within seconds of her arrival and asked if she could help. The associate made Henley's day when she complimented her on her hairstyle, and that was enough to convince her to let this girl show her some things.

"Okay, so...you looking for a softer look then, right?" the girl repeated.

"Yes. I'm just not sure what that would look like on me."

"You have a very nice figure, and I have some ideas, so if you'll follow me, I'm sure we'll find a thing or two that you'll love."

The Dillard's employee started off showing Henley a frilly-looking blouse that screamed 'I'm 15 years old' to her so she politely suggested they try something else.

"How about this?" the girl asked as she picked up a very pretty cashmere sweater.

"It's gorgeous, but it's also..."

"Too much?" the girl said understandingly as Henley gasped at the price on the tag. "Okay. Then what about...this?"

There were some other very pretty sweaters that were much more reasonable, and Henley liked one that was a coral color. She set it aside then saw a sale rack and went straight to it. Her 'shadow' followed her over and noticed something in the middle of a pile of clothes.

She quickly rummaged through the clothes then pulled something out and held it up.

"How about this?" as she held up a dark-blue, V-neck cashmere sweater on sale for 50% off making it less expensive than the full-price items she'd been looking at. And it was in her size.

Henley took it, held it in front of herself, and knew it was a keeper. She went back and bought another knit top that was off-white in color then went to look at skirts and bought two of them, as well. One was black and the other a kind of gold color. She had just enough money for a pair of shoes and a tube of glossy, dark-red lipstick and by the time she got back to her car, she was out of money, but felt very good about her choices.

At a minimum, it was something new to wear, and then there was that voice in the back of her mind telling her that 'someone' might just notice.

She was getting ready to start the car when she got a text; a text from Trevor.

"Henley. Just wanted to let you know we're having a lot of fun here and that we decided to make dinner for you, if you haven't already grabbed something while you're out. It'll be ready around six, so all you have to do is show up, okay? No hurries, though. Hope you're having a nice time!"

She smiled when she read it then replied letting him know she hadn't eaten anything and told him that sounded wonderful.

Trevor came back within seconds and warned her that she'd never eaten his cooking yet.

"I'll risk it!" she told him before putting the phone down, again unaware of the smile on her face.

When she pulled into the driveway no one was watching. She managed to sneak in the front door without being seen or heard as the kids were in the kitchen with Trevor. She quietly went upstairs, set the packages down, then spent a moment deciding which new outfit to wear. For dinner. At home. With her kids. Her kids and...someone...else.

She almost gave up on the idea due to it being so over the top, but the old adage, "In for a penny, in for a pound," came to mind, and that settled it.

She liked both outfits a lot, but decided on the blue top and the black skirt along with the new black heels she'd just bought. She was already wearing some mascara but nothing more so she put on a little bit of light foundation to smooth out her complexion then added some gray eye shadow and finally the red lipstick. The pair of silver earrings she chose almost seemed liked overkill as she stepped into the new shoes and took a final look at herself.

"Here goes nothing," she told herself before heading back downstairs.

She made it to the kitchen before anyone noticed, so she called out, "Did someone say to dress for dinner?"

All three heads turned her way, and all three faces went blank.

"Mom?" Jennifer asked when she saw her mother.

"Yes?" Henley replied with a big smile as she struck a pose before laughing.

"Mom! You look like a movie star!" Jonah told her as he ran over for a hug.

"Thank you, honey!"

"You do, Mom. You look so pretty!" her daughter told her as she came around and hugged her, too.

Henley thanked her then looked at Trevor who was still staring.

"What...what they said. Times ten," he told her, his face nearly expressionless.

"It's not too much?" she asked, hoping he really did like it.

"Too much? No. Not...not at all. It's...you're...you...you look incredible," Trevor told her.

"Thank you," she replied, "and thank you for watching the kids. I haven't had a day like this in forever."

"Isn't my mom pretty?" Jennifer said to Trevor as though he hadn't noticed.

He looked down at the young girl, smiled then told her, "Yes, she is. She's beautiful. Just like you."

Jennifer blushed and Jonah noticed.

"Ha! Your face is all red!" he said, pointing at his sister who was immediately defensive.

"It is not!" she shot back.

"Okay, okay. Let's all calm down, shall we?" Henley suggested as she put a hand on each child's shoulder.

"So...what are you making us for dinner?" she asked...someone.

They both looked at Trevor who made a little face as he said, "Nothing fancy. Trust me. Just baked potatoes, and...baked chicken."

Henley smiled and told him that sounded wonderful.

"Healthy cooking, eh?" she replied with a smile before asking if she could help.

"No. You just relax and continue...looking beautiful," Trevor told her with a smile.

"I can try to relax, but I'm not sure about pulling off the other part," she said, a smile on her face, too.

"Oh, trust me. I don't think you can do anything else," Trevor told her very definitively.

"Okay. If you say so," she replied in a very sweet voice he hadn't heard before.

He winked at her then asked Jennifer to get out the Pillsbury dinner rolls he planned to put in the last few minutes while the other food was baking.

As the meal came to an end, Henley couldn't remember having had a nicer time since...well, since well before the affair. It was almost as though the four of them were a family, only in this case, the man of the house was willing to do many things her former husband had never done. The food wasn't great, but it was definitely good enough, and Henley thanked Trevor—and the kids—several times for making it.

"Trevor's a really good cook, huh, Mom?" Jennifer asked after the second thank you.

He looked at her and said, "Remember. Lying is a sin."

That made her laugh as she looked at her daughter and said, "Yes, he is. And so are you."

She turned to Jonah and told him the same thing.

"I put the potatoes on the pan and helped push them in the oven!" he announced.

"That must be why they taste so good!" his mother replied with a smile before looking at Trevor who smiled at her; a smile that sent a 'warm chill' up her back.

Once everyone was done, Henley started to pick up plates when Trevor said, "Excuse me, but what to do you think you're doing?"

"I'm putting the dishes away," she told him.

"No. No, you're not. We're getting them, right, guys?"

"Yes we are!" both kids said together.

"Someone already forgot her only job, didn't she?" Trevor said to the kids while looking at their mom.

"Go sit down and look pretty!" Jonah told his mom who was loving this new level attention, especially from a certain someone.

It was almost 7:30 when Trevor and the kids finished in the kitchen. He came out holding a bottle of white wine, showed it to her, then said, "May I interest you in a glass?"

"Trevor. You didn't need to do that. Dinner was more than enough," she told him sincerely.

"I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you letting me live here, Henley," he quietly replied. "And before you get too excited, this bottle of wine cost less than ten bucks, so..."

She laughed a happy laugh and thanked him again then said, "You know what? That sounds very nice. Yes, I'll have a glass with you."

One glass turned into two, and after putting the kids to bed around 8:30, the two adults finished off what was left in the bottle. Henley was trying to remember the last time she'd had anything to drink, but her head was a too fuzzy to think clearly, and it didn't really matter. What did was that she felt better than she had since before things went south in her marriage, and she'd thoroughly enjoyed talking with Trevor after dinner while the kids played together without fighting or arguing. And now, here she was all alone with him.

Henley was clueless about the military, but by the time they sat back down together, she at least understood the difference between a squad, a platoon, a company, and a battalion. Everything was in threes. Three squads in a platoon, three companies in a battalion, and three battalions in a brigade. Except for something called weapons platoons and weapons companies, but she had the basics down pretty well. But 'troops' and 'squadrons' turned out to be beyond her grasp even after asking twice how they fit in with the other units.

She learned that Trevor had been something he called 'straight-leg' infantry, and that he'd had enough of 'humping around' carrying a pack, a rifle, ammo, grenades, water, and other gear. He wanted to 'branch Armor' which meant going into tanks and other tracked vehicles, or at least that's what Henley took away from what he shared with her.

She was almost embarrassed to talk about her job which seemed trivial by comparison, but Trevor made her feel good about it by reminding her she was doing it for her children; two amazing children he told her he loved very much.

"They clearly love you, too," she'd told him when he said that.

His answer both surprised and saddened her.

"It's going to be very hard saying goodbye to them this summer."

Fortunately, that was the last thing either of them said before putting the kids to bed, and by the time they came back out, the conversation shifted to something less unpleasant.

"I have to say, I was really surprised when you walked into the kitchen tonight," Trevor told her as they drained the last of the wine in their glasses.

"Oh," was all Henley could think of to say as her tummy fluttered.

"I couldn't help but notice your hair looks an awful lot like the photo I sent to my sister."

"Wait. Your sister?" Henley asked.

"Yes. We were on the phone when you brought my laundry up."

When Henley didn't say anything, Trevor asked her if something was wrong.

"I'm so ashamed of myself, but I...I heard you talking, and I stood outside the room and listened."

Now it was Trevor who didn't say anything, and Henley apologized again.

"I guess when I realized you were talking about...me...I...I couldn't resist eavesdropping, but that doesn't make it right, and I'm really, very s..."

Trevor politely interrupted her saying, "Hold on. You thought I was talking about...you?"

"Well, yes. You mention the older woman and how she'd be, you know, more...attractive...if she changed her hair and...softened her look. Even worse, I suppose I had this crazy idea that if I did those things you might..."

She'd been looking at Trevor but couldn't when she said, "You might actually...notice me."

Suddenly horrified that she'd said that, Henley started talking and kept talking until Trevor finally stopped her.

"I have no idea why I said that, Trevor. I'm a little tipsy, but not drunk and definitely not...clueless. I'm fully aware that I'm a middle-aged, divorced woman with two children and you're a very handsome man who's way too young for me, but I think you've been so amazing and made me feel like..."

"Henley?" Trevor quietly said from a couple of feet away on the other end of the sofa.

"I'm doing it again, aren't I? I'm rambling."

Trevor stood up enough to move over closer to her then sat back down. He turned himself toward her and waited for her to look at him. When she finally did, he spoke.

"I've never been interested in any woman...like that," he began.

His words created a huge pit in Henley's 'gut' as she waited for him to finish letting her down gently.

"A relationship, any relationship, has always been...anathema...to me."

He smiled when he said that, but Henley didn't return it. She was fighting off tears, and hoping she could hold out until he finished and make it to her room and bury her face in a pillow to hide her shame.

"But in the short time I've lived here, I've found myself wondering for the first time ever, what it would be like to actually be in a relationship with someone and...and have a family of my own."

He smiled at her again, and this time, she managed to say, "You have?"

"I have. And for the record, I've noticed you for some time now. And also for the record, I wasn't talking about you when my sister and I were on the phone."

"Oh my..." she said as she looked away.

Trevor laughed quietly, but not in a mean way.

"I was talking about my father's new wife. Who's...an older woman. To me. An older woman who's attractive, but who would look even more so with a new hair style."

Henley looked back at him then managed a weak smile as she said, "And a softer look."

"Yes. Exactly," Trevor replied with a smile and another quiet laugh.

She saw him look at her hands which were in her lap, and for a moment, her heart skipped a beat. But he looked away, and she realized this really was a 'let her down gently' kind of talk.

Until he reached over and held his hand out. She looked at it, looked at him, then asked, "What are you doing, Trevor?"

"I thought I was going to hold your hand, but I believe I seriously misread things," he told her quietly as he slowly moved his hand away.

"Misread?"

"Yes. As in...got it wrong."

"In what way?" Henley asked, her head spinning again from the wine and the conversation that she couldn't follow.

Trevor looked right at her then said, "I had the impression, the mistaken impression, that you might possibly have feelings for me, but clearly I read too much into the new hairstyle and the um, softer look."

"Wait. I'm still confused. I now know you weren't talking about me on the phone, but I thought you were, and I did...all of this...because I thought you meant me, and now you're telling me..."

She looked right at him then asked, "What are you telling me?"

The look on her face told Trevor he hadn't misread anything. He held out his hand again and smiled at her, and this time, Henley placed hers in his.

"I'm telling you that I noticed you. Before...all of this," he quietly told her with a smile. "And while you look amazing, you looked very nice to me before. In fact, I made dinner for the Henley that left the house, not the one who came home looking...so...gorgeous. I've wanted to tell you for a few days now. I just didn't think you'd want to hear that from me."

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked, just above a whisper.

"Because I always believed, even after I realized that I...I have feelings for you...that you saw me as nothing but your tenant. A college student with no job, no money, and nothing to offer a beautiful woman with two children. So I kept my feelings to myself."

"Now I'm even more confused," she admitted.

"How so? Why are you confused?" Trevor asked as he put his other hand on hers.

"For the same reasons," she said before quickly trying to correct what she told him. "No. I mean for the same...opposite reasons."

"The same opposite reasons. Oh. Okay. Now it's all perfectly clear," Trevor teased before saying, "clear as mud."