Page 7 of Life After

“How was work, love?” Denise came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel as she stopped in the back living room. “Same as usual?”

“Well, I thought it was going to be the same as usual, but it turns out it was potentially better than I expected.” If Jen had to push through each day knowing she would see Suzanne more often, she could live with that.

Denise lifted a brow. “Oh?”

“I…think someone asked me out on a date this evening.”

“You think?” Denise laughed. “I know you’ve been away, Jen, but you must know if they asked you out on a date or not.”

“I’ve been delivering packages to a woman each week for about a month now. She’s always been a little bit flirty, you know? But today she asked me to take a look at her internet. Then she asked if she could buy me a drink to say thank you.” Jen rubbed at her jawline, utterly confused. “It probablyisjust a thank you drink, but it seemed like she was flirting with me. She said she’s interested in me, but I don’t know how she can be. We don’t even know one another.”

“Well, then. I guess you won’t know more about one another unless you go for that drink, love.” Denise pulled out a chair at the dining table. “Have a seat. Dinner is ready.”

Jen decided to relax and have dinner before she thought any more about Suzanne and her offer. The problem was that she was finding it hard to think about anything else. Since Ruby’s death and then the demise of Jen’s relationship at the time, she hadn’t looked another woman’s way. She’d had a few dates; usually when she was completely out of it on whatever substance she chose to use, and there was a small handful of women she had slept with. For someone like Suzanne to just take a sudden shine to Jen…it feltveryunusual.

“Hey, Mum?” Jen looked up at Denise as she placed her plate down. Fillet steak would always go down as a winner in this house. “Oh, this looks great. Thanks.”

“I enjoy cooking for you now that you’re home. It’s something I took for granted in the past.” Denise sat facing Jen and smiled as she eyed the various side dishes already set out on the table. “So, you wanted to ask me something?”

“Yeah, um.” Jen looked down at her food and cleared her throat. “Do I tell her about the past? Where I’ve been until recently?”

“I don’t think that’s something you have to worry about for now, Jen. Meet with her and see how the evening goes.”

Jen nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. But down the line, if somethingdidcome of it…what then?”

Denise’s brows rose. “Well, I’m not sure. I don’t believe the tough time you’ve had lately has any bearing on who you are. Perhaps it’s not something you need to tell her. Would you expect to know something like that if it was you in her position?”

Huh. Would Jen want to know? “I think it would depend onwhythey were behind bars. Obviously, some things would be a deal breaker.” Jen pushed her food around her plate, sighing as she looked up at her mum briefly. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Nothing you did could be considered a deal breaker, love. Part of me is happy you were sent to prison because it took you out of that terrible situation you were in, but then the rest of me just wishes I could have healed you myself.”

“I only had myself to blame. I didn’t want help from anyone. That’s all on me.”

Denise lowered her cutlery and lifted her glass of water. “Perhaps, but you needed help more than anything.”

“Life is different now. I’ll never go back to the place I was in. I’m just really conflicted about this woman. I’d never want anyone to think I was lying to them or deceiving them, but I also don’t want to go there tonight and start off by telling her I have a criminal record. She’ll probably walk out on me.”

“Love, you need to take it slow and relax.Ifsomething comes of it with this woman you’re meeting, we can face it when the time comes. But for tonight, just bloody enjoy yourself. It’s about time life started to look up for you.”

Jen could only smile. Her mum was right. There was no point worrying about anything until things developed. And that was highly unlikely, given who Jen was and who Suzanne was. She probably just wanted to blow off some steam and let go for the night. Whatever the reason for the invite, Jen was going to make the most of it. She didn’t know the next time another woman would look in her direction. If Suzanne wanted to have fun, then Jen—foolishly—wason board with that. Moving forward, she may not be entitled to anything more…no matter who she was with. “Thanks, Mum.”

Chapter 3

Jen stoppedoutside the bar where she was meeting Suzanne, mindful that she wasn’t the same person she used to be. That meant no alcohol. It meant no going back to those bad habits for the sake of fitting in and having a good night. Jen had spent sixteen months sober now, and she wouldn’t ruin that for anyone. She didn’t care what friendship groups developed over the coming years; Jen couldn’t slip back into anything remotely familiar to the past.

This was her first night out since before she was arrested and ultimately sent down for the ridiculous decisions she’d made. It was the first time she would be alone with another woman in far longer than that. So long as Jen made the most of it and enjoyed herself, nothing else mattered. If she could just be herself and not think about the past, Suzanne may just like what she saw. Lizzie had loved everything about her…until Jen fucked it all up. A six-year relationship thrown away because she couldn’t deal with life any longer.

Okay, focus on tonight. Nothing else.

Jen straightened out her shirt and checked her hair in the window of a closed shop. Suzanne knew nothing about her, so she had no reason to feel anxious about her mistakes. Suzanne would only know the things Jen chose to reveal. Number one on the ‘no go’ list tonight was prison. That was the only thing Jen was certain of right now.

With a strange sense of accomplishment working its way through her, Jen stepped inside the bar close to where Suzanne lived and scanned the room. She spotted Suzanne immediately, once again drawn to the beauty of her. She was older, that was quite clear to anyone who would see them sitting together, but she was stunning. Dark hair, breathtaking dark eyes, and curves in all the places Jen loved them to be. She had always been a sucker for a woman with some meat on her bones, and even now, more than three years on from her last relationship ending, that hadn’t changed.

Jen smiled when Suzanne lifted a hand and waved in her direction. It was hard not to notice her cleavage again, but Jen was certain it was all a part of Suzanne’s plan. If this woman wanted Jen to want her, she was already there. She approached Suzanne’s table, and Suzanne’s smile sent Jen’s own even wider than before. “Hi.”

Suzanne leaned in, kissing Jen on the cheek. “Hi.”

“You, uh…you been here long?” Jen suddenly felt flustered. That seemed to be the common reaction around Suzanne Dixon. Jen was generally smooth and confident when it came to women and dates, but she was out of practice.

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