“I know. Just thought you’d be more creative.” His tone hinted at something more X-rated than anything I had in mind.
Esther must have picked up on it, too, because she cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Oh, um. This is my friend Esther. I don’t think you two have formally met.” I gestured between them.
“Hi,” Esther sized Elliot up. “We met last night when you were sleeping on my couch before you went up to sleep in Ellie’s bed.”
I shot her a glare, but El laughed. “Well, technically we met when I brought her home after the hospital,” El clarified.
Esther challenged him, “Actually, if we wanna get really technical. We met at the club when you spent three grand on us. Thanks for the champagne, by the way.”
“I’m surprised you even remember that.” He gave her a deep smile, clearly amused by her sense of humor. “You’re welcome.”
Tired of this long introduction, I stepped in. “Alright, we get it. You know each other. Now, can we please get to work?” I groaned.
Esther snickered as she walked away, then called out, “It’s nice to meet you, El.”
“You too,” he replied before placing the box he held on the table, then leaning in to whisper in my ear. “Alright, boss. Put me to work.”
I ignored the way it made my chest tighten and pointed at the heavy boxes by the door. “Start with those. They need to go in the back.”
El didn’t hesitate. He walked over and grabbed two boxes like they weighed nothing, his muscles flexing effortlessly.I definitely didn’t stare. Not even a little.
He caught my gaze anyway, smirking. “Like what you see, Peanut?”
A little. I scowled. “Don’t call me that.”
The next few hours passed in a blur. I moved between stations, washing, cutting, and styling hair while El handled whatever grunt work I threw his way. He lifted equipment and assisted where he could. He even held a few kids on his shoulders while their moms got their hair done.
At one point, I caught him kneeling beside an older woman, helping her sort through the donations we brought. She gestured animatedly, and he listened intently, nodding along. The sight made something in my chest tighten more.
I tore my gaze away and focused on braiding the little girl’s hair in my chair.
When we finally wrapped up, the sun had started to set, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink. Most of the women had retreated to their rooms, their moods lighter, their smiles brighter. The space was quieter now, save for the occasional bursts of laughter from the volunteers still wrapping up. I sat on a bench, sipping from a cold bottle of water, exhausted but satisfied.
El dropped down beside me, stretching his long legs out with a deep sigh. “God. I’m gonna sleep for the next hundred years.”
“You and me both,” I sighed.
With a yawn, he continued. “But I think I missed my calling. I was born to be a hairstylist’s assistant.”
I snorted. “You’re not qualified.”
“Rude.” He nudged me with his knee. “I was a great assistant, admit it.”
“You were… okay.”
He gave me a flat look. “Ellie.”
I smirked, tipping my bottle toward him. “Fine. You were helpful. Happy?”
His lips twitched. “Very.”
A comfortable silence settled between us. The heat of the day had mellowed into a warm evening breeze, carrying with it the distant hum of the city—cars passing, laughter echoing from a nearby courtyard, life continuing just beyond the quiet bubble we’d found.
“How often do you do this?” El asked after a while.
“Once a month,” I said, brushing a speck of lint off my jeans.
