She’s brushing me off, I can feel it, when we both know you don’t pay cash in wads to run a business; the rent would be sent through electronic transfer. That payment made to Bodhi was something else.The boys were all horrified at the way the Southern Breakers were using me, but aren’t they just using places like this the same? Skimming profits off the top to line their own dirty pockets. That’s what it looks like to me, anyway.
She checks the front of my hair, making sure both sides line up, then pulls out a blow-dryer, grinning at me like a Cheshire cat as she styles my new do. “You’re going to love this, girl. You look so grown-up, I wish I took a before photo.” When she’s done, she spins the chair around to reveal my new look.
“Holy shit,” I squeal. I look so different I can’t even process it. Neat and put together when we all know I’m anything but. I feel lighter too, moving my head from side to side as my new do brushes over my shoulders effortlessly.
“Do you like it?”
My grin widens. “I love it.”
The front glass door swings open with a clattering as both boys appear in the opening. “What did you do?” River calls, his eyes wide with I think horror.
Bodhi slaps his arm and chuckles out a dark laugh. “Dude, K is going to kill you.”
“Nope, this was all you.” He laughs back.
I smirk at the boys. “Got a trim.” I don’t ask if they like it, because I don’t care. I feel like a whole new me, and that’s all that matters. I also have one less way that Slater can try and control me. And do I care that he might get in shit with Kasen? Absolutely not. This is my body, and I will do whatever the fuck I want with it. I hope Kasen hates it. That would make my day.
“Thanks, Holly. You have out done yourself.”
She takes off the cape and towel, and I stand, flicking my hair just for emphasis.
She takes my hand and pulls me toward the counter with her, grabbing a couple of products on the way. “When Kasen said he had some girl living with him, I didn’t realize it was you. But I got you, girl.” She packs the products into a bag for me then hands it over the counter. “This will get you by till you come in next.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ve got you booked in for four weeks’ time as well. Make sure she’s here for that appointment, Bodhi.”
I glance back at him and want to laugh. He looks like he’s in shock, quiet for the first time ever. With a smug smirk, I hand him the bag of products for him to carry. “You were right, Slater, I did need a little pampering.”
“You look fucking amazing,” River practically growls as I pass by him. He turns and falls into step with me as I walk out the front door. “Seriously, babe.”
My insides do a happy dance. Wait, what! That wasn’t supposed to be his reaction. He’s supposed to hate it.
His arm snakes around my waist, and he pulls me into his solid body, inhaling deeply. “Fuck, Bodhi, she smells like sunshine.”
I step away from him with a glare. “Don’t sniff me,” I snip, even though my body lights up all over by the way he reacts to me.
And even though Bodhi is a step behind us, I hear him inhale deeply and growl. It’s subtle. He’s not obvious like River, but fuck, it does something to me it shouldn’t. I shouldn’t want their approval, I don’t. But knowing little old me gets them in a tailspin does feel more empowering than I ever could have imagined. I’m in more trouble than I thought.
Chapter 25
Kasen
I’m watching from the doorway to my office as Dove and the boys walk up the hall. She has this way of causing chaos with everyone around her, and the flurry now happening in my office is no different. But if she notices, she doesn’t pay my staff a lick of attention; her filthy glare is directed toward me.
Before I know what’s happening, my feet are moving toward her. As she gets closer, I swear my heart stops. She’s had all her hair cut off and looks like a goddess. Guess the boys took my suggestion literally of making sure she was looking presentable for our date today, even if she’s in my office wearing those damn denim cutoffs and a flimsy singlet with nothing but swimmers on underneath it. Would it kill her to try some of the beautiful designer clothes I bought for her? Probably, but she would look amazing in a dress.
“Why are you so late?” I demand.
Her brow pops up. “Why am I here?” she sasses, a hand moving to her hip as she tilts her head up defiantly. “How can I be late when I was never given an invitation?”
“We have lunch reservations to celebrate.” I force a smile, trying not to let her snippy attitude affect my excellent mood. She thinks she got all of us worked out, thinks she can keep fighting me at every turn, buttoday, my little birdie is going to learn the hard way that I always get what I want.
She throws me a bitchy look but doesn’t give me a snippy remark like normal.
“You closed the deal?” Bodhi asks, a hint of excitement in his voice. Normally he would have been here with me. He knows this place as well as I do, but the old dude who owned the land we needed to acquire to build the golf course was skittish, and Bodhi isn’t always so agreeable when he wants something. He may have scared him off, and I knew we needed to keep it simple or it wouldn’t go ahead.
A sly smile crosses my lips. “Sure did. We settle in four weeks, and since the plans are already underway, construction will be started before the end of the year. He saw it was win/win for everyone. Just like we knew he would.”
