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“Well dang it, hon. Are these chemicals that strong? Tell ya the truth, I don’t even smell’em anymore.” She took the bowls to the back of the salon but it didn’t matter, the damage was done.
I jumped up from my seat and ran as fast as I could down the hall to the little door that hid the bathroom, and promptly emptied out everything in my stomach. “Oh, hell. Finally.” Why was it that, as disgusting as it was, the simple act always made you feel a little bit better?
Brenna tapped on the door and when she spoke, I heard genuine concern in her voice. “You all right in there, Shannon? Do we need to go to the clinic?”
I rinsed my mouth and washed my hands before opening the door with a shaky smile. “No, I’m good. Just sensitive to smells sometimes, that’s all. Let’s just keep going and if I need to do…that again, I will.”
Her blond brows dipped in concern but Brenna let it go. For now. “If you’re sure, let’s do it.”
“I am.” We both took our places, mine in the chair and Brenna’s right behind me, she worked in silence while I tried my best to inhale and exhale through my mouth, avoiding he stomach-churning smell as much as I could.
“So, tell me that you’re asking about that hunky SEAL? He’s hot stuff and if you want him, you better scoop him up real quick. Hot single men in a small town like this are a hot commodity.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her blunt, but accurate, assessment. “Miles and I are friends. Just friends.”
“Friends, huh? But you want to be more than friends?”
“Me? No, I’m not looking for anything serious. But I was hoping for a little friends with benefits action, at least until he screwed that up.” I gave her a quick rundown of our night and his prompt disappearance for a few weeks. “So, no, we’re just friends.” I didn’t even understand why he was making such a big deal about wanting to see me again when he’d so clearly made up his mind.
“If you want my advice, not that you asked for it, but if you did, I would tell you to sleep with him again. See if that old noggin is as accurate as the real thing.”
I laughed. “Sleep with him, that’s your advice?”
Brenna barked out another, throaty laugh and shrugged. “Well, yeah. If your mind and body are having the same memory, and you’re sure you don’t want anything else, forgive him and give him a second or third chance to rock your world. If not, keep him in the friend zone where he belongs. It’ll keep a gorgeous guy like that, humble.”
Humble was something Miles didn’t know how to be, but I understood her point. “Thanks, I’ll think about it.”
“You do that.” Her attention turned back to my hair and she hummed along to some country song that was unfamiliar to me. “And now, we are all done. Take a peek at yourself and gasp in shock at how beautiful you are.”
I laughed but when my gaze landed on the mirror, I was struck with the new vibrancy of my hair. But it also highlighted just how pale my skin was by comparison. “It’s wonderful, Brenna. You are a magician, I swear.”
She blushed prettily and waved off my compliment. “I’m glad you like it.”
I paid up and left her a hefty tip. “We should hang out some time, Brenna. You’re a fun girl and I could use more friends here.”
“Name the time and the place, sugar. I hear you’re real good on the felt, that true?”
I shrugged. “I do all right. I’ll give you a call soon.” Feeling better than before but not quite good, I noticed a bounce in my step as I made my way the two blocks to Bread Box, which was, as usual, busy.
Mara looked up with a smile that quickly faded into a frown as she shook her head furiously. “Nope. No way. Whatever you have, I want no part of it. Go home. Please,” she added when she remembered just who’s bakery this was.
“I’m not sick but the highlight solution made me nauseous.”
Mara shook her head again, blonde bun wobbling precariously. “That’s what you say but I have eyes and they tell me differently. You’re coming down with something and we can’t both be down. Have a rest, Shannon, there’s always tomorrow.”
I knew when I was beat and I never said no to day off work. “Fine. I’m going but if you need me, for anything, my phone is always on.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. See ya later, Boss.”
I shrugged and walked back out into the sunny day. I had a full afternoon ahead which gave me plenty of time to get ready for my non-date with Miles. Just because it wasn’t a date, didn’t mean that I wouldn’t knock his socks off and make him regret his actions.
