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Chapter Four
I wouldn’t be surprisedif Mia’s screech was heard in the next town over. The shrill sound of her voice caused me to cringe even though I was actually happy to see her. She was bouncing in her heels when she spotted Spencer and I walking into Blush, the salon she’s been working at since I’ve known her. Then she was sprinting toward me, the click of her heels the only warning I was given as she launched herself at me.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she says enthusiastically, throwing her arms around my neck as the three women seated in the waiting area, all a decade older than us, watch in fascination. “I can’t believe you’ve stayed away this long. How could you not visit?”
Slapping me in the arm when she finally releases me, Mia steps back and wrinkles her nose, getting a good look at me for the first time. Spence warned me I looked like shit, not that I wasn’t aware before he so sweetly pointed it out.
“You look like hell, Andi. Well, your hair is gorgeous as always, but this …” Mia waves her hand in front of my face before continuing, “this needs some help. You need some under eye cream to get rid of those puffy bags and maybe a little Botox to help with your crow’s feet. They’re not horrifying yet, but if you don’t start taking better care of your skin they will be in a few years.”
“I’m twenty-seven, Mia, not seventy. I don’t think I have to worry about crow’s feet just yet.”
One of the women in the waiting area scoffs at my remark, but I don’t bother to acknowledge it.
Mia hasn’t changed a bit. Still bubbly. Still smiling. Her ginger curls are pulled into a fashionable rat’s nest on the top of her head, tendrils framing her face.
She’s always been gorgeous and she knows it. As a stylist, she’s found ways to accent her best features and her talent has only grown with time. The dark and often dramatic eye makeup she used to wear is gone, in it’s place more neutral tones that bring out the sandy color of her eyes. Her fair skin is dusted with bronzer, accenting her high cheekbones. Her pouty lips have been glossed with a hue of pink and nothing more.
Her words cut through the haze that was beginning to consume me as I admired her beautiful features.
“Have you looked in a mirror recently?” she asks, astonished that I would doubt her.
Of course I have. In fact, I looked this morning before I left to meet Spencer and cringed, adding more concealer under my eyes in a vain attempt to hide the dark circles. I even took my hair out of the high ponytail I had it in so it framed my face.
“I try really hard not to sometimes,” I mutter as she turns and heads toward the back of the salon, stopping at her station to snag a few products she has sitting on the counter.
“Let’s go,” Spencer says, nudging me with his shoulder before taking my hand in his and tugging until my feet cooperate.
“Where?” I ask as we leave the buzz of hairdryers behind us.
“Lunch. Mia put your favorite in the oven this morning and it should be ready.”
Following Mia and Spencer through the salon and then up the familiar set of stairs, I’m surprised to find their loft has been fully remodeled. When they moved in together during our senior year, the place was nice enough but needed a little work. Fresh paint and floors would have gone a long way. From the looks of it, they did that and more.
The kitchen has been completely transformed from a galley style with a half wall and the dining room separating it from the living room to an open concept. Shiny new appliances in black stainless steel, soft white, granite countertops, and heather gray cabinets. The island that replaced the half wall now separates the kitchen from the dining area and matches the rest of the kitchen with the exception of the cabinets. They’re painted a darker shade of gray, making them stand out against the stark white counters.
The shaggy, yellowing carpet I was afraid to walk on has been replaced with oak wood floors. The walls are painted a shade of gray so soft it’s almost white, complementing the color scheme in the kitchen.
The living room would be boring if it weren’t for the pops of color everywhere. Dark blue throw pillows that match the curtains accent a large, red sectional. Bright, abstract paintings are on every wall. White tables and a matching entertainment center with a large, flat screen TV hanging above it brighten the area.
And then there’s my least favorite showpiece sitting in the far corner of the room, taunting me.
The teal chair my parents bought me for my apartment for Christmas. I hated that chair from the moment it showed up at my door. Now, I resent it. It’s the chair that inspired Sam to change the color in her hair.
“You kept it?” I ask, sliding onto a bar stool at the island without taking my eyes off the chair. My question isn’t directed at either of them in particular, but Spencer was the one who wanted it.
“Of course we did. I love that damn chair. It’s uncomfortable as hell and no one ever sits in it, but it looks great,” Spencer replies, proud of the eye sore.
“It’s ugly as sin, Spencer.” Turning in my seat, I find both of them staring at me in utter amusement. “I can’t believe you let him talk you into keeping it, Mia. I gave it to him as a joke.”
After Sam’s death, the chair haunted me. I tried to smash it with a baseball bat but I wasn’t strong enough to break it. The damn thing was expensive and apparently made well. Eventually, I asked Spencer to take it out of my apartment. I figured he was joking when he asked if he could have it.
“I’ll admit, I think it’s horrendous. Spence is the only one who likes it, but something feels wrong about getting rid of it, so instead we let it inspire the remodel.”
Glancing around the room, I can see that everything is brought together by the chair. The colors, the styles. The damn chair is the centerpiece of the design. Somehow, they managed to have a completely unique and beautiful apartment and incorporate that ugly-ass chair.
Mia dishes out her homemade macaroni and cheese, and we fall into easy conversation. The remodel of the loft. The fights they had over every detail. Mia buying the salon from the previous owner last year when she decided to retire.
Nothing they say shocks me until Spencer gets a phone call from his boss.
