AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My phone started ringing out its tone for Cori, and I answered it before it went to voice mail, knowing that she’d start bombarding me with texts if I ignored her.
“Hey.”
“What happened last night? Is he still there? Did you ruin the costumes? Please tell me you didn’t ruin the costumes,” she said in rapid-fire, and I blew out a breath once she finally stopped talking.
“I’ll tell you at the salon. Well, as long as our moms aren’t there. He just left. And the costumes are in tip-top shape. I’ll bring them with me.”
“My mom has today off. I think we’re the only ones with appointments.”
While most companies tended to slow down during the holidays, our hair salon only got busier. People flocked back into town each year like clockwork, and entire families of females made appointments months in advance to get their hair done for dinner and parties.
That space between Christmas and New Year’s, when most other places heard crickets all day long? That was when we worked nonstop and made some of our best money of the year. Those who wanted to make an entrance when they walked into a room knew exactly where to come to make that happen. There was nothing like a fresh cut, color, extensions, or a stunning blowout, and Cori and I were two of the best in town.
Seeing my clients’ faces for the first time after I spun their chair around to look in the mirror was something I’d never get tired of. I truly loved making women feel beautiful.
“Helloooo?” Cori shouted into the phone so loud that I had to pull it away from my ear.
“I’m here,” I snapped because, now, my ear was ringing.
“Ugh. Just hurry up and get to the salon, so you can fill me in.”
Cori knew that I’d never talk about Saint once a client was sitting in the chair. Hearing all about their personal business was one thing, but contributing with stories about mine was a line I didn’t dare cross. Not that most seemed to mind or even notice.
People loved talking about themselves. I actually enjoyed it, to be honest. There wasn’t a single day that I didn’t learn something new.
I wonder what I’ll learn today, I thought to myself as I packed up my purse, grabbed the costumes, and bundled up in an oversize jacket.
When I got to my car, it was covered in snow, but the windshield and all of the windows had been scraped clean of the ice I knew had covered it.
Saint.
If that man didn’t tell my brother about us, I was going to blurt it out in the middle of Christmas dinner and blow the whole thing up. There was zero chance I’d be able to spend all evening with him and not cave.
PROMISE BREAKER
SAINT
I’d been giving myself a pep talk the entire drive over to the office from Ivy’s house. Twenty minutes of nonstop psychobabble, where I oscillated between being the worst friend on the face of the earth, who had performed the most inexcusable act, to trying to convince myself that I hadn’t done anything wrong and that Ivy and I were two consenting adults who deserved to be happy.
Even if it is with my best friend’s little sister.
Oh God, I was definitely the worst, and Davey was never going to forgive me.
When I walked into the office kitchen for some coffee, Davey was already there along with a couple of employees.
“Morning, brother,” he said, his long blond hair pulled into a man bun that I swore only he could pull off. “You look like hell,” he said easily before narrowing his eyes. “What’d you do last night?”
“Nothing.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but he knew me better than almost anyone, so lying was hard.
“Didn’t you have that volunteer thing with Ivy?”
Acting like I’d forgotten all about it already even though it was seared into my brain like fire from a hot poker, I gave him a nod. “Oh yeah. Lots of kids. So many kids.” I concentrated on pouring some creamer into my coffee and stirred it with a tiny straw.
“You were Santa, right? Have any pictures?” He was teasing me now, and that little change in his voice calmed me down.
If Davey knew what had happened last night, the last thing he’d be doing was joking around.
I racked my brain for a second before answering. “I actually don’t have any pictures. All the kids do though. There was a photographer there.”
