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Cucumber and raspberry. Cranberry and cinnamon. Hibiscus and jalapeño. Strawberry and mint.
Ella sets the glass down. “Not your best.”
I groan.
And, because I can’t ever seem to top it, I pass over her honey and rosemary mule.
No point in fighting it.
Honey and rosemary tops all.
I move on to my next victim—I mean, friend—and I set Leo and Jolie—a woman he met at Ronnie’s not long ago, who has nearly as jerky of an ex as George—up with their flights of mules.
Jolie is beyond sweet, declaring them all her favorite, while Leo stands protectively at her shoulder and only drinks the honey and rosemary variety.
I sigh.
“God,” Ella says, setting her glass on the island and stretching her neck from side to side. “My arms are so sore.”
I reach for her, start rubbing at her tight shoulders. “That’s because your boss makes you work too much.”
Jolie frowns. “How much istoo much?”
Ella starts to shrug that off, but I’ve been here in the present. I’ve been watching her and keeping tabs.
So, I don’t let her minimize it.
“Eight to ten hours a day, six days a week.”
And I’m glad of Jolie’s gasp of outrage on her behalf—she’s a fellow hairstylist. “That’s not okay, Ella. Not at all.”
“I mean,” Ella says on a sigh. “I can’t exactly tell my boss no when the clients are booked and another stylist flakes. I won’t do them dirty like that.”
“I get wanting to keep your clients happy,” Jolie says, leaning back against Leo. “And I get being busy—hell, this season has been a disaster with this”—she lifts her casted arm, a break that her asshole ex was indirectly responsible for—“but there’s also such a thing astoobusy.”
Riggs nods.
And I haven’t missed him hovering around my friend.
Watching her every move.
“I’m okay.” Ella smiles and it’s tense. Edgy. “I promise.”
“Well,” Jolie says, “if you come into the market for a new job, I’m looking for another stylist at my salon.”
“I—”
“Yes! That’s right, baby!” Knox calls, tossing the remote onto the couch and sweeping Steve into his arms. My pup eats that up because he loves Knox and his antics.
Hell, he lovesallof this.
The activity. The noise. The people giving him cuddles. The opportunities to scarf down food he shouldn’t be eating.
Steve kisses Knox as Ivy—a personal trainer Riggs, Knox, Leo, and Lake all work with—scowls, having ended up on the wrong side of the Mario Kart battle.
Our little family.
None of us related by blood.
