All right, that was a total lie. I was already sweating bullets, but I could do a poker face with the best of them. Especially when I had one hell of a bribe in my back pocket.
I hadn’t bought a house just to get a woman to go out with me.
Not exactly. That would’ve been crazy.
I’d done it because the house had spoken to me, as so much of this town did. It was as if I’d been caught in a web once I’d entered the town limits of Crescent Cove. One I didn’t want to shake free of anytime soon.
Stepping in to To Dye For made me think of Ellie immediately. Somehow it felt like her. I hadn’t been in many salons, but I knew this one with its farmhouse-style décor and plethora of plants was different. Special. Much like the woman I’d come to whisk away to my house on the water—
No, I’d come to ask her out for a low pressure lunch. I wouldn’t scare her away this time. I was living the casual life now.
Minus the offer I’d had accepted on the house she loved. A minor detail, really.
One she didn’t need to know about until after lunch. Way after. At least not until I walked her back to her car.
A pretty blond in a billowy poet’s blouse flashed a smile at me. “Hi, I’m Paisley. Do you have an appointment?”
“No. I’m actually looking for Ellie.”
“Oh. Oh. Ohhh.” On the third oh, she braced both hands on the counter and actually leaned over to check me out from head to toe. “You must be artist dude. Nice job, girl.”
“Excuse me?”
“So, Ellie actually isn’t available right now. As you can see.” Expansively, she threw back her arm to encompass the rest of the hair styling stations. It was a small operation but had room to grow. Everything was neat as a pin and welcoming. “But you are here. Very much here. Hmm.”
“Okay, is she due in today? I can wait. Or maybe you could tell me her hours?”
“No, I can’t do that. Confidentiality laws and all.”
I frowned. “But this is a salon. What if I wanted her to do my hair?” I swallowed hard at the inappropriate images that filled my head, most of them involving Ellie, shaving cream, and partial nudity.
Perhaps total nudity. It was my daydream. I could make it as X-rated as I wanted to.
As long as I stayed hidden by this counter.
“Hmm, that’s an idea, right? I can’t send you away if you wanted her to do your hair. Since you would be a paying customer and all. No freebies,” she added, as if she could sense I was about to demand a chop on the house.
“I’ll pay of course.”
“Right. Because paying customers have to be served no matter what. The client is always right. Isn’t that true, Melody?” Paisley asked an older blond woman blow-drying a high school-aged girl’s hair at the first station. “We have to make sure they’re happy.”
Melody frowned as she looked between us, and then it appeared as if Paisley did a quick hand gesture just out of my range of sight. “Oh, definitely. The customer is the boss. We just want to make sure they’re pleased.”
“Right.” Paisley nodded vigorously as she faced me again. “So, tell us, what exactly are your needs today?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Is this going on YouTube? I feel like I’m being videotaped to be made fun of later.”
She surprised me by letting out a light laugh. “I like you. You seem responsible.” She looked me up and down again. “Nice coat. Burberry? You must have a job.”
I took another look at my surroundings. The hidden camera was going to become apparent at any moment, I just knew it. “I do. Two, in fact. One is a bit more…transient, but the other is quite stable. Are you sure Ellie isn’t here? I really need to talk to her.”
Paisley cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. “Are you going to let her shape your hair? It’s overgrown.”
“I like it that way,” I said defensively.
I didn’t add I hadn’t gotten it cut since just before I’d met Ellie. Depression tended to do that to a man.
“But yes, she can cut it. She can do whatever she wants to do to me.” At Paisley’s arched brow, I cleared my throat. “I mean, hair-wise.”
“I’m sure.”
I stayed silent.
“Good thing Ellie saw you first. Then again, there was a reason she hasn’t seen you since. And why might that be?”
I was pretty sure they knew who I was. And that meant Ellie had mentioned me. She hadn’t forgotten me the minute she’d rolled out of bed.
Logically, I’d known it wasn’t possible. Not after the connection we’d had—and probably still had, if she would just give it a chance.
Somehow I’d have to make her see I was worth the risk.
“It was her choice. I’m here to see if perhaps I can change her mind.” I hoped I sounded confident and not overdue for a visit from Sheriff Brooks.
“Is that right?”
“Yes. I’m not here to be a nuisance.” God, was I being a fool to do all this? “Look, I just want to see her. I need to see her. I—” I broke off at Paisley’s widening smile. “What?”
“Oh, you’ll do, won’t you? Wait right here while I get her.”
I crossed my arms. “I thought you said she wasn’t here.”
“I said she wasn’t available. If you didn’t get past the gate, I would’ve told you that she’d moved to Montana. But you made it past level one. Don’t get cocky. You’re got many levels to go.”
I shook my head as she headed into the back. “This town is always going to keep me on my toes.”
“You’ve got that right,” Melody agreed with a wink.
Chapter Twelve
ELLIE
“Oh, good. There you are.” Paisley pushed me farther into the back to the room where we did waxing and frowned at me. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know.”
She grabbed my hands. “Well, I have some news you may not be excited about. I can get rid of him if you really want me to.”
“Rid of who?”
“Hottie artist dude. Your delicious hookup.”
I crossed my arms over my middle. “How do you know about Callum?”
“Honey, this is Crescent Cove. Who doesn’t know you were kissing a piece of stranger hotness in the park?”
I flushed. Here I’d thought I’d kept a low profile since that day. Little did I know I was still a topic of conversation. “Are people talking about me?”
“Oh, honey. Not like that. We’re just all suckers for romance in this town. Especially in the winter. Nothing else happens around here except babymaking, you know that.” Paisley frowned. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
I didn’t know about the rest of her statement, but babymaking was right. Maybe. “Wait, is he here?”
“That’s what I was saying. He’s out front looking for you.”
“Here.” I could still breathe, I was almost sure. “In the salon?”
“What else does here mean? Are you all right? You look really pale.”