“I have to get ready for work,” I moan in both frustration and relief. I don’t know if I’m ready to open myself up to him, especially when he doesn’t know everything. I don’t think there is any way for me to hide the fact I’m a virgin, and once he knows that, he’s going to know about Hope. I need to tell him, but I’m so scared.
Knifing off me, he pulls me up to stand, asking, “What time do you get off tonight?” as his hands smooth down my hair and his eyes search my face.
“We close the shop at seven. Is that too late to have dinner?”
“No, and just let me know when you can get lunch, and I’ll bring Hope by so we can spend some time with her, since we won’t see her until tomorrow.”
“I would love that,” I say quietly through the tears lodged in my throat.
“Go get ready, and I’ll drop you off at work then just pick you up at seven.”
“Please…?” I prompt, narrowing my eyes.
“I don’t mind staying here and using your body as entertainment for the rest of the day,” he says with a shrug, while his eyes sweep over me once more, causing my nipples to harden and the place his fingers just were to contract.
“I…I’m gonna go get…get ready,” I stutter out then take off up the stairs, listening to his laughter follow me as I shut the door for the bathroom behind me and lean back against it, breathing heavily. I’m so far over my head it’s not even funny.
*
“That was Jax Mayson,” Kim whispers to me as I set my bag down on my station. “He just kissed you.” She blinks at me then looks at the door Jax just left out of. Biting my lip, I nod, because I can’t exactly lie. Jax insisted on walking me into the salon, and when I tried to give him a casual goodbye, he grabbed onto the back of my jeans and hauled me against him so he could kiss me in a way that let everyone know we were more than friends. “I thought he’s with Mellissa.”
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly as annoyance washes over me. I don’t even think I’m jealous about the whole Mellissa thing really. I’m annoyed she thinks she has some claim over him, when he has made it clear she doesn’t. “He’s not. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but I know what Jax has told me, and I believe him.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it,” she says, wrapping her hand around my arm. “I don’t know him; I just know of him, because I’ve seen him around and she tells everyone they’re together.”
“It’s fine, and I know. It’s just crazy. Why would you push yourself on someone who’s not interested in you?” I ask, watching as her face loses some of its color. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you know Jax’s cousin Sage?” she asks quietly, moving to stand in front of the mirror between our stations, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail, and I notice her hands are shaking.
“A little, but really, things have been so busy that every time I’ve seen him, it’s just been hi and bye. Why?” I ask, wondering what she could possibly have against Sage. He’s always nice to me, and he’s so good with Hope, who loves him.
“I have a sister,” she whispers.
“I didn’t know you have a sister,” I mutter, watching her bite the inside of her cheek.
“We’re identical twins, and she’s not exactly a good person. Don’t get me wrong; I love her, because we’re blood, but she’s…” She pauses and her eyes meet mine in the mirror once more. “She has some problems.”
“Oh.” I know exactly what she’s saying. I have a whole family full of people with problems.
“My sister had a run-in with Sage before she left town,” she says then drops her eyes, along with her voice. “She tried to roofie him when they were at the same bar.”
“What?” I breathe, covering my mouth.
“Yeah,” she whispers with tears in her eyes. “She was going to get him alone and get his wallet…I don’t know exactly, but he caught her when she was trying to mess with his drink. And now he thinks I’m her.”
“Maybe you could tell him it wasn’t you.”
“She left town.” She shakes her head.
“If you talk to him—” I try again, but she cuts me off.
“I believe his words were ‘Stay the fuck away from me, you psycho bitch’ when I tried.”
“That’s not good,” I say as she turns around to face me.
“You wanna know the worst part?” she asks softly, moving to sit in my stylist chair.
“What?” I ask, thinking this couldn’t possibly get any worse. She has an evil twin—that’s storybook bad.
“I met him the day before it happened.” She takes a breath, letting it out slowly. “My car got a flat on Old Fork Road, and he stopped to help me change it. After he got the new one on, he asked me if I wanted to have coffee with him and I said yes. I never say yes,” she whispers as tears fill her eyes. “I know you’re going to think I’m a slut, but I swear I have never done anything like that.”
“Had coffee with a guy?” I ask, confused, seeing pain in her eyes.
“No, after we had coffee, we went back to my place, and one thing led to another,” she says, waving her hand around, and I understand what she’s saying.
“Oh,” I breathe, and she nods.
“Then later the next night, he met my sister, and now…” she trails off.
“Now he thinks you’re her,” I finish her thought.
“Yep.” She nods again as her mouth forms a sad smile.
“There has to be a way to prove to him it wasn’t you.”
“I tried to talk to him, but he refused to listen to me, and honestly, I don’t think I care anymore. At first, I was upset, because I really liked him—or what I knew of him—but since then, I have seen him around town numerous times, and he’s always with a different girl. Really, he left my place, and the next night he went out to a bar, so that says it all, I think.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, not knowing what else to say right now. I mean, maybe Sage is actually an asshole, ’cause this doesn’t seem like something a nice guy would do. A nice guy would at least listen to you.
“It’s okay, really. I don’t know why I just laid all of that out for you.”
“I would like to think we’re becoming friends,” I tell her softly, giving her a hug. “He’s not worth the tears,” I whisper as I hear her sob quietly into my shoulder.
“It’s not him. I just…I could use a friend right now,” she says, pulling away and wiping the tears from under her eyes.
“If you ever want to talk, I’m here,” I assure her, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
“You ladies ready to open shop?” Frankie asks, walking out of the backroom heading towards the front of the salon.
“Ready.” I smile at him as he passes by then turn to look at Kim, who has pulled out a compact from her bag. “Will you be okay?”
“One thing I know, Ellie, is I will always be okay,” she says softly, but I understand immediately what she means. Being happy isn’t something I found easily until I was blessed with raising Hope. I know how it feels to struggle everyday, never really feeling any true emotions like happiness or joy. Always just being okay.