She may look like an angel, but… yeah… this is gonna be hell.
I stare at my tea like it betrayed me, finish it anyway, and head to bed. Praying for strength I definitely don’t have.
22
Change of scenery
The sheets are soft. The house is quiet. But my body is still buzzing.
I try to sleep, I really do. I turn over, once, twice, again.
But I can’t stop thinking about Lucas. The way he looked at me. Like I was something delicate and dangerous all at once. Like he wanted me and didn’t want to want me.
And I can’t lie to myself, I wanted him to look. That nightgown? I wore it for comfort, sure. But some part of me knew. Some part of me hoped.
My hand slips under the covers, brushing over my stomach, down over the curve of my hip.
I close my eyes and let my fingers trail lower, breath catching. I picture Lucas. What we did the other night. The ways he made my body shake.
I imagine his hands instead of mine. His mouth. His voice, rough and low, sayingangel. Him begging to taste me.
I rub my swollen clit, biting my lip as heat unfurls in my stomach, slow and molten.
I move my hips, chase the pressure, feel the tension build and build. It doesn’t take me long before I’m coming on my fingers, wishing they were his hands on me instead of my own.
Afterward, I lay still, flushed and quiet in the dark. The ache has lessened, but the wanting hasn’t. Not really. Because what I want isn’t just his hands. It’shim.
That’s the problem.
I wake up from one of the best sleeps I’ve had in ages, Gizmo curled up at the end of my bed. “Come here, girl,” I croon, patting the blanket on my lap. She stretches, then pads her way up to me and flops down with a loudpurr, already begging for a scratch.
“What do you think? Do you like this place?”
She responds by headbutting my hand. I smile and keep petting her. I like it here, probably too much already. It feels easy. Comfortable. And that’s exactly what scares me. I don’t want to get attached when I know deep down I could be out of here any minute. Still, there’s something about Lucas’s home—the way the boys joke around, the way the house hums with warmth. It just… works. The only difficult part? Resisting Lucas. I’m going to have to make sure I avoid alone time with him or my restraint on my rule is going to crumble.
I hop out of bed and start my day with some pilates in Lucas’s gym. I usually try to start my day with either pilates, yoga or cardio. But I’vebeen slack with everything going on lately, so starting my morning with this is exactly what I need.
When I finish, I pull out a tight black halter top, short black leather skirt and my black Birkenstocks out of my new walk-in-wardrobe and lay them on the bed. Once I’m showered and dressed, I pull my hair up into a butterfly claw clip and do some light makeup. By the time I make it to the kitchen, the house is empty and quiet. It’s already 8 a.m.—the boys must’ve left for work. I connect my phone to the Bluetooth speaker and hit play on my favourite country music playlist, humming as I throw together a quick breakfast before heading to the salon.
When I walk into the salon, Sandy and Louise are huddled at the front desk. I wave, but they barely acknowledge me—just glance my way before looking back at the computer. I really don’t have the energy for their bullshit today. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re shifting clients from my column to theirs again. Not that it ever works. The clients just get annoyed when they show up asking for me and get stuck with someone else. I can’t help it if the clients ask for me over them. I actually keep up with trends and make an effort to build relationships with my clients. They’re lucky for the older clientele in Coevey who still need perms, if it weren’t for that crowd then they’d be out of a job.
I shake off the irritation just as I spot Rhonda talking to a woman I don’t recognize with pretty copper hair and delicate features.
“Oh hey, Camille!” Rhonda waves me over, gesturing toward thewoman. Rhonda is short and plump, she looks even shorter next to the woman beside her. “This is Sarah! She just moved to town last week, she’s our new hire. I’d love it if you could make her feel welcome and show her the ropes, Hun.”
New hire? Well, that explains Sandy and Louise looking like they’ve sucked lemons all morning.
“Hey, Sarah. I’m Camille, it’s really nice to meet you. I’d be happy to show you around. It’ll be nice to have a new face here.” I offer a warm smile, and she gives me a nervous one in return.
“Thank you. I’d really appreciate that. I can already tell we’re going to get along great.” I believe her. She seems genuine, none of that weird competitive energy. Just real.
“Well, I’ll leave you girls to it,” Rhonda grabs her bag. “I’ve got some things to do at home today. I think you can manage the phones. Gimme a bell if things get crazy, alright Hun?” Typical Rhonda. She’s flaky and chaotic, always floating in and out. She’s not a hairdresser herself, so she doesn’t really need to be here, but still. You’d never guess she owned a salon, showing up in the daggiest outfits, her black hair is always a mess. I try not to judge, but sometimes it’s hard when I know how this place should be run. One day, I’ll have my own salon. Run my way. But until then, she’s the boss, and I’ve got clients to keep happy.
Once Rhonda leaves, it’s just me and Sarah in the back room. Sandy and Louise are probably out the back chain-smoking and complaining about everything.
“So, what made you move to Coevey Bay, Sarah?” I try to make her feel welcome.
“I needed a change of scenery. I lived in Brisbane and it just feltsuffocating. So my daughter Georgia and I decided to come here. I came here once for a holiday years ago and it was one of the first places I thought about moving to. Then I saw the ad for a casual position hereat Snips, I knew it was a sign. I haven’t worked in years but I’m really keen to get back into hairdressing again.”
