“Then for God’s sake, I need some rest! I have an appointment first thing tomorrow morning. And trust me, if the girls see me walking funny, they’ll make fun of me.”
“We can’t have that, now, can we?” he asked and kissed her again.
They made it inside to the living room at least.
* * *
Monday morning, she gave herself extra time in the morning to get ready. It took her a thirty-minute hot bath to soak away the aches from her weekend with her Viking lover. And Tommie still had the nerve, in front of a full salon and in a loud voice, to ask her why she was walking bowlegged after her date with Axel.
Sixteen
Late Tuesday afternoon at the salon, Rena was replacing stock while Nicky worked on a client in the back and Stella did paperwork.
“Um, I don’t know, Rena. I mean, the troll could be classified as cute. But that statue of Cupid is just creepy. It has bulgy eyes and a little dick. And that video Heller gave you…” Tommie cleared her throat, glanced around at the almost-empty salon, and added in a whisper, “I’ve seen it. It’s straight-up porn.”
“What?” Rena looked down at the innocent looking copy ofBe My Valentine, Charlie Crown. She looked harder. “It says Charlie Crown, not Charlie Brown.”
Tommie tried not to laugh, but Rena could see her struggle. “See, Charlie wears a crown. But he wears it over his, um, penis. It’s a cock ring. And only his true valentine can get it off.”
Rena just stared. The cover of the DVD had cartoony characters. They looked like the Peanuts gang, but upon closer inspection, she could see they weren’t quite the same. “That is so wrong. What if I was a kid or something?” Where had Axel gotten this?
“What exactly is he trying to say to you?”
Stella walked up behind them. “Oh, that’s a good one. The chick with the long red nails gets Charlie at the end, not Lucy.”
“Stella?” Rena couldn’t believe her friend had seen that.
“What? It’s a popular gag gift. Most everyone I know saw it last year. It was a hoot.” She chuckled. “Oh, wait. Is this from Heller?”
“Yep,” Tommie answered. “He’s been trying, but our guy is not great with the gifts.”
Stella shrugged. “Maybe he’s telling her he wants her to be his vag-entine.”
Tommie snickered. “To be his sweetheart and play with hishardcandy.”
“He wants her to enjoy his Peanuts.”
Rena refused to laugh. “You two are ridiculous.”
Nicky and her very tall, very manly client left the back room. Everyone stopped and watched him move, a walking example of fierce meets sexy.
As Nicky was taking his credit card, the guy did a double take at the video in Rena’s hand. He looked at her and the girls then back at the video. “Charlie Crown, huh? Didn’t think you were into that kind of stuff.”
Rena glared. “Oh, shut up, Grim.”
He chuckled as he left, and the room sighed. “He’s like a dark Heller, only meaner. I’m so in lust with that man.” Tommie groaned. “Do you think he likes Asian chicks?”
“I think he’s gay,” Rena said, knowing full well he wasn’t. The guy worked with J.T. at the tattoo shop and liked the ladies.
The girls looked horrified, Tommie especially. “What?”
“But I could be mistaken. Who knows?” She gave Tommie a mean smile.
“That is so wrong.”
“Hardcandy, really? At least vag-entine was creative.”
“And Peanuts. Don’t forget that.” Stella stuck her tongue out.
