Massage
Private meditation session
Wax (areas TBD)
Hair treatment with Fabrizio
Nails with Cheyenne
This is Grace’s business. Grace is my friend. Surely there’s nothing over-the-top about this. This is what people do. Right?
The swimsuit comes in handy for the sauna, which already deeply relaxes me. After a refreshing shower, I fall asleep under the expert touch of her new massage therapist. “Take your time,” she whispers, startling me softly awake. “I’ll take you next door for your meditation when you’re ready.”
I’m super mellow and feeling fantastic when I go downstairs, wrapped in the black and gold robe I’m to use for the whole afternoon. It says “VIP” on the front and back and I truly feel like one, especially when Grace pours me a pumpkin spice cocktail. “Created specially for us by Haley,” she says.
Fabrizio brings me to the wash station, giving me the scalp massage to end all scalp massages. “You havesuchgorgeous hair,” he fusses. “I’m thinking just a trim to give it umph, maybe a tiny bit of layering, and a glaze. I’m really working with gold here, just making it shine.”
“And here I was thinking my hair was mousy.”
“Whaaat? Sweetheart, don’t ever say that. We’re beautiful and we own it.”
“If you say so.”
He waves his comb at me. “Repeat after me. I’m beautiful and I own it.”
I can’t help but giggle at his enthusiasm. “I’m beautiful and I own it!”
He rolls his eyes. “Darling, say it like you mean it!”
“I’m beautiful!”
He leans toward me. “And I own it!”
“And I own it!” Whatever that means.
Their nail specialist, Cheyenne, starts on my manicure while Fabrizio works his magic. They must be used to working together like that, because they don’t seem to get in each other’s way.
Fabrizio leans into me, getting all conspiratorial. “We had the other Mrs. Callaway stop by this morning to make an appointment.”
So it’s true, then. My nape tingles.
Fabrizio continues. “Never heard so much venom come out of one’s person mouth. I don’t even know why she comes here, if she hates Emerald Creek so much.”
Venom?“What do you mean?”
Fabrizio doesn’t need more encouragement to get started. “Let’s see. The store is flailing but it will be sold to a chain and we’ll all be better for it. We’ll have more people move into town once Lilyvale is turned into an apartment complex, and that will help the school.” He keeps fussing with my hair while he continues talking. “Same music, different lyrics. This time things are going to happen that will bewonderfulfor the town.”
“I don’t know about before, but the store sure isn’tflailinganymore,” Cheyenne volunteers. “I saw the line of people on the sidewalk the other day.”
I roll my eyes at the memory. “We’ve had to tell tour busses that it’s only fifteen people at a time. And you saw our posting on ECHoes, right? During foliage season, locals should use the back entrance and go straight to Noah’s office for check out if there are lines at the registers.” The windows, lighting, and overall layout changes I’ve implemented were huge drivers of our new success. We’re basically still selling the same local products and everyday necessities (with a few additions), but we’ve becometheplace to visit and shop—a town landmark.
If only Noah could pick a name for it, it would make marketing so much easier.
My hair done in lush, shiny waves, I move to the pedicure room. Once Cheyenne is almost done, Fabrizio comes in, followed by Grace nursing a tea in one of the mugs Ethan keeps giving her. This one has cat shapes on a pink backdrop.
“Back to the other Mrs. Callaway,” Fabrizio says, “I never understood what Mac saw in her. It’s so sad, the way she took him away from here.” He crosses his arms, clearly upset by all that’s happened.
“His kids missed him, for sure,” Cheyenne says as she applies nail polish to my toes. “Noah is a rock. Always placed his family first.” She shakes her head and her eyebrows narrow.
