He nodded. Her nonanswer didn’t escape him. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Her blue eyes widened for a moment before she schooled her features. “It’s okay. They offered us grief counselors and...” She cleared her throat before quickly cutting a piece of steak and shoving it in her mouth. Smiling around the bite, she asked, “So who cuts your hair?”
He chuckled. “Change the subject. Got it.”
She grimaced. “Sorry.”
“You’re fine, sweetheart, and you have absolutely nothing to apologize for.” He took a bite of his hamburger and groaned.Holy shit. The salty bacon, the savory beef, and the tart zing of the pickled whatever was on there was sheer freaking perfection.
“I know, man, right?” Carmichael said, half his burger gone. “This is fucking ridiculous.”
Freya snickered. “So get the burger next time? Got it.”
“I’m sure that steak’s great, but yeah,” Xander murmured. He held the burger out to her. “Want a bite?”
She laughed. “I’m good, thanks.”
He took another minute to gobble down most of his burger and then set it down and wiped his hands on his napkin. “To answer your question, no one cuts my hair. Once it gets past my shoulders, I just grab some scissors and hack away.”
Her eyes widened in horror, and he chuckled.
“It looks like shit too,” Carmichael chimed in. “That’s why it’s always pulled back. The dude’s man bun is more functional than fashionable.”
He flipped off his friend before he snagged a fry, ran it through the sauce, and popped it in his mouth. “I used to just buzz my hair, but then I got lazy and let it grow out. I figure when the trimming becomes too much of a pain in the ass, I’ll buzz it again.”
“No!” Freya shook her head. “You have great hair. It’s thick and has a natural wave. Women pay a crap ton of money to get highlights like yours. You can’t just buzz it off.”
“True,” Maya said, refilling their waters. “If you have good hair, you gotta keep it. My boyfriend’s going bald, so he says he has no choice but to keep it shaved.”
“Yeah, but he can pull it off,” Hazel said. “Micha’s the definition of hot, tatted bald guy.”
“Micha Crawford’s your boyfriend?” Carmichael asked.
Maya nodded. “You know him?”
“He recommended the burger,” Carmichael said around a mouthful of food.
“We work out at the gym together,” Xander clarified. “Good dude.”
“That he is.” Maya grinned. “And seeing as my sweet, hot man Bics his head, he’d tell you to keep it while you’ve still got it.”
“I’ll happily trim your hair,” Freya said. “Maybe you can even change it up a little and do a disconnected undercut while still keeping it long on top?”
“Ooh, a Viking look,” Hazel said with a grin that made him uncomfortable. “That would be hot.”
“Besides,” Freya continued, “it’s the least I can do after your perfectly timed rescue.”
Even though he knew it was probably a horrible idea, he nodded and picked up his burger. “I’m not quite sure what disconnected under whatever means, but I’ll take you up on a haircut. I’m due for one, and I’m sure you’ll do a better job than me.”
Her smile was electric, and he took a bite of his burger before more words he was sure to regret flew from his mouth. For better or worse, the woman fascinated him. She seemed sweet—probably too sweet for him—but it didn’t stop him from wanting to get to know her a little better.
“Great,” she said, cutting another piece of her steak. “Once they get the salon back in order, we’ll figure out a time that works for you.”
The conversation remained light over the next handful of minutes while they all finished their dinners.
“Thanks for everything, Maya,” Freya said to the bartender as she cleared their plates. “I think I’m going to head home.” She turned to Hazel. “Do you want to walk out together?”
“No, I’m good,” Hazel said. “I’m going to hang around a little longer.”
