The rest of the day flew by quickly. The bridal hair and makeup trial went well, so she booked us in for her whole wedding party in six months.
Despite advertising the salon as appointment only, we had two walk-ins that we managed to squeeze in at the last minute. We had to remain open for another hour, but the girls didn't seem to mind.
I was lucky to have not only a talented team on staff, but they all seemed to gel well together. I wasn't used to being surrounded by a group of friendly girls who genuinely seemed to like each other. There was no bitchiness or competitiveness.
I knew they regularly socialized after work, and at first, they invited me along. It surprised me since I didn't have the warmest personality and failed to make friends easily. I always kept my interactions with my staff impersonal and professional, so I never took them up on social outings. Eventually, they gave up asking.
When we finally shut our doors and my team finished cleaning their stations, I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank fuck this day was over. The girls grabbed their bags and coats, excitedly chattering about where to head for a drink.
For the first time, I felt a pang of loneliness. Many of my high school friends moved out of town or State. I had a few friends here, but none I would call close. Lissa had been my best friend since Middle School, and soon, she became my only real friend. And now I didn't even have her.
I waved the girls off, ready to slink back into my office to tackle more paperwork. "You guys can go," I called out. "I'll lock up."
Linda smiled at me as she put her coat on. "Hey, come out with us."
I frowned at her. "What?"
She glanced at the girls before walking over to me. "You never come out for a drink," she said in a low voice.
"I haven’t been asked in a long time."
"True," Linda slowly agreed. "Although you did come out with us once. You invited Lissa, who proceeded to flash her breasts at my husband before trying to climb onto his lap."
Oh, right. I'd forgotten about that.
I glanced at the girls as they waited for Linda by the door. They all smiled warmly at me, even though one or two eyed me warily. I didn't blame them for not wanting me there. I was their employer, but I also wasn't much of a social girly.
"You guys go on without me. I'll catch you on the next one."
Linda's smile dimmed, but she reached out and squeezed my shoulder. I had to fight the urge to jerk back from her touch. "Sure."
After they left, I locked the front doors before grabbing my paperwork and setting up at the receptionist's desk. It made me feel safer being in the front of the salon than alone out the back. I pulled up our socials page and started replying to inquiry messages.
On top of having in-salon clients, we also offered a mobile service. For a travel fee, we could go to client's homes for a more personal service. Usually, bridal parties and proms called us out, but it was a big chunk of our business.
My phone buzzed in my bag, and I fished it out, thinking it was Lissa. She still hadn’t replied to my message, even though it showed as read. I wasn't entirely sure she would show up tomorrow. If not, I was more than happy to pay her a visit.
Logan:You out tonight? Feel like some company? ;)
I grimaced at his text. It was the usual message Logan sent when he wanted to bang. The usual flare of excitement I felt at seeing his name no longer appeared. I was tired of being his bang option. No matter how many guys asked me out or flirted, they all wanted the same thing—my body and the three holes I could provide them. After Simon—after the many guys who had warmed my bed—none had come even remotely close to taking me seriously.
I decided to ignore his message and head home instead. Alone. The lure of my bath and a glass of wine sounded more appealing.
As I walked the short distance from the salon to my apartment, I ignored the bustling Saturday night atmosphere around me. Not that New Haven had much of a nightlife. It had a few bars that filled up on a weekend, but nothing exciting. It was why a lot of kids decided not to move back home after college or not to attend the local community schools. A part of me wished I’d made the move and gone to live in one of the bigger cities. I most likely would have if I hadn't opened my salon here.
There was nothing left for me in New Haven. My mom had skipped town with Steve when I was seventeen, and I hadn't heard from her since. My friendship with Lissa was shot to hell, and I didn't have a lot of other substantial relationships.
Men here sucked, despite what those cheesy small-town romance movies tried to sell you. Every fall and winter, we had floods of tourists. They were all attracted to that small town, cozy feel. Main Street was lit with fairy lights; vendors sold pretzels and hot chocolate in the center square. We even had a Santa's workshop set up. And without fail, single women converged with their bright-eyed stares, hoping to snag theirown small-town lumberjack. Their apple-red cheeks spread wide in flirtatious smiles every time one of the locals paid them a little attention. Little did they know that the men here weren't any better than wherever the hell they came from.
Loud music caught my attention. It was coming from The Homestead, our town's most popular bar and eatery. Going by the bright lights, banging music, and a small crowd gathered outside, tonight seemed no exception.
My heart lurched when I remembered the last time I'd been here. It was Barron and Eden's engagement party. Barron was Simon's cousin, and he’d invited me along as his plus-one. The invite shocked and excited me. I was thrilled Simon had finally asked me out to a family event. Hell, he hadn't even invited me to a friend's event, so the fact that he'd jumped straight into such a momentous occasion had my hopes soaring.
It didn't matter that he ignored me for most of the night or seemed annoyed every time I clutched his arm. I even turned a blind eye when I'd caught him in what appeared to be an intimate clinch with Eden's best friend, Sofia—the girl he ultimately fell in love with. I was willing to look past his continuous red-flag behavior because I was desperate for his affection. His love.
It all came crashing down in a tidal wave of heartbreak when I discovered the following day that he’d slept with Lissa a few months prior.
I contemplated crossing the street, but a large board with a sign on the footpath piqued my curiosity. As I wandered closer, I noticed red velvet ropes blocking the entrance and a security guard posted by the door.
