"Bree, EJ's already taken care of for today. This is my friend EJ from Chicago!" she added, leaning in and speaking to Bree with quiet excitement.
Bree beamed and glanced at EJ, looking him over. "That's amazing! You guys knew each other when you were kids?"
EJ's heart raced at the thought that she had been talking about him. "Yes, we did," he said, answering with an easy smile. "We hung out a whole summer one time."
One of the ladies who was waiting stood up and came toward the desk. EJ was closest to her, and he braced himself a little when she walked up, thinking she had recognized him, but she was focused on getting something out of the candy bowl. If this were Chicago, and there were this many strangers in one room, someone would have already called him Double Decker or Eddie Decker's son. Someonewould've already asked for a picture. But no one here seemed to recognize him or care.
"I'm going to get started on Jeannie," she said, glancing at EJ. "I'll see you a little later."
She gave him a wave and moved to start taking off to meet her customer. EJ waved at her and then glanced at the receptionist.
"I guess you're all taken care of here. It was nice seeing you again, Mr. Paul." Bree said.
"You too. Thank you."
EJ started to say something to her about paying for the haircut, but he didn't want to complicate things, and he would work it out with Savannah later. Besides, it made him feel good not to be treated like a normal customer. He didn't want to be a normal customer.
EJ left the salon and went to a nearby department store where he bought sweats, socks, underwear, a toothbrush, two protein bars, an iced coffee, and a bottled water. He also bought a duffle bag so that he had something to carry inside the hotel besides the plastic bags from the store. EJ had no idea where she lived, so he made reservations at a nice hotel that was close to her salon.
EJ had things to take care of to manage the impromptu night away, but he was on top of everything at work, and it wasn't that big of a deal for him to stay the night. He would drive back to Chicago first thing in the morning. He was honestly a little relieved not to face that drive again tonight.
Hespent some time shopping and then working remotely from his hotel before he showered and put on the same clothes so that he could go pick her up. He was hungry by then and ready to go to dinner, so he hoped that was what was happening, even though they didn't have concrete plans.
Bree was not behind the desk when he got there. It was empty in the front, and EJ cautiously walked toward the back. Music was playing, and it was quite a bit louder than it was the last time he was in there. The sound stopped abruptly just as he was about to turn the corner to the room where her chair was located. The sudden change startled EJ and caused him to stop short of the room, but then he heard her talking.
"When are you leaving for Italy?" she asked.
"Ten days," a man's voice said. It sounded as though they were getting louder. "I'll be gone for your birthday."
EJ definitely heard their voices getting closer. He was an athlete, and he easily shuffled back toward the lobby so that they didn't bump into him in the hallway. He made it to the lobby just in time for them to show up and everything to look completely normal.
"Oh, EJ! Yay! Gabe, this is my good friend from childhood, EJ. EJ, this is Gabe, my good friend from…" She trailed off and glanced at Gabe. "Five or six years ago? Something like that?"
Gabe nodded and put a hand out to shake EJ's. He was a middle-aged man, around EJ's dad's age but smaller, and he stuck out his chest when he shook EJ's hand. There was something protective in the way he stared at EJ.
"Gabe's one of my very best friends. He's my investor and landlord."
"Business partner," Gabe corrected.
"Business partner," she said proudly. "He made all this possible," she said, gesturing around them to the warmly decorated reception area.
"Savannah did all of it. I just helped her find this place and gave her a budget to remodel it. And business is good. How many employees do you have now?"
"Six, but two of them are part-time." She touched Gabe's shoulder. "We'll get one more in before you leave for your trip."
"Okay. Where are you two headed tonight?"
"I don't know," she said, glancing at EJ. "I'm hungry, that's all I know. I'm starving. Are you hungry?"
"Yes," he said to her.
She glanced at Gabe with a smile and shrug. "It looks like we're going to get something to eat. EJ's passing through town, so he's just here for the night. I don't know what we'll get into."
"Well, if you eat at one of my places, you can put it on my tab. I'll sponsor dinner with an oldfriend. They'll call me to check in about it, but I'll okay it."
"Oh, that's okay," she said. "Thank you, but we'll get dinner."
"Yes, I'll get dinner," EJ said, wondering who in the world this guy was.
