"How long's it been?"
"That was a week ago. She left it at 'we'll just catch up every few years'."
"That's what she said?"
"That's how it felt."
"What makes you like her so much?"
"Her. It's just how she is. You'd have to meet her. She's not like other girls."
"Oh, here we go," Dominic said in an exaggerated tone.
"What? I'm serious. She's not. If you would meet her, you'd know what I mean."
"Just call her, E. Just tell her you like her. If it's meant to work out, it will."
Dominic's words hit EJ like a ton of bricks. It was more like a ton of bricks had been lifted off of him. The thought of calling Savannah made him feel so good. He clapped his hands together. "Better yet, I'll go back over there. I'll make one more haircutappointment. That way, I have time to relax and talk to her and explain what I'm trying to say."
He was stoked. He reached up and slapped the top of the threshold as he went into his office.
"Hang on," Dom said. "I'm gonna give you that dish so you can take it to Mom's for me." Dominic headed into his own office.
EJ was pumped. He was going to call the salon as soon as he got a minute alone and make an appointment for next week.
"Van Rodgers Salon, this is Bree," the receptionist said a few minutes later when he called. "Mr. Paul?" she continued, seeing his number come up on the ID. "EJ, right?"
"Yes," he said. "Would Savannah have time for a haircut a week from today?"
"Oh, goodness, that's so funny for you to ask because I just, two minutes ago, finally got her last appointment rescheduled for that day." The receptionist breathed a sigh of relief. "She's off all next week. She's leaving in three days to spend her birthday in Italy, and she won't be back until next Wednesday. She'll be back Tuesday, but she won't be working until Wednesday. She added hours, and she's working the following two Saturdays, and still I have no openings. I know you guys are friends, though, so I can make a note here, and I'm sure she can call you back and work you in."
EJ wasn't even quite sure what to say. He wasn't even sure exactly what she had said. His mind had gotten caught up on something way back in the conversation.
"Did you say she's going to Italy in three days?"
"Yes, sir. She'll be leaving Monday afternoon. And like I said, back on Wednesday the following week. Did you want me to leave a note for her to call you back? Or would you like to go ahead and get on the schedule for her next available?"
"When would that be? Y-you know what? I have her number. I'll just message her, thanks, Bree."
"Oh, no problem. Just give me a call back if I can help you with anything, Mr. Paul."
EJ hung up the phone feeling out of it. The fact that she called him by his middle name made him know that Savannah hadn't told her who he really was. If so she would've known his last name wasn't Paul. That was the least of his worries, though.Italy with Gabe? Was this really happening?"
EJ was in his office in Milwaukee when he hung up with Bree, and he stayed there to compose a text to Savannah.
Chapter 11
Savannah
"You have ten minutes before your next one," Bree said after my customer walked out. I stared at her absentmindedly from the other side of the counter. "You might as well eat something because KK's coming in next, and she called to make sure you had time to do more blonde." She did air quotes around the phrase 'more blonde' because KK never had quite enough.
I shook my head and smiled.
"Isn't it as light as it can get?" she asked.
"Pretty much," I said, nodding. "She has a ton of dark hair, though, so I do need to go eat something." I patted the desk in a gesture of goodbye. "Just text me when she gets here."
"Oh, your friend called a minute ago."
