Finally, he looks over at me. My heart lurches when I find a soft smile on his lips.
“I’m proud of you.”
27
EVERETT
My breath catches as I hear the words that fall from my lips.
I don’t know where they came from, or why I said them. But they…they feel right.
“I have no idea what I’m talking about. I’ve never been to a salon in my life. But from what I saw yesterday, yours looked amazing. And you have some great reviews online and?—”
“You looked the salon up?” Bea asks. I don’t need to look over to know she’s smiling; I can hear it in her voice.
“Yeah. I couldn’t sleep, so I started scrolling, and that’s where I ended up.”
“Often stalk salon pages, do you?”
“No,” I confess with a laugh. “I just…wanted to get to know you better.”
“And what did you learn from your online stalking?” she asks curiously.
“Well, not a whole lot. Other than your salon pages, I couldn’t find anything about you.”
“Just the way I like it.”
“Hiding from something?” I ask. It’s meant to be a teasing question, but the way she tenses beside me tells me it’s much more serious than that.
“More like someones.”
“Ah.”
“My family and I…we don’t really see eye to eye.”
“Fair enough.” Curiosity burns through me, but I keep my questions locked down. If she wants to tell me, she will. Although I must admit, after what I’ve discovered this morning, I can’t help questioning whether she will or not.
“You look really happy in the few photos there are of you on the salon page. It’s obvious how much that place means to you. And now I know you own it, it makes more sense as to why.”
“It’s my baby. I’ve been planning it since I was a little girl.”
Understanding rushes through me. Childhood dreams don’t have to involve sports, scoring goals, and playing games for thousands of people to watch multiple times a week. They can be so many things, and each is such an incredible achievement when you make them happen.
“So what does a day at your salon look like for you?” I ask, curious about her job.
“Clients all day. I’m probably not going to get a lunch break today. But I love that it’s busy. Even if I’ll barely be able to stand up by the end of the day.”
My grip on the wheel tightens. “You need to look after yourself. You’ve got to have a break. You’re growing another person.”
“I know. And I will, just not a long one.”
“Have you had breakfast? I thought about getting something with the coffee, but I didn’t know what you’d want or?—”
“I’m okay. I haven’t been great at eating in the mornings.”
“You can’t go to work without eating.”
“I’ve got a cereal bar in my purse. That’ll be fine.”
