“Manicure is thirty-five dollars. Gel is fifty dollars, and acrylic is fifty-five dollars.” She frowns, obviously irritated.
I grin at her, hoping to soothe her irritation at me. “Okay, then. How much is a pedicure?”
“Regular is thirty-five dollars. The extra deluxe is sixty-five dollars. It comes with seaweed scrub and oil massage.”
I quickly do the mental math. “Could I pay for a years’ worth of gel manicures and the deluxe pedicure as a gift to a friend?”
I bite back a grin as the woman who was getting her nails done snaps her neck to look at me with her mouth gaped open. “What kinda friend is that? Lucky friend, can I be your friend, too?”
The nail tech cackles. “Close your mouth, Brittany, you look like a fish,” she admonishes her client, letting go of the sputtering woman’s hand and getting up to hobble over to the register, giving me a curious up and down assessment. “You realize people get two sets amonthright? Otherwise they grow out.” She eyes me once more over her thick-rimmed glasses.
Not really.
Not wanting to look stupid I smile, nodding and waiting as she rings everything up. When she's done, I pull out my card, not even balking at the total. I graciously accept the gift receipt and hurry back into my car to head to her apartment, pleased with myself. I don’t want Sarah to have to compromise on her looks while she tries to figure out how to navigate this new way of life.
Speaking of new, I make the drive to her in silence, contemplating this new thing between us that has caught me so off guard. I wonder if she feels the way I do, slightly out of sorts at this thing we've just been thrown into haphazardly with no direction or guidance.
I know I can confidently say I'm so off-center I don't think I'll ever feel the same way again.
Chapter twenty-seven
A New Chapter
Walkingintothecomplex,I round the corner to the café, chuckling when I see the pile of balloons first before Sarah's friends come into my line of sight. They both smile as I makemy way to their table where they stand and clasp hands with me, followed by a firm pat on the back.
"Hey, guys, how're you doing?" I smile broadly, clapping back just as hard.
I ignore the stares from nosy bystanders who are looking at us a little too closely.
Jerome gives me a curious up and down before giving me an approving nod. “My man! You look good! What did you end up getting her? I know you were stressin’," Jerome says with a chuckle as he sits back down.
He'd been the one that suggested a spa day gift card. We’d texted extensively with ideas for her, but considering she hasn't been too receptive to touch, I didn't think a massage day would be appropriate.Butthe woman loves her nails, so it was a pretty easy pick.
“I paid for her to get nails for a bit, just to give her some breathing room to get on her feet,” I answer, glancing curiously at the array of cups in front of us.
“Yeah, that’s cool. What’s abit,though?” Christopher chuckles, leaning forward to hand me a cup of coffee.
I grab it, briefly roaming his face. “A bit for me is a years’ worth.” Looking away, I take an appreciative sip of perfectly sweetened coffee.
Jerome chokes so hard it shocks me, and I whip my head over to him and set down my coffee in a rush.
“Damn." I frown. "Are you okay?” I ask, tilting my head as Jerome beats his fist to his chest.
“Yeah. You said ayear?”Jerome’s eyes water as he regards me just a little harder, his gaze turning shrewd. "Do you know how much a manicure costs, and how often you have to get them? Is your bank account okay?"
"Hmm-hmm. I just paid for it." I laugh. “The cost didn't matter to me," I say flippantly, "because I really wanted to take this offher plate. I hope she'll be happy with it.” I glance at my watch. "She should be here any minute."
Suddenly, our phones ding at the same time with a text. A quick looks show's it's correspondence from Sarah, informing us she got her key.
“Well,”Christopher says, standing up and grabbing the balloons, “our girl is punctual as always. Let’s roll.” Still chatting, we walk out of the coffee shop and round the bend to the lobby where Sarah's standing and looking like a breath of fresh air.
The vision of her makes me smile broadly.
She's balancing on the balls of her feet, waiting for us to get to her. When she see's us, she a hops excitely, making her pretty green dress sway enticingly around her beautifully sculpted legs, while grinning and waving at us. Christopher and Jerome get to her first. I hang back a few steps, wanting to see her interact with them before I greet her.
“Hi!” she says quietly, wrapping her arms around Jerome and Christopher both, closing her eyes as she snuggles in close. I feel a pang of envy because I'm remembering the night before when I went to hug her, and she stiffened. I wonder if I'll have better luck today. I want her to want to touch me like that. “Thank you so much for being here.” She opens her eyes and locks gazes with me, causing my heart to skip a painful beat.
I wait for her cue, remaining standing slightly to the side, and decide she's going to have to make the first move.
