“So, is that your newboyfriend out there?” Keiko asked as I stripped off, not bothering with theprivacy screen. She’d seen me naked enough times now that it seemed pointless.
The familiar treatment roomeased the worst of the permanent knot in my stomach, and Keiko’s warmth washelping already. This had been a good call.
After two days of feelinglike a cornered animal, I needed this session to clear my head, and I was dueto get waxed anyway. Besides, if I didn’t do it now, I might nothave the chance to do it again.
My hometown wasn’t exactly knownfor its inclusive beauty salons.
“I wish,” I said, thinkingback to the way Logan had been looking at my ass while we walked here.Everyonelooked at my assthat way, but I still liked it.
I liked it coming from a manlike Logan.
“He’s my bodyguard.”
Keiko paused as I climbedonto the bench, staring. “Yourwhat?”
“My bodyguard,” I repeated. “Grandmahired him. My stalker’s back.”
“Oh honey,” Keiko laid ahand on my back, her nails catching on the skin. “I thought you lookedmiserable. Especially for someone who was coming in withthatfollowing him.”
I snorted despite my mood.Keiko always had a way of lifting my spirits.
“I have to move home,” Iconfessed softly.
“You can’t go back there,”Keiko said.
I didn’twantto. The thoughtof it made me nauseous.
But the thought of beingwatched all the time made me equally nauseous. Moving hadn’t helped—I’dmoved twice already. Gabe had gone to stay with Troy yesterday, at myinsistence. I couldn’t put him in danger, too.
That was the thing. Backhome, there wasn’t a specific threat.
Here in San Francisco, whereI’dbuilt my life, there was.
As soul-crushing as thethought of going home was…
“What else can I do?” Iasked. “I can’t carry Logan around like a handbag for months or evenyears.Moving hasn’t helped.Changing my routine hasn’t helped. Quitting my day job hasn’t helped and theYouTube thing is working better than I thought it would, but I’m dipping intosavings more than I’d like. Keeping my head downdidn’t work.”
The last few words caught inmy throat. The last thing I needed to do was start cryingbeforetherewas hot wax on my ass.
“You can’t leave me,” Keikosaid. “You’re my most fun customer.”
I laughed despite myself. “Because I showup on time and tip well?”
“That,” Keiko agreed. “Andyou let me try out new waxes and new techniques. You let me test out that facemask on you last month. You treat all this like it’sfun, and that’s exactly how it’smeant to be. Other people start asking for the manager if you pluck one hairtoo many. I’ll take this stalker down myself if it means keeping you.”
My breath hitched as shepoured hot wax on delicate skin.
“I wish you could,” I said. “Iwishanyonecould. I’m so scared.”
“Hence Mr. Marine out there?”
“I don’t think he’s aMarine.”
Another gasp as Keikotouched the wax to see if it’d hardened. The first time I’d done this, Gabe hadlaughed his ass off for a solid half hour about how loud I’d screamed.
We’d come in on a two-for-onedeal and they’d only agreed to honor it because I was so muchlesshairy than hewas. He hadn’tmade a peep despite being in here for forty-five minutes.
Nurses were tough.
