Part One
Chapter One
Maya
“Please come out tonight. I’ll have your favourite cocktail waiting for you,” Fallon begs, as the four of us sit on the staff room floor.
Calling where we are a staff room is a bit of a stretch. It’s basically a box room that holds all our hair supplies for the salon. There are cupboards lining the walls filled with hair dyes and tools. And of course, all the sugar snacks you can think of to help us survive the busy days. It is also the place we go to escape. When we need a breather, a chance to hide away before putting on a brave face for the world again.
“I told you. I need to message Jake first. He might have already made plans,” I reply. Drained isn’t a strong enough word for how I’ve been feeling.
“Since when have you had to check in with a man to see if you’re free for girls' night? I don’t know what’s going on with you recently. You’re not acting like yourself,” she says, her bright blue eyes holding mine sceptically.
Fallon has been my best friend since high school, that one friend you know you’re stuck with for life. The best kind to have.
The thing is, I know she’s right. I’m not myself. I haven’t been for a while. Not since I started dating Jake almost twelve months ago. As time has gone on, I feel more and more anxious when I’m not with him. Like whatever I do without him, I would be made to feel shitty or judged. He has already made it clear what he thinks of my friends.
I know for a fact that if I call to tell him I’m going out, he wouldn’t be happy about it.
“Come on, Maymay. We miss you!” Blair adds, Gracie nodding her head next to her.
Blair and Gracie are my other two besties. They’re inseparable. Not only are they best friends, but sisters too. Although they look alike, with their piercing green eyes, long dark hair and similar features. They are complete opposites.
Blair keeps on top of her tan, makes sure her makeup looks perfect, and always wears the most stunning outfits. Whereas Gracie couldn’t give a bigger shit what she looked like. Not that she needed to, she was naturally beautiful. The bitch could pull off wearing a bin bag, and anyone would think it looked great on her.
“Can’t you see I’m in desperate need of my best friend right now?” Fallon clutches at her chest as if in pain, ever the drama queen. “How do you expect me to survive?”
“Bloody put her out of her misery, she’s drivingme insane. You know she won’t stop until you say yes.” Gracie rolls her eyes in jest. She is one of the kindest souls I have ever known. Obsessed with crystals and healing.
“Okay, fine! I have another client to do here first, then I’ll meet you all there. There better be a pornstar martini waiting for me,” I say, knowing they’ve all finished for the day already.
“Thank fuck for that. I didn’t have any more ammunition left in me to drag you out.” We all laugh at Fallon as she does a happy dance.
Fallon is right, though. Girls’ night is just what I need.
I finished my last client sooner than I expected. Mrs Fisher had opted for a simple blow dry today, rather than her usual full works. I clean up as fast as I can, lock up the shop and head out towards our favourite bar.
The weather outside is damp and miserable, standard for England in autumn. Bar 96 is only a 5-minute walk from the salon, so luckily I didn’t have to suffer the weather for long. The bar is owned by one of our good friends, Harry, who also happened to have the biggest crush known to man on Fallon. Unfortunately for him, Fallon had been burned in the past, meaning that now, she was a one-night-only kind of girl.
Harry originally wanted to call it bar 69, but after much deliberation and Blair pointing outthat everyone would think it was a strip club, he caved and swapped the numbers around. Stepping through the old, wooden door, I look around for the girls. I know exactly where they’ll be, at our usual table closest to the bar. Making my way towards them, I spot a tray of my favourite drinks waiting for me. Thank God.
They’re huddled around the table, chatting animatedly about the usual salon gossip: who’s got a new boyfriend, who’s getting divorced, who’s fallen out with whom.
Fallon has topped up her makeup, adding black liner to make her blue eyes stand out even more, her beautiful blonde curls bouncing as she talks. Even Gracie and Blair had a chance to freshen up.
Then you have me. Still in my salon uniform and haven’t even had the chance to look in the mirror, other than when looking through it to talk to clients.
“What a day,” I complain, dropping my arse down into the empty chair. “Please tell me one of those drinks is for me?”
“Of course it is angel face.” Gracie hands me a glass and a shot I didn’t see hiding behind it. “Down the hatch, we knew you’d need it.”
Urgh, I hate shots. I’m a big wuss when it comes to them, but I throw it back in one, then take a sip of the heaven in a glass I’ve been waiting for.
“So… how did Jake take you not rushing back tobe at his beck and call tonight?” Blair questions, whilst rolling her eyes.
Looking down at my glass, swishing the liquid around, I reply. “He didn’t, because I’ve not told him.” I take another sip, trying to avoid eye contact for an extra beat. Things between Jake have been rocky for a long time, but being completely honest with myself, I don’t think I ever felt like he would be ‘the one’. I knew he would never be the love of my life. It just kind of happened, like an accidental relationship.
He was so persistent at first, wining and dining me, always wanting to see me. For a little while, I could see it going somewhere. Now, not so much. Nothing I do is ever good enough, and he makes sure I know about it.
