“I might want you to get used to it,” she says softly.
I lean in and kiss her again, and then I step back so she can go inside.
When I get home, I text her.
EJ: Thank you for giving me a chance.
Angie: Thanks for being patient and persistent.
EJ: You’re worth it.
Angie: I’ll let you know a night that can work for next time.
EJ: What about a lunch date? I can take a little longer break one day this week and meet you somewhere.
Angie: That could work. I’ll text you days when I have an opening in the middle of the day.
EJ: I’m looking forward to it.
Angie: Me too. Goodnight, EJ.
EJ: Goodnight, Angie.
Chapter 9
Angie
Your hand, touching mine.
This is how galaxies collide.
~ Sanober Khan
Over the next few weeks, EJ stops by the salon regularly on his way home from work. He takes me out to lunch whenever I don’t have a midday customer. And he and I text or call almost every night once the boys are in bed. The first thing he asks about is how my day went. And the second is always about the boys. He’s making it clear they aren’t an afterthought.
I never thought I’d let a man into my life again. EJ came out of the woodwork with his thoughtful persistence. He’s always been on the periphery. Now he’s becoming someone I want to talk to daily. I look forward to our time together. It’s easily becoming the highlight of my days. I can’t believe I almost didn’t let him have a chance. We still haven’t saidanything to the boys. Things are moving quickly between us, but I have to be careful for their sake.
Goofing around at a grocery store is a far cry from allowing a man into their lives.
I stare into the mirror, at my customer, one of the seniors in town.
“I’m thinking about pink hair,” Mabel says to me.
“Pink?” I say, draping her in a cape. “What’s the occasion?”
“Does there need to be an occasion?” she asks.
“I thought maybe you were getting fancy for Bordeaux Days this weekend.”
“No. I just want to show Esther and Memaw I’ve still got it in me.”
“We could do extensions.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I have to wait longer to get it done?”
I chuckle softly. “No. They’re like strips of hair. You clip them in and you can take them out.”
“You don’t think I’ve got it in me either, do you?”
