interested before you had to.”
“Wel , thank you for that.” I smiled at Angela. “I owe you now.”
Angela stayed with us as long as she could, then went to
visit with some of her other clients. Marvin and I spoke with a
few other salon owners, and thankfully, Marvin did most of the
talking. I stood there trying to look interested in the conversation,
though like Thad Mays, my time was spent looking at figures on
a spreadsheet.
It’s not that I didn’t like people, I just lacked the social graces
that came so naturally to Marvin and Kalen. I smiled and nodded
when it seemed appropriate and paid close attention to all the
conversations, learning more about our business than I ever really
had.“You’re doing really well,” Marvin said when we were alone.
“I’m afraid I don’t know much about the latest styles or
product lines. I really can’t add much to the conversations.”
“You’re not like Angela’s boss.” Marvin accepted a glass
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of champagne from a server. “You’re listening, it’s obvious.”
Marvin grinned at me wickedly. “I think the whole aloof thing
is actually working in your favor. A few women we’ve talked to
were looking you over pretty good.”
“Are my boobs hanging out?” I readjusted my shirt.
“No, Shannon, they’re looking at the total package.” He
elbowed me. “You’re hot.”
“That’s all because of you.” I couldn’t help but smile at him.
“Thanks again.”
“All my pleasure. Now let’s get out of here.”
After I removed my makeup, Marvin and I stood in the
mirror of my bathroom, rubbing moisturizer into our faces like
two schoolgirls. “I think I look like Howdy Doody without facial
hair. What do you think?” Marvin glanced at me.
I looked at his reflection in the mirror as he opened his eyes
wide and snapped his jaw open and shut. “No, no, you don’t…
okay, yes, you do.”
“That’s it,” he said with a hand on his hip. “I’m growing the
goatee back. Join me for a nightcap? I think I’m in the mood for
a White Russian. Hell, honey, I’d settle for a Tom Collins if he’d
treat me right.” Marvin gave me a playful shove. “Get it?” he
asked as he laughed at his own joke.
“Romance blows.” I followed him out of the bathroom.
Marvin wrapped an arm around my waist and led me to the bar
where I took a seat on one of the stools.
He moved behind the bar and started mixing our drinks.
“Pretend I’m a bartender, a very dashing bartender, and tell me
all your problems.”
Once again, I found myself telling about Hailey, but unlike
when I talked to my mom, I spared no detail right down to the last
text message I got from her. By the time I finished, we’d polished
off our drinks and Marvin mixed a couple more.
“Still no word from her?” He leaned against the bar.
“No, I guess whatever we had is over.”
Marvin shook his head. “She seemed so enamored with you
when she came to the salon and the night she joined us for drinks.
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Granted she didn’t come right out and say that, but she steered the
conversation in your direction every chance she got.”
“It’s like a game of tennis with her, you know?” I said, staring
into my glass. “It’s like I’m up against the net trying to keep the
ball going, and she backs farther away. Every now and then, she’ll
make a move that makes me think she’s interested, then she’ll
back off. Although this time, she just quit the game.”
“I dated a guy like that once,” Marvin said. “He came from
a very well-to-do family that put a lot of pressure on him to
marry the right woman. He did right out of college and spent
five miserable years hiding who he really was.” Marvin smiled
ruefully. “I didn’t know he was married when we started going
out. I was too young and eager to notice all the warning signs.
Anyway, I saw him having dinner with his wife one night, and
this time, he was wearing a wedding band.”
I winced at the mental image. “Did you make a scene?”
“No.” Marvin shook his head. “I just stopped returning his
calls until he tracked me down. He swore that he was going to
leave her and he did. Everyone in his family turned their backs
on him. I was all he had.”
“So what happened?”
“I messed it up,” Marvin said before taking a drink. “I was
so young, and he was so clingy. When I look back on it now, he
must’ve been terrified that I’d leave him, too. I felt like I was
being smothered, so I broke it off.”
“Whatever happened to him?”
Marvin sighed. “I have no idea. I never saw him again after
that.” Marvin drained his glass and set it on the bar. “I have no
idea what Hailey’s situation is, but I imagine that she’s just as
scared as he was. She left not one, but two relationships and
moved away. I’d be a mite apprehensive, too.”
I hadn’t given any thought to the woman Hailey had admitted
having the affair with. Too focused on the husband, I never asked
what happened to her. A queasy feeling washed over me as I
wondered if that was where Hailey was taking refuge.
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Chapter 19
Beware the Stanky Leg.
We repeated the dressing process over again the next morning
sans the Bloody Mary. Marvin picked out a gray suit and a soft
pink blouse to wear with it. After he’d done my hair and makeup,
I looked in the mirror pleased with the results.
“You are stunning,” he said with pride.
He bolstered my self-esteem and made me feel comfortable
in a world that I didn’t belong. “I wish you were a woman,” I said
with a laugh.
“Me too, baby,” Marvin said as he sauntered off to dress.
We had breakfast with Angela, who yawned repeatedly, and
still managed to look fresh. She wore her hair down, and against
the green blouse, her eyes sparkled like emeralds. I was reminded
of Hailey as I looked at her. I thought back on the conversation
I had with Marvin and felt myself sinking lower into gloom. If I
had only accepted her dinner invitation, things might’ve turned
out differently.
Natural Beauty’s booth was impressive. Large pictures of our
models were hanging on the back wall where they could easily be
seen. Our name and logo figured prominently with some major
salons in New York and Los Angeles. It made me proud.
We hadn’t been there long when a woman approached Angela.
I watched out of the corner of my eye as the statuesque brunette
looked my way a few times. I moved closer to Marvin as she
caught my eye and smiled.
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“That’s Zoe Martinez,” Marvin said in a whisper. “She owns
a salon in Houston. A friend of mine worked for her for a while.
She’s a bitch to the men, but she loves the ladies.”
“She and Angela keep looking over here.”
“I’ve noticed,” Marvin said as he looked around. “Angela is