Page 39 of A More Than Mayhem Christmas

Micky laughs, and I do, too. It’s kind of crazy, when I think about it, but it felt right at the time.

“What happened to that one guy you dated for, like, two years?” she asks. “Surely there was something substantial there? Some sparks, at least?”

“Oh, there were sparks all right. But sparks fade. And his faded first.”

“I’m sorry,” she says. “Did it make you scared to try again?”

“I don’t know…” I think about it for a moment, my gaze lost in my task. “I don’t really know what I want, you know? And I think, by this point, I should’ve figured it out. I have no prospects, no career.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Micky murmurs.

She has Jake—a man she’s literally about to marry.I keep that thought to myself, and I’m glad I do, because she elaborates.

“I was just telling Jake how I kind of felt the same way… that everything I have is because of him. It’s not the best feeling in the world to realize that while I’m extremely grateful and blessedto have him, it doesn’t deter from the fact that I feel like I’ve achieved nothing on my own.”

I ponder her words for a long moment, and as sad as it is that she feels that way, she’s also right. Not in abadway. It’s just the way their lives played out. I never thought about it from her perspective before, because I always just saw it as her supporting him, which no doubt takes work, but I can totally understand how she feels.

“We should go into business together,” she says, and I can’t tell if she’s joking or not.

“Yeah, that would be amazing.” Even the mere mention of it has me more excited than going back to my empty apartment in Atlanta and my crappy job as a social media manager and buyer for a crappy retail clothing chain. “But doing what?”

“I don’t know,” she laughs out. “I’m sure we could think of something.”

Maybe.

Maybe not.

“All done,” I state, clicking the flat iron twice before unplugging it from the wall. I turn to Roman, who’s been silent the entire time. “How you doing with that veil?” I ask.

He doesn’t respond, too busy working away.

I reach over, tap his shoulder. He looks up, dark brown eyes right on mine. “I’m almost done!” he shouts over the music only he can hear. “Don’t look! It’s a surprise!”

I hold my hands up in mock surrender. “Okay…”

Mikayla giggles, and I settle my hands on her shoulders. “Maybe we should give you just a tiny bit of color on your lips,” I suggest.

“I think Lucy has some stuff in the drawers.”

I open the first draw, nothing. Then the second. I immediately close it. “How many fucking sex toys do those two have?”

“Done!” Roman announces, hopping out of the bathtub and handing his work over to me.

“Roman!” Micky gasps.

“Holy shit!” I echo her sentiment, staring down at the masterpiece in awe. He’s braided strips of the curtain and twisted it around the hose, so you can’t even tell what it once was. And in the strands of the braid, he’s tied long ribbons of fabric to make the “train” and one long solid piece to go over the face. “Roman, this is…”

He grins so wide, so proud, it makes me feel the same. “It’s good, huh?”

“It’sbeautiful.”

“How do you know how to braid?” Micky asks him.

He shrugs. “I have a little sister. Well, she’s not so little anymore, but she was once, obviously…”

“And you braided her hair?” I coo.

He side-eyes the both of us, completely confused by our response. “Yeah?”

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