Page 31 of The Last Dance

‘I’m fine. It’s just weird being back. I’ve got a lot on my mind with the office. I’m sure things will settle down.’

‘I hope so.’ She pouts as she laces her fingers through mine.

I glance back at the stairs as we make our way back to my truck. Things definitely aren’t the same.

*

We headed home after our argument, so we could do some more unpacking and get ready for the show tonight. I’m somehow still standing in the bedroom, ten minutes after getting out of the shower, a towel wrapped around my waist, staring into the closet.

I shouldn’t be having this much trouble picking out something to wear. I’m a guy.

‘Oh, my gosh, Henry…whyare you still not dressed?’ Karmen asks when she walks in.

I pull on a pair of jeans and grab a black T-shirt. ‘I’ll be ready in ten minutes.’

‘Good.’ She leaves the room but comes right back in. ‘And… I know this is petty and I’m sorry in advance, but can you not do the weird thing with your hair? It’s a little too boy band.’

I sigh, running a hand through my still-damp hair.

How is gel boy-bandish? And how is this the first time since we’ve been together that she’s telling me my hair sucks? I’ll do whatever I want with my hair. I’m twenty-nine years old and I’m not about to start doing what she says with something as dumb as my hair.

‘Right. No gel. Got it,’ I say with a nod. We’ve already had one fight today, I might as well tell her what she wants to hear and avoid another one.

I pull on my T-shirt, slide on a jacket and slip on my chucks, sitting on the bed to tie them before making my way into the bathroom. I pull open the cabinet holding Karmen’s many hair products.

‘Hair wax…’ I open the container to a lotion like glue product. ‘“Use a pea-sized dab to achieve the longest hold.”’ I read the label to myself before dabbing some onto the tips of my fingers and running it through my hair. ‘Consider it done,’ I say to myself in the mirror. I work the product into the top of my hair, which is longer than the shaved sides, and work it into the exact style I think she’s complaining about. Messy but somewhat tamed and how I’ve worn it for years, only exaggerated to prove a point.

‘What did you do?’ Karmen shakes her head, her face scrunched into a disapproving look as I walk into the living room. ‘I said no boy band.’

‘Huh… I thought you meant no gel so I used something of yours, some hair glue. It might be stuck like this for life now, for all I know.’ I laugh but she doesn’t. ‘Come on, lighten up. It’s just hair.’

‘You look so handsome when you actually comb your hair and slick it back.’

‘That’s not me, Karmen, that’s you. I’ve told you this every time you insist on fixing it that way after you cut my hair.’

She takes a deep breath. ‘OK, you’re right. How about we not fight tonight?’

‘On board.’ I’m not sure what’s happening here but either I’m easily irritated today, or she is. We don’t normally fight this much and I’m not about to ask which it is.

*

I’m standing near the bar in Ringlers waiting on Ben and Claire. They said we’d meet down here while Ambri and Karmen did the interview with Lyssa. I don’t know what I’m more nervous about: seeing Ambri again, her hanging out with Karmen, or meeting her boyfriend.

‘Henry!’ Ben makes it through the door first, beelining right to me and pulling me in for a hug. ‘It’s been too long, brother.’

‘It has.’ I pat him on the back, spying the boyfriend walking in behind Claire. I don’t normally judge a guy on his looks but, damn it, he’s not terrible-looking. Tall with dark hair, just how Ambri likes them. At first glance he looks completely normal. I was hoping for an easy way to not like him, but he’s exactly the kind of guy I’d expect to be dating Ambri.

‘I saw your little photo op,’ Claire says to me, her face still as straight as it was when she surprised me at my office the other day.

‘See… I can keep a promise. I talked to her.’

‘Doesn’t count.’

‘Noah and I are gonna grab beers. Need another?’ Ben asks.

‘I’m good.’ I lift my nearly full beer for proof. In fact, it’s probably getting warm because I’ve been too nervous to actually drink it since I got here. My head is already racing with thoughts; getting buzzed won’t help.

‘Look.’ I pull Claire away from Ben and Noah’s ears. ‘I know it didn’t count. We didn’t even really talk. It was… weird. But I promise Ambri and I will talk. As soon as she can stand to look at me.’

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