Page 52 of Betting on the Bad Boy
“Whatever.” I grabbed my backpack and slung it over a shoulder.
“Just take the damn cookies, Dante. Some of us actually like having someone looking out for us.”
“You’re really happy, aren’t you?” I gave him a playful punch in the arm. “Didn’t figure you as the kind of guy who’d cut off his balls for a batch of snickerdoodles.”
“You don’t get it. Get on out of here. Run home to Meemaw. She might be the only woman who’ll ever give you a chance.”
“Yeah, she’s probably got a whole batch of sugar cookies just waiting for me.” I tucked the tin under my arm. “And she won’t care if I eat every last one.”
Ten minutes later, I walked through the front doorway of the Sashay Salon, jingling the bell over the door and causing the customers to turn their attention my way. I always felt a little conspicuous walking in the door. Even though Tameka had agreed to change the color scheme to black and silver and started marketing to male clients, I was still usually the only guy in the place.
While I waited for her to come out from the back, I sat down in one of the chairs. The women had gone back to their chatting, and I picked up bits and pieces of their conversation.
“You should get a copy. It was an amazing read...”
“I didn’t know a guy could be that romantic...”
The sight of Tameka coming from the backroom interrupted my eavesdropping. “Well, hi there, Dante. Thanks so much for stopping by.”
“No problem. Looks like you’re pretty busy, so that’s a good sign,” I said.
“Yeah, business has really picked up since I started working with your team. Y’all really know what you’re doing.”
I’d been apprehensive about taking on a salon with my group. Thankfully, we’d pulled together. If I could keep up the good work, I’d be able to get a kick-ass reference from the professor, which would go a long way in securing my move to a bigger company. Most of those jobs required some sort of teaching or training experience.
“We’re happy to help. Do you want to talk here, or should we go in the back?”
She waved her hand at the chattering women. “Don’t mind them, they’re just comparing notes on their new favorite book.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked.
“Some steamy romance.” She laughed.
One of the customers whirled around in her salon chair. Strips of aluminum foil stuck out of her head like some glammed-up space alien. “It’s not just a steamy romance novel, Tameka. It’s a life changer. When Harrison goes all romantic on her and she finally realizes she loves him too?—”
“Don’t pay any attention. Next week they’ll be onto something else. Let’s chat in the office. It won’t be so distracting.”
I followed her down the hall to a small, cramped office. I spent the next half hour reviewing her financials and showing her how much her new marketing campaign had increased her business. When we were done going over the paperwork, she walked me back up to the front.
“You know, I wanted to get you something for the holidays to show you how much I appreciate all your hard work.”
I smiled. “That’s not necessary. We’re happy to help. Besides, the team is getting graded, so just make sure you give their prof a good report.”
“Oh, I will. Can I offer you a haircut, too?”
I ran my hand through my overgrown, shaggy hair. “I’m used to just stopping in at the barber every once in a while.”
Tameka reached for a cape. “Trust me. It’ll be quick and painless. Set yourself down in that chair right there, and I’ll have you on your way before you even know what hit you.”
Before I could come up with a quick excuse, Tameka’s hand pressed on my shoulder, guiding me into the chair. The guys would never let me live it down if they saw me getting my hair cut in a freaking salon. I gritted my teeth and tried to make the best of it.
As Tameka secured the cape around my neck and reached for her scissors, tidbits of the ladies’ conversation drifted to me. They still seemed to be talking about some book.
One woman put her hand over her chest and swooned. “That Chastity Austen really knows what she’s doing. I couldn’t put it down.”
“Yeah, I tried looking her up to find out where she gets her ideas and stuff. There aren’t any pictures of her on her website, just some graphics.”
Space alien lady leaned over in my direction. “Do you read romance novels?”
