Page 31 of Payback
I pin him with a serious look. “I impress.”
He laughs as he pulls the door open and gestures for me to walk in first.
Kindred Spirits is as colourful inside as it is outside. When I walk through the door, my eyes are hit with an array of clothes, accessories, jewelry, and art intricately placed in every nook and cranny.
A woman in a fifties-style yellow dress and auburn hair strides out from behind the front desk when she hears the chime of the bell on the door. “You must be the footballers!” she states with a bright smile.
“What makes you say that?” Mac asks in an accusatory tone.
She sniffs the air in front of him and replies in her American accent, “The scent of balls and Icy Hot gives you away.”
Mac’s face falls and he lifts his arm to smell his armpit. “I showered after training.”
The woman laughs. “Relax, I’m just giving you shit. My name is Leslie. I’m one of the owners.” She shakes both of our hands. “You’ll be working with my colleague, Sloan, today. She does all of our menswear styling. And our seamstress, Freya—”
“Is here to give you both a right poking!” a voice giggles from up above.
Mac and I glance up to the open second level to see another redhead finishing what she’s currently working on. This one’s hair is more fiery red, like Mac’s. She glances down at us and I can see a smattering of red freckles all over her round face, even from where I stand.
“Please excuse Freya,” Leslie says with an affectionate smile. “She’s been binge-watching the American version ofShamelessfor three weeks now, so I’m afraid she’s been more inappropriate than usual as of late.”
“What season are you on?” Mac asks.
“Five,” Freya answers. “Fiona just found out her fiancé is using again.”
“For the love of Christ, woman! Are you trying to ruin my life?” Mac bellows, covering his ears. “I’m only on season four!”
“You didn’t say no spoilers!” Freya yelps down, her hands propped indignantly on her round hips.
“That’s an unspoken rule! Common decency in the world of television.” Mac shakes his head. “Hell, though, I never liked that Sean anyway. He’s too old for her!”
“Agreed! I’d rather she be with Steven—the criminal—than that old git.”
“I’m with you all the way! Though I must say the AmericanShamelesspales in comparison to the UK version.”
“That’s exactly what I think,” Freya states, her eyes wide in agreement. “I was only watching it to compare them, and I feel like I’m cheating on my home-country.”
The two smile at each other for a few awkward seconds, but the moment is shattered when footsteps approach from the back of the shop.
“Hi there, I’m Sloan Harris. I’ll be styling you today.” A striking woman with brown hair walks toward us with several clothing options draped over her arm. She reaches out and shakes our hands and then states, “If you guys will just follow me, I’ll show you to the changing rooms so you can start trying these on.”
She turns on her heel, revealing a baby that’s attached to her back in a cloth baby carrier. A smile instantly spreads across my face as I take in the dark hair swept over his forehead.
“You have a baby on your back!” Mac says with a finger pointing accusingly at the cute little squirt.
Sloan stops walking and slaps a hand to her forehead. “I wondered where I put him!” She winks at Mac. “This is my son, Milo.”
“Hi, Milo,” I say and reach out to hold his finger. He stares at me, completely unimpressed. “He looks like his dad.”
Sloan nods knowingly. “The Harris genes are strong, but that’s okay. My daughter is my mini-me, so it’s nice to give Gareth something to stoke his narcissism as well. I mean, let’s face it, that’s all procreating really is, isn’t it?”
I laugh at her very candid response. “I honestly wouldn’t know.”
She shrugs her shoulders and hands off two separate outfits to me and Mac. “Put on one of these and come out when you’re done so we can have a look at you.”
She points to the four changing rooms concealed behind purple curtains and then spins with Milo to head back to the shop. Mac grabs the first room and I move down to the third. When I pull back the curtain and walk into the small space, I run right into—
“Roan!” Allie exclaims, her eyes wide and alarmed.
