Page 29 of New Growth
I blinked, unsure if I’d heard her correctly.Project?
Esther let out a nervous laugh, her hand waving in the air as if to brush away the comment. “Hope, stop it. Elliot is my friend.”
Hope shrugged, her manicured nails catching the light as she shifted on the couch.
“Of course, just teasing,” she said, her tone overly sweet but sharp enough to cut. “You must be pretty brave, coming all the way out here for…what was it again? Nail art?”
I felt the muscles in my jaw tighten, but I kept my expression neutral. It was clear from the way she spoke that she didn’t mean ‘brave’ as a compliment.
Still, some part of me wanted her to like me. So I stiffened my lip and tried again to win her approval.
“Yeah, very brave,” I replied evenly, forcing my voice to sound casual. “But I’ve decided nail art isn’t for me, so I’m transferring to Hair Care and Styling.”
“Well,” Hope said, her eyes scanning me up and down like she was sizing me up. “It’s good to try new things. Even if the first thing didn’t work out, I’m sure this one will, right?”
The words landed like a subtle jab, and for a moment, I debated whether to respond or let it slide. Before I could decide, Esther jumped in, her voice a little louder than usual.
“Elliot is trying. She’s doing great here,” she said, her tone firm and protective. She shot me a quick, reassuring glance. “She’s young, and she’s figuring out her next steps, and I’m proud of her. Don’t knock her confidence.”
“I’m not! I’m just being real,” Hope replied smoothly, crossing her legs and leaning back into the cushions. Her tone was sweet as honey, but there was something undeniably smug in the way she spoke. “How old are you, sweetie?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Oh, Esther. She’s a baby,” Hope pouted.
I glanced at Esther, who gave me an apologetic look as she moved to sit on the armrest of the couch. “We’re only thirty, Hope. You make us sound like aunties.”
“We might as well be,” Hope sighed.
Waving me over, she gestured to the seat in front of her for me to join them. I shifted awkwardly, finally settling into the chair opposite Hope, but the tension in the room didn’t ease.
“So, Elliot,” Hope said after a long silence, her phone now abandoned on the coffee table. “What made you come to Thailand, anyway? And for beauty school? Doesn’t seem like the kind of thing people pack up their lives for.”
Her question was framed innocently enough, but the subtle edge in her voice made it clear she didn’t think much of my decision.
I smiled tightly. “I wanted to try something new. I needed to get out of Houston, so I decided this would be a good place to start. It seemed like a good way to push myself out of my comfort zone.”
Hope tilted her head, her expression unreadable.
“Interesting,” she said, dragging out the word like it meant something else entirely. “Well, I’m sure you’ll find your thing eventually.”
Did she not hear me say I was changing to Hair Care and Styling? Or was she trying to be funny?
I opened my mouth to respond, but Esther jumped in again. “Hope, stop being nosy! She’s had a long day. Let me get you something to drink, E. Tea? Juice?”
“Tea would be great,” I said, grateful for the distraction.Though a shot would be better.
Esther smiled and headed toward the kitchen, leaving me alone with Hope.
Hope studied me for a moment, her perfectly arched brows furrowing just slightly. “So, do you plan to stay here long?” she asked in a light but pointed voice.
I met her gaze, determined not to let her get under my skin.
“I haven’t decided yet,” I said simply.
She gave a small, almost pitying smile. “Of course.”
I’ve endured enough of this line of questioning, I thought. Maybe it was time to put her in the hot seat.
