Page 97 of New Growth
Esther smirked. “Find a real talent, for starters.”
The girls giggled, and Hope shot them a death glare. Admittedly, I was being a little petty. It’s true, Johanna had the better skill when it came to social media, but Hope could manage it fine. Still, what she said about El and me rubbed me the wrong way, and I wanted her to feel some of the discomfort.
I sighed with annoyance. “Look, you’re one of the hair models. That’s what you need to focus on, remember?”
Hope scoffed and rolled her eyes like a child. But I couldn’t even pretend to care anymore. My thoughts were elsewhere.
“Fine,” she breathed out as if she was doing me a favor. “But I want the Diana Ross hair.”
“You don’t have Diana Ross’s features. Why would we give you her hair?” Esther mocked.
“Stop it,” I scolded. “Let’s finish planning these looks.”
“Ellie! Phone for you!” Johanna screamed from the reception desk. I had retreated to the back of the salon, wrapping myself up in the planning and organization of the day. A few clients had come in already, and they cringed at Johanna’s outburst through the usually tranquil space.
I looked up from my notes and shot Johanna a glare. “Johanna, for the love of God, stop yelling across the salon.”
She buried her head in her shoulders and gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I just got excited.”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Excited about what?”
Her lips curled into a smirk. “It’s Elliot.”
My face heated, and a chorus of “Oooohs” and “Awwws” rang out around the room.
I sighed. “Alright, alright, relax.”
The man decided to call the salon.Really? It was one thing to blow up my phone, but showing up in my workspace—even over the phone—felt invasive. I didn’t really know what I was expecting, though. He’d shown multiple times that he didn’t mind overstepping.
Aggravated, I snatched the receiver from Johanna.
“Seriously?” I said into the phone sharply.
“You haven’t been answering my calls.”
I exhaled sharply. “And do you know what not answering calls means?”
“I’m not the best at reading between the lines, Ellie. So, just come out and say it.”
“It means I’m busy.”
“The salon wasn’t open yet when I called.”
“I had a staff meeting.”
“You didn’t tell me that.”
I clenched my jaw. “Do I need to tell you everything?”
A pause. “The things that matter.”
My fingers tightened around the phone. “What can I help you with, El? What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?”
Before he answered, the front door swung open, and there he was. Fitted button-down, sleeves rolled just enough to tease the tension in his tattooed forearms, and tailored slacks that made the whole ensemble look effortless. His glasses were perched neatly on his face, and that gold crucifix he always wore caught the salon lights, flashing like a warning. His presence shifted the air and quieted the room. Even the chatter faded as eyes subtly turned his way.
My stomach dipped. Breath caught mid-motion.
He held up a wallet—my wallet. The soft pink leather looked absurdly small in his hand, like it didn’t belong there at all.
