Page 5 of Purrfectly Trapped

“Always a pleasure, Nari,” he replied, using some strange nickname for Lissa that had her blushing before he headed back outside.

“You know, he doesn’t have to wait out there,” Gretchen began, but Lissa was already shaking her head.

“He’s fine, really, he,um, has a podcast he listens to. It’s all good. Here, want half of mine and I’ll take half of yours?”

“Sure,” Gretchen said, shaking her head.

Same old Lissa.Sigh.

She was getting pretty fed up with herself and that certain little green-eyed monster that kept popping up. She couldn’t help it. She was not jealous in a bad way of her friend’s happiness. She just wanted a little somethin’ for herself. Was that too much to ask?

Elissa had hit the equivalent of theromantic mega millionin lottery terminology. Gretchen was in awe. She still couldn’t believe her former roomie was having a baby this soon after meeting, andmarryingthe insanely hot, sexy as sin, construction mogul that was Hunter Maverick.

“What?” Elissa asked.

“I was just wondering when you were gonna teach me your secrets to living a wildly passionate and successful lifestyle,” she replied deadpan.

“Gretchen!Stahp it,” she replied, blushing furiously.

Her Hudson County accent always came out more pronounced when she was excited or emotional, something Gretchen thought was ridiculously cute.

"No secrets, honest. Look, you are going to find someone who loves you for you, I just know it. Now, first things first, when will you be ready to take on clients? I seriously need a pedicure,” Elissa said sticking her swollen feet out.

“Dayum girl!Put those crusty things away! I am trying to eat,” Gretchen teased.

“Seriously, I got aickthing about feet,” Jessica seconded.

“You two are nuts,” Kylie chimed in, grabbing her turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo from the sack.

Gretchen smiled at their playful shenanigans as she passed around sodas and waters to Elissa, Jessica, and Kylie. The four women had spent nearly all of that morning getting Gretchen’s salon ready for her big opening day.

Cut It Outwas her first solo business venture, and nerves abounded. She had been in the hair biz for over a decade, but that was not the same as running a salon.

True, Gretchen had worked for various bosses, doing hair and nails, and even provided in-home services for a while, but this was her ultimateprofessionaldream. She was finally going to be in charge of her own business.

Of course, Gretchen was still a bit nervous, but she was hoping with all her might that it would all work out. All her business classes really helped her create a marketing plan, and she was almost positive it was going to work. Maverick Point had been sans beauty salon for months now andCut It Outwas going to fill a void in the New Jersey town.

It just has to be successful.

She’d sunk every last dime she had into this venture. Including taking out a small loan to pay for a few new necessities, like the chairs, updated appliances, various hair care products, aprons, brooms, lights, marketing materials, a few small advertisements placed strategically on the internet, and in the local paper, and other odds and ends.

“Well, I can’t wait to sit down in one of these for some highlights,” Kylie said. “Maybe I’ll get some like yours,” the pixie-cut blonde mused, looking at the chunky purple and royal blue locks that Gretchen had added to her newly dark locks earlier that week.

“Maybe, but I think maybe you should be scheduling a pedi appointment too,” she teased her new friend who wiggled her unpolished toes.

“What? They have character!”

“Yeah, right? And you teased me,” Lissa said, stealing a chip from Jess.

“I can’t help going barefoot, it feels too nice,” Kylie explained.

The woman really did not like shoes. Gretchen shook her head and laughed. It was the first time she’d ever seen anyone move furniture without anything to cover what was probably the easiest to bruise part of any person. Her toes. But she had to admit, Kylie proved remarkably agile on her feet.

“Okay, for all of your efforts on my behalf, I announce you shall get your first pedicure on the house. And that goes for all of you ladies!”

All three women clapped, and Gretchen giggled, so happy she was liable to bust. She had two hairstylists coming to work, and more lined up for interviews the following week. She was going to need a lot of help. At least, she would soon once she built a steady clientele.

All that took was some time, some good quality output, and the trust of the community.Cut It Outwas going to be amazing. She was going to show the Maverick Point community that this wastheplace for all their hair care and beauty needs.

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