Page 64 of Purrfectly Trapped

Gretchen was more than content with her life’s choices in so far as her career. Being a hair stylist was something she loved and excelled at. And now she was able to challenge herself even further by running her own salon. It was her dream come true. Professionally speaking.

Her personal life was another story. She’d expected to be married with kids by the time she’d hit thirty, but her last birthday had come and gone already. She’d never even had a serious boyfriend before.

Gretchen certainly enjoyed the opposite sex. The act itself had always been attractive to her, but she’d hardly had any success at it.

Until Reg.

The men she knew before him simply fell short of her expectations. The way things were going, she would have gladly considered Reggie her first real relationship. Him turning her into an actual furry and stripey Tiger wasn’t something she’d expected.

Hell. She hadn’t even known it was possible. She’d thought it made the two of them special, but maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe he was just another tomcat like Pamela said.

“All finished,” Gretchen said quietly.

Her mood already deflated, Gretchen’s heart was slowly breaking, and she wanted to throw her head back and yowl at the whole dang world. She looked at the woman in front of her without really seeing.

“Finally,” the female murmured, crossing her arms over her chest.

Gretchen turned Pamela’s chair around to face the mirror and waited blandly for her reaction. She had other things on her mind, and the way the woman received her new hairstyle was of little importance to her.

Though she did do a hell of a job cutting off the split ends and taming the unruly mess into a sleeker and more sophisticated cut that flattered her sharp features. Not that she deserved such treatment, Gretchen thought darkly.

The other she-Cat had spent thirty-minutes badmouthing the men of the Pride and dumping on every single hidden hope Gretchen had held for the future. Her head was positively spinning.

She might as well face the facts. Gretchen didn’t know a damn thing about Shifters. Only bits and pieces she’d picked up here or there, tidbits dropped in passing by Reg, or Elissa, and now the bitchy Pamela. Couldn’t someone just sit her down and tell her the whole damn truth of it all? She wanted to know everything. And she wanted to know now, dammit!

Ugh.

So far, the things she did know were not very promising. She’d told herself just that afternoon that things with Reg might not be permanent, but she sure did hope so. Only now, she wasn’t so confident.

“It’s a little short, but I guess it’s okay.” Pamela fingered her hair and squinted in the mirror. “Anyway, you just think about what I said. You might want to get out of Maverick Point while you can. Clingy exes just aren’t attractive.”

She dropped a fifty on the counter and walked out. Considering the cut and dry was $48, the bitch had shorted Gretchen on the tip.

Figured.

Still, the skinny Tiger had done a number on her. She left Gretchen feeling all shook up inside and not in a good golden flow after sexy times way.

“Boss lady, I don’t know whatLittle Miss Thangover there was whispering to you, but you should know she stood outside glaring at your man’s car for like five-minutes before she stepped foot in here,” Marion told her. His pink polished hands sat on his slim hips as he addressed Gretchen.

She could tell he was only getting started. Her new hire had decided off the bat that the two of them were going to be pals, and where Gretchen was very fond of the flashy, outspoken, and openly bisexual stylist, a scolding wasn’t what she needed right now.

Sigh.

“So, what does that prove?” Gretchen returned distractedly.

“It proves you need to take what that skinny beyotch says with a grain of iodized salt, because I know she ain’t kosher,” he replied and narrowed his eyes.

“Marion!” Gretchen gasped and laughed. She looked around to make sure the other clients were either distracted or busy.

“What? Think about it, Gretch. Clearly, she has an axe to grind, and it don’t have nothing to do with you and your man. Listen sunshine, you can’t let other people rain on your parade. Whatever she told you, talk to your man before you just go off and take it as gospel,” he told her sagely, nodding his spikey head to emphasize his point.

“Thank you for your opinion, Mar. I appreciate you, but I need to work this out on my own.”

Gretchen muddled through the rest of the day. Smiling took its toll, and by the time she closed the doors for the evening her face actually hurt. She felt emotionally raw and unsettled. It was a nasty, uneasy, grating feeling, but there was nothing she could do about it.

She needed to think. But she couldn’t do that around Reg. When he was near there was only one thing she wanted, and it pained her to know she couldn’t have it for keeps. She closed her eyes on a wave of sorrow and tried to keep her tears at bay.

Him. I want him. Forever.

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