Page 27 of Purrfectly Trapped

She’d run over to the awesome boutique located next to her salon right before closing time and found the pretty flower printed dress almost instantly. Shopping was always like that for her.

Gretchen seemed to know within ten minutes of being inside a shop whether she was going to find anything she liked. It was usually a matter of them not having her size, but Jessica specialized in dressing women with larger assets in styles that were both fun and flirty.

Thank heaven! She was just so tired of department stores that only seemed to carry trendy clothing for thinner women. So called plus-sized outfits tended to be ugly as sin or made for an older crowd.

Gretchen was in her prime. Her thirties were still young enough to want to dress a certain way that did not remind her of her bitchy aunt’s old as fuck living room furniture. And no, it didn’t make her a slut,fuck you very much.

She just didn’t want to wear clothing that suggested she was ready for a home! Gretchen had always been larger than average, and it had taken a little while for her to embrace her fuller figure. Moving to Maverick Point was turning out to be the best decision she’d made in a long while, if for the shopping alone.

Relieved she wouldn’t have to limit her shopping to online stores in order to find the right sizes and styles, Gretchen sighed happily as she looked herself over. She loved the way her new dress clung to her curves, making her feel pretty and feminine.

Satisfied with how she looked, she sat down at her tidy kitchen counter and rapped her newly manicured fingernails on the white and blue tiles. She could not believe she’d scored a date on her opening day. Yes. she had planned to celebrate with a small bottle of champagne by herself, but this was so much better.

She huffed out a breath, biting her lower lip. Gretchen was so dang nervous, she could not sit still. What was happening to her? She’d never felt this out of whack over a date.

Then again, it wasn’t every day a man who looked like a cover model asked her out. She closed her eyes, and his face was there, those gorgeous, chiseled features, sinfully plump lips, and midnight blue eyes boring into hers. She pictured Reg Cray as if he were standing in front of her. His face practically burned into her memory.

True, Reg was beyond her sphere of experience, but it was more than his looks that had her heart doing cartwheels inside her chest. There was just something about him that made her want to climb on top of him and not let go until they were both sweaty and panting. He had all the makings of a man who could rock her world, and for the first time in her life, Gretchen was sorely tempted to let him prove it.

Yum.

Those were some pretty intense feelings for a guy she’d only just met. Gretchen had boyfriends before. She was not a virgin, not by a longshot. But something about that steady midnight gaze of his had her body trembling with need.

Maybe this last dry spell was too damn long. When was the last time she’d gone on a date? And actually had a good time?

Anxious and excited, she wondered if maybe she was putting too many expectations on this thing. It was just dinner. A good-looking man like that must have a list a mile long of ready and willing women. Hell, he’d probably asked her out to just be sociable.

Gretchen rolled her shoulders and exhaled a deep breath. This was ridiculous. There was absolutely no reason for her to feel so antsy. Instead of focusing on her ridiculous case of nerves, she forced her mind to think over the happenings of the day.

Cut it Outhad been so busy. And not just with clients who had booked appointments beforehand, but they’d had walk-ins and folks wanting to check out the shop all day. Some were prior customers of her new employees, and others were just folks who wanted to say hello.

The phone never seemed to stop ringing, and she’d booked appointments for what seemed like the next two months in advance. It was more than she’d ever hoped for.

Her two new hires, Marion, and Bonnie, proved to be invaluable workers who’d brought their own clients with them. That was always a plus. She’d met them beforehand and knew immediately they would make excellent employees.

Gretchen had a gift for easing people. It came from working with so many over the past ten years. People really let the tea flow when they were getting their hair done. Like bartending, it was one of those jobs where you were part stylist and part therapist.

She did not mind. Gretchen loved people, and her outgoing nature made her easy to talk to. It was a blessing, she supposed, and she was going to take it as such.

Bonnie was the quieter of the two new stylists, with her long blonde hair tied back in a neat braid. Her clientele were mostly older women, but they seemed to love her, and Gretchen approved.

Marion, on the other hand, was loud and flamboyant. His customers were younger, a lot of men, and teenagers who liked his colorful and modern approach to cutting and styling hair. The man was a whiz when it came to highlights. She’d watch him foil two heads of hair like nobody’s business. Hell, even she did not work that quickly.

The two opposites worked extremely well together, and with Gretchen managing everyone, they did just beautifully for their first day.

She’d even found a third stylist, and she’d hired two young women who were qualified to do nails as well. For a small town, Maverick Point had a ton of people who seemed to rejoice in her opening. Things were going to go very well, she thought with an excited squeal.

It seemed after Mrs. Bowers had closed up shop, the townspeople had had to travel all the way to the shopping mall to get their hair and nails done. There was a barbershop in town, but Lou was currently out visiting his grandchildren, and the gossip was he wanted to move to South Florida.

Either way, people were happy to not have to trek all the way to the busy shopping center for a haircut. A few customers asked about spa treatments, and Gretchen already had a menu of items she was going to add to her growing list of specialties.

Hair treatments, facials, waxing, threading, massage, and more. But that was for another day.

Tonight, she was ready to celebrate her success by going out with a sexy as sin man who seemed genuinely interested in spending the evening with her. Who knew? Maybe that dry spell would end with a very long overdue night of sexy fun times.

Heck, she wouldn’t mind christening her new bed with him.

Wouldn’t that be something?

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