Page 15 of Sheltered

“You. Me. This date. The time we spent together last Friday at the diner.”

Blaze smiled at me, sitting back in his seat. “Then the answer is yes. The remainder of your week sounds a lot like mine. Fortunately, I had enough to keep me relatively occupied until tonight. Since I don’t normally head into the office on a Saturday unless there’s something terribly pressing, I would say today was the worst day for me.”

“Ah, well, see, that’s where I lucked out. Saturdays are generally my busiest days of the week,” I shared, feeling some relief that it seemed we were both in the same boat when it came to the encounter we’d already had and the excitement we felt for this date.

Much like I’d found had been the case when we were at the diner, Blaze and I quickly fell into conversation. It was easy for us, and I wondered if that’s just how it always was, or if this was something that only happened when two people were compatible.

“So, how long have you been cutting hair?” Blaze asked.

“I started cutting hair long before I was licensed to do so,” I began. “My best friend, my parents, and even my brothers recognized I had a knack for it, so they always let me cut their hair. Of course, I went through cosmetology school and got officially licensed before I started getting paid to do it.”

Blaze seemed to be impressed by that news. “Really? So, did you immediately open your own studio once you were licensed?”

I shook my head. “No. I started off at another salon, built my client base, and saved a ton of money. Within a few years, I had enough money set aside to be able to afford my own space, and my schedule was booked several weeks out on a consistent basis.”

“Wow, that’s incredible. It’s obvious you like what you’re doing, and the reality is that people are always going to be willing to pay for the service you provide.”

“I do love it, and the job security is nice,” I confirmed. “What about you? What made you want to become a private investigator?”

Something changed in Blaze’s expression, and the only way I could describe it without hearing a response was that it was clear he loved what he did for a living. “I’ve always been fascinated by puzzles. Even as a kid, I liked solving riddles and never wanted anyone to tell me the answer to a joke. When it came to my career, I knew I needed to do something that would challenge my mind in the way private investigation has.”

While I was the opposite of him when it came to solving puzzles, I could appreciate the way he felt about doing something he loved. “Do you ever find that it’s difficult to do? I don’t mean the actual solving of the case and putting together all your clues to get to that point. I’m referring to the outcome. Have you ever had a case you wish you hadn’t solved?”

Blaze tipped his chin up slightly as his eyes roamed over my face curiously. At that moment, I wondered if he was utilizing some of his professional skills to analyze me and figure something out. “I don’t know if I can say I’ve ever wished I had a case I hadn’t solved,” he started. “That doesn’t mean there haven’t been cases with awful outcomes. But I think it’s necessary, even in those situations, to get to the bottom of them. Oftentimes, solving those kinds of cases gives families closure. It’s horrible, but it’s necessary.”

I loved that. I loved that even though he had to contend with difficult things at times, he still felt the work he did was valuable and essential. “I think it’s wonderful that you can set aside your personal feelings when dealing with something that could be heavy just so that you can offer people peace. You should be proud of yourself, because I don’t think I could ever do that.”

He gave me a nod of approval in response. “Thank you for saying that. And don’t think what you do is any less important.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “I’m not solving crimes or anything like that.”

“No. But you make people feel good about themselves by doing what you do,” he reasoned. “Think about it this way. If I’ve spent a lot of time working on a case that’s emotionally taxing, I think it’d do a lot for my mental state to be able to come into your salon and see you for a short time to get my haircut.”

Without even thinking twice about it, I declared, “Well, I’m always accepting new clients, so feel free to call and schedule something whenever you need that from me.”

“I just might take you up on that, Harlow.” The tone of his voice was low and filled with promise.

I pressed my lips together and swallowed. Part of the reason for that was because I still hadn’t gotten used to hearing the way he said my name, but the bigger reason for that was that I envisioned myself having that appointment with Blaze. I could have my hands in his hair, and we’d be in such close proximity to one another. I’d been seated next to him in his truck on the way here, and the scent of him in there had consumed me. Washing and cutting his hair would put us even closer together, and I liked the idea of that happening a lot.

Fortunately, my inability to respond was likely overlooked, because our server returned to the table with our dinner salads and appetizers. “Everything came out at the same time. I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s perfectly fine,” Blaze said.

After confirming we didn’t need anything else, our server walked away, and Blaze and I enjoyed some of our food in a comfortable silence. But after some time passed, he said, “So, I have a question. What do you do when you aren’t busy working and making people feel and look good?”

And this was the part of the evening I was convinced would make me look like a total fool. “Not a whole lot,” I answered. “I know I mentioned it last weekend, but I’m a very boring woman.”

“I just can’t believe that’s true,” he said, his lips twitching as he shook his head.

“But it is,” I insisted. “I don’t really get out a whole lot. I spend time with my family on holidays or special occasions. I get together on a somewhat regular basis with my best friend, but there isn’t some place I like to go frequently or thing I like to do all the time.”

“Well, what do you do after you leave work?” he asked.

“I go home. What else would I do?”

Blaze stared at me in disbelief. “So, are you afraid to try new things, or is there something else that stops you from ever having any fun?”

I took a sip of my drink and shrugged. “I’m not afraid. I think my problem is that I started my career so young, and I fell into this trap of always working. In fact, I used to work every day except for Sundays, and it was only in the last two years or so that I started giving myself Sundays and Mondays off. But it’s strange, because I’m not necessarily doing anything fun on my days off. I just catch up on housework or go to the grocery store. Believe it or not, it’s taken me this long to realize that my life is passing me by. I want to change it, which is why I joined the dating app. I thought if I could put myself out there and find someone I enjoyed spending my time with, that guy could help me break out of my shell, so I could have some new life experiences.”

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