Page 28 of Whatever You Want

“Maybe I should just answer the door naked.”

She smirked. “I don’t think he would mind.”

I waved her away with my hand. “I don’t even know why I bother with you.”

Thankfully, Kara’s customer was done with the dryer, so she had no other choice but to check on her. As she was walking away, she stopped and placed her hand on my arm. “I don’t think he cares what you wear, Ava, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. Just let me know if you want me to watch Madison. I think this dinner will be good for you. It’s a step in the right direction.”

I looked at myself in the mirror and played with the ends of my hair. There was a smile on my face that wasn’t there a few weeks ago. All thanks to a handsome, green-eyed detective who made me blush like a teenager. There was a small knot of guilt in my stomach, but it quickly passed. I needed to stop feeling guilty, like I was doing something wrong. Drew wouldn’t want me to dwell on the past. He would want me to live my life.

I made my way over to the reception desk to go through some paperwork. I needed a distraction because the more I thought about this dinner, the more nervous I became.

I was tapping some numbers into the computer when a leggy brunette stepped through the front door. I stopped typing and looked up.

“Hi, can I help you?”

“I’m here for a trim.” She smiled, but it seemed a little forced to me. There was something about her face that looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

“Do you have an appointment?” I closed out the spreadsheet I was working on and pulled up the calendar.

“I was hoping you took walk-ins.”

“I’m sorry, we don’t.” A flicker of annoyance crossed her face. “But let me check the schedule and see if there is a way to squeeze you in. What exactly is it you’re looking to have done today?”

She twisted a strand of hair around her finger. “I just want a quarter inch off the ends.”

I stared up at her; she was really pretty. Her long, dark hair looked like it was recently done, which had me confused on why she was here. She also wore expensive clothes and heavy makeup. She didn’t look like the type that just strolled into a random salon off the street.

“What’s your name?” she inquired, edging closer to the desk. I scooted my chair back slightly, not liking how she was invading my personal space.

“I’m Ava and you are?”

She stared at me for a minute, and I did the same. I kept my face neutral even though she unnerved me. She was tall for a woman, probably five nine; while I wasn’t short, her presence seemed to tower over me. My eyes squinted in confusion, trying to figure out if I knew her from somewhere. I was pretty sure I would have remembered her if we had met before.

“My name is Vi.” Her eyes darted down to my left hand. “I like your rings.”

My fingers paused on the keyboard. “Thank you.”

I shifted uncomfortably and went back to look over the schedule. Maybe if I avoided eye contact, she would stop talking. I brought my hand up to itch the end of my nose; her expensive perfume was overpowering.

She leaned her elbows on the desk and folded her hands. “How long have you been married?”

“My husband passed away last year.”

“You’re a widow. That’s interesting.” I gave her a blank stare, not sure if I heard her correctly. “Sorry,” she said when she noticed my expression. “I wasn’t expecting that. You look so young.”

“Right,” I said, averting my attention back to my computer screen. I was relieved when I noticed there were no openings. The lady caused the tiny hairs on the back of my neck to tingle. My instincts were usually right about people, and I had a hard time believing she was sincere.

She extended her hand and lifted it so I could see the glistening diamonds on her finger. “I still wear my rings too. My husband and I are separated, I’m just waiting for him to come to his senses.” She sighed heavily, and I got the impression she was telling me this for a reason. “We’re taking a little break right now, but I’m not worried. I’m the love of his life and you just don’t get over that. He’s goes through his little playthings, and then moves on. He tires of them easily. That’s why I don’t mind waiting for him to get his shit together.”

“I hope it all works out for you.” I looked over her shoulder, praying my next customer would walk through the door. I just wanted to get back to work. This woman was either lonely or had mental issues. I tried not to judge, but there was something off about her.

“Have you had any work done?”

“Excuse me?”

“You know, Botox, lip injections, boob job?” This had to be one of the strangest encounters I’ve had in my life.

“Um…no.”

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