Page 11 of Grayson

It took about ten minutes for Missy to get offended telling me were over like we’d somehow entered a committed relationship overnight and stormed out of my place.

The second the door slammed the three women stopped dancing and the guys started laughing. Then Sammie, Melanie, and Rita got dressed and the six of us went out for pizza and ended up at Ruby’s for drinks. The entire bar knew about my disaster one-night stand within the hour. Another hour and the entire bar serenaded me with “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.”

To this day I’m still paying for that fucked up night and next day.

“So you didn’t take home another woman that tried to take over your home life after one night?”

“There were four, though one of them I think was underage, and the other is my cousin.”

I glance at Atticus, then notice how quiet the room got so I scan over the kitchen. Most had stopped talking, some even stopped chewing as they all stared at me.

“Dude.” Hollywood wrinkled up his nose in disgust.

“Do you seriously have no boundaries?” Myles asks, looking slightly ill.

“I can’t get you out of this mess,” Fed announces, throwing his hands up in the air like he’s finally given up.

“Ah come on, guys,” I set my coffee down and faked a shiver. “You’re all dicks!”

No one said anything, though Cooper was smirking because they all knew I would never mess around with an underage girl or my cousin for that matter.

“My neighbor had some kind of girls’ night and Scarlett was there, plus there is a teen that lives there too. I think they were purposely trying to torture me with loud music and laughter all night long.”

“And you never tried to join them?”

“No, I tried to sleep,” I clarify “At one point there was banging on the wall so I moved out to the living room but that didn’t help. I texted Scar and asked them to keep it down at one point. But the only response I got back was why should we keep it down over here when we are forced to hear your continuous sexcapades and the squealing girls you decide to bring home on your nights off.”

A few of the guys chuckled.

“Wait.” Marchy steps forward holding up his hand for everyone to hush. “Are you telling me that you may or may not share a bedroom wall with a teenage girl and that said girl may have been forced to overhear your hookups?”

I only nod, not trying to hide the shame I feel.

“I’ve seen some of the women you’ve taken home and I gotta say you owe that kid a major apology. Hell you may have to buy her a fucking car by the time it’s over.”

He wasn’t joking. My stomach has been in knots since Scarlett brought it to my attention.

The conversation carries on for a bit, them all using my disastrous situation as another way to hassle me. Only this time I do nothing to attempt to stop them.

8

Skye Simmons

“So what are we thinking today?” I stand behind a new client and look at her reflection in the mirror before me. “Color, cut, style.” Her hair looks a little dry, like it’s been awhile since she’s done anything for herself. “Let me suggest a conditioning treatment.”

“It’s awful, I know.” She appears defeated as she sighs. “I’m a new mom, it’s been exhausting and to be honest had my husband not forced me out of the house and told me to go do something for myself for a change, I would still be in my pajamas with baby vomit in my hair.”

Her eyes widen in horror. “There isn’t baby vomit in my hair is there?”

I can’t help but giggle. Placing my hands on her shoulders I lean in closer. “How about you relax, and let me pamper you for a few hours?”

“A few hours.” Again she starts to panic a bit. “I don’t know if I?—”

“When your husband made you this appointment, he left very strict instructions that we are not to allow you to leave until you’ve gotten the full package. So you can fight us on this, or you can take it all in and like he said do something for yourself. You deserve a mommy day. You’ll feel better, you’ll reclaim a part of you, and when you go home everything you left behind will still be waiting there for you. But when they greet you this time they will see a happy, relaxed, deserving momma that needs to take care of herself sometimes too.”

She holds my stare and after a few minutes agrees with me as she nods her head. Relaxing back into the chair she takes in a deep breath. “Then let’s do it all; conditioning, cut, color, and style.” Lifting her hand I see the credit card she is holding. “He said there is no limit.”

“Those are my favorite words.” I offer her a wink and we get started.

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