Page 34 of Something Borrowed

I snort, and he pinches me. “Hold still.”

“Are you this tender with all your clients?”

“No, you’re a special case. And I mean that most sincerely.Veryspecial. Okay, so I’ll confirm with Betty, and you can ask the venue if there’s anywhere for them to park their broomsticks.” I laugh. “Anything else?”

“I don’t think so for the party. We need to meet next week with both of you to go over the last details for the commitment ceremony.” Leo and Richard are getting married in a registry office, but having their commitment ceremony in a hotel inGreece. The country is very close to their hearts after they met again on a Greek cruise where Richard was a guest, and Leo was the hairdresser. After many mishaps, they’d come home inseparable and stayed that way.

“I’ll remind him.” He puts his scissors down. “Okay. Over to the sink.”

“You sweet talker.”

I edge over to the sink, clutching the towel around my shoulders, and let him ease me into the chair. “Comfortable?” he asks as I lean back.

“I’ll be even more comfortable if you do that special head massage.”

“Is that the one where you make sounds like a porn star?”

“I can’t help that you have magic fingers.” I snap my fingers. “Do me, baby.”

He snorts, and I feel the water hitting my neck. “Warm enough?”

“Do you care?”

“Well, I don’t want to freeze my wedding planner. Who else will care about the shade of the napkins?”

“I could run the country with my attention to detail.”

“What an alarming thought.”

We fall silent as he shampoos me, the scent of coconut fresh on the air.

After a few moments, he says, “Stan rang me this morning.”

“Oh, yes?” I’m proud of the evenness of my voice.

“Yeah, he needs a haircut.”

“Well, I didn’t think he wanted his oil changed. Ouch!” I say as he pinches me.

“I saw him with Bennett the other day.”

“Oh, yes? How is the Marquis of Marylebone?”

“I don’t like him much, Raff.”

“Do you think I do?” I say harshly.

“I suspect for very different reasons.”

“What do you mean?”

He sighs. “Why do you dislike him?”

I lick my lips, suddenly feeling nervous. “Erm, because he’s a massive bellend, and Stan deserves better.”

“You’re not wrong, but that’s not why you dislike him.”

“Well, why else?”

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