Page 59 of Holding Out

“Yeah.At that salon in Wallingford.It seemed great.”

Jenina perched on the corner of the bed.“Do you think they’ll offer it to you?”

“I think I have a good shot.They liked that I’d worked at a similar place before, and I think I made a good impression.And I felt like I had good chemistry with the other women.”Becca tucked a few bras into the suitcase, then reached for the pile of socks and undies she’d tossed onto the bed.“I just don’t know—”

“What?”

“I think I might be having a midlife crisis.”

Jenina hooted.“I think you’re having a quarter-life crisis, at most.”

“I guess—I had this conversation with Griff—”

“Did you have anytimefor conversation with Griff?Sounds like your mouths have been pretty busy with other things.”

“God.”She closed her eyes at the thought.She’d texted Jenina last Friday after Alia had walked in on her and Griff, to try to process everything she was feeling.That night, the giddiness of being wanted by Griff—the power and pleasure she’d felt with him on the couch—had still outweighed the shock of getting caught.He’d made her come twice and she hadn’t taken off any clothes.She felt hot all over, thinking of it.

Jenina laughed.“That good?”

“Neen, you havenoidea.Ihad no idea.”

“But between your multiple orgasms, apparently there was sometalking.”

“He just made me think.That there might be something I’d want to do more than taking another salon job.”

To her surprise, Jenina nodded.“I wondered.What about the R&R thing?”

“That’s just temporary.”

Sibby, Jake’s long-time receptionist, had trained Becca on the reception desk yesterday.Sibby was a grandmotherly woman who was kind and patient but tolerated no bullshit from anyone who approached the desk.You train them like dogs,she told Becca.Consistent boundaries.No wiggle.If you do that, they’ll learn the rules and they won’t expect you to make exceptions for them if they’re late or want to reschedule.

The clients themselves—all men—were also a plus, different across almost every dimension from the clientele she’d worked with at Julia’s.They were often young and easy-on-the-eyes and, as Sibby had reported, well-trained to give her no trouble.Some were gruff and no-nonsense, others were outrageous flirts, but all were respectful to her, and many were outright grateful to be where they were—without a speck of entitlement.

“Does it have to be temporary?”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”Becca demanded, laughing.

Jenina rolled her eyes.“Yes.I am trying to subtly kick you out so my super-hot boyfriend can move in and we can convert your bedroom to a nursery for the baby I’m expecting.No, I’m not trying to get rid of you, you idiot.I want you to stay!I would sell my soul for you to stay.But this is not about me.This is about you.And I get it.I never thought you were that crazy about the salon job.I mean, Julia was great, but—yeah, there are lots of jobs out there.Plus,” Jenina said, waggling her eyebrows, “if you looked for a job down there, you could have more of thosedeepconversations.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen.”Becca shook her head.“Alia and I had a big talk on Saturday morning, and I’m guessing Nate must have lit into Griff, too, because I haven’t heard from him since.”

“But it’s none of their business!”

“No, it’s not,” agreed Becca, “but—the stuff Alia said to me—she wasn’twrong.”She gave Jenina a brief rundown of Griff’s relationship past, then filled her in on how Griff had mistaken her for Marina during his flashback, and what Nate had said about Griff trying to bang Marina out of his head.

“Well, shit,” Jenina said.“But didGrifftell you that?That he’s not over her?”

“He didn’t have to.You should have seen his face when he thought I was her, Neen.And when he realized I wasn’t.”She squeezed her eyes shut, but she couldn’t quite get the image out of her head.

When she opened her eyes, Jenina was regarding her sympathetically.

“Yeah.”

“But maybe you’re ...different.”

Becca sighed.“Don’t we all tell ourselves that?He’ll leave his wife, He’s over his ex-wife, I’m different from all the other women he bangs and dumps?But, no, I don’t think so.And yes, hedidsay the thing about not wanting to be serious.To my face.He told me that he’s so anti-commitment that he doesn’t stick around for donuts and coffee.Can’t make it any clearer than that, can you?Plus, where’s he been all week?Not even a text?Pretty sure the same place I’ve been, which is having second thoughts about whether this is a good idea.”

It was Jenina’s turn to sigh.“Why are the hot ones always commitment-phobic?”

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