Page 41 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
‘Mind if I read?’ Babs asks.
Josie shakes her head. Should she take that as a further sign that Babs trusts her?
‘What are you reading, pet?’ Trudy says as she starts to move away, much to Josie’s alarm. Isn’t Trudy going to monitor her?
Babs holds up a paperback. ‘A bit of Michener.’
Trudy nods. ‘It’s a goodie, that one. It’ll make you want to go to Hawaii, though.’
‘Not the worst thing in the world.’
‘All right, well, I’ll leave you to it. Josie’ll sing out if she needs anything.’
Josie’s eyes widen. How will sheknowif she needs something? Maybe she’ll cut all wonky and won’t realise? Except if she asks for Trudy to stay it’ll really seem like she doesn’t know what she’s doing.
Given that Babs already has the book open, she obviously doesn’t mind. So there’s only one thing for it. Josie takes a big breath and combs through Babs’s wet hair, looking for the lengths she wants to shape. The time passes so quickly and she’s so absorbed in what she’s doing that she doesn’t have a chance to be nervous again about Brett until she’s sweeping the cape off Babs’s shoulders just as the door opens, and Brett is standing there with flowers in his hand.
‘Hi, Josie,’ he says, sounding confident, which she loves. She wants the man who takes her out to sound happy about it. Every girl, every woman, deserves that.
‘Hi, Brett.’ She flushes, aware that the salon has gone quiet.
‘This your young fella?’ Babs asks with a cheeky grin.
‘Oh, um, I …’ Josie doesn’t know how to answer that. Technically, for tonight Brettisher young fella – but after that, who knows?
‘Hi, my name’s Brett.’
His smile is so genuine and open that Josie’s heart melts a little.
‘Babs. And your girl here cuts a mean layer. Don’t you think, Trude?’
‘I do, Babs.’ Trudy nods at Josie. ‘Nice work, pet.’
Brett holds out the flowers to Josie. ‘For you.’ He grins.
Josie grins back. ‘Thanks!’ she says. ‘I, um, I …’Whyyyyydoes she get this tongue-tied around him? He’s going to think she’s an idiot!
‘You can go, pet. I’ll finish up here,’ Trudy says.
‘I’ll just get my bag,’ she says to Brett.
As she walks out of the salon, Brett turns toward her and he looks so happy Josie almost turns to see if there’s a reason why back there. Except the reason is her, and a little part of her is beginning to understand that she can make Brett happy just by being her. It’s quite something, to know that. Even if she will stop believing it in about thirty minutes’ time, when she’s worried about how she chews her food and whether it looks ladylike, and if she’s pretty enough for him, and if he’s going to want to see her again.
For now, though, as he holds out his hand to take her bag, and offers her the crook of his other elbow, she feels so light, so cherished, that she can put those doubts aside, especially as she’s holding his flowers in her free arm.
‘So how was your day?’ he says.
They’re walking slowly, as if he wants to take his time.
‘I was a bit stressed at the end!’ she says, laughing, and she tells him about the layer cut and how it all turned out okay.
By the time she’s finished the story they’ve arrived at a little restaurant she’s noticed before. It doesn’t have many tables, and most of them are full. Brett gives his name and they’re led to a spot at the back of the room. There’s a lit candle on it and asingle flower in a small vase. The waiter offers to take Josie’s flowers and she hands them over.
‘Have you been here before?’ she asks Brett as they read their menus.
‘No, but one of the guys at work likes it.’ He glances around. ‘It’s nice, isn’t it?’
‘It is,’ she breathes.
