Page 84 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
Except she broke her own heart, didn’t she? Let herself have expectations he never indicated he could meet. Or wanted to meet. She dreamt herself up a whole life with him and he had no idea.
She shakes her head, hoping that will stop her obsessing over him, because she still is, only now it takes the form of constantly mulling over the sameWhy not me?thoughts that are completely redundant because it was never going to be her. Which is really the rub, isn’t it?
As she exits the back room holding the colour, she glances up and stops, because Oliver is in the doorway, grinning at her.
‘Hi!’ he says.
Oh great – what does he want? First he crashed her non-date at the movies, now he’s crashing her workplace. She could have kinder thoughts about him, obviously, but she blames him for putting Sam in her vicinity.
‘How are you?’ he says.
Does she imagine there’s pity in his tone? Of course Sam would have told him the completely humiliating information that she was in love with him, and of course Oliver would know why Sam didn’t love her the same way. She didn’t consider this before but now she can add it to her list of regrets and ruminations. Perhaps she really should get a hobby, as Trudy suggested – that might distract her long enough for the list to shrivel up of its own accord.
‘I’m great,’ she says, although because her tone is flat it’s completely unconvincing.
‘Great,’ he says, still grinning. ‘I’m here for a haircut.’
‘I’m booked up.’
His grin falters. ‘Oh – no, I mean, Sam’s doing it.’
Now she’s the one who falters.God, how embarrassing. Why would she presume he’s here to see her when his brother works in the salon?
‘Of course,’ she says. ‘Sorry, default answer.’ She smiles quickly then starts to move away.
‘So you’re good?’ Oliver says. He’s trailing after her and she wishes he wouldn’t.
‘Yep,’ she says over her shoulder, then smiles at her client in the mirror. ‘Mish, I think you’re going to love this colour.’
She catches a glimpse in the mirror of Oliver looking crestfallen and feels bad. Although she shouldn’t. He knows she’s not good and he’s asked after her twice, which to Evie smells of provocation – almost as if he wants to get a rise out of her. And it worked, because now she feels tetchy.
After half an hour she has Mish’s colour on, where she’ll leave it for about forty-five minutes, and it’s almost time for her next client, who’s having a trim and a wash and set, which she can mostly get done in the forty-five, although without Josie to wash it may take a little longer. Josie is fast and good. Washing is Evie’s least favourite thing to do so she’s slower than the others, which is counterintuitive – you’d think she’d speed through it – but her reluctance seems to slow her down.
In the chair next to hers Sam is pulling the cape off Oliver, then Oliver stands up. He’s quite a bit taller than Sam, Evie notices. Why hasn’t she before? Sam’s not short, either.
They don’t look like each other, apart from the dark hair. Sam’s face is chiselled; Oliver’s is slender, pointed. If she didn’t know they were brothers, she wouldn’t guess it.
‘How’s Billy?’ Oliver says before she has a chance to get away. She doesn’t want to loiter near Sam, even as he seems to want to loiter near her.
‘He’s good,’ she replies, moving things around on her tray. Combs need to be kept in order, after all. ‘Keeping busy with sport.’
‘It’d be great to see him.’
Evie’s head snaps up. What an odd thing to say. He barely knows Billy.
‘Would it?’ she replies.
Oliver blanches. ‘I mean – I’d like to see him,’ he says. ‘It’s been a while.’
‘Right,’ she says slowly.
There’s no reason for you to see him.
‘I mean …’ He sighs. ‘I’d like to see you both. Do something fun together.’
Evie becomes aware of Sam looking at her expectantly and wonders exactly what is going on. Does Oliver pity her? Poor, pathetic Evie with her crush on his gay brother?
Or is he trying to pursue her? If that’s even what men do any more. And – she really doesn’t like this idea – is Sam pushing him to? That would be really icky if true. Sam doesn’t want her so he offloads her to his brother. It’s the plot of a bad movie that would never get made because it’s so pathetic.
