Page 19 of Her Paramedic
“Ruth, and yes, please.”
Talia removed the clip, holding Ruth’s hair up. She had thick, lush, and healthy hair, 3C. Even though they were not doing anything extensive, she quickly consulted with her before taking her to the washbowl. She washed Ruth’s hair thoroughly, giving her a scalp massage that had the other woman’s eyes closing as she hummed in satisfaction.
Once she was blow-dried, straightened, and trimmed, Talia asked how she wanted it styled, and she ended up giving her body curls. She paid for the service and made an appointment to come back in four weeks, since it was the earliest appointment Talia had.
She swept and cleaned her station, putting her shears back in disinfectant and wiping down her chair. She cleaned the wash bowl and wiped the chair before entering her office. She double-checked her first appointment for the following morning, grabbed her purse, and exited, locking the door behind her. She said bye to the other ladies and exited the salon.
Talia stopped by a drive-thru and picked up a late lunch before going home. When she stepped inside, she dropped her purse and keys on the entry table and went into the living room. It was almost four, and she decided to call Slate.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he answered after a couple of rings.
“Hey. How was your flight yesterday?”
“Quiet. So was the drive from the airport.”
“You could have called me if you needed company during it,” she responded, unwrapping her food.
“I didn’t want to pull you away from your plans. Speaking of, did you have fun with your friends?”
“I did. We exchanged gifts, ate, had drinks, and played some games. Did your mom like her kettle?”
Slate chuckled. “You would think I’d paid for her to travel the world with how happy she was with it.”
“The simple things in life make people the happiest.” She paused for a second. “I wanted to take you up on your invitation for New Year if it was still open.”
“Of course it is. I can pick you up at noon. The party doesn’t start until eight, but the guys and I are going early to help set up.”
“That works for me. I didn’t ask. Where does he live?”
“He doesn’t live there full-time but has a vacation house in Aspen.”
It had been a while since she had been to Aspen. It was always pretty in winter, and she was looking forward to seeing it again.
“Do you work tonight?”
“In a few hours,” Slate responded.
Talia debated whether to tell him she’d gotten him a Christmas gift, but she decided to give it to him when they saw one another.
They spoke for over an hour before they ended the call, and Talia decided to spend the rest of her day binge-watching one of her favorite shows.
6
“This is beautiful,” Talia stated as they pulled into the circular driveway of Maximus’ house.
When Slate told her it was a vacation house, she wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it was larger than she’d imagined. The front had floor-to-ceiling windows with a frosted covering that prevented people from seeing inside. With the snow covering the grass, it looked almost enchanting.
“It used to be a ski lodge. He bought it several years back and did some remodeling. Now we spend New Year’s here and Independence Day when it’s his turn to host,” Slate responded.
He came around and helped her out of the car before grabbing their bags from the trunk. She tried to take hers, but he raised his brow at her, and Talia knew telling him she could carry it would go in one ear and out the other.
Slate keyed in a code on the lock and opened the door, allowing her to enter first. When she stepped inside, she took in the warm decor. From the entry, she could see the living room through to the kitchen on the left side of the stairs. The first room on the right side was a game room. From where she stood, she could see two tables and a dartboard.
“Hey, you two,” Maximus greeted.
“Hey,” Talia responded. “Thanks for the invite.”
“Where is everyone?” Slate asked.
