Page 13 of A Kiss for Carter (The Laws of Love 3)

Chapter 4

“Wells!”

Tiptoeing past Ron Towers’ office, Carts froze.

The door was only open a crack, how the heck did Ron know it was him?Some kind of chemical reaction as he walked past?Photosynthesis, like plants?He’d started a book last night on the language of trees in an attempt to keep his mind off his date with Judith.Because one infinitesimal thought of her, and his body was at risk of some very serious chemical reactions of its own.

“Come in here,” Ron bellowed.

Carts sighed and nudged the door open with his foot.“Yes, Ron.”

Ron’s bulbous eyes pinned him, glasses on the end of his nose.A pudgy hand waved in the air.“I’m over here, boy.”

“Yes, Ron, Ican see you.”Unfortunately.

“Ah, so thereisa pair of eyes under that thatch.”

Carts gritted his teeth until his jaw felt like it would crack.

He’d actually tried to get a haircut at lunch time, after he’d had no luck with his phone screen repair.“Have it back to you next week, mate,” the dude in the arcade had said with a shrug.So, he’d kept his smashed phone for now and walked two doors down to The Right Cut.A woman with blonde hair tied into a messy ponytail wearing a T-shirt with “HAIR VIP” scrawled over the front in glitter, called out, “Hullo, there.”

Carts could only stare in confusion.“Where’s Bernie?”

He’d been coming to Bernie since he’d started working at Pearson’s Accounting eight years ago.Bernie got his hair.Never insisted on cutting off too much.

“Bernie’s retired.”He watched as the woman did something weird with foil on her client’s head.“I’ve taken over the business.We’re unisex now.”

Carts had to struggle not to recoil.

“I’m Tara.”The woman advanced, pinging off her rubber gloves.“I could do you while the colour sets on my client.Haven’t got time for a full wash and blow-dry, but if you don’t mind me cutting you dry…” She chortled; a sound that put the fear of God into him.

‘Maybe I’ll come back later,” he managed.

Tara shrugged.“Okay, darlin’, open till 8 pm.I do walk-ins.But there might be a wait.”She cocked her head and her eyes narrowed.“Sure you don’t want to go for it now?”

“No!Thanks.Are you open tomorrow?”

“Here until midday.Got my kids’ sport in the arvo.”

“Okay.Morning it is then.”Grinning like a hyena, Carts backed rapidly out the door.

Bernie retired?Bernie was an icon in the city with his barber’s pole and his habit of grunting and smelling of cigarette smoke and whisky.He hadn’t said a word last time Carts came for a trim.Mind you, last timehadbeen three months ago.And Bernie barely spoke anyway.

In a bit of a daze, he’d gone to Myer and bought a pair of scissors, but every time he sneaked into the men’s bathroom at work, intent on trimming a fraction off his fringe, someone would burst through the door.

Travis Green, the office loudmouth, had spied the scissors before Carts could whisk them behind his back and snickered.“Working here that bad, is it?”

Now it would be all round the office that Carter Wells was doing weird shit with a pair of scissors in the men’s loos.

So he gave up, reassuring himself that grunge in a suit was “in” and battled through his workload for the rest of the afternoon.

But now, standing in front of Ron’s desk, the bolstering of his ego fizzled.Of course, Ron wouldn’t think to mention Carts’ beautifully cut suit.Or his sea blue tie with embroidered silver shells on it.Oh no, Ron loved to accentuate the negative.That was the trouble with men in their late fifties who hadn’t made it past middle management.Bitter and twisted.As if the only power they had to wield was making the world a more mean-spirited place.

Carts raised himself up to his full height.“Did you want me for anything in particular, Ron?”

“Yes.I was just sending you an email.I’m taking some leave from Monday.I need you to cover my clients.”

Carts frowned.“Monday?I didn’t know you were planning a holiday.”

---