Page 26 of His Forever

“Fine. I wanted to say thank you. I think that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever given me. She’ll have a good home, I promise.”

He reached out and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. Leaning down, he kissed her, saying, “I know she will. That’s why I brought her to you.”

Smiling up at him in the comfort of his arms, she reached her hand up and brushed back some of his hair that had fallen before she lightly ran her thumb down his cheek. She heard his breath catch before he lowered his lips and claimed hers once again and all thought was lost.

***

Several hours later, she found herself in the breakroom giving the kitten a bottle. The vet had said she was young and still needed milk replacement for a few more weeks, but otherwise was in good health. They would have to wait to start her shots until she was a little older, so for the time being, she would stay with Zeus until that could happen to keep her two from catching anything. Lost in thought, she didn’t hear the footsteps as they came into the room until she heard a throat clearing. Looking up, she saw Suri Álvarez and schooled her face before saying, “Hello, Suri. Did we have an appointment today?”

“No, we didn’t. I just wanted to make sure you were clear on something, though.”

“And what is that?”

“I plan to make Zeus mine again. You would do well to remember that as I still have a lot of pull in this town.”

“Seems to me thatZeusneeds to agree to that as well. Since we’re seeing one another, I doubt what you want is going to happen. Besides, I was under the impression that you and Colton were now together.”

“Why you…I never…”

“And you should have,” Chandra said, coming in on the conversation. “Do you honestly think he would want to go back to you with your ways when he has someone like Marleigh in his life now? I don’t think so.”

Suri glared at the other woman before saying, “I can take my business elsewhere you know!”

“Perhaps, Suri, it is time you did so,” María-Luisa said, coming into the room. “I have never refused service to anyone in this salon. It’s not what we do. But I can and will make an exception with you if you don’t stop with the nonsense of trying to come between Jesús and Marleigh. You’re a grown woman and should act like it instead of a spoiled two-year old.”

Marleigh sat there, watching the tensions mount, before she said, “Enough. Suri, I think if Zeus had been interested in you, he would not have started anything with me. If you are not comfortable coming here, then perhaps itisbest you find another salon that can cater to your needs. I don’t like drama but I won’t sit still while you try to take my man away from me. Not happening.”

Zeus, coming in on the tail end of the conversation saw the feisty look in Marleigh’s eyes and his heart swelled. “Suri? Surely you cannot think that I would ever take you back after the stuff you pulled,” he told her.

Suri, realizing she wasn’t going to win this round, turned on her heel without another word and left, leaving the occupants of the breakroom looking at one another in stunned disbelief. “I…I’m sorry, Zeus, I didn’t mean to over speak,” Marleigh finally said.

“Mi siempre hermosa, you did not but I think we need to have a conversation.”

The other two women, catching his look, smiled at Marleigh before they went back to the front of the salon. Sitting down next to her, he cupped her face in his hand and leaned in to kiss her. A short sweet kiss that heated up quickly had them pulling apart breathless moments later. “Marleigh, will you be my girl? You’ve come to mean everything to me and I want to see you exclusively. I know we pretty much have been, but want it to be official.”

Still lost in a kiss-induced haze, she looked at him before smiling and saying, “Yes, I’d like nothing better. Zeus, you’ve become one of my best friends and I don’t want to share you with anyone.”

“Then it’s settled, si? Let’s see where this road takes us,” he told her as he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her again.

***

Sighing after her last client, she gathered up the dirty linens and headed to the breakroom to toss them into the washer. Swapping the loads around, she quickly folded the towels and put them out at the shampoo stations, then went around and started picking things up as the girls were on their last few customers as well. “Marleigh? You don’t have to do that,” Joy called out.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind helping. Going to go and make sure my rooms are ready for tomorrow but while I was out here, figured I would see what I could do!” she responded.

“Well, we appreciate it!”

“No more than I appreciate y’all making sure my folks are comfortable while they wait for me,” she replied as she headed back to her massage room. She quickly made up the table for the next day and got everything together before she grabbed the box that Sheba was sleeping in. “C’mon, little one, let’s go home, okay?”

Saying good night to the stylists and their clients, she made her way out to the car. Setting the box with the kitten on the floorboard, she tossed the rest of her stuff on the passenger seat then sat there and sent Zeus a quick text.

Marleigh: Hey Zeus!

Zeus: Hey yourself, mi siempre hermosa

Marleigh: Did you need me to feed Duke for you?

Zeus: Not tonight, already done and headed home. Want me to pick something up for dinner?

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