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Char: I do the day after tomorrow. Want to come into the salon? I can trim your hair and we can chat. Plus I think those highlights need some touching up by now, right?
Me: I’d love that. What time works?
Char: How about three?
Me: Done. See you then!
Char and I didn’t even get around to the subject of Dec until she was combing out the tangles and about to apply the first of a thousand products to my curly hair. She’d wanted to know all about my conversation with Justin and how I was doing on the divorce front. To be honest, there wasn’t much to tell. The run-in had been good. It showed me that my heart had moved on and that I wasn’t holding any grudges. There was just a final judgement from the courts and that era of my life would be closed.
“So what about Dec?” she finally asked, scrunching in a curl cream as she moved about my head.
My heart dipped. “I’m not sure. We haven’t talked since I left.”
“Do you want to talk?”
“I do. I don’t know that I trust him yet, but I’d like to at least talk to him,” I admitted.
Char wiped her hands off on a black towel and grabbed the hair dryer, clicking in the diffuser on the end. “Come with me to Dad Bod tonight. Let’s have a girls’ night. Dancing, beer, and no mention of Dec.”
“I don’t know,” I hedged, not really feeling in the mood for a bar.
Char waved her hand through the air. “Nope. It’s decided. You and me and karaoke until our abs hurt from laughing.” And then she switched on the noisy hair dryer, essentially cutting off further conversation. As I flipped my head over and let her blow-dry my curls, I resigned myself to a night with my good friend. There were worse ways to spend a Thursday night, I supposed.
When I flipped my head back over and Char scrunched out the stiff gel in the corkscrews, styling it so perfectly I wondered if she could teach me so I could recreate the look at home, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My blue eyes danced with vitality, my freckles were loud and proud, my lightly tanned skin paired perfectly with this emerald-green tank top, and my hair was competing for the size of Texas.
“You look fucking hot, Kenna,” Char stated with an evil grin.
I wouldn’t go that far, but I did look like a woman who was ready for life. Gazing at my reflection some more, I could feel it in my bones. “I’ll never make myself small again, Char. Not even my hair.”
Char whooped and I helped her clean up the salon before we headed for the bar, arm in arm. We found an empty table in front of the stage. Karaoke hadn’t started yet, and when Onyx came over to take our order, she was able to linger a bit and chat. The place would fill up in an hour or so and then she’d be flitting between tables all night.
“You look angrier than normal,” Char commented.
Onyx snorted, but it sounded more like a snarl. “Men.”
Char rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. All the good ones are taken and all the ones not taken don’t even look at me.”
I put my hand on her arm, wishing I could offer her more comfort. It was clear she had feelings for Harley, but the guy never seemed to see her beyond a friend. Onyx’s eyes softened a fraction, but her heavier-than-normal black eye makeup kept the overall look hard and unforgiving. She told us about her latest man troubles and I didn’t blame her for being pissed. Married men dating other women and lying about the wife back at home was low.
“I think we need to start fishing outside of Sunshine Key,” Onyx said after she’d explained why she’d punched her latest date in the junk. Based on the anger still on her face, I’d say he came away lucky.
Char pointed at her. “I’m in! Where are we headed?”
“Wait! I want to come!”
They both looked at me with wide eyes. “No offense, Kenna, but this is a single-lady excursion.”
“I’m single!”
Onyx laughed, the sound so pretty and rare I wanted to record it and listen to it again. “Oh, honey. That’s funny.” And then she left our table, promising to deliver another round of drinks in just a minute.
I looked at Char, but she was busy digging through her purse. I didn’t know what the town thought about Dec and me, but we most certainly weren’t dating. Hell, I didn’t even know where he was right now.
Ezra nodded at us in hello before bounding up onto the stage and grabbing the microphone. I looked around, realizing the place had filled up while we’d been chatting.
“Welcome to Dad Bod Watering Hole, friends.” A cheer went up from the crowd. “We have a special guest tonight. I expect you all to be on your best behavior so I don’t have to kick your ass.”
“You can kiss my ass any day, Ezra!” came a feminine voice from the back, followed by a wolf whistle.
