Authors: K.L. Middleton,Cassie Alexandra,Kristen Middleton
Sera
After Monica left, Tiffany and another stylist named Angie set me up with two more clients.
“Thanks for doing that,” I told them, when I was finished for the evening, and packing up to leave. “I really appreciate you guys helping me find all of these customers.”
“No problem,” replied Angie, who I’d learned had just turned thirty and had recently gotten engaged to some famous British actor. With her platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and perfect body, it didn’t surprise me in the least. “Too bad you can’t do hair. I’d give you all of my clients when I leave this place.”
“When is your last day?” asked Tiffany.
“We’re getting married in three months. I just have to decide when I’m going to put in my notice.”
“You’re so lucky,” sighed Tiffany. “Marrying an actor, traveling around the world, never having to worry about anything other than what designer dress you’re going to wear to his premieres. What a dream...”
Angie smiled. “I still can’t believe it myself.”
“How did you meet him?” I asked.
“Believe it or not, he rear-ended me at a stoplight. He’d just purchased a new Bentley and was playing with some of the dials, when it happened. ”
My eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I guess it was fate, though. He wasn’t paying enough attention and plowed right into the woman he would someday marry,” she said, grinning.
“Wow. So, were you hurt?” I asked, knowing all about fate.
She touched the back of her neck. “My neck was stiff and pretty sore for a few weeks, but other than that… not too badly.”
“How in the world did you two start dating?” I asked. “After that kind of meeting.”
“He sent me flowers, and then we met for coffee two weeks later. After that, we pretty much became inseparable.”
“That’s pretty amazing,” I said. “You know, I’ve never seen any of his movies, sorry to say, but I hear he’s a fabulous actor.”
“His movies are great,” said Tiffany. “I especially love the one where he’s a CIA agent and falls in love with the woman he’s supposed to be investigating.”
“Midnight In Paris,” said Angie. “I didn't see that movie until we’d started dating. Now, I can’t sit through the entire thing without getting a little jealous. I mean, I know they’re acting, but when they’re in bed together, kissing, it makes my blood boil.”
I laughed. “Obviously, you’re going to need to get over that if you’re planning on marrying an actor.”
“I know. It’s a work in progress,” she said.
“So, I take it the press hasn’t caught on to your relationship?” I asked.
“No, otherwise they wouldn’t leave me alone. He usually sends a car for me or disguises himself when we’re together. I mean, they’re going to eventually figure it out, I’m sure, but for now, it’s been quiet here and at my place.”
“That’s why it’s important not to tell anyone, Sera. If word got around, the paparazzi would be banging down the doors,” said Tiffany.
“Don’t worry, her secret is safe with me.” I looked at Angie. “I’d never give it away.”
“I didn’t think that you would,” replied Angie. “You seem pretty trustworthy.”
“Thanks,” I answered.
Thane approached us, holding a briefcase and a set of car keys.
“Are you leaving?” asked Tiffany.
“Yeah. I told a buddy of mine that I’d spot him at the gym, today. So, that’s where I’m headed. Can you lock up tonight, Angie? I think Sinclair said she’d be working until close,” he lowered his voice, “but I don’t want her, or any of you, alone in this place.”
“Of course,” she replied. “I have some late appointments anyway.”
He looked at me. “What about you? You sticking around or heading out too?”
I looked at my watch. It was almost four o’clock. “I think I’ll leave, too. Emma should just be getting home from school.”
He nodded. “Sounds good. Great job today, Sera. The three clients you helped had nothing but good things to say about their nails, I heard. They were all very pleased with your work.”
I grinned. “Even Monica? She was too busy plotting to get you alone to give me much feedback about her nails, I think.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “She’s quite the character.”
“You’d better watch out for her, Thane,” said Tiffany, smiling. “She likes you. I mean,
really
likes you. She told Felicia, before she left today, that she was going to show the Lion King her jungle moves.”
He grunted. “She’s quite aggressive. I’d better check the schedule and make sure I’m out of the shop the next time she shows up here. I’m afraid I’m going to walk into my office one of these days, and find her waiting for me. Naked.”
“With handcuffs and a whip,” said Tiffany.
“I don’t know, she’s a nice looking woman,” teased Angie. “You could do worse.”
“She’s three times my age,” he said, staring at her in horror.
Tiffany’s eyes widened. “Is she really that old? She doesn’t have that many wrinkles.”
“Plastic surgery, Botox, and collagen injections,” said Felicia, rounding the corner. “I take it you’re talking about Monica again?”
“Yes,” said Thane. “And I need you to warn me the next time she’s coming in.”
“Why, does she make you uncomfortable, T?” asked Felicia, smiling.
“Hell yes, she does,” he replied. “She pinched my ass before she left today. If that wasn’t bad enough, she tried doing a reach around for the other side and I had to grab her hand.”
“Oh, Lord,” answered Felicia, her smile gone. “I’ll warn you for sure. She did get out of hand today. I agree.”
“Tell me about it. We
all
got out of hand today, which reminds me,” said Thane, frowning. He turned to me and sighed. “I’m really sorry, Sera. I hope you weren’t too offended your first day here.”
“No,” I replied, smiling. “It was actually a very interesting day. I wasn’t offended in the least.”
“Good. That was my biggest fear, you thinking that this was the way I ran my business, when it really isn’t. In fact, we’re having a short meeting Saturday morning. Before we open.”
Felicia’s eyes widened. “A meeting? We never have meetings?”
“That’s the problem,” he replied, walking away. “I’ll let everyone know. Have a good night, ladies.”
Sera
I was kept busy the following day with more new clients. So busy, in fact, that I had to cancel lunch with Thane.
“Well, that’s great, right? I mean, we were going to discuss how to find new clients and here, you’re already racing to fit them into your schedule,” he said when I told him. He was sitting in his office, wearing a Bluetooth headset. His hair was pulled back into a short ponytail again, and he wore a white company polo shirt.
“It’s wonderful,” I replied. “Most of them were just random customers calling in. I even have some appointments scheduled for tomorrow.”
“Good for you. Maybe we can do lunch next week and discuss how things are going? By then you should have a pretty good feel of the place.”
“Sounds great,” I replied, feeling a little disheartened that we couldn’t keep our lunch date. Not only had I not packed anything to eat from home, but I’d been almost looking forward to getting to know him better. In a purely platonic way, of course. I was admittedly attracted to him, but men weren’t on my agenda. Especially my new boss. My life was finally running smoothly and I wasn’t about to do anything that would throw me off course. Besides, just because I was attracted to Thane, didn’t mean he was attracted to me.
***
Thane
Sera left my office, and I felt a jab of disappointment knowing we wouldn’t be having lunch together. I knew it was wrong, but part of me wanted her all to myself for a couple of hours. She was an intriguing woman. One who’d been to hell and back with her daughter, and thankfully, left unbroken. At least from what I could tell from the short time I’d known her. She’d stayed strong for Emma, even after her own mother had been murdered in cold blood. As far as I was concerned, she was an admirable human being and stronger than any man I’d ever fought in the ring.
My cell phone rang, kicking me out of my thoughts. “Hello?”
“Thane?”
I grinned. “Speak of the devil. I was just thinking about you, Sam. How’ve you been?”
“Fine. Listen, how’s Sera doing? Is she there right now?”
I sat back in my chair. “Yeah. She just started yesterday. I’ve been meaning to call you. She’s doing great. What’s up?”
“Sounds like Ray, her crazy fuck of a husband, has made another visit here. April noticed him outside of the diner yesterday. He’s looking for Sera and Emma. Obviously still thinks they’re both still in town.”
“Did you call the police?”
“No. I will if I see the bastard, though. Or maybe I’ll just take care of the problem myself. I’d love to get my hands on that guy.”
“I don’t blame you for wanting to that, but, he sounds like one crazy son-of-a-bitch; you need to stay clear away from him, Sam. Let the cops handle this guy.”
He grunted. “They didn’t handle him at all last time.”
“No, but it’s too dangerous to try and bring him in yourself. Too many things can go wrong. Does he know about you and Sera’s mom?”
He was silent for a few seconds. “I don’t think so. Not the last time he was here, or he’d have shown up at my doorstep. He might have started digging and found out, I reckon. It wouldn’t have been too difficult.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Then you’d better watch your back. Did you talk to your brother?”
“I left both Fred and Sera a message. I’m just waiting for one of them to call me back. Oh… what do you know? This might be one of them right now – someone’s beeping in.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go.”
“I can’t imagine that Ray would know where Sera is, but… you might want to keep a close eye out for anything unusual.”
I sighed. “I’m not sure what to watch for, since almost everything I’ve encountered in California is… unusual, but, I’ll keep an eye out. Do you have a picture of this guy, Ray?”
“I’ve seen a photo of him, but I don’t have one currently in my possession. I’m sure Sera has one that she can show you.”
“Okay.”
“Look, man, I’m sorry to put you in this position, Thane.”
“You didn’t put me into anything and don’t feel guilty for trying to help Sera out.”
“Well, I appreciate you saying that, but I know better. Listen, I’ll talk to you later. Call me if something comes up.”
“You too.”
He hung up.
Drumming my fingers on the desk, I sighed and logged back into my laptop. I went into Google and typed in “Ray Daniels” and then “Amery, Wisconsin.”
“Thank you, Google,” I muttered, clicking on a picture of what I assumed to be of Ray in his police uniform. Then, I found a picture of him with Sera and Emma in a news article that was dated a few months back, and frowned when I noticed the headline.
Abusive Mother Disappears With Daughter.
“What the hell?”
Sera
“Are you sure you don’t want a pedicure?” I asked the middle-aged woman, as she examined her scarlet nails closely. I’d just finished giving her a gel manicure while she’d talked my ear off about her cheating, and soon-to-be ex-husband. Apparently, he wasn’t aware that she knew of his infidelities, and that’s why she was able to rack up over six-thousand dollars on their joint credit card over the last twenty-four hours.
“No, although I would love to add that to my bill,” she replied, standing up. “I’m meeting some friends for lunch and don’t want to be late.”
“I understand. So, how do you like your nails?”
She smiled. “They look perfect. I’ll definitely be back.”
“Good, I’m glad. You know that color really goes nicely with your outfit,” I answered, staring at her rhinestone cotton tunic.
She looked down. “You’re right, it does. It’s one of my favorite colors, which reminds me,” she grinned wickedly, “I should purchase more things in this color before Harold cancels the cards.”
“You’re not afraid that he’ll go ballistic? I mean, he isn’t violent, is he?”
She snickered. “Violently stupid is what he is. The man doesn’t even know how to be discreet. It’s like he was asking to be caught.”
Just then, Thane stepped around the corner and our eyes met. He didn’t look happy.
“Sera, I need to see you when you’re finished,” he said crisply.
“Uh, okay.”
He turned around and trudged away.
“That’s the owner?”
“Yes.”
“He seems a little ticked off or something, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah. I hear he can be a little gruff at times.”
“Obviously, this is one of them.”
“Appears that way.
She opened her purse and pulled out a wallet. “Here you go, dear,” she said, handing me a hundred dollar bill. “Keep the rest.”
My eyes widened. “This is too much. I’ll go and get you some change.”
“No. I insist. Besides,” she pulled out her keys, smiling. “Harold is paying for everything today.”
I chuckled. “Well, okay. Then I guess I don’t feel so bad.”
“Either do I,” she answered, laughing as she walked away. “Take care, Sera. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”
“Goodbye,” I replied, looking at the clock on the wall. My next client was due to arrive in twenty minutes, and I’d planned on going to the coffee shop next door for a quick scone or bagel. Now, it appeared I wouldn’t have time for even that. Not from the look on his face. I wondered if I’d already done something wrong, but then pushed the thought away. It didn’t make any sense for him to be angry with me. It had to be something else. Relaxing my shoulders, I walked over to his office and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” he answered.
“What’s going on?” I asked, stepping inside. “You look upset.”
He turned his laptop around so that I could see the screen. “Can you explain this?”
I sat down in the chair facing the computer and began to read it. There was an article in the Amery newspaper that accused me of child neglect, physical abuse, and bouts of depression. It also implied that I’d kidnapped Emma after finding out that he was going to get a restraining order to separate me from my daughter. There was also another picture of Emma with a bruise on her cheek, her eyes full of tears. She was standing next to her birthday cake, looking like the world was going to end.
“Oh, for the love of God,” I snapped, glaring at the screen. “What a conniving asshole.”
“Where did Emma get those bruises on her face?”
My glare shifted to him. The accusation on his face was enough to make me want to show him what real abuse was. “They were obviously Photoshopped in. That picture was taken on her birthday, and I assure you, she had no bruises on her face.”
“Why does she look so upset?”
I smiled coldly. “Because Ray had promised to buy her a puppy for her birthday, and then got mad at her when she asked him about it. She was trying not to cry in front of him while he took that picture.”
“So, you’re saying it’s not true?”
I looked up at him. “Of course it’s not true! I’ve never laid a hand on my daughter. He’s obviously trying to set me up with these allegations.”
He sighed. “I thought so, but I wanted to make sure.”
“You looked just the opposite a minute ago,” I answered, folding my arms under my chest. I sat back in the chair. “In fact, from the look in your eyes, you’d already come to your own conclusions.”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “I know. I’m sorry. It just took me by surprise. Especially now that there’s an Amber Alert out for your daughter.”
“An Amber Alert,” I growled, staring at the wall. “That jerk murdered my mother and yet he has found a way to make me look some kind of criminal. It makes me sick to my stomach.”
“I can’t even imagine what you’re going through,” he replied quietly.
“No, you couldn’t.” I looked back at him. “You know, I would really appreciate it if you’d give me the benefit of the doubt when it comes to anything to do with Ray,” I said, still frustrated. “I had to endure so much crap from that asshole and I refuse to let anyone look at me like I’m the bad guy. We left to escape
his
abuse. Not mine.”
“I’m sorry, Sera. I really am.”
I stood up. “Fine. I forgive you,” I answered stiffly. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to run next door and get a bagel or something. Before my next customer arrives.”
“Wait, I wanted to tell you that Sam called me earlier. Apparently, Ray has been seen near the diner again. He’s obviously still looking for you.”
“I guess that doesn’t surprise me,” I replied. “Has Sam actually talked to him?”
“No. April was the one who noticed him and mentioned it to Sam.”
“They need to be careful.”
“That’s what I said. I told Sam to contact the police and not interact with Ray.”
“Good. I’d hate to have anything happen to him.”
Felicia stuck her head into the office. “Sera, your next customer is here. Megan.”
“She’s early,” I said, my stomach rumbling. “Okay. Tell her I’ll be right there, please.”
“I will,” she said, her eyes darting from mine to Thane’s. “Uh, everything okay back here?”
“Everything is fine,” he replied, standing up. “Well, I’m going to grab some food. Can I get either of you anything?”
“Nope, but thanks,” said Felicia, walking away. “I brought a salad.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I said, walking toward the doorway. “I’ll be fine.”
“Hey.”
I turned back around and noticed he was standing so close that I could smell his woodsy aftershave.
His eyes stared down into mine. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions. That was uncalled for.”
“It’s okay,” I replied, trying to ignore the way my pulse was reacting to his close proximity.
“No, it’s not.”
Why did he have to smell so damn good?
“Fine, it’s not. But, thanks for apologizing.”
“You have such beautiful eyes,” he said unexpectedly, his voice barely a whisper.
The way he was staring into them made it impossible to breathe. I wondered if he could hear my heart pounding in my chest. “Thanks. Yours are very nice, too.”
His eyes lowered to my lips and I had an overwhelming impression that he was struggling not kiss them. “I suppose you should go to your customer.”
I swallowed and took a step backward. “Yeah, I’d better.”
Reaching into his pocket, he took out his car keys and then began twirling the keychain around his pinky finger, his expression now unreadable. “I’ll be back in an hour if anyone is looking for me.”
“Okay.” I turned away quickly and hurried away from his office, deciding that it would be a good idea to keep him at an arm’s length in the future. Especially now that I knew, without a doubt, that he wanted me as much as I wanted him.