by Alexa Davis
Eventually, I spotted the sign for “Landon’s,” which was very basic and gave me nothing, but I wouldn’t judge based on that. I’d been around for long enough to know first impressions weren’t always exactly correct.
I pushed the front door open with a loud click, and the intense scent of fish filled my nostrils. I didn’t mind the smell exactly, it wasn’t unbearable, but I just wasn’t used to it. I had to try hard to keep my expression blank as I spoke to the casual-looking guy sitting behind the desk.
“Hi, my name is Milo.” As I said that, I hoped that Justin hadn’t mentioned me coming. “I just wanted to speak to the owner of the place – Landon, I assume?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s me.” As he stood up, I felt shocked. He was in his early twenties, far too young to be running such an empire. Then I recalled the fact that I was doing much bigger things at his age; it just seemed different when it was me. “How can I help you?”
“I want to know a little bit more about the place. I’m new in town, and I’ve heard that your fish is the best.” I said this as smoothly as I could, hoping and praying that he would just accept that excuse.
“Oh, sure.” He grinned brightly at me, and my instincts were instantly drawn to him. I started to remember a time when I did whatever my gut told me – and it was mostly right; it got me far in business.
If I were to go with that theory again, then Landon would be a very investable character. I got a sense that he treated his customers very well, and that he felt an incredible passion for the job.
“Well, depending on how much information you want, we actually run tours every so often. They cost a bit, but are good. I can schedule you for Monday, if you like?”
Well, I wasn’t going to get a better offer than that! I didn’t mind paying to get to know the ins and outs of this place. Landon might have been very investable, but I was brand new to the game this time around, and I wanted far more information.
“Yeah, sounds great. Thank you. So, how long have you been here?” I leaned on the counter and smiled serenely at him. “It’s a great town, and everyone seems to know each other well. I’m just hoping I’ll fit in.”
“Oh, you’ll love it. I’ve lived here my whole life and started the company as soon as I left school. I always knew that I’d end up out on the water in some way, but I didn’t want to work for someone else.” He smiled, almost as if he was sharing a joke with himself. “I was never the sort of person who could have a boss.”
“Well, you’ve certainly done well for yourself. This is impressive,” I indicated around the place. “And for such a young person, too.”
“Well, work hard, and you’ll go far.” He shrugged as if it was obvious, an attitude which I liked. It was the people who wanted to get rich quick that I didn’t trust so much. They were the slacker types who would fail when things didn’t quite go to plan.
“Well, I certainly look forward to learning more on Monday!” I exclaimed, wanting to back away toward the door. If I didn’t leave soon, I would end up asking too many in-depth questions, revealing the truth of where my interest lay.
“See you at seven a.m.”
As we shook hands and I walked outside once more, I still felt good about the whole thing. Maybe I would decide to invest, maybe I wouldn’t, but I was sure it would be a good experience either way. Especially when I thought about the way that I heard him talk to a member of his staff as I edged my way out the door. He knew people, he had his head screwed on, and he seemed very aware that a happy workforce was the best way to get any productivity.
I just hoped it would be enough. I didn’t like the idea of seeing something that put me off Landon, not when I thought so highly of him and his business.
I didn’t used to have a big involvement with the companies that I invested in, aside from the money side of things, but if I did pick Landon as someone I wanted to give money to, then maybe I would have to make the odd visit. I could even get my hair cut while I was here...
Oh God, what is wrong with me? I couldn’t come back for fleeting visits with Eliza. I didn’t think that she was that type of girl at all. Plus, someone would snap her up soon enough; she was awesome and it was a miracle someone hadn’t realized that already. And there was no way that I could suffer the indignity of being her friend while she fell in love with someone else. I figured that I would always feel that spark between us.
No, one trip to Florence was, unfortunately, going to have to be enough. Once I went back to Vegas, that would be where I’d have to stay.
Chapter Fourteen
Eliza – Friday
I had the envelope clutched tightly between my fingers as I walked into the salon with a big smile on my face.
Milo had paid me the rent for his time in Florence, and it was a crazy amount. I had added it up a few times and insisted that it was too much, even if he was overpaying the asking price by three times just to have Veil stay, but he kept telling me that it was right and that I was wrong.
It wasn’t though, and I didn’t know how to thank him for it. I wanted to find a way, the best way, but I had some red bills that desperately needed paying first. This would help me to catch up. I would finally be on top of things for the first time in forever, and there was no better feeling in the world than that.
I would always feel grateful to Milo for that: he’d practically saved my life! He’d certainly rescued my business for the time being.
I made a few phone calls, stuffed a few envelopes, and sorted out a few things online while I waited for Laynee to join me. By the time she walked through the door, I felt lighter than air. It made me realize how heavy the weight was on my shoulders, how hard I’d found the struggle with money. The idea to rent out the cabin had been the best one yet.
“Hey, how are you?” I grinned brightly, my cheeks flushing with excitement. “It’s great to see you.”
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, looking at me suspiciously while she dropped her bag on the nearest chair. “Why are you all happy? Oh, my God!” Her expression lit up as if a realization had just hit her. “Did you get some last night? Are you and Milo finally hooking up? Thank God! How is he?” She slid into the chair and leaned on her elbows as she waited for me to tell her a sordid story.
Feeling wicked, I leaned in closer and stage whispered my reply. “You wouldn’t believe it. He’s incredible; we did it all night long. He gave me pleasure like I never knew existed; my body opened up like a flower...”
“Oh, stop it,” she hissed, hitting me on the arm, seeing right through the façade. “You did not. I wish you would, though. The sexual tension is driving me mad, and it isn’t even mine!”
I considered that for a moment, thinking about the overpowering atmosphere that Milo and I always found ourselves in. It was hard to deal with. Not that I would admit that aloud, especially not to big-mouthed Laynee! If Milo ever did come in here for a haircut, she would tell him for sure, trying to be helpful.
“No.” I forced a bland smile on my face, trying to cover up the truth of my feelings. “Nothing happened, but he did give me some rent money, so I have been able to pay some stuff off. It feels good to be back in the black with everything now; it makes me feel more positive for the year. If things keep going well, then we can start expanding like we so desperately want to.”
“Do we have many in today?”
“Nope,” I replied. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to let anything get me down today. We’re just going to keep on being positive, and things will start looking up. While we wait for everyone to rush in here demanding to get their hair done, why don’t you tell me a little more about what’s happening with Marc?”
From the way that her face fell, I could tell that it wasn’t going to be great news and guilt washed over me. Why did I bring him up when I knew that it was going to end up this way soon enough? I should have just waited for her to tell me when she felt ready.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, crestfallen. “He just do
esn’t seem as into me as he once did. I can’t help wondering what I’ve done wrong.”
I grabbed her shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. “If the guy isn’t falling at your feet, then he’s an absolute idiot. You have done nothing wrong. You’re incredible.”
“If that were true, then he would want me, wouldn’t he?” I hated this guy – what the hell was his problem? If he wasn’t careful, I would march down and have a very unpleasant word with him. “I just don’t get it.”
“I know it’s hard now – just remember how I was about Josh and I didn’t even care about him that much – but someone will come along soon enough, someone who is actually worthy of your time. There isn’t any point in worrying over someone who is so worthless.”
“Like Milo, you mean.” Oh great; we are back to that. “Are you going to give him his money’s worth now that he’s paid the rent?” She winked and shot me a wicked smile, but I only scowled back.
“Oh, come on, I can tell that you like him. like him. You turn into a schoolgirl with a crush when we talk about him. I haven’t seen you act this way for years. What is stopping you from just having some fun? Why don’t you just enjoy yourself?”
I couldn’t tell her the truth – there was no way that I could admit I was afraid I would end up falling too hard. I couldn’t bear the shame of telling Laynee that I already liked him far too much and that I didn’t want to get my heart broken by this man. It was too embarrassing.
“I just... It’s a silly idea, and he’s a paying customer. I can’t; how unprofessional would that be?” Blaming it on the cabin was much easier than anything else.
“Yeah, yeah, you will end up cracking before he goes home, I’m sure of it.”
I didn’t like to admit how right she was. I was practically living with this guy, we were surviving in the thick sexual atmosphere, and there was only so much that I could do. I was only human – there was only so much temptation I could resist.
Luckily, at that moment, the door clicked open and our first two customers of the day came in, saving me from talking about Milo anymore. But it didn’t stop me from thinking about him. I wasn’t sure anything was that much of a distraction...
“Hello, there, you two, you look great today.” I grinned, turning on the charm. Ms. Wilson and Mrs. Lino were two of our oldest customers, and they always had the same very boring style, but I adored them because they always kept coming back. “Now what can we do for you?”
They sat in front of me and Laynee, staring at their reflections in the mirror, gossiping about the other women in the town while we worked. I couldn’t help but smile as they talked; it was amazing what you learned working on people’s hair. It was almost as if they thought we couldn’t hear or that we had some sort of hairdresser/customer confidentiality agreement. We often found out about affairs, surprise pregnancies, and arguments before anyone else did.
It put us in a position of power, really, but we didn’t care. We knew it all, but the more that time passed, the more we realized how pointless it was. Who cared what was going on in other people’s lives? And everyone moved on quickly to the next topic soon enough, anyway.
“You two are pretty,” Mrs. Lino mused, snapping the attention of the room back to us. “But I never see you with guys. Do either of you have boyfriends?”
I wasn’t sure if she was asking to be kind or just to find out dirt on us, but after the chat I’d just had with Laynee, it was the last thing either of us wanted to be talking about.
“Erm, no...” I started, but Laynee interrupted me sharply, not letting me get a word in edgeways.
“I don’t, but Eliza does,” she teased. “But you won’t know him because he isn’t from around here.”
“Ooh.” The women both grew excited by this information. “Who is he? What is he like?”
“He’s tall, dark, and very handsome,” Laynee continued. “Super-hot, and he adores Eliza—”
“He isn’t my boyfriend,” I interjected quickly, wanting to stop the flow of rumors before they started. Not that it was likely, but if Milo heard them, I would literally die of humiliation. “He’s just... a guy.”
Unfortunately, that made it a million times worse, and the women talked over me as if I wasn’t even there. It was out there now – everyone would be talking about it. I just had to hope that something dramatic would happen soon enough to take the attention away from me. It wasn’t often that something super exciting went down, but I could hope for it all the same.
***
“Sorry about earlier,” Laynee finally said as we shut the lights off. “It was only a little joke. You aren’t mad, are you?”
“Oh, no, I’m not.” I shook my head and grinned. “It’s all just a little weird.”
“You are the one making it weird.” She chuckled. “You’re making this a much bigger deal than it is. Just take some of that rent money and buy him some food for a nice dinner. See where things go. Stop getting so worked up about stuff.”
“You think?” I asked, trembling a little. Maybe she was right – maybe I was finding problems that weren’t there, looking for an excuse to protect my heart. Just because I got along well with this guy didn’t mean I had to fall for him. Maybe we could do whatever and leave it all on good terms. Maybe it was time to have some fun...
Oh, God, I just didn’t know.
“I do think. Look, if you don’t put yourself out there, you’ll never meet anyone. You can’t let Josh ruin you, especially when you didn’t even like him really.”
“Oh, I know, you’re right about that one.”
Okay, I needed to trust her. I needed to relax just a little bit. I needed to believe that everything would be fine. I had cooked plenty of meals for Milo anyway, so one more wouldn’t be suspicious.
I left the salon and headed straight for the supermarket. If Marc was there and I got to give him a piece of my mind today, then so be it. If not, then I would just buy everything that I needed for tonight... including a nice bottle of wine.
My heart raced at the idea, and my face burst out into a grin. The thought of Milo wrapping those strong arms around me and his lips meeting mine had my whole body reacting in a buzzing, thrilling way. Being smart all the time hadn’t gotten me anywhere so far, so maybe it was actually time to try something new.
And just to think, if the damn pipes hadn’t burst in my apartment, if my landlord hadn’t been so useless, I never would have gotten to know Milo at all.
I would have given him the keys, thought he was cute, and not seen him again until he left. Sure, the money would have still been there, so the whole financial side of my life would have been a little better, but not knowing him would have been a shame.
Despite my initial impression of him, personality wise, he was an awesome person. Not the sort of person I would have even given much time to beforehand, never mind considered, which just proved that my previous way of looking for love just wasn’t working.
At least that was a lesson learned.
Chapter Fifteen
Milo – Friday night
“Oh, my goodness,” I gasped as I glanced out of the window of the cabin to see Eliza trying to carry far too many grocery bags yet again. “What is she doing?”
Eliza had cooked for me far too many times already. Just because I had offered for her to stay here with me during the time I was renting the place didn’t mean she had to keep doing all this nice stuff for me. It might have been nice, and admittedly she had this way of making me feel special, but I didn’t want her to think I expected it.
“Let me take the bags,” I cried out the doorway. “You’ve been hard at work all day; what are you doing? You should have just honked the horn to get me out here.”
As she unloaded some of the bags into my arms, she gave me a sarcastic look. “Yeah, four customers all day long. We’ve been working real hard!”
“Things will pick up,” I assured her. “You’ll figure it out.”
“Well, thanks to the rent mone
y you gave me, at least I could pay off a whole load of the bills, so that’s a good start. Laynee and I do have some ideas, so hopefully, we’ll be able to pull it off soon enough.”
We made our way inside and dropped the bags on the side, and I glanced through the bag. “What’s all this for? You aren’t cooking again, surely?”
“I wanted to say thank you.” She shrugged as if it were no big deal. “You overpaid me, I know you did, and this is my way of thanking you for that.”
“No way.” I shook my head at her. “I’ve seen what you have in these bags; tonight I’m cooking for you.”
“You can cook?” she exclaimed, clutching her chest in mock amazement. “I would have thought someone as rich as you would have cooks.”
“Do you see a cook?” I gestured around the room. “Do you honestly think that I would have come away without my cook if I needed one? I didn’t know that I was going to get lucky enough to have you staying here with me, did I?”
Uh oh. That was a little too much honesty for my liking. I probably shouldn’t have said that. I glanced at her out the corner of my eye, but luckily, she didn’t seem too caught by that statement. She just chuckled and hit me lightly on the arm.
“Okay, you want to cook, you cook. Let’s see what you can do. Meanwhile, I think I’m going to have a shower. Get this day washed off me.”
I watched her walk from the room, transfixed by her hips. As she clicked the bathroom door behind her, I set about cooking, but the whole time my mind was on Eliza... naked... in the shower. Her hot, wet body was only a few inches away, and it was impossible not to get distracted by that fact.
I grabbed the wine bottle and poured myself a glass, trying to find some way to dull the thoughts, but unfortunately, the more sips I took, the freer my imagination became. I started to think about her in ways that I hadn’t dared before.
How was I going to survive this trip if Eliza was going to be here for a few weeks longer? How would we ignore the magnetism and keep away from each other? The more time passed, the more impossible it felt. I had the horrible sense that we were both going to succumb to temptation soon enough, and I had no idea what would happen afterward.