by Aspen Drake
“You’re actually serious.” She turns back to the mirror so I can finish with her foils. “You know that picture that was on every billboard from here to the airport a few years back? He was wearing a black shirt that was pulled up and he held it in his teeth.”
“No way.” I remember that billboard well. I think I might still have a photo of it on my phone. “That wasn’t him.”
Paige has a smug look on her face as she nods. “Sure was.”
Damn. Gabi tapped that! I have a whole new kind of envy toward my best friend. And a whole new level of appreciation for the man that let me cut his million dollar hair this morning.
Carly is at her station with a new client. I can hear her consultation and the woman is as brassy as her hair. She’s in for a tone down to get a platinum look instead of the mess she’s currently sporting. I follow Carly and her client into the shampoo room and start removing Paige’s foils.
It only takes a minute for me to get Paige rinsed and we’re back at my station. Carly is still chatting with her client about just needing two minutes to process the violet toner then she’ll be back to her chair.
I don’t look up when the door opens but a familiar voice catches my attention.
“I’m here to see Carly.” Mason, the guy from Creamy’s Bakery, is looking around at the few stylists left in the salon.
“Oh, hi.” I step away from Paige and walk to the front. “Carly will be out in a minute.”
“Is that my brother?” Carly comes running out of the back room, pulling off her gloves as she does. “I can’t believe you actually came.”
“Oh, Mason is your brother?” I look to Carly, surprised that they aren’t together. They would make an adorable couple.
His eyebrow lifts at my mention of his name. He probably thinks I’ve been stalking him. Is his smile arrogance or interest?
“My twin,” she says proudly. Carly looks from me to Mason. “You two know each other?”
“She likes my cream stick.” Mason winks at me as I feel my face burn.
“God, you remember that? I was having a bad day. Like, a seriously bad day.” I smile sheepishly.
“I hope things are looking up for you.” He glances around the salon. “I didn’t realize you were a stylist here.”
“I wasn’t at the time. Today’s my first day.” I remember Paige and step back. “Oh, and I’ve got a client waiting. It’s great to see you again.”
When I get back to Paige, she’s thumbing through a copy of People. “You’ve got all the hot guys after you.”
“What?” I snort then cough to cover it up. Snorting isn’t my most attractive trait. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I’m serious.” She nods toward Nate.
I didn’t notice he was back at his station but I scoff at the absurdity of her gesture. “No way.”
“Way.” She lowers her voice and leans toward me. “He watches you all the time.”
I can’t stop my eyes from finding his in the mirror. He looks away quickly as if trying to disprove her claim. I follow his gaze and see he’s watching Carly and Mason. He probably has a thing for her after their lunch date today.
Paige has an ‘I told ya so’ look on her face when I finally pull my eyes away from Nate. “See.”
I just shrug and shake my head a little. To drown out my own thoughts, I turn on the hair dryer and get her finished up.
Mason is only there for about fifteen minutes before Carly gives him a hug and walks back to her station. She looks a little confused for a second before a horrified look crosses her face. “Oh my god!”
Carly turns toward the shampoo room and shrieks. Her two minute toner hasn’t been washed out yet. I step away from Paige and go to see if I can help. Carly is frantically spraying down the bright purple hair on her snooty client. The woman is in tears as she gets glimpses of the disaster in her peripheral vision.
“Don’t worry, Shel. We’ll fix this.”
“Fix this? You’ve destroyed my hair! How can you fix this?”
Nate is at the client’s side within seconds. “Shelly, right?” When she nods, he grabs her hand and rubs the inside of her forearm with his fingertips. “We can do a bleach bath and go light or color it darker. What were you looking for when you came in?”
“Platinum.” Her tears slow down as she lets Nate’s calm voice and touch soothe her. I’m as mesmerized as she is.
“We can do that. It might take a little bit longer. Do you have to be anywhere tonight?”
She shakes her head and sniffs. “I was just going to pick up dinner after this.”
“I’d be happy to have dinner brought in while you’re here or I can get something delivered for you to take when you leave. Anything you want.”
“Oh, well, I guess that would be fine.”
“Carly, you need anything else or can you handle things?”
“I’ve got it from here.” Carly wipes her own teary eyes and takes a deep breath. “Thanks, Nate.”
“Of course.” He looks back to Shelley. “You’re in good hands with Carly.”
Shelly just nods and stares into those crystal clear eyes that I’ve found myself staring into more often than not. Damn, he’s good. That could have been a catastrophe that he completely managed and didn’t even get mad at Carly. She probably feels stupid for making such a rookie mistake but life goes on.
“You have dinner plans?” Olivia is cleaning up and getting ready to leave.
“No.” I look at Paige and she’s already finished styling her own hair. “I’m sorry, Paige. I shouldn’t have left you here.”
“No worries.” She sets it with spray and walks toward me. “It’s perfect. I love it.”
“Oh, good.” I smile and lift the top layer to make sure it’s even. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Yup. See ya tomorrow.” She bolts out of there with her phone in her hand. She must have some where to be. Which reminds me that I don’t have any place to be.
“So, dinner?” Olivia is waiting with her purse in one hand and an unlit cigarette in the other. “I’m starving.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Nate is at the reception desk, doing something on the computer. “Night, Nate,” I say as we pass by.
“Nice work, Amy.” He gives me a half smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I nod vigorously. “Nine thirty sharp!”
Chapter Four
Nate
By the time I lock up for the night, I feel restless and annoyed. I’m not sure what’s wrong but I’m out of sorts and not happy about it.
My first instinct is to drive to Skip’s, a little restaurant at the end of the road that leads to my house. But I’m not in the mood to deal with locals so I take a left at the top of the hill and drive along the coast for about an hour.
Just when I get to a spot on the windy road to turn around, I see a little bar with neon lights flashing and pickup trucks filling the lot. Denim ‘n Darts. That’ll work.
I park my brand new Lexus RC F in the first space I come to that isn’t wedged between giant tires and head on in. I don’t do country bars often but as I walk into the dimly lit room, I immediately relax. The music is actually soothing in its unfamiliarity. I definitely won’t run into anybody I know in a dive like this.
I approach the bar and order a Coors Light. I haven’t had one since high school and I think back to how much my life has changed since then. If I didn’t leave school at seventeen to pursue modeling, would I have gone to college? Become the doctor my mom always wanted me to be. Or maybe the investment banker my dad hoped for so I could follow in his footsteps.
The bartender places an open bottle in front of me then walks away. Just as I take my first drink, a tall redhead slides onto the stool next to me.
“Careful with that or you’ll crush it.”
I take a slow sip before turning to look at her. “Pardon me?”
“The bottle.” She nods toward my fist, wrapped around the long neck. “
The way you’re clenching that thing, you’d think it was trying to escape with your woman.”
I take another drink before setting the bottle on the wooden bar and stretching my fingers. “Don’t have a woman.” I shake out my hand and offer it to her. “Nate.”
With a soft grip, her long fingernails lightly scratch the inside of my wrist. “Pleasure to meet you, Nate. I’m Allison.”
“Good to meet you, Allison.” She’s tapping an empty glass to get the bartender’s attention. “Can I buy you a drink?”
She looks me over and smiles. “Sure can.”
The jeans she’s wearing could be painted on but I’m not concerned about that. She isn’t someone I’d take home but in my current state, she’s the perfect girl to scratch my itch. She doesn’t know me from Adam. I’m just fresh blood in a bar she probably spends a lot of time in.
I bring the bottle to my lips and finish my beer. The piss water goes down easier if I chug it. The next one won’t be as bad.
When the bartender works his way back to us, he smirks at the woman. “Alli, you ready for a refill?”
She nods and looks over to me. “Yeah, I’ll have what Nate’s having.”
“Nate, huh?” The guy gives me an appraising look as he pulls a cold bottle from his cooler and pops the top. “You want another one, man?”
I nod as he slides the open bottle to Allison and reaches for another. Before he can ring her up, I drop two twenties on the counter and turn to stand. “Shall we?”
Allison stands and tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Please.”
We walk to a back booth that’s facing the dance floor. I can tell by the way she’s wiggling that she wants to dance but I’m not in the mood. There’s only one thing I’m looking for tonight and it’s not gonna happen in the middle of a dance floor.
Allison slides to the center of the booth and I scoot in next to her. We make small talk for a while before she twists her body and swings her legs up over my lap. Subtle.
“You know I’m the envy of every girl in this place,” she says before taking a drink.
“And why is that?” I wrap my arm behind her back so my hand is resting on her hip.
She scratches her red fingernail across my scruffy jaw then down my neck, drawing lazy circles on the skin below my Adam’s apple. “Because you’re sexy as sin and have that fuck me look in your eyes.”
The dirty talk is actually turning me on more than the woman herself. Since this is really what I came here for, I gently press my lips to hers, licking the seam slowly before pulling back. “I apologize for the crudeness of my eyes but they know what they want.”
She chases my mouth with hers then shifts her body so she’s straddling my lap in the booth. In the limited space, her tits are smashed into my chest, almost popping out the top of her tight tank top.
Her mouth closes over mine and attacks. My hand instinctively grasps the back of her head as I allow her to molest my tongue. She’s sucking and tangling with it as if we only have a few moments together. It’s fine with me. I’d like to get this over with as soon as possible.
My free hand brushes the skin between her waist and the edge of her shirt. As soon as I touch her bare flesh, she shivers and grinds her ass into my lap.
My cock is finally showing some interest. Thank fucking god. I let nature take its course, lifting my pelvis off the seat to rub against her so she knows I’m ready. My tongue takes control of her mouth, probing and sweeping along her teeth, feeling her wetness as if it was flowing between her legs.
“Wanna go in the back?” She pants the words into my neck but I hear her fine over the loud music.
With a final thrust up into her crotch, I pull back. “Lead the way, gorgeous.”
She climbs out of my lap with a swipe of her palm across the bulge under my zipper. I follow silently as she sashays across the dance floor to the women’s restroom.
At this point, I’m along for the ride and assume she knows what she’s doing. I’m not disappointed when we walk into the surprisingly clean room and see a leather settee in one corner.
Locking the door behind me, Allison shoves me onto the seat and climbs on top of me. I barely have time to pull down the front of her tank before her full breasts are surrounding my head. I inhale her musky scent and turn my head to accept her tight nipples between my lips. With a soft nibble, she bucks further into my mouth and I suck in the tip of her full breast. My tongue is swirling and dousing her skin with saliva while my hands rip open her jeans.
The suction from my throat releases with a loud pop as her zipper drops and my fingers slide into her wetness. “Fuck, babe.” I pull out and inhale my fingers. “You’re soaked.”
The olfactory stimulation kicks my libido into overdrive. I’m tired of waiting. I can’t wait anymore. With a quick flip, Allison is on her back and her pants are peeled away from her skin.
Before I drop my jeans, I pull out my wallet and remove the condom I put in just this morning. The biggest downside to one night stands is always having to keep a fucking rubber on hand. If there was a reliable male birth control pill, I’d be all over it.
No sooner is my dick in my hand before Allison hones in and devours it. My knees are about to buckle from the sudden suction against my head. She’s pretty good at this. I let her work my shaft for another minute before pulling off and crouching down in front of her. “Lay back, babe.”
She does as I ask, letting her knees fall open in the process. Her red hair is natural and calls to me like a beacon. I let her short curls tickle my nose for just a second before I flatten my tongue against her soaking skin and go to work. She’s obviously sensitive because as soon as I suck on her nub, she digs her fingers into my hair and closes her thighs against my head. “Yes, yes.”
With her thighs propped up on my shoulders, my hands are free to roll on the condom. Once she’s done rocking against my face, I stand and push straight into her. No more foreplay.
I’m completely inside her in one thrust. “God, you’re tight.” I didn’t expect that based on how forward she was but she doesn’t complain.
Allison tilts her hips upward and wraps her legs around my waist, hooking her feet behind me. “Yes, harder.”
As I lean over her, I know it won’t take long. My mouth closes over hers as my hand gently kneads her breast, twisting her nipple. She pulls away to breathe then screams, “More. Like that.”
She squeezes my shaft as I bury myself all the way inside her and empty into her warmth. “Fuck.”
I hold still over her for a moment, softly licking her swollen lips as we both catch our breaths. Her eyes look like they are only partially sated. “Damn, that was fast…in a really good way.”
I laugh. “I know what you mean.”
I probably should be embarrassed or feel bad but she got what she wanted. And I got what I needed. At least what I think I needed.
We get cleaned up and I walk Allison back to the bar. “Can I get you anything before I head out?”
She looks shocked. “You’re leaving?”
I smile and give her a hug. “It was really nice to meet you. I had a great time.”
She nods and turns away. “Yeah. Me too.”
Okay then. “Take care.”
She doesn’t even look at me as I walk away. I really am a manwhore.
It’s not until I’m driving back up the coast that I realize I still have that restless nagging inside me that I’ve felt all day. The feeling that started when I saw Olivia and her friend outside the salon. The friend I hired to work right behind me. The beautiful brunette that I can’t seem to get out of my fucking head.
Chapter Five
Amy
I forgot how much work Olivia could be. When she’s not working, she chain smokes so we have to choose a restaurant with a heated patio so she can continue to puff all through dinner.
We settle on a build-your-own-burger joint and each order a beer. I need one. After my little fiasco this morning and the purple hair
incident at the end of the day, my nerves are shot.
The cool ale feels good and by the time our burgers arrive, I’m famished.
“So, what do you think of the place so far?” Olivia asks just before taking a huge bite of her veggie and brie burger.
I shrug and nibble on a fry. “I was nervous around Nate but everyone seems nice.” I take a bite of my more fattening beef and bacon burger.
“What’s the deal with you two anyway?” Olivia can’t disguise the genuine envy in her eyes. “Have you hooked up in the past or something?”
“God, no!” I almost choke as she says it. “I thought he was gay when we first met.”
Olivia laughs and does choke a little on her dry looking veggie burger. “Why? Because he owns a hair salon?”
“Sorta.” I hate that I’m so swayed by stupid stereotypes. “I just figured because he’s so hot and looks so good…he probably was.”
“Well,” she says as if she’s speaking from personal experience, “he’s most definitely not.”
“Have you hooked up with him?” I whisper, looking around to make sure he’s not at the next table walking past us on the sidewalk.
“I wish.” She lights up a cigarette from the butt she’s still sucking on. “The things I would do to that man.”
“So he really doesn’t date any of the stylists?” I’ve heard the girls say it but I still find it hard to believe. Nate exudes sex from every pore. How can he not be sleeping with the beautiful women in the salon?
“He really doesn’t.” Her fake sad voice and pouty lip is almost sweet, if not for the cancer stick hanging from her face.
I have to admit I’m impressed by his professionalism. He’s so hard to read but he must take his salon seriously to not mix business with pleasure. I’m liking him more by the minute.
“I think he has commitment issues. He’s a fuck ‘em and forget ‘em type.” She waves a cloud of smoke from her face then takes a drink. “All my clients have told me that.”
My burger is delicious and I’m only a third through it but her comment kills my appetite. “Your clients? He sleeps with clients?”