With shaky legs, I managed to drive the few feet forward and park at the Blissful door. I shoved my phone back into my purse and made my way into the salon. I had to put on a happy face. So what if I was hungover? So what I just caught my boss cheating on my other boss with an employee? I had to pull it together and get through the day.
The afternoon passed quickly enough at Blissful. Allie had gotten the front desk ready to go for me by the time I walked in, which I was extremely grateful for considering the scene I had just witnessed. Allie, Mandy, Sophia, Courtney, and Jewel were on the books for the day. The schedules were pretty full, so walk-ins would be limited which was typical for a Saturday, but Allie and I still discussed calling in another stylist just in case we got even busier. She got a hold of Katie who agreed to come in around two. That would open up our availability and help get a few more appointments squeezed in.
I wasn’t able to work on any of my regular manager duties since I was the only one at the front desk. The phones remained constant and the stream of clients checking in and out helped the time pass quickly.
“Thank you for calling Blissful Salon and Spa. This is Alex, how may I help you?” I sang sweetly into the phone, at the same time smiling at the woman that just approached the counter from the salon. I could tell she had just been massaged by her smudged mascara, rumpled hair, and sleepy gaze. I held up a finger to let her know it would be just a minute.
“I would like a massage.” A gruff female voice came over the line. Definitely a smoker.
“Sure! When were you thinking of coming?” I pulled up the schedule, my pulse racing when another client walked in the door and stood behind the first lady. Shit. I hated getting backed up.
“I don’t know. When do you have?”
“Were you thinking today or tomorrow? Or someday next week?” I smiled at the new customer, a distinguished looking man probably in his thirties.
“Tomorrow is fine. Someone told me there are different types of massages. What does that mean?”
Sigh. I didn’t really want to explain everything with a line happening in front of me. “The basic types of massages are Swedish and deep tissue. The Swedish is focused more on relaxation as opposed to the deep tissue which is a firmer massage that focuses on target areas that you want addressed.”
“Hmm. Give me the deep tissue. I like firm!” the lady barked over the phone, then started hacking in my ear. It took all my willpower not to hold the phone away from me in disgust.
“Okay. Could you hold for me for a minute while I look up tomorrow’s schedule for you?” I asked, desperately wanting to address the clients in front of me.
“Yeah, sure. No mornings! I like to sleep in.”
“Sure thing. Please hold.” I jabbed the button on the receiver and set the phone down. “I’m sorry for the wait, ma’am. How was your massage?”
“Wonderful. Courtney does a terrific job,” she said, slipping a sparkling wedding ring back on her finger. “Can I reschedule with her in two weeks?”
“You sure can.” I ran through the schedule on one computer while ringing her up on the other. The phone beeped, reminding me I had someone on hold. I scrawled out an appointment card for Mrs. Klavandish and took her credit card receipt from her.
“Could you also make sure Courtney gets this?” she asked, handing me thirty dollars in cash. Jeepers, practically a fifty percent tip. Way to go, Courtney.
“I sure will. Thank you so much, Mrs. Klavandish. Stay warm out there!” With a wave and smile, she was out the door. “I’ll be right with you, sir. I’m just going to finish up this phone call,” I said, flashing him an apologetic smile.
“No problem. I’m actually waiting for someone anyway,” he said, smiling back at me. He removed his heavy coat, showing off his pressed white shirt underneath with a bright red tie. Just coming from work possibly? Or maybe just a man that always dresses nice?
I turned my focus away from him and hastily pulled up Sunday’s schedule. “Thank you so much for holding, ma’am. I have an opening tomorrow at three o’clock with Shawna. She specializes in deep tissue massage. Would that work for you?”
I typed in the woman’s name, phone number and address into Shawna’s three o’clock time, pressed save and ended the call. By the time I was putting the phone back in the cradle, a woman had joined Mr. Suit and Tie in the salon. She looked to be in her twenties, with platinum hair and big blue eyes. She took off her coat to reveal a slinky blue dress, patterned tights, and stiletto heels. Her boobs were way too big for her petite body–– silicone I was sure–– and her waist was practically non-existent. I didn’t know what to think of the couple.
“I can help you now. Thank you for your patience,” I said to them both, even though the man was really the only one waiting.
“We‘re checking in for a couple’s massage. Marcus Baylor and Tamara Schmidt,” the man said, putting his arm around Tamara’s tiny waist. She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. So they weren’t husband and wife. Maybe today was a special day, explaining the outfits. Maybe it started with a romantic brunch of strawberries and champagne, followed by a couple’s massage, then a romantic dinner and a proposal tonight! I loved making stories up in my head about the clients that came to Blissful.
“Okay, I have you both checked in. If you can just fill out this form for me, I’ll let Allie and Courtney know you are here.” I handed them each a clipboard with a pen attached, and they took a seat in the corner and started writing, Tamara practically in Marcus’s lap. An engagement was coming, I just knew it. How exciting for the two!
While they finished their paperwork, I hit the check-in button on the computer, alerting the therapists in the back that the clients were here. By the time Marcus and Tamara came back up with their clipboards, Allie and Courtney were approaching the front.
I was exhausted by the time Julia came in at two o’clock, and the Ibuprofen was beginning to wear off. My hangover was insistent on clawing its way back, making me feel sluggish and starving for a greasy cheeseburger. I tried to wait until Dani arrived before I went to get myself some lunch. I had told her not to rush when we were texting, but if she could be there around three that would be best. I felt bad making her change her plans, but I didn’t think it was fair for me to destroy my day either. By 3:30, still no Dani. From her messages I thought she should be there shortly, but decided it was best to eat. I didn’t want to wait any longer for fear I would a) throw up on the salon floor or b) not be hungry when I got to Bellini’s.
“Hey, Julia, do you think you’ll be okay for a few minutes?” I approached the desk with coat and hat on, purse in hand. “I haven’t eaten yet today and really need to feed my stomach.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry!” she answered in her soft voice, pushing a blonde curl away from her face. I knew that Julia actually preferred to work alone, and the girl could upsell better than myself. I assured myself she would be fine, and I would be gone for no more than ten minutes.
“Okay, I’ll be right back then. I have my cell phone on me if you need me. Do you want anything?” After she declined, I raced out the door and over to my Camry. I made it back to Blissful in seven minutes flat. Opening the salon door, I saw Dani at the desk with Julia. Finally! I could get home now.
“Hi, guys!” I said, feeling my spirits lift at both the thought of eating and being able to get home.
“Hi, Alex. How are you today, sweetie?” Dani said, giving me a warm smile.
“Good. It’s been a busy day. We called Katie in about two hours ago to help clear us for walk-ins. I just went to grab myself some lunch,” I said, feeling as though I needed to explain my absence. I held up the bag as proof.
“Terrific. Sales look great today. Thank you so much again for coming in. You were a real life-saver. You can head into the office to eat quick if you would like. Kevin’s back there,” Dani said, her eyes seeming to darken for a quick moment when she said her husband’s name.
“Okay. I’ll probably tak
e off after that then. If that’s okay, I mean,” I tacked on. Dani was planning on staying until close, right? Please let her stay.
“Yes, that’s fine. Kevin and I will be here the rest of the night. Thanks again for covering today. I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“Sure. I just want to get home quick because I have that second date I was telling you about.” I grinned at Dani, unable to hide my excitement about seeing Henry again.
“I totally forgot this was your date night! Oh, honey, please eat quick and get up out of here. Do you want anyone to do your hair or makeup here? Free of charge of course. I’ll cover it for you.”
“No, no, that’s okay. But thank you. My friends are planning on helping me, so I should be good.”
“Okay. Well, I hope you have a fabulous time with Henry. Henry, correct? I’m so excited for you. I’ll want details!”
I grinned at my boss, feeling the stress of the day slowly melt away. I really did like Dani. So what there had been a mistake today? It wasn’t her fault. It was her bastard husband’s.
“Thanks, I’ll make sure I tell you everything. Have a good rest of the night!” I headed back to the office clutching my bag of food. I was so ready to devour my burger and fries. I was starting to feel light-headed from the lack of food. Like Dani said, Kevin was at the desk, typing away at the keyboard. I smirked when I saw him typing, one finger at a time jabbing the keys. For such a smart businessman, you’d think he would learn the proper way to type.
“Alex. You’re here,” he said, turning to face me. I didn’t like his tone of voice. Sarcastic maybe. Condescending even.
“Yep. Went to get myself some lunch,” I said, once again holding the bag out as proof.
“I thought I went over this with you already. We want a manager here at all times.”
Before I could stop it, my mouth dropped open. Was he kidding? “Um, I’ve been here all day. I literally was gone for seven minutes to get myself some lunch,” I said, my hand beginning to shake.
Kevin shook his head, looking down at his phone. “Julia isn’t trained enough to be left here by herself. What if something had happened and she couldn’t fix it? The whole salon would have looked bad.”
My anger was to a boiling point. I had come in on my day off, worked my ass off, filled in for him, who couldn’t bother to call anyone including his wife to say he couldn’t come in, and now I was getting reprimanded for getting myself food? For having lunch at four o’clock instead of a decent lunch hour? “Kevin, I’m sorry, but I haven’t eaten yet today. I had to have some food or I would have literally fainted at the desk. I was called in this morning, on my day off, to fill in.” I wanted to say for your sorry ass, but I wasn’t feeling bold enough. “I’m not sure what I could have done differently in this situation. I rushed here this morning to try to open on time so I couldn’t get breakfast or lunch to pick up. I had to eat at some point.” I was surprised at how level my voice was coming out. I wanted to scream at him. How could I not be granted a lunch break?
“Next time, get something delivered. Or have one of the employees get it for you,” Kevin snapped back at me. His phone started ringing at that moment. “I have to take this. This Kevin,” he hollered into the phone, storming out of the office.
I stood there, stunned. So I couldn’t take a lunch break. I wonder if that was noted anywhere in the employee handbook. Or if the other employees were aware that I could force them to go get me food. Like I would ever ask anyone to do that. I ate my lunch without really tasting it, wanting to cry. I was bone-tired, furious, and really needed to turn my mood around. I couldn’t be snapping at Henry and taking my frustrations out on him. I needed to get out of this place. This soul-sucking, happiness-draining chamber called Blissful. What a joke.
I threw my fast food bag away and bundled myself up. Grabbing my purse, I opened the office door and started to walk down the hallway. As I passed the spa area, I could hear low voices coming from one of the rooms. I paused outside room number one, Allie’s main room. I could definitely make out Kevin’s low rumble and then Allie’s high-pitched laugh. I wondered what they could be discussing. I hoped it wasn’t me. Kevin wouldn’t talk shit about his own manager to another employee though–– would he? I hoped not. But after what I had seen today, I knew not to trust Kevin.
I was just getting ready to keep walking when I heard a different noise. It sounded like–– no, it couldn’t be. Kissing? Disbelief crawled through my skin. The soft smacking noise sure sounded like kissing to me. Before I could react, the door was pressed all the way closed. The click had me jumping out of my skin, and I practically ran the rest of the way into the salon area. Mandy caught my eye when I walked in, cocking her head in a silent question. I knew my smile was weak, but I forced it anyway and continued to rush to the front desk. Maybe it was Kevin and Dani in the room. Maybe they just needed a private moment. Maybe––
“Taking off then, Alex?” Dani asked me. Fuck. It wasn’t her. What the hell was Allie doing in her massage room with Kevin? And what the hell was Kevin doing with Allie just hours after he got done with Kamille? I felt dizzy.
“Yep, I’m off. I’ll see you on Tuesday.” My voice sounded shaky to my ears.
“Have fun tonight on your date. I can’t wait to meet this Henry guy,” Dani said, giving me a friendly wave. I waved back and said good-bye to Julia, then hurried out to my car.
What the hell was going on with Kevin Dohlman and the Blissful employees?
Chapter 13
“I will have the manicotti al forno with the salad, please,” I said, pleased at my selection and that choosing was easier than I anticipated.
“For you, sir?” Our waiter, clad in a tuxedo and bowtie, turned to Henry.
“And I’ll have the toasted ravioli with meatballs, please. Salad as well.” Henry handed the waiter our menus and he was off. I breathed a sigh of relief that the ordering part was over. Bellini’s had an extensive menu and luckily there were several items I was okay ordering. Even though the place was seriously fancy (I mean, the waiter was in a tux!) the menu was pretty self-explanatory.
“So I know you said you had a crazy day. What happened?” Henry asked, taking a sip of his soda. I liked the fact that he didn’t order alcohol. I didn’t want to feel like a dunce because I wasn’t drinking, but I wasn’t comfortable using my fake here–– or anywhere really.
“Well, it was supposed to be my day off at Blissful, but I ended up getting called in. The regular girl called in sick and the owner was supposed to work but she had to shop and then...” I trailed off, realizing how heavy my body felt just talking about Blissful. And how disgusted I felt knowing about Kevin and his sleazy ways with the staff. “You know what? I don’t even want to talk about work tonight. Some stressful things are going on there, and I just want to really enjoy myself. With you,” I added, hoping that wasn’t a blush I felt creeping into my cheeks. Henry looked good tonight, in pressed khakis and a white dress shirt with faint blue lines running vertically through the material. His dark hair was neatly combed and his blue eyes, well, were doing funny things to my stomach. I kept having to remind myself it was only the second date. I wasn’t in love with this guy or anything.
“That’s fine by me. Lila mentioned you might be a little stressed about it today.”
“She did? When?”
“When you went back into your room to get your gloves. She just said you’ve been working extra hours and the no sleep is getting to you. And that I had to make sure you eat tonight.” He chuckled, but I felt mortified. Was Lila implying to Henry that I was anorexic? He must have noticed my stricken face because he quickly added, “I don’t think she meant anything bad by it. Just that you’re so busy you rarely get any time for yourself anymore. That’s all.”
I relaxed into my seat. Of course that’s what Lila meant. “Yeah. It’s been a little crazy. And apparently I don’t get a normal lunch break like everyone else.”
“I’m sorry, what?
You don’t get a lunch break? Isn’t that illegal?”
I shook my head, trying to get Blissful out of my thoughts. “Sorry, no, never mind. No Blissful talk. Just a weird situation that happened today.”
But Henry didn’t look convinced. “Alex, are you not allowed to take breaks when you’re working? Because that is illegal. For every four hours you work you get a fifteen-minute break. Or something along those lines. I don’t remember the exact numbers, but you can’t work all day without one.”
“No, today was just a weird situation with getting called in and all that. I’m sure it won’t happen again.” I wasn’t so sure. “But really, let’s just change the subject. Where do you work?”
“I work at the youth center downtown.”
“Really? Doing what?”
Henry shrugged, but the look on his face was unmistakably proud. “This and that. I do a lot with the kids and sports. Ref the basketball games, coordinate all the schedules for the gyms, try to drum up interest in the sports program.”
“The youth center. Isn’t that where kids go when–– well, when they...” I wasn’t sure how to phrase my question.
“It’s mainly used by kids whose parents don’t have a lot of income. Many times the kids are told to go to the youth center to keep them off the streets. Their schools will make them go there.”
I nod my head, impressed by Henry’s obvious interest in helping these kids. “I guess I was going to say underprivileged, but didn’t want that to come out the wrong way or anything.”
“No, underprivileged is a good word to use. Most of these kids come from broken homes, or parents that are in jail. Some just don’t have the money to be able to belong to the fancy gyms around here.”
“Do you like what you do?”
“I love it. I like working with kids and teaching them sports. I’ve always loved sports, but everyone in my family was always too busy for me when I was growing up. My dad owns his own business and my brother was always into designing and building things, not really sports. I did a lot on my own and then with Peter and Max when we became friends.”
The Green Ticket Page 16