by E. L. Todd
I walked into the hair salon and spotted Jessie at her station. “Pack up your shit and let’s go. Happy hour ends in an hour.”
“Chill.” Jessie wrapped up the hair dryer then returned it to the station. Then she quickly swept the hair off the floor before tossing her apron over the back of the chair. “Alright. Let’s head out.”
We left the salon then walked down the block to our favorite cocktail bar.
“How was work?” I was surprised Jessie didn’t immediately ask me to spill the beans about Ryker. Knowing her, that would be the only thing she cared about.
“It was alright. I had this new client come in and she asked me to cut her hair and style it. But when I was done, she got pissed off and said it didn’t look good on her. Like, how is that my fault? She’s the one who picked it.”
“Did she ask for her money back?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you give it to her?”
“Hell no. That’s not how I run my business.”
“I wouldn’t have given it to her either.”
She put her hands in the pocket of her jacket. “And I don’t care about losing a client. My schedule is so booked up that it really doesn’t make a difference. Besides, I don’t want to do her hair ever again. Fuck. That. Shit.”
I chuckled and crossed my arms over my chest to fight the cold. “You did the right thing. She can go somewhere else and make them suffer.”
“Poor soul…”
We entered the bar then got a table in the corner. We ordered our drinks, and once they were there, we downed them like shots.
“There we go.” Jessie leaned back and sighed. “That’s what I’ve been looking forward to all day.”
“Me too.” I wiped my lips with the back of my forearm.
“When’s Kayden coming?”
I eyed my watch. “She should be here soon. She said she wanted to shower after work.”
“Probably because she smells like dust from all those books.”
“Yeah.” I waved down the bartender and got us two more drinks. “Half-off drinks, so I’m ordering twice as many.”
Jessie clanked her glass against mine. “Word.”
Kayden entered the bar, her blonde hair giving her away.
“There she is.” I waved her over.
Kayden smiled then came our way. She took a seat and eyed the empty glasses. “Wow. You guys didn’t wait up.”
“Like you wouldn’t have done the same,” Jessie said.
Kayden paused for a second before she finally nodded. “You’re right.”
“Yep.” Jessie waved down the bartender so Kayden could order something.
Kayden got her glass and took a long drink.
Jessie eyed her. “Bad day?”
“It was just long.” She didn’t give any further explanation.
Jessie turned to me. “So, what’s new with you?”
What kind of question is that? “What? I expected you to bite my head off with questions about the other night.” I was surprised when I didn’t even get a response the following morning after I left Ryker’s.
“What happened the other night?” Jessie deadpanned.
“You’re joking, right?” I asked.
Jessie pointed to her face. “Does it look like I’m joking?”
“You didn’t get my text?” I know I sent it.
“Again, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jessie said.
“And I have no idea what’s going on.” Kayden occupied herself with her drink.
“The other night, I hooked up with Ryker. I didn’t know what to tell my brother so—”
“Who’s Ryker?” Kayden asked.
“Yeah?” Jessie said.
“I’ll get to that in a second,” I said quickly. “Anyway, I texted my brother and told him I was staying with you so he wouldn’t get weird about it. Then I texted you and told you to be my alibi.”
Jessie held up her hand, what she usually did when she was about to throw some attitude my way. “You’re a grown woman who can do whatever she wants. Why are you lying to him? If you spent the night with some guy, you shouldn’t have to hide it. And he’s staying in your apartment. Remember that.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know. But he always gets weird about it. Always.”
“Tell him to grow the hell up,” Jessie said. “He sleeps around, so what does it matter what you do?”
“He just cares about you,” Kayden said. “You know, the protective brother.”
I didn’t care if he was brother-of-the-year. “I shouldn’t have to lie. I admit that. But he’s only living with me temporarily, so instead of going toe-to-toe with him, I’d rather just avoid the confrontation until he leaves.”
Jessie eventually nodded in agreement. “I guess I see your point.”
“It’s just easier this way,” I said. “And you know how Rex is. When he’s pissed about something, he’ll never let it go.”
“I think he just wants to make sure you’re being respected and treated right,” Kayden said. “He doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but he clearly cares about you.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “Why do you keep defending him?”
“I’m not,” Kayden said. “I’m just being the devil’s advocate. It’s always good to understand both points of view. Rex sees himself as a father figure for you. He clearly thinks it’s his responsibility to look after you. It’s sweet, actually.”
“Sweet, my ass,” I said. “He becomes a control freak.”
Kayden shrugged.
“Maybe you should tell him off,” Jessie said.
“I might,” I said. “But I’ll wait until he moves out so I don’t have to see him every day.”
“Good call,” Jessie said.
“Back to my original point,” I said. “I texted you to cover for me. I specifically told you not to tell Rex I wasn’t with you that night. You don’t remember that?”
“Girl, if I got your text, I would have known it.” Jessie sipped her drink then ate the olive.
“But I know I sent it. Check your phone.”
She sighed in irritation before she pulled it out of her bag. Then she opened up the screen where my text messages were listed. “Look. The last message I got from you was on Monday when you asked which brand of hair dryer you should get.” She handed it to me.
That couldn’t be right. I checked her phone and realized my message wasn’t there.
“You probably didn’t hit the send button or something,” Kayden said. “I do that all the time.”
I set Jessie’s phone down before I pulled out my own. “I guess. You haven’t talked to Rex then?”
“Nope,” Jessie said.
“Phew.” I pulled out my phone and looked at Jessie’s conversation. It wasn’t written in the text box, which was strange. I hadn’t texted her anything else so the words should still be there even if I didn’t send them.
“Maybe you texted someone else,” Kayden said. “I do that all the time when I’m exhausted.”
“I guess…” The only other person I texted was Rex, but there was no way I sent it to him. I opened his conversation then almost screamed. “No!”
“What?” Jessie and Kayden said together.
If Rex asks, I was with you tonight. I’ll tell you the details later.
“God fucking dammit.” I pounded my fist on the table. “I sent it to Rex instead.”
Jessie’s eyes widened. “You’re serious?”
I threw the phone at her.
She checked the screen and saw the same thing I did. “Shit…”
I covered my face because I couldn’t handle the horror. “No. No. No.”
“She really sent it to him?” Kayden asked.
“Yep,” Jessie said. “And it even says he read it.”
“Kill. Me. Now.” I slowly lowered my hands and wanted to rest my forehead against the table because I was depleted of all reason to live.
“That’s awkward,” Jessie said. “Has he said anything
to you?”
“No.” Which was weird, now that I thought about it.
“Hmm…” Jessie set down the phone and returned to her drink. “He obviously read it, so why hasn’t he confronted you?”
“He’s probably waiting to ambush me at the right time.” Now there wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to make me feel better. “And just yesterday, I went on and on about all the stuff we did together that night…and he knew I was lying the entire time.”
“Ouch,” Kayden said. “That’s rough.”
“See?” Jessie said. “You should have just told him the truth.”
“Not now,” I snapped.
“What are you going to do?” Kayden asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I guess I’ll just wait for him to confront me.”
“Or maybe he won’t confront you at all,” Jessie said. “If you felt the need to lie to him, then maybe he realized he’s being too involved in your personal life. Maybe he took it as a sign to step back.”
“Maybe…but I doubt it.” I wish that were the case.
“What other explanation is there?” Jessie asked.
“I guess that’s true,” I admitted.
“Maybe he’s let it go and moved on,” Jessie said. “It has been a few days.”
“True,” I said in agreement.
“Now enough of that,” Kayden said. “Who’s Ryker?”
“Yeah,” Jessie said. “He sounds hot.”
“He is,” I said. “Oh boy, he is.”
“Spill it.” Jessie snapped her fingers.
“Remember that guy I ran into at the park?” I said.
“Yeah,” Kayden said.
Jessie nodded.
“Well, it’s him. Apparently, he went to high school with Rex and Zeke so they’re friends. He just moved back here from New York so they reconnected. We played basketball together, and afterward, he invited me over.”
“Ooh…” Jessie rubbed her palms together. “And how was it?”
“Ah-maze-ing.” Every second of it was a taste of heaven. “He had the right package and the right style. I left there feeling completely satisfied.”
“I’m jealous,” Jessie said. “Are you seeing him again?”
“I’m sure I’ll see him around because he’s friends with Rex, but we aren’t going to go on a date or anything.” We didn’t even exchange phone numbers.
“That’s it?” Kayden asked.
“He made it pretty clear he was just looking for a one-night stand. And I’m fine with that. I’ve been going through a dry spell, so it was nice to have something purely physical.” Now that we were talking about Ryker, I was distracted from the ordeal with Rex.
“You don’t think you’ll sleep together again?” Jessie asked.
“Nah. The one time was fun, but I don’t want to make it a regular thing. That gets too complicated.” Feelings get involved, and it’s too hard to walk away.
“So if he asked you out, you would say no?” Jessie asked incredulously.
“If he asked me on a date, I’d say yes in two seconds. But he’ll never ask me. I’m not gonna hold my breath and wait for that to happen.” Ryker was handsome and charismatic, but I knew a player when I saw one. Guys like that never changed, and when they did, it was only for someone really special.
And I knew I wouldn’t be that special someone.
Kayden nodded. “You’re right. Never wait around for a guy.”
“Hell no,” Jessie said. “At least you got your fix so you can move on.”
“Yeah. And I definitely don’t regret it. It was nice…really nice.”
Both of them looked at me with envy in their eyes.
I needed to change the subject so they wouldn’t keep staring at me like that. “What about you guys?” I asked. “What’s new with you?”
***
Mr. Price came down to the lab near the end of the day. He wasn’t very old, maybe in his late fifties, but he seemed frail. He walked slowly, like every step caused him pain. His smile wasn’t as bright as it used to be. I wondered if I was the only one who noticed.
“How’s it going down here?” Mr. Price approached my workbench and leaned on the counter.
“Pretty good. I have a few ideas I’m working on.”
“You’ve always been a hard worker. I appreciate that.” His hair had fallen out, and he was nearly bald. He used to be twenty pounds overweight, but now he was on the leaner side.
“I appreciate the opportunity to work here.” COLLECT was nice because all the lab equipment was clean and new. The pay was great, and the benefits were awesome. If everything stayed the same, I intended to work there for a long time.
“You’re a sweet kid.” He patted me on the back. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you too, Mr. Price.” He always infected the halls with his buoyant spirit. He was the kind of boss that made you feel appreciated. I never felt like a simple employee. I always felt like a person. “But I’m sure we’ll still see each other.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I’m sure we will.”
“Is today your last day?”
He nodded. “It’s weird to think I won’t be walking down these halls anymore…”
“I’m sure it is.” He opened this company and worked here for over thirty years. It was like a child to him. “What plans do you have for retirement?”
“You know, some traveling and whatnot.”
“You think your son is ready to fill your large shoes?”
He chuckled. “He’ll be fine. He’s exceptionally bright. I’m not sure where he gets it from.”
“You, I’m sure.”
He clapped me on the shoulder and laughed. “You’re too sweet. You’re going to make a man very happy someday.”
“I hope so.”
“Don’t accept anyone less than the best,” he said. “You’re too good for that.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“Well…” He stood up straight and looked tired. “I just wanted to come down here one more time.”
I pulled him in for a hug and held it for a moment. “Thank you for everything, Mr. Price.”
He hugged me tightly before he let go. “No, thank you.” He gave me a smile before he headed to the entrance. He walked slowly, like he carried a heavy weight that I couldn’t see.
***
I came home that evening and was immediately on alert. Rex hadn’t confronted me about that text message, and I suspected he would eventually. Waiting around was the hardest part. It was going to lead to a fight, and I just wanted to get it over with.
I saw him in the living room. “Hey, how was your day?”
“Boring. Super boring.” He didn’t look over his shoulder to talk to me. A beer was sitting on the table, condensation beading against the glass. He hadn’t been himself lately. He was usually talkative, and when he wasn’t, he usually argued with me. But now he was docile and quiet.
I knew he was pissed. “Things will pick up, and then you’ll be on your toes all day.”
“Maybe.”
“Well, I’m going to take a shower.” I headed to the hallway.
“Are you actually going to shower?” he snapped. “Or is that your alibi?” His eyes were glued to the TV.
I froze on the spot, realizing the moment had finally come. I sighed quietly so he couldn’t hear it before I walked into the living room. It was stupid to feel uneasy. It was my personal life, and he shouldn’t stick his nose in it at all. But anytime my brother was upset, it put me on edge.
Rex refused to look at me. He didn’t even glance my way.
I sat on the other couch, not wanting to be too close to him.
“What?” he said. “You aren’t sure?”
I held my silence.
He finally looked at me when I remained unresponsive. There was anger in his eyes as well as disappointment. “Since you weren’t with Jessie the other night, where were you really?”
I didn’t bo
ther acting innocent.
“Hmm?” he asked. “Or are you going to lie to me again?”
“Rex, where I was is none of your business, so I’m not going to answer.”
He clenched his jaw.
“I’m sorry I lied to you. I just didn’t know what else to say.”
He rose to his feet quickly like he couldn’t sit still. “I know you and I butt heads a lot. We’re both argumentative and confrontational. But you’re the one person in this world I can rely on. You’re the one person who doesn’t lie to me. But then you did. The best thing about our relationship is our brutal honesty. I don’t hide anything from you, and I’m hurt you would lie to me like that.”
Now he was making me feel guilty. “I shouldn’t have lied. I know. But you need to stop sticking your nose in my personal life. I’m a grown woman with a big girl job. What I do is absolutely none of your business. You have no right to interrogate every guy I date and chase him off. It’s completely unacceptable. If you didn’t act that way, then I wouldn’t have lied at all.”
“Rae, I’m just looking after you. Every guy that comes through that door needs to know they can’t mess with you. That’s my job.”
“No, it’s not.” I rose to my feet, feeling the anger kick in. “Rex, you aren’t my dad. You don’t need to act that way.”
“Yes, I do. I’m all you have.”
“I appreciate what you’re doing, but I’m a big girl who can take care of herself. I don’t need someone to look after me. Frankly, it’s weird when you ask me about guys I’m seeing or push them around when you see them the following morning. It’s really weird. I want you to stay out of it from now on. I don’t ask about your personal life or get involved at all. You need to butt out of mine.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, the same expression on his face.
“I only lied because I didn’t want to explain where I was or what I was doing. It’s awkward, and it makes me uncomfortable.”
“Were you with Ryker?” The darkness in his eyes told me he would be pissed if my answer was yes.
“Rex, it’s none of your business who I was with.”
“He’s not a good guy, Rae. He’s my friend and everything, but he’s not the kind of guy you should date. He’s only after one thing, and when he gets it, that’s it. He’s gone.”
“You think I didn’t know that?” I asked incredulously. “I’m not oblivious to the world around me. I understand what’s going on. Ultimately, it’s my decision if I want to get involved with him, not yours.”