by Julia Wolf
Just as I was about to cross the street, I heard, “Frannie!”
I stepped back on the curb and turned around. There he was, that gorgeous man, illuminated in the entrance to the bar. He walked toward me, each of his strides a mile long.
When he stood in front of me, he said, “You left before I could get to you. I was trying to finish up so I could sit with you for a few minutes.”
I nodded. “I wasn’t sure…”
“What?”
Shaking away my doubts, I smiled. “Hi, James.”
“Hi, Frannie,” he said gently.
I leaned closer to him and ran my nose across his beard. With my eyes closed, I said, “Mmmm…yum.”
“What are you doing?”
Patting his chest, I nuzzled his beard more. “Shhh…don’t worry about it.”
He laughed lightly and hesitantly put his hands on my hips. I moved my hands over his and pressed, so he held me tighter.
“I like your hands on me like that.” I met his heated gaze.
“I like when you show me how to touch you,” he replied.
I raised my eyebrows. “Do you?”
He tipped his chin down in response.
“Run your hands up my back and pull me toward you, so we’re pressed together.”
He watched me for a beat, then he did what I said, our bodies fitted tightly against each other. James was already hard, his erection captured between us, pressing into my belly.
I laid my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck. “This is really good.”
Exhaling, he bent his head, burying his face in my hair.
I pulled away slightly when a loud group exited the bar. When I met James’ eyes, they were already focused on me.
“I just wanted to say hi,” I told him.
“I like the way you say hi,” he said, then glanced back toward the bar. “I’d better go back in. Val’s by herself.”
“Okay. I’m glad I got to see you tonight.”
“And sniff me?”
I laughed and nodded. “And sniff you.”
“Bye, Frannie.”
“Bye, James.”
He watched me cross the street. When I got to the door of my apartment building, I glanced back and waved. He saluted, then went back into the bar.
I sighed. I was smitten. Smitten!
But, I still planned to have drinks with Marco because I didn’t do smitten. It was both a terrible word and state of being.
Ten
There was fear written all over her face.
“You’re going to kill me, Frannie.”
I narrowed my eyes at Rebekah. “Whhhyyy?”
She pointed to the schedule on the computer screen. I groaned when I saw the big empty block of space followed by one haircut at the very end of the day.
“How did this happen?” I wanted to stomp my feet like a toddler. I held it together, though, because I knew Eliza would not appreciate me throwing a fit at the front desk. As sweet and soft-spoken as she was in everyday life, at the salon she ran a tight ship and demanded we keep it as professional as possible.
“I’m sorry,” Rebekah rushed, cowering slightly. “I wasn’t paying attention, and I offered him the spot before I noticed the big gap. I didn’t think I should take it back once I’d given him the appointment!”
Seeing her cower away from me calmed me instantly. Jesus, was I really that scary?
I patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just go walk around for a while or something.” I looked closer at the name on the schedule. “Jason? Is he a regular?”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m not positive that was his name. His phone kept breaking up. He asked for you, though.”
I wound up spending my free time at Rachel’s house to grab a drink and a chat. I brought her up to speed on what happened to James, then we listened to music, singing along completely off-key, and then I headed back for my appointment.
There were only two stylists, including Eliza, left in the salon when I got back. Rebekah was gone for the day, so I couldn’t give her another dirty look for good measure. Although I should probably stop doing that, considering the earlier cowering.
I sat behind the reception desk, waiting for the mysterious ‘Jason’ to arrive. As I waited, one of the stylists, Anna, rang up her last client of the day.
She left shortly after, and then it was down to just Eliza, her client, and me.
The door chimed, and I forced my lips into a small practiced smile, which grew into a real, ear-to-ear grin when I saw who ‘Jason’ actually was.
“Hi, James.” I walked around the desk.
He stopped in the doorway, looking uncomfortable with his hands jammed in his pockets and all of his muscles tensed, like he was ready to make a break for it at any moment.
“Hi, Frannie,” he said in his low, rumbly voice.
“Are you going to let me get my hands on you?” I asked. When his eyebrows shot up, I chuckled. “On your hair. Are you here for a haircut?”
“Yeah. Someone told me I was in dire need of one.” He rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets. How could such a huge beast of a man be so adorable?
“Sounds like a smart someone,” I said, then held my hand out to him. “Come on, let’s get you washed.”
James looked down at my hand, then carefully put his in mine. I smiled softly at him, then led him to the shampoo area. On the way, I caught Eliza’s eye in the mirror, and her eyebrows shot up when she saw who I was with.
“Have a seat,” I directed.
James eyed the shampoo chair suspiciously, then slowly sat down, as if afraid he might break it.
I put a towel around his neck and told him to lean back, which he did, just as slowly as he sat down.
Running my fingers through his hair, I smiled down at him. “It’s been a long time since your last cut, huh?”
“Mmmhmmm,” he hummed. He didn’t take his eyes off me when I turned on the water, waiting for it to heat up to the perfect temperature.
Before wetting his hair, I tapped his nose with my fingertip. “You can close your eyes if you want.” When he did, I added, “Just relax and enjoy. I hear I give a good shampoo.”
I ran the warm water over his hair and scalp, getting it fully wet. I pumped shampoo into my hands, then spread it through his hair, using my fingertips to massage it in.
James let out a soft moan when I pressed my fingers into his scalp, the sound making me want to moan too. With his eyes closed, I was able to study his face as long as I wanted. His skin was smooth and pale with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose. His full lips were dusky pink and slightly open. His beard a shade darker than his auburn hair, with strands of lighter red and orange running through it.
His eyes opened without warning, while I practically drooled over his beard. He smiled up at me. “Hi.”
“Hi to you too. Now close your eyes and concentrate on enjoying this.” He chuckled and did as directed.
After conditioning and rinsing his hair, I wrapped another towel around his head and pushed his shoulders so he’d sit up. There was no way I’d be able to help him up like I did with my other clients.
“Up you go.” Standing in front of him, I held out my hand. This time, he grabbed it right away and let me lead him to my chair.
When he sat down, I stood behind him with my hands on his shoulders.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, watching him in the mirror.
“A haircut?” His puzzled expression made me laugh.
“I know you want a haircut! How much do you want me to take off?”
“Oh. Whatever you want. You’re the expert.”
I rubbed my hands together and let out an evil laugh. “Whatever I want? James, those words are music to my ears. I’m going to have my way with you.”
“I look forward to it,” he said, his eyes on mine in the mirror’s reflection.
Ripping my gaze away, I pulled out a cape and thr
ew it over his shoulders. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Although there was something about the unruliness of his hair that suited him, I wanted to see him tamed—just not too tamed.
Once I combed through his hair, I pressed on his neck and he lowered his head.
As I began cutting, he said, “I’ve never been in a salon.”
“No? Never?” I asked, surprised by his admission.
“Never. I usually go to the first barber who can take me when I finally get around to addressing my hair situation.”
“I’m glad you came then.”
“Me too. This is a nice place, Frannie.”
“It is. It’s a good place to work. Rachel’s chair is right behind me. And my friend and other boss, Eliza, is the one doing the blow-dry.”
“It must be nice to work with your friends every day,” he said, eyes still on his lap.
“I love it. This is the first job I’ve worked at for longer than a year,” I admitted, then added, “Aside from when I danced for the company.”
I walked around to his front and pressed on the underside of his chin, lifting his head. I bit my lip and studied him, trying to decide exactly how much I should take off the top of his hair. Just when I was about to start cutting again, Eliza walked over.
“Eliza, this is my friend James. James, this is Eliza.”
She smiled at him in the mirror. “Nice to meet you, James. Frannie has told me many, many nice things about you.” She gave me a devious wink. I’d kick her later for that.
“Nice to meet you too, Eliza. Really nice place you’ve got here.”
“Thank you so much!” Turning to me, she said, “I need to run up to one of the shops to buy a gift. Are you good here?”
I nodded. “I’m good.”
“Okay, I’ll be back in a little bit to lock up!”
When she left, I smiled down at him. “I’m almost done. I just need to cut the top.”
When I had trouble getting close enough to snip the hair around his face because of his long legs, I put my hands on his knees and pushed them apart so I could stand between them. I leaned into him and pulled the hair at the front of his head straight up, cutting off two inches.
James’ hands came to rest on my hips, making my heart stutter for a beat or ten. Like the night before, I put my hands on top of his and guided him to hold me more firmly.
“Like that,” I said softly.
James’ thumbs brushed the bare skin just under the hem of my T-shirt and I felt goose bumps forming in their wake.
Inhaling deeply, I steadied myself. I had to move away from his warm hands to get to the rest of his hair, and I mourned the loss of his touch immediately.
Finished cutting, I moved back in front of him and told him to close his eyes. When he did, I blew lightly on his face, and the little cut hairs stuck to him went flying.
I ran a little bit of gel through his strands and blow-dried away the remaining moisture.
Standing behind him, I whipped the cape off. “All done!”
He leaned forward and studied his reflection. The sides were very short, and the top was longer and parted to the side. Right then and there, I decided I’d never seen a more beautiful man.
I walked around to stand in front of him again and he opened his legs so I could fit between them. When I leaned close, he tilted his head to look at me.
I ran my fingers along the side of his cropped hair. “Do you like it?”
His lips curved upward. “I like everything about it.”
I leaned closer, so we were inches apart. “You do?”
He nodded, his eyes on my mouth. “Yeah,” he said softly.
Just as I was about to close the distance, to press my lips to his, the sound of the door chiming made me step back. Eliza walked through the door and the moment ended before it had really gotten started.
“All done back there?” Eliza called from the front desk.
“Just a minute!” I called back. Turning to James, I asked, “What are you doing now?”
He shrugged. “I’m not bartending tonight, so I’ll probably go home and work.”
I held up one finger. “Ah, yes, the computer job. I still can’t picture you computing.”
“I’ll send you a selfie of me with my laptop.”
A loud laugh burst out of me. “One, I doubt you’ve ever taken a selfie in your life, and two, you don’t have my number, so that would be impossible.”
James stood, a slight smile playing on his lips.
After paying for his cut—which I tried to refuse, but he insisted—we watched each other, seemingly waiting for the other to speak. Eliza had conveniently gone to the supply room, so we were alone.
“Want to come to my place and watch a movie or something?”
He took a moment to answer, then nodded.
“Okay.” I sucked in a breath and glanced up at the ceiling, flustered he’d actually said yes. “Okay,” I repeated.
James waited while Eliza locked up and we walked together to the parking lot. Once we’d said goodnight to her, we went to my car. He stood by the door as I got in.
I peered up at him. “Meet you there?”
He nodded then pushed my door shut. I watched him stroll through the parking lot and get into a large SUV. Ah, big man, big car.
Driving home, the butterflies were bouncing off the walls in my stomach. Crazy butterflies. The anticipation was killing me. I couldn’t wait to have James in my apartment, on my couch, and if the universe was kind, maybe in my bed.
Eleven
James pulled in next to me in the parking garage.
As he stepped out, I touched the black SUV with my fingertips. “This suits you.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It gets me where I want to go. And I don’t have to break my legs to get into it.”
I smiled. I liked how unpretentious he was.
We stood next to each other in the elevator and James’ pinky brushed mine. I looked up at him, then slipped my hand in his. I’d never been a hand-holder, but it somehow felt good and right for my hand to be enveloped in his.
I had to let go to unlock the door to my apartment. When we stepped inside, I was immediately hit with a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen.
“Hungry?” I asked while taking off my boots.
“Starved,” he replied.
“Laaauuuurell!” I called out, walking into the kitchen.
“Hey, lady, I was just cleaning up my mess from dinner,” my roommate said, her back turned as she scrubbed a pot.
“Hey, Laurel, I brought a friend home.”
James loomed right behind me, close enough that I was able to feel his body heat.
Laurel glanced over her shoulder with a smile. “Hey!” When she saw who was with me, her eyes widened, and she turned off the water.
“Well, hello there, handsome!” she cooed. Laurel was a big flirt, but in a hilariously over the top way. She reminded me of a fifties movie vixen; she just needed a pencil skirt, pin curls, and a cigarette holder between her fingers to complete the effect.
“Hey, Laurel.” James stayed securely behind me, making me wonder if he was nervous being here.
She grabbed a towel to dry her hands. “Did you two have dinner yet?”
We both shook our heads.
“Good! I made way too much food, so get your booties in here and help yourselves.”
James hovered in the doorway when I went into the kitchen.
I glanced over my shoulder. “Get in here and see what master chef Laurel has prepared for us this evening.”
With his hands in his jeans pockets, James stepped into the kitchen. It was a little tight with the three of us in there, so Laurel scooted by.
“There’re homemade brioche rolls, hoisin chicken burgers, onions and mushrooms I marinated in spicy ginger sauce, and sweet potato fries,” she said from the doorway. “Enjoy, kids!”
When she turned away, I asked, “Where’re you going, L?”
She e
xhaled loudly. “I’ve got a stack of work this high.” She held her hands two feet apart. “You crazy kids try to keep it down, okay?” She winked, then headed toward her room where she had an office set up next to her bed. She spent hours most nights working on her computer, stacks of spreadsheets strewn across her desk. I told her she worked too much, but she always said such was the life of a young lawyer.
James watched as I stacked a plate with food. When I handed it to him, he hesitated.
“Are you sure it’s okay I eat Laurel’s food?”
I smiled softly. “Yes, she loves to feed others. It’s her thing. Just make sure to tell her how much you enjoyed it before you leave.”
Finally accepting his plate of food, I filled up my own and grabbed two beers before leading him to the living room.
I situated myself on the floor and looked up at James, still standing above me.
Patting the space next to me, I raised my brows. “Carpet picnic?”
James put his dinner on the coffee table and sat down next to me, his back against the couch and his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankle.
“I’ve never heard of a carpet picnic before.”
Handing him a beer, I explained, “Laurel and I usually have dinner on the floor and somewhere along the line we came up with a name for it.”
Before taking a bite of his burger, he asked, “How long have you lived together?”
Instead of answering right away, I was transfixed by the giant bite he took and the way his eyes rolled back as the spicy flavors hit his tongue. He groaned as he chewed.
“Damn, that’s good,” he said between bites.
I laughed. “I hit the roommate jackpot with Laurel. And to answer your question, we’ve only lived together for a year, but I feel like I’ve known her forever. I love that woman. She’s going to take over the world one day.”
He nodded. “I like that, the way you talk about her. You’re a good friend.”
I shrugged. “I spent the beginning of my life competing with other girls for the lead in shows, that prime front row spot. I’m not about that anymore. I think there’s enough room in the world for all women to be successful in their own way. I’ll always cheer for a woman making her way through life.”