“Are we ready for this?” Josh had asked before the salon opened the next day. We were interviewing potential stylists and receptionists in addition to a full day of providing services to our clients.
“I guess so,” Mere replied.
“We need someone with a certain sass and flare. This place is too damn dull now that Savage is no longer here,” I said, referring to Josh’s foul-mouthed blue macaw who was known to proposition clients for blowjobs or squawk random cuss words. Bringing Savage back and forth between the new home and the salon just wasn’t practical, so we needed someone else to liven the place up a bit.
“We need a Josh two-point-oh,” Meredith said.
“Yeah, before he got all sappy with love,” I amended, batting my eyelashes at Josh.
“I am not sappy,” Josh scoffed.
“Yeah you are,” Mere and I said at the same time. We laughed and fist-bumped each other.
“Like the two of you aren’t walking around with stars in your eyes,” he said. “I’m seriously nervous about this though. Curl Up and Dye has felt more like family than a business. We all get along so well, and I just worry that we’ll hire someone that doesn’t mesh. I don’t want our seamless interactions to turn into awkward moments where we’re just going through the motions of our day.”
“No one said we had to hire someone today,” I told Josh. “Let’s just interview the candidates today and see where it takes us. If we don’t connect with them right away, then we’ll pass them up. The other thing you can do is try them out on a probationary basis. Give them ninety days like every other company does and go from there.”
“That’s what I was thinking about doing regardless of who we hire. It’s pretty easy to pull one over on us during an interview,” Josh said. “We won’t know their true character until they start working here.”
“Good point,” Mere replied. “What times are the interviews?”
I gave them both a rundown of the interview times and names. Josh had gone back to his cosmetology school and talked with several of his instructors to get the names of their best stylists. Curl Up and Dye already had an excellent reputation before Josh started filming health and beauty segments for Channel Eleven in Cincinnati, so the potential stylists were eager for an opportunity to work at our salon.
“Should’ve turned this into a segment for your series,” I told Josh. “Hell, probably could’ve turned it into a reality show.” I modulated my voice to sound like I was doing the voice-over for television. “Fifteen highly trained and eager stylists duke it out for two positions at the area’s most elite salon. Each candidate will prove their worth through a series of competitions to test skill, temperament, and the ability to win over the difficult client.” Mere and Josh laughed at my antics then started making suggestions of their own.
“Make them do foils with one arm tied behind their backs,” Mere suggested.
“Hair salon triathlon!” Josh exclaimed. “They have to maneuver to various stations and perform tasks.”
“What about the receptionist candidates?” Mere asked. “We can’t let them off easy. It takes a lot more than a good personality to be effective around here.”
“Survivor: Curl Up and Dye,” I said. “Yeah, we starve them and pit them against one another to see who comes out on top. That candidate can surely handle booking the appointments coming in over the phone, web, and app while smiling at the client patiently waiting to pay at the counter, direct salon traffic, and answer questions about products at the same time.”
“Let’s not forget they’ll be working for a diva salon owner,” Mere said. Then she started reciting some of Kevin Bacon’s lines from the movie Beauty Shop. She did a damn good job of impersonating his fake accent and we were laughing riotously when the bell over the door dinged to let us know our first interviewee had arrived.
“Wow, I like this place already,” the young brunette guy said. “My name is Darren; I go by Dare. I’m here to interview for the receptionist job.”
“Oh!” Josh exclaimed, sounding perky. “I remember you from O’Dell’s Furniture. You’re their in-house designer. You were a fabulous help to me when we put the design together for my new house. You’re not working there any longer?”
“No, I am,” Dare replied, “but they’ve cut my hours, and I need to have a full-time income.”
“Can I get you coffee, honey?” Mere asked.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Dare replied then turned to me. “You left coffee making skills out of your challenge.” Then he smiled tentatively at me like he worried he had overstepped.
“Damn good suggestion,” I said.
The interview went extremely well, and we all liked Dare a lot. In fact, I thought he’d make a great salon manager if the day came when I stepped away from Curl Up and Dye permanently. I thought it could likely become a reality soon if my upcoming book release was as successful as I hoped. As much as I loved working for Josh, I loved writing more, and I wanted to have more time with Kyle. I never felt like I had enough time for him. The bell over the door chimed, and I looked up to see the object of my affections walking through the door.
“Oh dear God!” Dare exclaimed and covered his heart when he saw Kyle, sounding like he just came in his pants. I wasn’t a happy camper. “Who is that sexy beast?”
“Mine,” I growled out a warning.
“Well, isn’t that adorable,” I heard Mere say.
“He’s been hanging around Gabe too long,” Josh retorted. “I bet his knuckles are starting to get scuffed from dragging them about all the time.”
Kyle smiled as I approached then gave me a short, affectionate kiss on the lips once I arrived. “You just don’t let up, do you, Dr. Heart Snatcher?”
“Um, I meant to ask you something last night, and I got a little sidetracked.” He looked down at my mouth like he remembered the way it felt when I slid my lips up and down his cock.
“I’m sorry,” I said. I wasn’t sorry at all.
“No you’re not nor should you be,” Kyle replied. “Um, I hope you don’t have plans on Sunday morning because I sorta told my mom we’d be over for brunch so you could meet the family. I should never have told her we’d be there without talking to you first, but I didn’t want her barging in on us last night.”
“I would love to meet your family,” I said sincerely. I was freaking out a little on the inside, but I’d be damned before I let it show.
“Seriously? You’re not angry?” His obvious relief was so cute.
“Not at all.”
“Okay,” he said then kissed me once more. “I better get going. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay then.”
I smiled sappily as he walked out the door with a cute little wave. I turned my attention back to the interview that was supposed to be in progress, but Josh, Mere, and Dare were all watching me instead of talking. Mere batted her eyelashes adorably, Josh blew kissy faces, and Dare let out a sharp whistle. He was going to fit in great around here.
“Aw, you guys,” I said, skipping back to the trio. “How’s the interview going?”
“I think we’re about done unless you have questions for us,” Josh said.
“What?” Dare asked in alarm. “You didn’t ask me any questions or request to see my references. Did I screw up?”
“Honey,” Mere said. “You already made a good impression on Josh when he saw you in action.”
“And you already have the key component to fitting in around here,” I told Dare.
“Which is?” he asked hesitantly.
“Sass,” I told him. “It’s a must around here.”
“Dare, what they’re trying to tell you is that we’d like you to come work with us,” Josh said.
“Seriously?” he asked.
“Seriously,” we answered.
Mere’s client showed up a bit early, so Josh and I went over hours, wages, and job duties with him.
“I will start as soon as you need me,” Dare said exc
itedly.
“How about tomorrow?” I asked. I wanted to start training him as soon as possible.
“Perfect. I’ll be here at nine.” Dare stood up and looked uncertain whether he should hug us or shake our hands.
“We’re huggers,” Josh said, pulling him into an embrace. “Welcome to the team.”
“Well,” I said, turning to Josh once Dare left. “That one was easy. I hope that’s a sign of something good to come.”
We continued to interview receptionist candidates for backup in case Dare didn’t work out. I had hoped that the stylist interviews would’ve gone as well, but we weren’t so lucky. The first three candidates were either flighty, arrogant, or had zero personality. We only had one left to interview, and he wasn’t due to arrive until almost closing time. Josh had lost a little bit of his sparkle from hiring Dare that morning, and I hoped the final interviewee would give it back to him. Josh wanted to make sure his first love would be in good hands when he took the time he needed to be with his growing family.
“What’s the guy’s name again?” I had asked thirty minutes before he was due to arrive.
“Wren, like the bird,” Josh replied. “Out of all the candidates, he’s the most skilled.”
“But?”
“He’s hard to read,” Josh said then shrugged. “Sort of mysterious.”
Wren arrived fifteen minutes early for his interview, which was already an improvement over the first three candidates. Curl Up and Dye ran on Josh time, which meant you showed up at least fifteen minutes early or you were considered late. “I’m Wren,” he said, but I would’ve known without the introduction because he came across as mysterious and hard to read. Wren wore a black leather jacket, jeans, and heavy biker boots. His hair was slicked back from his face and hung to his shoulders, and his beard was thicker than the usual designer scruff that men wore. Wren looked like he was headed for a meeting at his motorcycle club, not an interview as a hairstylist.
Mary Lou Johnson sure seemed to be captivated by him as she stood there blinking while her daughter skipped ahead. Becca lost her balance and started to fall, but Wren reached out and caught her before she could get hurt. I expected Becca to start crying since the strange man probably would’ve looked scary to her. Instead, she smiled brightly and thanked him.
“You’re welcome, little lady.” Wren smiled at Becca, and it changed his entire appearance.
“Thank you,” Mary Lou said breathlessly. She grabbed Becca’s hand, and they headed out the front door.
Josh introduced Wren to the staff as he showed him around. Everyone seemed to respond well to him, and he, in turn, was cordial, if a little guarded, when he shook each hand. While it was true that we were huggers, we didn’t get the same vibe from Wren.
“What do you think?” Josh asked him after the tour and discussion ended. “Can you see yourself being happy here with us?”
“I’m pretty easy to please, Josh. I want to get paid when it’s promised, and I want my employer to treat me with respect. I show up on time, I mind my own damn business, and I never cause trouble. I will always treat clients with respect, but I’m a private person. I guess the question is do you see yourself happy with me here?”
“Absolutely,” Josh told him. “How soon can you start?”
Wren’s personality might not have perfectly matched the rest of the staff’s, but I had a feeling that he would compliment our personalities in a way that made the salon thrive. Josh looked relieved and happy, and that was enough for me. I shook Wren’s hand and welcomed him to the team before I finished my daily tasks so I could leave.
I headed home and started working on the outline for my next book. It was Kyle’s late night at the animal hospital, so I knew I had a few uninterrupted hours to get a lot done. I dove into it right away and lost track of time while I immersed myself into the new world I was creating. An email notification popped up on my screen, and I saw that I had a new message from Jennifer Sugarbaker, the literary agent Agnes Simmons mentioned. After giving it a lot of thought, I had emailed Agnes back and thanked her for reaching out to me. I told her that I was such a fanboy over her career and loved her work. We’d chatted a few times since then, but Jennifer never contacted me.
My heart raced when I opened it, and just like with Agnes’s email, I had to read it multiple times before the words sunk into my brain. Jennifer wanted me to come to New York City to meet her. She mentioned a book convention happening the first weekend in December and asked if I would like to attend as her guest. She told me that Agnes was attending and wanted to meet me and show me around also. I was both excited and terrified at the same time.
“Why terrified?” Kyle asked when I told him about the email later that night.
“I’ve never been to New York,” I replied. “It’s intimidating.”
“New York is an awesome city,” Kyle said.
“You’ve been?”
“Numerous times,” he replied. “I hate to sound presumptuous, but I’d be more than willing to go with you if you’d like some company. I can show you some of my favorite places.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun, but I have to warn you that I might embarrass you,” I told him.
“How?” Kyle asked in disbelief.
“I might fanboy all over the place at the convention center when I see my favorite authors,” I said in awe.
“Just don’t get it in my hair or eyes,” Kyle said.
Yeah, my head went straight to the gutter and I knew that I wouldn’t get another damn thing done that night. “What are you doing right now?” I asked.
“Sweet talking you into spending the night with me,” Kyle said. His voice had dropped a few octaves and made goose bumps pop up all over my skin.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Oh man, I’m not feeling well.” Chaz took his seatbelt off, leaned forward, and tucked his head between his knees.
I removed my seatbelt and rubbed his back. “They’re going to love you,” I assured Chaz. “Besides, you’ve lived in the same town as them your whole life.”
Chaz raised his head a little and turned to look at me. “This is different. I’ve met them as Brittney’s friend from school and the local spaz, but never as your boyfriend.” He returned his head between his knees. “I know I’m going to end up saying something stupid.” His jeans muffled his voice, but his misery came through loud and clear.
“You make me happy, and that’s all they’ll care about, babe.” I leaned over the center console and added, “Besides, I think your outbursts are adorable.”
Chaz met my gaze once more. “Somehow I think your mom would be horrified if I slipped and said something sexual about you.”
My cheeks heated when I thought about the time I overheard him confessing that he thought about me while masturbating.
“See!” Chaz exclaimed. “I’ve already embarrassed you, and we haven’t gone inside yet.”
“My cheeks aren’t flush with embarrassment.” I lowered my voice and said, “I’m turned on.”
“Oh! Maybe we should speed away before they realize we’re here.”
“Too late,” I said when I spied my mom standing in the big picture window. She had both hands on her hips and wore her Don’t Even Think About It face. “Might as well make the best of it.”
“Okay,” Chaz glumly said as he straightened in his seat. “This was nice while it lasted.”
“Hey,” I said, hooking my arm around his neck and pulling him toward me. “They’re going to love you because I do and…” The rest of my words died in my throat when I saw Chaz’s shocked expression and realized what I’d let slip out. “You’re not the only one who blurts things out,” I said, trying to recover. I hadn’t planned to say the words right then, but that didn’t make them less true. I also realized that I didn’t regret saying them. “Tell me that I’m not in this alone, Chaz. Tell me that you feel a fraction of what I do and that there’s a good chance you’ll return my feelings someday
.”
“Someday?” Chaz asked then shook his head. “Kyle, I arrived at that destination a long time ago. I knew that I was crazy in love with you when you pulled me closer instead of pushing me away when I confessed about the Drew thing. I had planned to tell you in New York with a big romantic gesture,” he confessed.
I smiled in relief then chuckled a little because I had planned to do the same thing. “Great minds think alike,” I told Chaz.
“How were you planning to tell me?” he asked.
“I’m not going to ruin your surprise,” I said. “How were you going to tell me?”
“No way,” Chaz said, shaking his head emphatically. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
I placed my hand on the back of his neck and pressed my forehead to his. “I love you, Chaz Hamilton. I’d love to demonstrate how much, but my mom is watching us.”
Chaz let out a soft sigh. “I love you, Kyle Vaughn.” Chaz gave me a sweet kiss that made my body hum and tingle for more. “We better not eat too much or we won’t have room for Josh’s pre-Thanksgiving feast tonight.”
“True, and I definitely want to save room for that.” Josh and Gabe wanted to celebrate the Sunday before Thanksgiving since everyone had plans on the holiday. “Chaz, I promise that they’re going to love you.”
“Okay then,” he said softly. I realized that he’d just have to see for himself to believe it.
My mom opened the door and smiled when we stepped onto the porch. “Hi, Chaz. Welcome to our home.” She opened her arms wide and hugged him tightly. “Did he have to give you a pep talk to get you out of the truck? We’re not too terrible.”
Chaz blushed when he pulled back. “No, he was telling me that he loves me.” He loudly gasped when he realized what he said. “I can’t believe I just blurted that out there.” Chaz looked miserable when he turned to look at me. “See what I mean?”
Unscripted Love (Road to Blissville, #1) Page 19