Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
I nod once. “That’s right.”
She sounds unsure. “And you’re saying it’s me… that you’re attracted to me?”
“That’s right,” I repeat, not understanding why she sounds so surprised. I hear the doubt in her voice. Never have I imagined I could be attracted to someone without seeing them, but there’s no doubt I feel a pull toward Olivia like I’ve never felt before.
I loosen my hold when she shakes her head side to side. “But why would you be an asshole about that?” She pauses and then gasps. “Oh, because you don’t want to be attracted to me.”
I let my hands slide down to her shoulders, down her arms, and then I reluctantly let her go. I take a step back, putting some distance between us. “Two reasons, really. One, I don’t need half the town talking about me having an erection as you cut my hair.”
She gulps. “An erection?”
Oh damn, I really told her that I had a boner while she cut my hair. I have no game at all.
But she doesn’t seem fazed. She asks, “And the second reason?”
I take another step back, and the words don’t even taste right when I say them. “Because nothing will come of us, that’s why.”
I don’t give her time to respond. I hold my hand out to her, hoping she’ll take it. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Olivia. Thank you for the haircut and for excusing my bad behavior.”
She puts her hand in mine, and I squeeze it gently as I shake it.
“But…” she starts.
“I better go. Davis is a bear when he’s hungry. Thanks again.”
I barely get turned around and I feel her hand on my shoulder. “Wait. Do you want to schedule your next appointment?”
Fuck, she’s making this hard on me. If it was my choice, I’d come in here every day just to hear her voice and smell her sweetness. “It’s been over a year since my last haircut, so I think I’m good for awhile. It’s probably best if I don’t come again. There’s no sense embarrassing myself… or you, for that matter.”
Then before I can think twice about it, I walk away. I have no idea where I’m going, but I have to put some distance between Olivia and me. It’s either that or I’m going to do the one thing I’ve been thinking about since I first heard her sweet laugh. But kissing her on Main Street is probably not something she wants… at least with me.
CHAPTER 4
OLIVIA
All I can do is stand here and gawk as Jason walks away. Did that really just happen? Did he really just admit to me that he had an erection while I was cutting his hair? I mean, I sort of had to force it out of him, but he admitted it… and then he walked away.
Abby waving at me draws me out of my trance, and I wave back. I barely get through the shop doors and the whistles and hooting and hollering starts. I should have known that everyone in here would be watching us.
“Girl, who was that?”
“If you don’t want him, I’ll take him!”
“If I was just twenty years younger, he’d be mine. There’s no way I’d let a man like that walk away from me.”
All eyes go to Brenda. She’s in her eighties but as spry as any woman in here. The woman next to her is nodding her head in agreement. “You know that’s right.”
I hold my hands up. “Okay, okay… enough of that. Now you know we wouldn’t want some guys talking about us that way, so maybe we should lay off—”
Brenda speaks up. “Speak for yourself. I wouldn’t mind at all if he talked about me. He can talk all he wants.”
She is wiggling her white eyebrows and has everyone laughing again.
I just laugh with them and make my way to my station. Maybe if I get to work, they’ll move on to something else.
Normally, I’m happy to share and jump in, but with Jason, it all just seems too personal. I ignore the laughter around me and get to work cleaning up my station.
I barely have time before my next appointment comes in the door. I know I need to focus, and I push all thoughts of Jason to the back of my mind. “Hey girl! What are we doing?” I ask Missy as she sits down and I wrap the cape around her.
She fluffs her hair. “The usual or whatever you think I need. I trust you.”
I laugh and nod my head. “Oh, if all my clients were as easy as you.”
I get to work mixing up color when Missy leans forward. “All right, talk. Give me the scoop.”
After measuring the right amount of dye and developer, I stir it in the bowl as I stare at her dumbly. “What scoop?”