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Alexis grinned. “No you’re not. I’m the one who invited you. Besides, I drank several glasses of champagne at the open house last week.”

“We’ll see,” CeCe said, putting her arm around Alexis's shoulders, leading her to the front of the salon and through the adjoining entrance to Cory’s store.

“How’s this working out?” Alexis asked, pointing to the doorway as they passed through it.

“I haven’t had many walk-ins from the liquor store or Cat’s bookstore, but my clients have gone to both stores and shopped. I’m glad the salon is in the middle. It creates traffic for all of us.”

They walked into the liquor store and Alexis noticed the counter to pay out across from them. There were refrigerated cases next to it that had beer, wine, and other cold drink offerings. Along the other wall were all kinds of liquor and spirits. There were several shelves stocked in the middle of the store as well. In the back there was a long bar with several stools.

“It’s just open for happy hour,” CeCe explained as they walked to the back of the store.

“And what is happy hour?”

“I think she serves from five until seven or so. It’s just a place to stop off on your way home from work. The liquor store closes at nine and Cory didn’t want people hanging around and drinking until then.”

“It’s kind of cute tucked in back here. You wouldn’t know it’s here,” Alexis said, taking a seat on one of the stools.

“Yeah, I guess it’s like Cat’s little room in the back of her store,” CeCe said quietly, taking a seat next to Alexis. “Speaking of that, how’s the little toy you picked up last week?”

3

Alexis smiled but didn’t say anything. Ignoring CeCe’s question, she looked up to see what was offered at the bar. She could feel CeCe studying her profile and was sure she’d see a wide grin if she looked over at her.

“They only serve beer and wine for now, no fancy cocktails. Is that all right?”

“Sure,” Alexis said. “You know I like wine.”

CeCe held up two fingers to the bartender who was at the other end of the bar serving beer to two other customers. The bartender nodded and CeCe turned back to Alexis. “So your surgery went well today. I don’t think you’ve ever told me what you specialize in.”

“I’m a general surgeon. I decided not to specialize because I like to take what’s wrong with the body and put it back together again. It could be any part of the body,” Alexis explained.

“It’s just incredible the things you do with your skillful hands. It’s like magic,” CeCe said as the bartender set their glasses of wine in front of them.

“It’s not unlike what you do,” Alexis commented, taking a sip from her wine glass. “You have such a talent to cut hair and make it do what we can’t because we always look better when we leave the salon. My hair never looks as good when I do it at home, but at least it’s better because of the way you cut it. You try to help me make it look good since you can’t do it every day.” Alexis chuckled. “Hey, I wonder if we could do something like that. I could come by the shop every morning and you could do my hair.”

CeCe laughed. “Yeah, you’re not the first to suggest that.” But then she turned to Alexis with a serious look. “Doing hair is nothing like what you’re doing. You save lives.”

“I disagree. The things you do make people feel better. After you’ve done your magic,” Alexis said, meeting CeCe’s gaze and raising her eyebrows, “people can look in the mirror and feel more beautiful because you’ve done their hair, when inside they may not feel so beautiful. So, let’s agree that we’re both magical.”

CeCe held up her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

Alexis clinked her glass to CeCe’s and took a sip. “We should do this more often. Now that you’ve moved the salon here we could.”

“What do you mean?” CeCe asked, taking another sip of wine.

“You’re right on my way home. I don’t live far from here.”

“Really? I knew we were on the edge of several swanky neighborhoods. Of course you live here,” CeCe said.

Alexis smiled. “You’ll have to come over sometime.”

CeCe studied her for a moment. “I’d like that.”

They both took sips from their glasses, but neither looked away. Alexis couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to the back room in CeCe’s salon. For a moment she could imagine them there, doing more than drinking a glass of wine.

“You didn’t tell me about the toy you got last week,” CeCe said, raising one eyebrow.

“You didn’t tell me where you live,” Alexis countered.