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“Anyway,” I continue because now I’m on a roll, “I won’t be able to talk to it every day and I was demonstrating so you can take over on the days I’m not here.”
She looks concerned, whether about talking to a plant or about me I’m not sure.
“Do all the stylists know about this?” she asks, her voice a whisper.
“Why wouldn’t they?” I smile up at her while sweeping up the hair around my station. She probably thinks I’m insane.
Heck, after last night, I might even believe it.
I did say I wanted an adventure. Dying might not be fun, but solving a mystery could be exactly the thing I need to get me out of my slump. And working with Caleb wouldn’t be all that bad. He’s incredibly fun to annoy, and I’ve missed having someone to annoy since Connor and I moved out of our parent’s house.
I can’t believe I get to work on a real case.
I’m like Shawn Spencer. Only I’m not pretending to be psychic. If I’m Shawn that makes Caleb…Juliet. The detective and Shawn’s on-screen love interest. They end up together in the series. But they don’t have to in real life. Though with the way Caleb makes my heart speed up like I chugged thirteen espressos, I’m not opposed to the idea.
The doorbell chimes and Maddie comes running in.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
I glance at my phone. “By two minutes? You call that late? I call that awkwardly early.”
She raises a brow. “Then what’s early?”
“I don’t know, I never am.”
She shakes her head and sits down in my chair. I’ve already got her color ready to go on my cart, so I pick up the drape and drop it over her.
“How are the girls?” I ask as I begin sectioning off her hair to add highlights.
“So good. The team is going to be unstoppable this year.” Her face lights up. Maddie coaches a high school volleyball team and pours her heart and soul not only into teaching the girls the sport but encouraging and cheering for them off the court as well. She’s the only coach in the school running summer camps in June. I wish more of the teachers had the ambition and persistence she does. But I hope she doesn’t burn out. I’ve seen it too many times already and I only teach an after-school program once a week during the school year.
“Did I tell you Diedre is going to start on the university team?” she asks.
“Only a hundred times.” I chuckle.
“I’m so proud of all of them.” She sighs happily, perfectly content with how her life has turned out. She took a bad situation and made something even better for herself.
She’s an inspiration for me to do the same. And for the first time since I broke up with Justin, I feel like I am. I mean, I’m working for the freaking FBI! It doesn’t get better than that.
“Did you say something?” Maddie asks.
“Nope!” I squeak.
My phone buzzes on the cart beside Maddie’s face but my hands are covered in dye so I ask her to look at it.
She picks up the phone and scowls. “Why is Justin calling you?”
Again?
“Something about him missing me terribly,” I say, avoiding her gaze. “He wants me back, blah blah blah.”
“Do we need to get a restraining order on him?”
“This is the ex?” Leah leans over from her station to get a peek at the screen.
“He’s no one,” I say to clarify for every busybody in the salon.
Something clatters to the floor and I jump.