Page 114 of Betting on the Bad Boy

“Sure.” She led me to her small office and sat down behind the desk.

I slid a file out of my bag. “The salon is doing great. Business is up over two hundred percent since we started working with you last fall.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. You and the girls.”

I smirked, recalling some of my teammates’ ideas. Thankfully we'd vetoed the pink motif. “We really enjoyedworking with you. I just wanted to come by and drop off our final report.” I’d managed to avoid the salon since the haircut incident, but wanted to be the one to bring over the last bit of paperwork. I laid a stapled packet down on the desk and Tameka picked it up.

“I don’t know what would have happened to this place if y’all hadn’t come around.” She gave me a warm smile. “You sure have made a difference.”

“Thanks for the great review. I’m sure it came into play when the board was considering my promotion.”

Tameka nodded. “It was my pleasure. You deserved it. Now, how are you doing, Dante?”

“I’m great.” I shrugged. Everything was falling into place for me, so how could I be anything but fantastic? “I took a promotion with a branch of our firm out of Baltimore. I’ll be moving in a couple of weeks. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Mmm hmm,” Tameka hummed. “But how are you doing?”

I furrowed my brow. Didn’t I just tell her? “It’s a great career move. I’m excited about it.”

“And Faith?”

I groaned and rubbed my hands across my stubble. “Even you know about that, huh?”

“Have you talked to her?”

“Look, that’s old news and not really anyone’s business.”

Tameka’s eyebrows lifted. The look she gave me reminded me of the one Meemaw had used when she knew I wasn’t owning up to something.

I shifted in my seat. “I just, well, Faith and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.”

Tameka stood up and walked around the desk, then sat down on the edge, facing me. “You’ve done such a great job for me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without your help.”

“And the team...”

“I appreciate their help, but you’re the reason I’m still in business.” Tameka pointed a long purple nail at me. “I just hope you find the happiness you deserve.”

“Thanks. I’m sure I will. Did you want to go over those papers or just look them over when you have time?”

Tameka shook her head. “You should talk to her.”

“With all due respect, you really don’t know anything about us.”Us. As if Faith and I were ever anus. Anusrequired commitment. Anusrequired honesty. Anusrequired two people to actually feel the same way about each other.

“Well, I may not know a lot about you or a lot about Faith.” Tameka shook her head. “But I know a good story when I read one and whewy, that girl is into you, my boy.”

My boy? Holy shit. Meemaw had stopped talking to me in my head. Was she now channeling herself through Tameka? I shook my head to clear it as Tameka stood up.

“If there’s nothing else, then I think I’ll just head out.” I’d had to listen to enough people tell me what they thought I needed to do about Faith. It was time to move on. Time to leave Faith and Newbridge and all the bad memories behind. I stood and grabbed my bag.

The weird moment passed as Tameka led me to the front of the salon.

The Phil & Piper Morning Showblared from the television hanging on the wall. I glanced over as I passed by and almost crashed into a manicure station. Faith sat on a red sofa opposite the two hosts. A screen behind her displayed the covers of all her books.

I hadn’t seen her since that last night at Meemaw’s. Her hair seemed longer, the fiery red strands falling over her shoulders. She looked thinner and the dark smudges under her eyes weren’t quite concealed with whatever makeup she’d slathered on. Maybe she was having trouble falling asleep, too.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and waited for someone on the screen to start talking.

Phil spoke first. “We’re here this morning with bestselling contemporary romance author Faith Wainwright. She’s in town for a book-signing event that gives local readers a chance to meet their favorite romance authors. Thanks for joining us, Faith.”