Page 6 of Collin, Episodes 4-6 (The Residency Boys #2)

Changing meant getting ready for the gym, which was in the same building.

Collin followed Mr. Reevesworth down to the workout area.

They had to swipe in with their building cards and then use the passcode.

Once inside, it was quiet even with several people on treadmills and two girls lifting weights together on the other side.

Mr. Reevesworth put in one of his earbuds. “Today, just watch. You’re not cleared for physical training for two more weeks until your blood work comes back with higher iron levels. You can bring me water and wipe down the machines as I finish with them.”

“Yes, sir.”

Mr. Reevesworth put in a good five miles on the treadmill before pausing.

Collin glanced at his speed. Mr. Reevesworth was running a mile every seven minutes.

Collin internally gulped. He’d never done a seven-minute mile even in high school.

Mr. Reevesworth moved on to the weight machines after that, and Collin followed.

While waiting for Mr. Reevesworth to finish his reps on the thigh trainer, one of the girls who had been lifting weights stopped next to Collin.

“So, you’re with Richard?”

Collin blinked. “I mean, I work for him, yes.”

She grinned. “Oh, don’t worry, honey, that’s my girlfriend, and her husband is my boyfriend, and my wife is her girlfriend. I’m not going to judge.”

“Um, I mean, he really is my boss. I’m not making that up.”

She smiled and took a drink from her water bottle. “Oh, darling, you look at him like he walks on water. I know that look. But I’m happy for you. Couldn’t happen to a nicer couple. Richard and émeric are perfect.”

She lifted her water bottle in farewell and headed over to the showers.

Mr. Reevesworth stood up from the machine and came to Collin, reaching for his own water bottle. Collin handed it over and went to clean the machine.

“That was Shelly.”

“She’s pretty forward, sir.”

Mr. Reevesworth inclined his head. “She speaks her mind, but she can be discreet. émeric and I are open with her about our lifestyle. She and her wife live two floors above us, and her girlfriend and husband live three floors below us.”

“Are you saying I can acknowledge that I’m with you, sir?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure how I’d even say it. She said boyfriend and girlfriend, but I’m not sure…”

“You can say you’re mine.” Mr. Reevesworth smirked. “That should cover it.”

The second day at the office was easier than the first. Mr. Reevesworth had three meetings, two of which Collin sat in on and one of which he missed because he was out running brief errands for Mr. Reevesworth.

Carrying a company credit card felt like a huge responsibility, and he almost wanted to say no, but Janice seemed to think it was the most normal thing in the world.

When he asked about receipts, she pointed him to the expense report folder on his laptop.

There were dozens of details in an office to learn.

And despite Reevesworth Industries not being directly involved in an industry per se, it was at the center of what Collin was coming to realize was an empire.

An empire that Mr. Reevesworth was not merely a figurehead of but a direct leader for.

He knew details and personal names of people from all over with the kind of keen memory Collin had only seen a few times during his research days.

As such, Collin didn’t make it down to Ash’s lair until nearly the end of the afternoon. But he was carrying takeout and an address.

He knocked twice. “Come on, Ash, seriously. I WILL get the glitter bomb.”

Ash eased the door open and looked out with only one eye. “People only use those things in movies.”

“Well, you act like you’re an anime character. Let me in.”

“Why? I’m busy.”

“Because I’m here to bribe you, and like any good villain, you must be self-serving enough to take a bribe, or you lose your villain card.”

Ash narrowed his one eye, then backed away, and opened the door two more inches. “What’s the bribe? Blood of my enemies?”

“Sweet and sour pork and chocolate cake.”

The door was flung open, and Ash dragged Collin inside. “You are a first-rate bribester. Maybe you’re the villain.”

Collin laughed and surrendered the bags of food as Ash pulled them from his grip. “You haven’t asked what I’m bribing you for.”

“To let you in, obviously.”

“Nope. I’m bribing you to come with me to get a haircut.

” Mr. Reevesworth had even let him out of the cage just for this mission.

They’d both judged Ash getting a haircut to be sufficiently important and Mr. Reevesworth sufficiently terrifying as to be a hinderance and not an asset.

But Mr. Reevesworth had instructed Collin on the route and was tracking Collin’s phone with his own. Collin’s leash was short.

Ash froze, hunched over like Gollum over the take-out containers. “What is this you speak of?”

“Hair—cut.” Collin mimed scissor motions.

Ash narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because you’re feral and I’m trying to civilize you.”

“What if I like being feral?”

“Then you’ll be a good-looking feral. Come on.” Collin waved a plastic credit card between his fingers. “You can get any cut you like, dye it even.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“What if I pick something weird?”

Collin shrugged. “I’ll tell you all the reasons you shouldn’t, and then you make up your mind.”

“What if I dye my hair red?”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes.”

“Then you should do it. Actually, I think you’d look hot with red hair. Maybe something like an Asian boy-band style with pointy bangs and all that.”

Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Half a second later, he turned it around and showed Collin a picture.

“You can totally do that. But you’re going to have to learn what conditioner is. You can’t dye your hair and not take care of it.”

Ash made a face. “I wash it.”

“Yeah, but it’s like all dry. That guy’s hair is like soft and everything. Don’t worry, I had this friend in high school. She dyed her hair all the time; it was fine.”

“Fine.” Ash put his phone in his pocket. “You may bribe me.” He cracked open the container on the sweet and sour pork. “When are we going?”

Collin checked the time. “You got twenty minutes to eat that. You’ll have to save the cake for later.”

Ash eyed the cake, clearly calculating. He chewed and swallowed. “You are a dangerous man, Collin.”

“Why?”

“You bring pre-bribe and after-bribe.”

Collin gritted his teeth as he and Ash approached the salon.

It was on the third floor of a building halfway back to The Residency.

Was he going to tell Ash, who was clearly terrified, that this was his first time as well?

No, not at all. Was he glad Mr. Reevesworth had had him reschedule his appointment after the unhappy lunch the previous day? Yes. Did he know what he was doing? No.

Damian had told him all he had to do was show up, sit down, answer questions from the stylist, and then sit still until they were done.

He could do that.

Hopefully Ash could, too.

Collin pushed open the door and dragged Ash inside with him. Actually, having Ash with him was good. It was easier to pretend to be at ease for someone else than for just himself.

He walked up to the receptionist. “Appointments for five thirty, for two.”

“Names, please?”

“Ryker. I booked both under the same name.”

“Ah, yes. Can I have a second name, just for our records? We like to keep our client preferences on file.”

“Ash.”

“All right, got it. Do we have a second phone number?”

Collin glanced down at Ash. The teenager shook his head. No cell phone number, then.

“You can reach Ash through me. Ash doesn’t really pay attention to his phone,. Collin smiled at the receptionist.

They were shown into the back almost immediately and placed in adjoining chairs.

Everything was clean and smelled like the makeup and perfume section of a department store.

Ash rubbed his palms on his knees and tucked one leg up under him.

If he ever sat like a normal person, Collin had yet to see it.

Collin leaned over to Ash and whispered, “Just show the stylist the picture you showed me. Do you still have it?”

Ash paled and quickly pulled out his phone. A few seconds later, he held it up with the picture.

Their stylists were out a few moments later.

Collin made introductions for Ash and explained he wanted what was in the picture on his phone.

Ash held it up, and the stylist who was going to be cutting his hair, a short guy with a blond mohawk, grinned and rubbed his hands together.

He gave Ash an encouraging nod. “That’ll look great on you.

I think we should go a little darker on the red, just to match your skin tone. ”

Ash turned to Collin. “Does he mean that undertone architecture heat thing you were talking about?”

Collin nodded. “He’s matching you to your red.”

Ash pressed his lips together and nodded, glancing at his stylist.

“He’s going to need all the instructions on how to care for it,” Collin added. “We’ll just buy the product here.”

Discussing Collin’s own style took a little longer as he hadn’t brought a picture.

His habits ran conservative, but his stylist pushed back, suggesting something a little younger.

In the end, they settled on something in between with highlights for texture rather than a more aggressive cut.

That had the added benefit of Collin also getting color along with Ash.

Partway through, Collin looked up from dazing off to see Damian ambling toward him. Damian grabbed a stool from an empty station across the way and dropped down. Collin glanced over at Ash. The teen was away at the shampoo bowl.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to see how you were getting along.” Damian gave an easy smile, hands in his pockets.

Collin grimaced. “Ash is here. If he sees you, he’s going to run.”

Damian grimaced. “He really needs to get over that.”

“I don’t know what you did, but just saying your name made him run out of the room.”