Page 4 of This Time Around
“It’s a little boring, don’t you think?” Josh leaned closer, and I could feel Milo’s scrutiny from across the room. “Listen, come by the salon this afternoon. I’ll work you in for a new haircut and propose an idea I have.”
“To win over Milo?” I asked hopefully.
“Oh, honey,” Josh said dramatically, placing his hand over his heart. “I’m not a miracle worker. You’re going to have to put the time and effort in all by yourself. There will be no shortcuts, or haircuts, that take you to the Holy Land that is Milo’s heart.” I’d already been to the Holy Land that was Milo’s ass. Would it really be that hard to make the leap? “While you’re trying to figure it all out, I believe I have a few jobs for you.”
I perked up at that idea because I did need to find some work—either by launching my own construction company or getting hired on someone else’s crew. “That sounds good. What time?”
“How does four o’clock work for you?”
“Perfect!” I told Josh loud enough to a glare from Milo. “See you later.”
I sat back down at the table, wondering how long it would take before Milo wandered over to ask about the plans I’d made with Josh. I bit my lip to keep from smiling when I saw him wiping down tables that he’d already wiped twice. He worked in a pattern that brought him closer and closer to me. I felt like a fucking spider waiting on his web to pounce on an insect that flew too close. I knew it was only a matter of time before I ensnared Milo, so I would be patient.
“Are you finished with your tea?” Milo asked haughtily.
“Um, yeah. It’s empty,” I replied calmly without looking up from my paper. I’d stared at the same fucking headline for the past ten minutes and still didn’t know what it said. “I can throw it out when I’m ready to leave though.”
“When might that be?” Milo asked snidely.
I looked up from the paper then and met his cobalt eyes. They sparkled with a combination of curiosity, jealousy, and anger that made me want to pump my fist in victory. I looked around the café and saw that very few people were milling around, so I wasn’t hogging up a table that someone wanted.
“Eager for me to leave? I really don’t have any place that I need to be until later this afternoon. I was thinking about getting another cup of tea and one of those banana nut muffins.”
“So long as you’re paying this time,” Milo snarled. “Don’t think I’m giving up my muffins every time you decide that you want them.”
God, he was so damn cute when he was in a snit. His flushed cheeks, pouty lips, and vibrant eyes reminded me of his post-orgasm afterglow. I didn’t really get a chance to see it in the alley before he took off like a bat out of hell, but I recalled it from years ago.
“Do you have some type of customer reward card?” I asked. “Buy so many muffins and you get one for free?”
“No, but that’s a damn good idea, Andy,” Maegan said from behind the counter. When Milo turned to glare at her, she wiggled her fingers in a wave, completely unashamed that she’d been listening in on our conversation. “We can have cards printed up easily enough. We can mark an X in each box or even punch a hole through it.”
“Yeah, Milo. I want you to punch my hole,” I whispered to him.
Milo nearly choked on his own tongue before he walked away. The Milo I knew from our youth would’ve stomped, but the grown man moved gracefully and proud. Everything about him drove me wild, especially his determination that we wouldn’t repeat what happened the previous night behind the café.
After waiting a reasonable amount of time to ensure that Milo knew he didn’t run me off, I left The Brew instead of ordering more tea. I didn’t own a lot of stuff, so there wasn’t much I needed to unpack. The movers had delivered my furniture a few days before I arrived, but I needed to sort through the boxes I’d brought with me. Once that was done, I headed to Target for some household essentials and food items. I ended up buying a bunch of crap I didn’t really need but had to have anyway. After that, it was time to head over to Curl Up and Dye.
I’d never stepped inside a salon before and expected to feel out of place, but that wasn’t the case. It didn’t hurt that the receptionist, Chaz, was so friendly and cute. Instead of leading me to his salon chair to cut my hair, Josh took me to a door off the sitting room.
“Squawk!Bend me over and spank my ass!” I whipped my head around and saw a vibrantly blue macaw sizing me up. “Hiya, honey.”
“Ignore him,” Josh said. “He flirts with everyone. What I want to show you is up in my private residence.”
“Um,” I said uncertainly as I followed him up the steps.
Josh held up his hand to show off a shiny ring. “I’m engaged, Andy. I want your carpentry skills, not your body.”
I chuckled.
“Gabe and I are getting married this fall, and we’re in the process of buying a new home. This space worked great when it was just me, but we need something that is forus.My proposal is twofold: I want you to do some updating to the house we’re buying, and I’d like to turn this space,” he circled in the middle of the living room with his arms out, “into a luxury spa and massage area.”
“Sure,” I told him. “I just need you to tell me what you want done, any kind of budget restrictions you have, and the timeline. Same goes for the house you’re buying.”
“Great! Let me talk to Gabe tonight during our final walkthrough of the house, and I’ll get back to you with a solid plan.” He looked at my hair again and said, “Let’s get to work, shall we?”
I had to admit that I felt better when I left the salon with a more modern cut and a follow-up appointment for the next month. I wondered what Milo would think of my haircut, but I didn’t dwell on it too much because I was due for dinner at my sister’s house. She insisted on having a welcome-back dinner, even though it was a Tuesday night. I’d deliberately timed my return for a weekday to avoid anyone going to any trouble.
I didn’t realize how much I missed my family until I walked into Faith’s house. Sure, I’d seen them for holidays and special occasions over the past twelve years, but I had slinked in and out of town with as little fuss as possible. I was home to stay, and the relief and excitement they felt was palpable. It was just too bad thatallthe Blissville residents weren’t as happy to see me, but I had a plan to change his mind.