Page 30 of Bargain with Fate
“I definitely feel his absence.”
She continued to massage my soapy head. “If I were you, I wouldn’t wait to replace him. Life’s too short.”
“It really isn’t up to me.”
“Honey, who else would it be up to?”
“Justine.”
Camille burst into laughter. “Why on earth would you let that crusty HOA lady choose your next lover?”
I nearly fell out of the chair and onto the floor. “Judd was myboss. That’s it.”
“Oh, I knowthat, but I figured you two were getting busy in more ways than one.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because you were two grapes on an island of prunes.”
“Judd and I weren’t involved. He was like a bossy big brother to me. End of story.”
She rinsed the suds from my hair. “All the more reason you ought to find someone. It isn’t healthy to spend so much time alone.”
“I see people every day.”
“Honey, that ain’t the same thing and you know it. Let me set you up with someone.”
“Camille, I can count the number of eligible bachelors on the island on one hand.”
“What about Dr. Adam? He’s dreamy. I bet with the right haircut, he might see you in a different light.”
I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that I’d rejected his advances. “I’m not the right fit for someone like him.”
“Oh, honey. Don’t diminish yourself. Once we get this hair under control, you’ll have no problem at all presenting as an attractive female of your species.”
Camille’s idea of kindness seemed to land squarely in the backhanded compliment bucket. She reminded me of my mother, except my mother hadn’t bothered with the compliment part, only the backhand.
The dryad towel-dried my hair and steered me to a chair in front of a large mirror. “Let’s get your leaves pruned, honey.” She combed and snipped away the ends of my wet hair. “What’s it like being half Gorgon anyway? I’ve always wondered about y’all.”
“You seem very interested in that part of my heritage.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re a rare breed.”
I bit my tongue. I was even rarer than she realized. “I haven’t noticed too many dryads on the island.”
“No, most of us choose to settle deep in the woods somewhere, but I got too comfortable to change my life that drastically.”
“What brought you to Evermore?”
“A couple kids in my cul-de-sac spotted me changing my branches back into arms. One of them took a photo with their phone. I managed to persuade everyone it was AI, but the damage was done.”
“Advancements in technology have been tough for a lot of us.”
“Is that why you took the job here at your age? Did somebody snap a photo of your snakes?”
“No, but it was only a matter of time,” I lied. Prior to Evermore, I lived a life in the shadows. I wasn’t on anybody’s radar, least of all that of neighborhood children.
“Looking back, it was for the best,” Camille said, pulling the ends of my hair to examine them for straightness. “I’d been in one dead-end relationship after another. I was ready to turn over a new leaf.”
