Page 6 of You Saw the Best In Me

She’s tall, with fiery red hair curled at the ends. Her smile is soft, and as we sit, she fires off a few questions, but it’s more of a casual chat than an interview.

“Honestly, I’m looking for someone I can rely on. I know you’re from out of town, so you’ll be building your client list, and I think our salon would be a great fit for you,” Alivia says, and I can’t contain my smile.

“I can absolutely be relied on. Whatever hours you can schedule me for, I’ll be here!” I shake her hand and follow her around for a quick tour.

The salon is clean and organized. All the products are labeled and dated, which I immediately love. I’ve worked at some dirty salons and am relieved to be in a well-kept place.

“Let’s sign some paperwork, and you’ll be all set. I’ll have you on the schedule starting next week, Karina,” Alivia smiles and hands me a stack of papers to fill out.

Overall, the day started shitty, but I got a job, and nothing will stop me from celebrating another small victory.

Now that I’ve acted like an adult, it’s time to get childish.

Revenge is best served cold, and I’m ready to deliver.

MAVERICK

Ifeel a little guilty about pranking Karina so harshly, but it was revenge for her loud music, and it was successful. The only bad thing was that she spilled coffee everywhere, and I didn’t anticipate dousing her shirt with coffee, but it was the payoff that made the prank so much more delectable.

It’s a rare day off for me, and I’m spending it with Harper when she’s out of school. It’s a surprise. When we spoke on the phone I didn’t tell her I had a weekday off or about my secret plan to take her out for ice cream at her favorite diner.

I shower after I finish getting the coffee stain out, and I hear Karina come in from her interview. My focus is all over the place, and she’s dead-center in my mind.

This woman is stuck in my head, a movie that’s on repeat, and I can’t stop thinking about her.

How she blew in here last night, offering me a drink and then slugging the tequila like a pro, was enough to wake up my dick. Sporting a semi-hard in the kitchen, I had to kick her out before it went any further.

She smelled like roses, maybe a fruity perfume, or possibly her hair products, but it was entrancing. I’m doing my best to hate her, but if I’m not careful, I might let my guard down around her.

After she left, all I could think was I had to do something to get her attention, and I thought of a classic prank that literally knocked her off her feet.

Lunch with Harper will clear my head, and I need to focus on what matters most: my family. Everything I do is for my sister and Grams; I can’t let that slip.

Girlfriends or annoyingly hot neighbors won’t distract me from providing only the best for Harper.

I wear a T-shirt and a pair of shorts and grab my keys to head to Harper’s school. She’ll be out soon, and I want the best parking spot.

When I step outside the door, my feet roll, and I can’t catch my balance. I fall right on my ass and land on marbles.

Fucking marbles.

This woman put at least one hundred marbles in front of my apartment.

“Oh no, are you okay?” she peeks out her door, smirking.

“Marbles? That’s all you’ve got?” I tease, making my way to a standing position.

“I had to get you back. Don’t start a battle if you can’t handle the war,” she says, winking at me before closing her door.

The Prank War is on, and I’m going to enlist the help of a savvy thirteen-year-old to get Karina back for this.

I beep the horn, and Harper looks up from her phone, smiling from ear to ear when she sees my truck.

“Mav! What are you doing here?” she asks, throwing her arms around me for a hug.

“Surprising you, of course. Wanna go get ice cream?” I wait for her to buckle her seatbelt before driving off.

The only thing Harper loves more than her phone is ice cream, and I know she won’t deny an after-school snack.