Page 117 of Hunter or Hunted

“At which point, I’m out of a job.” Gwen grabbed her jacket from under the register and started around it. “I mean, I have enough in savings to handle my bills for a few months. Now that I have a steady stream of income from all the kids I’m teaching, I won’t be completely broke. But it’s bittersweet, you know? I love this place.”

“Did you talk to Julia about it?” I asked, trailing behind her as she started for the front door. “She and I went to high school together. She comes off a little harsh, but she’s cool. I don’t think she and her dad were really after a profit selling this place anyway. It was just going to go to Andrew. If you tell her you’re interested, she might be willing to work out some type of payment arrangement with you. Rent-to-own type thing.”

Beside the exit, she flipped all the light switches. Light still shone from the Tiffany lamp in the corner and the LEDs behind the checkout. “Aren’t we supposed to be having fun tonight? Isn’t that the point of the date with fancy reservations in the city?”

“Well, yeah, but if you don’t jump soon, she’ll probably sell to the highest bidder.” I held open the door for her and stepped out behind her. “Isn’t this, like, your dream and everything? Owning your own bakery?”

“Opening a bakery.” She slid her key into the lock, securing the front door. “My own bakery that I built from the ground up. No matter how nice Julia is, I doubt she’ll take the small amount of money I have saved for this place. It’s gotta be worth somewhere close to a quarter mil. And I definitely don’t have that, so I don’t want to think about this right now.”

Frowning, I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “If money is the issue⁠—”

“You’re not giving me another handout.” She held up her hand in a stop motion, but she still wore the barest smile. “I’m fine, Sebastian. I’ll figure it out. Please, let’s just go on our date.”

“You and your damn pride.” I crossed my arms against my chest. “We can do it all professional. Like a bank.” Rather than those annoyed, narrowed eyes, her brows furrowed at something behind me. But it was a silly thing for her to get worked up over. She needed money, I had money, and we were talking about spending the rest of our lives together. It just made sense. “We could get some type of loan agreement written up and notarized, if you absolutely insist. But⁠—”

“Did you see that on your way in?” She pointed behind me.

I looked over my shoulder.

Dark black smoke rose from somewhere on the edge of town. A bonfire, maybe?

But city law prohibited bonfires so close to town. The smoke couldn’t have come from a source more than a street away.

“I walked down from my office,” I said, squinting in that direction. “What’s over there anyway? That’s not residential, is it?”

A quiet gasp dropped into Gwen’s chest. “The salon. Simone’s salon.”

40

SIMONE

“Oh my God, no way!” Mallory managed between laughs. Clutching her ribs with one hand, she held onto her nearly empty wineglass with the other. “That can’t be true.”

“I looked it up after Junie told me.” Simone laughed as she unfastened the cape around Mallory’s shoulders. “The national animal for Scotland is, in fact, a unicorn.”

“That’s so cool. I love when the kids come home from school with some weird bit of knowledge like that.” Still laughing, Mallory sat forward and inspected her extensions in the mirror. “Holy shit, these are amazing! I mean, they have to be for the price, but seriously. Thank you so much, Simone.”

“Thanks for trusting me with your head.” Simone smiled at her in the reflection, bouncing the long blonde curls that dangled around Mallory’s face. “Just remember, if you want them to stay looking this good, you have to keep up on six-week appointments. The expensive part is the hair, which you already own now, so your next session will go way smoother. At least on your wallet.”

Mallory waved her off, still admiring herself. “I’m not worried about the money. I’m just amazed at your skill. Let’s mark that six weeks on the calendar. I will forget if we don’t.”

“Thursdays still good for you?” Simone headed for the checkout counter.

“Yep.” Mallory stood and gestured down the hall. “As long as you don’t mind Gabby coming, Thursdays are great.”

“Mind? I love when the girls get to play.” Simone typed around on the computer, filling in the noon appointment slot with Mallory’s name. “I love when they tire each other out and are dead asleep by 10 P.M. even more.”

“The trouble is definitely going to be keeping her asleep while I get her into the car.” Mallory passed her card over the counter. “Chris’s gonna have to get her out. I handled her all night. He gets evening shift.”

“Fair split if you ask me.” Simone jotted the date and time on an appointment card and passed it to Mallory, careful to avoid the candle burning on the granite. “Do you need some help? I don’t mind.”

“After standing there doing my hair all day? Your back has got to be killing you.” Mallory stowed everything into her purse and gave a smile. “I got it. But thanks. Seriously, thank you for the hair. It’s gorgeous.”

“Thank you for the business.” Simone offered a smile in response. “And drive safe. I think all the snow has finally melted, but you never know.”

Heading toward Simone’s office in the back, Mallory said, “Oh, there’s definitely still some black ice out there!”

Probably, but it was the least of Simone’s concerns.