Page 3 of Starlight Salon
He drags his feet to the door, and I watch him sigh.
Dom opens the door, but only enough to stick his head out. “What?”
“You gonna let me in?”
“No.”
“You talk to your paying customers like that, Dom?” I smirk at him. Why he opened a business based in customer service, I’ll never know. But he truly is a teddy-bear under all the gruffness when you get to know him. If he lets you.
He sighs again, but opens the door and gestures me in. “What’s up, Chloe?”
“What’s up? The plumber you recommended didn’t show, so I still don’t have water,” I say through clenched teeth. My chest tightens. I need hot water, damn it.
“Lach didn’t show up?” Dom furrows his brow and pulls his phone out of his pocket.
“No, he didn’t. Thanks for the recommendation. You know what’s important to a hair salon? Water! I open in a few days.”
“We’ll figure it out. I’ll give him a call.”
My voice tightens, “I tried that.”
“He wouldn’t have recognised your number.”
“That shouldn’t have stopped him from answering.” If he wants clients, answering the phone would be a good start.
Dom taps something on his phone and holds it to his ear. “I know.” His painted nails gleam in the light, decorated in an ocean design that looks like Isla’s work and is bright against his dark clothes. The phone rings and rings before switching to voicemail. Lachlan’s deep voice sounds distorted through the speakers.
“Huh.”
“He didn’t pick up. Oh god, how am I supposed to open a salon without water?” The energy seeps out of me, and I lean against a table. “Maybe I’ll YouTube it? How hard can it be, some pipes and stuff?”
Dom glares at his phone. “He’s not picking up. It’s not like him.”
“Dom, I did something to the till,” a panicked voice comes from the back.
I glance up at his growl and raise my eyebrow.
“Hired a new kid. Look, I’ve gotta go deal with this.” He flings a hand to the tills. “Can you check on Lach for me?”
“What?” I yelp. Is he serious?
“He always answers his phone. Always. I can’t get away until closing. Can you check on him? Please?”
My phone vibrates, and a text comes through with an address and the same number I’ve been texting this morning. “I can’t check on him.”
“You don’t have to, but I’d appreciate it if you make sure he’s okay,” Dom says. The kid yells again and Dom strides to the tills. “I’ll see you later.”
“Wait. You can’t expect me to do this. I don’t even know him.” I gaze at his back while he disappears and shake my head. What just happened? He can’t honestly expect me to do this, can he? I’ve never spoken to Lachlan in person, only on the phone, and heard his voice in the bar ordering beer. As much as I want to see him, I shouldn’t need to track down my plumber.
I growl in frustration and slam the door behind me, stepping into the muggy air. Sweat prickles on my skin. I hadn’t realised how cool it was in the bar.
There’s no point going back to the salon. I’ve already put most of the stock away. Now all I need is water. I head for my flat, phone burning a hole through my bag. Halfway home, I fish it out and tap on the text thread. My eyes widen in surprise. He doesn’t live too far away from me. An extra ten minutes to walk, but am I ready for confrontation? I hate confrontation, but I need water, and Dom did seem concerned. The concern breaking through his gruff exterior.
What if something’s wrong? I guess I could check on him? Just to make sure he’s alive. It would mean if he dies I wouldn’t feel guilty since I checked on him. Unless they think I killed him because I was the last person to see him? I stop at the turn I need to walk down to reach my flat and glance ahead to where Lachlan apparently lives.
I pull my top away from my sticky skin.
Ugh.