Page 7 of Fierce-Dane

Elise watched the two of them look at each other. This might be working.

“I guess that keeps you ladies busy in your retirement, doesn’t it?” Elise asked.

“It does. It’s not easy coming up with ladies worthy of those men,” Diane said.

“I’m sure it’s not,” Elise said. Her eyes shifted to Gabe. He’d moved next to Royce and Zander. This was getting good in her mind.

“You really should let us try to set you up,” Diane said. “If not with Zander then maybe someone else.”

“No chance with Zander,” she said loudly again.

“You can’t blame us for trying,” Carolyn said, putting her hand on Elise’s arm and leaning in close. “It’s fine. We’ve got people lined up for Gabe and maybe Zander.”

Elise seemed to hesitate and the two of them took their leave fast while they were ahead.

“That was horrible of us,” Diane said.

“Nope. It was perfect. Now we just have to figure out what to do about Dane. Any thoughts?”

“Nothing,” Diane said. “It almost breaks my heart to see him sitting there by himself while everyone was out having fun.”

“He’s not alone,” Carolyn said. “He has his kids. Anyone we think of has to understand that.”

“We might have our work cut out for us, but that’s never stopped us before,” Diane said.

“Nope,” Carolyn said. “But tonight, we can celebrate in our success. One marriage and another on the hook and ready for the bite to let the world know what we’ve known all along.”

They laughed some more and moved closer to their husbands to compare notes on a good night.

2

BEING HAPPY

“That was the best massage ever, Sloane.”

Sloane Redding wiped her oily hands on a towel and turned to see her client lying on her stomach, her head turned and a huge smile was on her face while her eyes were shut.

The room was dim and the ninety-minute massage was complete. She had several more hours of work to go today.

“I’m happy to hear that, Maureen,” she said. “You know the routine. I’ll step out so you can change, but please take your time.”

Sloane had thirty minutes before her next massage and time to change the room over. Maureen was a regular, coming every six weeks like clockwork.

She’d get a fifty-dollar tip that she was always grateful for. As the owner of her salon, she knew not many felt the need to tip her. Or tip her as much. It could be frustrating at times, but having grown up the way she had, she also understood that not everyone was in a position to do it.

If anyone got stiffed a tip, she’d rather it be her as the owner than one of her employees who made much less.

She closed the door quickly behind her, went to the bathroom to wash her hands, then pulled her phone out to check her calendar once again and see if there were any pressing emails waiting for her that she’d have to sneak into her office to deal with.

When she heard the door open five minutes later while she’d waited discreetly down the hall, she saw Maureen come out almost whistling.

“Here you go,” Maureen said, slipping the cash into her hand. “You have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Do you have any plans?”

“No,” she said. “Nothing other than work.”

“You’re open on Monday?” Maureen asked.

“You’d be surprised how many people want to get services when they have the day off.”