Page 5 of More Than a Fling
“Let’s do it.”
Two hours later her client walked out of the salon completely transformed. She would be another walking advertisement for The Diamond.
“Thanks, ya’ll. That was what you would call a team effort,” Annie said cheerfully. “She loved it, good call J.J. she complimented her fellow stylist.
“Don’t mention it,” he waved his hand at her. “She is a knockout, and now she looks as if she stepped out ofVogue Magazine.”
“That was so much fun. Reminds me of why I got into this business,” Annie said.
“Folks, I’m officially done for the day,” Zoey said, as she finished organizing her station.
“I think we’re all heading out,” James replied.
“See you tomorrow, I won’t be in until eleven, then I work straight through until eight o’clock,” Zoey shared.
“I’m pulling a ten-hour shift tomorrow starting at nine, with a long break to take care of my sister’s fur babies,” Annie said.
“I can come in and work the front desk for a couple of hours tomorrow if you need me to,” Rachel said.
“Yes!” they all chorused at the same time.
Laughing Rachel said shyly, “It feels good to be so popular.”
“Are you kidding me? I am not sure how we even functioned before you came along,” Annie said giving her a big hug. “I’ll lock up, I’ve got a couple more things to do before I head out,” she said. “Rachel, I’ll leave the keys to Darcy’s house and the alarm combination in the petty cash drawer when I leave the salon on Friday. Thanks so much for house-sitting for me this weekend. It saved my butt,” she said rolling her eyes
“Are you sure you don’t want me to wait for you Annie?” J.J. said, protective of her after her troubles with the ex.
“Nope I’ll be fine you worrywart, I haven’t seen or heard a peep from Bradley for over a month,” she said reassuringly.
“If you’re sure darlin’…I guess I’ll go, love you,” he said.
“I love you too J.J., see you tomorrow.”
After finishing up with a few last-minute details she gathered up her things, turning out the lights she locked the door behind her. She was struggling with the lock in the fading light when a male voice startled her, and she shrieked as she dropped her keys.
“Bradley, you scared me to death! What in the world are you doing here?”
“I was on my way home, just got off duty…I miss you Annie. I was hoping we could talk,” he said. He was still in his police uniform.
“We have already been over this, the answer is still the same, N-O,” she spelled out. “Our agreement was that you stay away from me,” she reminded him.
Seeing Bradley again was beyond difficult. He was as sexy as ever with his dark almost-black eyes and black hair, not to mention his killer body, but she knew she couldn’t go down that path again. It made her sad.
It had been good in the beginning, and she had lived on those crumbs for many months, before finally admitting that his dark passenger was really the one in charge. She had given him more chances than he deserved, and his behavior had escalated the previous fall from slightly erratic to completely unpredictable. She was pleased to note that she really had moved on; she could tell because she wasn’t even slightly tempted to engage with him.
“Annie can you honestly say that you don’t miss me too?” He reached as if to touch her face then let his hand drop. “I love you Annie,” he said again.
“I can’t say that I don’t think of the good times, however it doesn’t change anything,” she said firmly. “We’re bad for each other and I can’t trust you.”
“Baby, I’ve changed…I’ll do anything, I mean that—therapy, give up drinking,” voice breaking, “I can’t go on without you, my life isn’t worth a shit without you in it, please give me another chance,” he pleaded.
“Bradley you have to move on, and so do I. It’s over,” she said. She fought her impulse to comfort him in his obvious emotional anguish.
Sensing her weakness, he pushed again, “Annie, remember how it used to be with us? How can you let that all go? We were so good together, Baby, let me make it up to you. I promise, no more anger, no more fighting, just us making love, having fun like we used to, will you at least think about it?”
“I have thought about it, and that is why we’re not together. It wasn’t like I didn’t care about you, leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but you know as well as I do that it wasn’t only the ‘fighting’.”
“I know I was a jerk and I hate that I took you for granted.”