The Green Ticket

Chapter 12



“You’re home! Finally. We didn’t think you were ever coming back.” I was greeted by Lila’s scolding on Friday night when I finally walked into our apartment just minutes before nine. Even though my shift ended at seven I had all the cleaning duties to take care of, and tried to work on even better marketing ideas. And figure out how to show Kevin and Dani that Kamille stole my original ideas.

“Home. Finally. Hi, ladies. What’s everyone doing here?” Lila was sitting in the living room along with Emma, Carmen, and Hannah. All were dressed casually, so I assumed there was no partying happening that night. Though everyone but Hannah was holding a margarita.

“Well, it feels like ages since we’ve seen you last. What the hell have you been up to?” Emma said.

I quickly dumped my purse and briefcase on the kitchen table, then wedged myself between Lila and Hannah on the couch. “I know, I know. I’ve been a terrible friend lately. I’ve been so busy at Blissful. And when I’m not physically there, I’m either taking work home with me, thinking about work or...” I trailed off, rubbing my eyes. I was exhausted. Usually my Friday nights were filled with drinking, getting ready to go out, and then parties. Now, it was barely nine and all I wanted to do was sleep.

“I figured you would be tired tonight–– since you usually look like you’re dragging when you get home–– so I invited the girls up so we could just hang out here. No need to get dressed up or be anywhere. Just the five of us tonight.”

I looked at my roommate, my eyes softening. “Thanks, Lila. You don’t know how much I appreciate that.”

She picked up my hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s nothing. But we have some serious catching up to do. These guys have barely heard about Blissful, you have a big second date tomorrow, and Hannah has some news of her own to share.”

My head whipped over to my left side where Hannah sat. “What? What’s your news?” I practically shouted. I knew it had to be something with Peter.

Hannah giggled. She never giggled. “It’s nothing, really. Peter just asked me to go home with him over Thanksgiving break. He wants me to meet his family.” Her blue eyes were bright and alive, a look I’d rarely seen on my friend. I was thrilled.

“Oh, Hannah! That is a huge step. Wow, meeting the family. Are you nervous? Excited? What will you wear?” Questions shot out of my mouth, all while I envisioned Hannah and Peter’s wedding. It would be a spectacular occasion, with both Hannah and Peter’s families coming from money and having important jobs and all. Carmen, Emma, Lila, and I would be her bridesmaids, of course. I wondered who she would choose as the maid of honor. Lila and I would be each other’s of course, Carmen and Emma would probably pick each other, but what about Hannah? Maybe it would be me!

“Hello, Alex? Please stop planning my wedding.” Hannah snapped her fingers in front of my face, cutting off my daydream.

“What? I wasn’t planning your wedding. I was, um, thinking about Blissful. And schedules and facials and stuff. Duh,” I said, not convincing Hannah.

“Sure, sure. But I don’t really know what I’m going to wear. We’re going back on Wednesday night and leaving on Friday. That means I am spending the night there–– twice. Are we supposed to sleep together? Separate bedrooms? What if I can’t think of anything to say around his mom or dad? How much food do I eat on Thanksgiving? Not enough might offend his mom, too much will make me look piggy.” Hannah looked terrified. “I’ve never had a real boyfriend before. Or met anyone’s parents. I’m scared.”

“Don’t you worry, girl. We’ll make sure you are totally prepared before you leave. We’ll get you the right outfits, go over some topics you can bring up, everything. You will not leave this city unprepared,” Carmen vowed. The rest of us murmured our agreements.

“Thank you.” I could feel Hannah relax into the couch cushion. “It’s just so nerve-racking. But enough about me. Alex, you have a second date tomorrow? Is this the Bellini’s one?”

I nodded, thinking about my date with Henry tomorrow. Backstabbing bitch Kamille had almost drained all my euphoric feelings about my second date. The energy and enthusiasm was slowly being pumped through my body after just minutes of being around my friends. “Yep. Bellini’s it is. And I’m kind of freaking out, no lie. I don’t know if I’ve ever been to such a fancy place. What if I don’t know how to order? What if I can’t find anything normal to order on the menu? I don’t want to look like a complete tool in front of Henry.”

We chatted about my date for a few more minutes, where I got all kinds of advice from my friends. Start with the fork farthest from the plate–– Hannah. Casually rub my foot against Henry’s while we are chatting–– Emma. The salads would probably not come with ranch dressing, instead something fancier–– Lila. To limit myself to one dinner drink in case I don’t like my food and get bombed at the table–– Carmen. Carmen’s advice probably wasn’t needed. I didn’t want to bust out the fake ID and get kicked out of Bellini’s. Nothing like cops and an arrest to ruin a date.

Our chat then segued into Lila’s love life. “Joel is pissed about the meeting I have coming up with Mary Strubaker. Doesn’t want me to go, says it’s a waste of time. Good to know the person that is supposed to love me has no faith in me.” Lila picked at a piece of lint on her purple socks.

“Lila, please break up with him. You know it’s supposed to happen. Why are you holding on?” Carmen demanded to know.

“I know you think I’m crazy, but I had a feeling once about us getting married. Not all relationships are perfect all the time. There’s going to be rough patches and fights. But I really do love Joel. We’ve been great together and happy for years. How can I just throw all of that away?”

“Answer me this,” Emma said. “Say you meet with Mary and nail it–– which I’m sure you will.” Agreements all around. Lila smiled at us. “And then say she wants you to hop on the first plane to New York and meet with agents and do a photo shoot or whatever it is you need to do. You come back and tell Joel. What do you think he will do?”

Lila was silent. We all stared at her. I was sure that the four of us were thinking the same thing. Joel would flip. “I think he would be happy for me.”

Giant room sigh. “Do you really think that, Lila? Or is that what you hope will happen?” Hannah asked gently.

“It sounds to me that if he doesn’t even want you to go to the meeting, he sure as hell wouldn’t want you to go to New York or LA, or anywhere for that matter,” Emma said.

Lila was quiet for a beat longer. “Well, it doesn’t even matter now. Who says that Mary will like me or want to help me? She could laugh in my face and show me to the door. Then I will have caused a big ruckus over nothing. I’ll just go to the meeting, I’m sure nothing will happen, and then we can all just forget about it.”

“Wait a second. So if one woman doesn’t think you have what it takes, you’re just going to roll over and play dead?” I asked. “Lila, you’ve been talking about this dream for years. You want to be an entertainment reporter. Don’t let Joel or Mary bring you down. Don’t bring yourself down.”

“Alex is right. If you give up, it’s over. All your dreams and planning and hard work down the drain. Don’t do it, Lila. Keep fighting.” Carmen added her advice to the fray. I looked around the room, immensely grateful for my awesome friends, their unwavering advice and support. We all stood by each other no matter what.

“Thanks, guys. I won’t give up. I really won’t. And I will nail this meeting with Mary. I know it,” Lila said, her voice only warbling a little.

“That’s more like it! That’s the Lila we love,” Carmen exclaimed, holding up her margarita glass in a toast.

“Speaking of–– do you have me scheduled for my facial at Blissful?” Lila asked, turning towards me.

“I put you on the books today with Allie. You’re scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30.”

“Perfect! Thank you much.”

“You’re welcome. I’m sure you will love it,” I said. “I’m going to get a full body wrap thing done in the next few weeks too.”

“A full body wrap? What is that?” Emma wanted to know.

I explained how a wrap worked–– painting lotion all over the body, then wrapping the body up like a giant cocoon and letting it sit there. I was getting the wrap meant to soften skin, but there were wraps that are said to actually slim the body. Blissful offered both. Emma asked to be scheduled for one herself, and I made a note in my phone to check the schedules and book her.

The rest of the night passed quickly. I joined in on the margarita scene, grateful for the weekend off. I planned on sleeping in, catching up on a few homework assignments that I kept pushing off, and preparing for my date with Henry. Hannah and I were going to participate in Kaufman’s annual food day festival on Sunda–– which was just a big to-do on campus that featured healthy foods, recipes, and lots of yummy snacks to munch on while you went from booth to booth. Lila and I discussed a possible shopping trip, which I was up for. I had barely used any of my hard-earned money since I was too busy to have a social life anymore. My bank account was happy, but I was having some shopping withdrawals. Lila, Hannah, and I also promised each other we would make it to church on Sunday. I had been slacking in the religious department lately as well.

Lila and I said our good-byes to the rest of the girls around one in the morning. I sure hadn’t planned on staying up that late, but with the combination of alcohol, a late-night delivery pizza, awesome friends and some trusty board/drinking games, I couldn’t let myself fall asleep early. I shuffled into my bedroom after closing the front door, not even bothering to remove my makeup or brush my teeth. I just wanted to shut my eyes.

$$$

The ringing of my cell phone woke me up the next morning. My eyelids creaked open, matted together by the eye makeup that I didn’t feel like removing the night before. My mouth felt like the hangover fairy was shoving cotton balls in overnight and the room was spinning. Or it just felt like it was spinning, courtesy to the four margaritas I drank the night before.

I rolled over, looking for my phone. Before I could answer it, the ringing stopped. It was the Blissful phone. I squinted at the clock. 10:34. Check for sleeping in. The phone started ringing again. This time I flipped it open right away. “Hello?” I croaked out.

“Alex? Are you okay? You sound terrible.” Dani’s concerned voice came over the line.

“No, I’m fine. I was just sleeping.”

“Sleeping? It’s almost eleven o’clock. Wake up!”

“I’m awake now. I was just lying in bed, trying to wake up.” I changed my story after hearing Dani’s disapproving voice. I was sure she had been up for hours, getting her girls ready for the day, probably already running a few errands. Mothers didn’t get to sleep in. Neither did professionals. Or at least I didn’t think they did.

“Well, we have a problem at the salon today,” Dani continued. We did? Blissful wasn’t even open for another hour. What could have gone wrong? “Kamille was scheduled to work a full today and Julia was going to do the partial. Kamille called in and Julia said she can’t get there until her scheduled time of two o’clock. So we have no one at the desk at noon to open. Tiffany hasn’t returned my call yet.”

My hungover brain was trying to keep up. Kamille–– called in. No one to open. Did Dani mean....

“Kevin was going to cover my shift for me today so I could get some shopping done for the holidays. Remember, I mentioned that the other day? I shouldn’t have gone out of town without reaching Kevin first, but I left at six this morning and now I’m in Iowa City. I can leave right away, but it’s still about a two-hour drive.

“And where’s Kevin?” I asked, feeling my blood start to boil.

“I can’t get a hold of him and I’m worried he’s not going to be there in time. He–– he didn’t come home last night and I can’t reach him on his cell.”

What the f*ck? I looked at the clock again. 10:38. Blissful opened at noon. The opener was supposed to be there at least thirty minutes prior to opening. I would never make it by 11:30.

“Alex? You there?”

“Ugh, yeah. I’m here. I don’t think I can get there by 11:30,” I said meekly, feeling my day off evaporate into thin air. My day to relax, to catch up on homework and shop with Lila. To prepare for my date. “I would still need to get ready and drive over.”

“Allie should be there shortly. She can help with opening duties and cover the desk until you get there. Keep trying to call Tiffany. She might be able to come in and help. I was going to be there by five tonight to close up, but I can try to be there earlier. I’ll leave right away, but that doesn’t help the situation now. We need someone to open.”

I sat up in bed, a wave of dizziness crashing over me. Not only was I getting called into work on my day off, on a Saturday, but I was going to have to do it hungover. Perfect. “Okay. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

“Excellent. I’m so sorry for this, Alex. I hate to make you come in on your day off, but I really thought Kevin would be good on his word today. I’ll keep in touch on my drive back. See you this afternoon.” And Dani was gone. I couldn’t believe my ears. What a hypocrite Kevin was. I had to be there at all times when it was my shift, but when he agrees to cover for his wife he just goes MIA?

I made my way through my morning routine in warp speed. Toothpaste speckled my mirror as I brushed without abandon, my shower was under two minutes and I skipped conditioner, opting to simply scrunch some mousse through my hair and twist it up in a clip, and I only added blush to my cheeks and mascara to my lashes. Running back into my bedroom, I pulled my black pants from my overflowing laundry basket and grabbed a light green sweater–– one of the last articles of clean clothing I had left. I skipped all jewelry and even forgot my perfume, walking out of my bedroom and into the kitchen to grab my purse and briefcase. Lila was lounging on the couch watching TV when I walked by her.

“Hey, where are you going?” she asked, struggling to sit up. I was sure she was battling a hangover as well from the looks of her puffy eyes and the bowl of mac n’ cheese on the floor. Lila swore by it for a hangover cure.

“I got called in today. The regular gal called in sick,” I said, pulling my winter coat on and yanking a hat over my head.

“What? No! This was your day off, Alex. You need the rest.” Lila finally managed to stand upright, swaying slightly as she walked over to join me by the door. “There isn’t anyone else that can cover?”

“No, there isn’t,” I snapped, immediately feeling contrite. “Sorry. Not trying to take it out on you. I’m just pissed. Kamille called in and I guess Kevin was going to cover for Dani today while she was out of town, but now no one can find him and he’s not answering his phone.”

“Seriously? No one can get a hold of him?”

“Seriously. Dani’s in complete panic and driving back now from Iowa City. I feel so bad for her. Her husband can’t even make good on his word so she can have a day off. What a f*ckhead!” I couldn’t believe the anger burning through me. I had been bending over backwards for that salon since I signed on, working closer to fifty hours a week, running errands for Kevin and Dani that I didn’t see anywhere under my job responsibilities, taking work home with me and this is what I get? My day off to be called in?

“I’m so sorry, Alex. I know you were looking forward to this day. And what about your date tonight?”

My spirits sunk lower. “I just hope Dani can get there at a decent time to relieve me. Hopefully I can still make myself look somewhat decent for tonight.” Tears pricked behind my eyes. “And I’m hungover, Lil. I feel like shit!”

“Here.” Lila scurried into the kitchen, opening a cabinet and removing a bottle of Ibuprofen. “I already took two this morning. Take these and be sure you eat something. Stop and get breakfast somewhere if you need to. We don’t have anything that you can just grab. Unless you want me to make you a sandwich or something?” She shook two pills out and handed them to me, rapidly filling a glass with tap water.

I threw the pills in my mouth and took a long drink, spilling water on me in the process. Wiping the water from my chin, I said, “No, that’s okay. I really need to get going. Thanks for offering though. I’ll try to be home as soon as I can.”

“We’ll all be here to help, remember! Don’t worry–– this date will go smoothly. No worries.” Lila gave me a quick hug, and I squeezed her back gratefully.

As I pulled into the Blissful parking lot, I decided to park around back. Sometimes I parked in the back to leave open spaces up front for the customers. I typically did this on weekends, when I knew we would be busier. I pulled around back and was driving slowly down the bumpy street when I noticed Kevin’s car up ahead, about three spaces down from the Blissful back door entrance. Did he make it to Blissful in time? Would I be able to go home and sleep off this hangover? I noticed someone in the car with him, and something told me to stop my car. I braked, and watched horrified as Kamille got out of the BMW. My eyes traveled to her beat-up blue Honda parked in front of Kevin’s snazzy ride. What the hell was going on here?

Without thinking, I grabbed my cell phone and flipped it open with shaking hands, tapping at the camera icon. Kamille walked around to the driver’s side and leaned down. Kevin’s face appeared out the window, and he gave Kamille a lingering kiss. My camera phone snapped pictures. Finally, Kamille pulled away, said a few words, then got in her car and drove off. Kevin did the same moments later.

I sat frozen in my car for a few minutes, staring at the incriminating evidence on my phone. I tried to piece everything together. Kamille had worked at Blissful last night. Did she leave her car here and go off with Kevin after her shift? Dani said on the phone that Kevin didn’t come home last night. Kamille called in this morning. My mind was on overload. I felt sick. Kamille and Kevin. Kevin and Kamille. Kevin was having an affair–– with Kamille?

With shaky legs, I managed to drive the few feet forward and park at the Blissful door. I shoved my phone back into my purse and made my way into the salon. I had to put on a happy face. So what if I was hungover? So what I just caught my boss cheating on my other boss with an employee? I had to pull it together and get through the day.

The afternoon passed quickly enough at Blissful. Allie had gotten the front desk ready to go for me by the time I walked in, which I was extremely grateful for considering the scene I had just witnessed. Allie, Mandy, Sophia, Courtney, and Jewel were on the books for the day. The schedules were pretty full, so walk-ins would be limited which was typical for a Saturday, but Allie and I still discussed calling in another stylist just in case we got even busier. She got a hold of Katie who agreed to come in around two. That would open up our availability and help get a few more appointments squeezed in.

I wasn’t able to work on any of my regular manager duties since I was the only one at the front desk. The phones remained constant and the stream of clients checking in and out helped the time pass quickly.

“Thank you for calling Blissful Salon and Spa. This is Alex, how may I help you?” I sang sweetly into the phone, at the same time smiling at the woman that just approached the counter from the salon. I could tell she had just been massaged by her smudged mascara, rumpled hair, and sleepy gaze. I held up a finger to let her know it would be just a minute.

“I would like a massage.” A gruff female voice came over the line. Definitely a smoker.

“Sure! When were you thinking of coming?” I pulled up the schedule, my pulse racing when another client walked in the door and stood behind the first lady. Shit. I hated getting backed up.

“I don’t know. When do you have?”

“Were you thinking today or tomorrow? Or someday next week?” I smiled at the new customer, a distinguished looking man probably in his thirties.

“Tomorrow is fine. Someone told me there are different types of massages. What does that mean?”

Sigh. I didn’t really want to explain everything with a line happening in front of me. “The basic types of massages are Swedish and deep tissue. The Swedish is focused more on relaxation as opposed to the deep tissue which is a firmer massage that focuses on target areas that you want addressed.”

“Hmm. Give me the deep tissue. I like firm!” the lady barked over the phone, then started hacking in my ear. It took all my willpower not to hold the phone away from me in disgust.

“Okay. Could you hold for me for a minute while I look up tomorrow’s schedule for you?” I asked, desperately wanting to address the clients in front of me.

“Yeah, sure. No mornings! I like to sleep in.”

“Sure thing. Please hold.” I jabbed the button on the receiver and set the phone down. “I’m sorry for the wait, ma’am. How was your massage?”

“Wonderful. Courtney does a terrific job,” she said, slipping a sparkling wedding ring back on her finger. “Can I reschedule with her in two weeks?”

“You sure can.” I ran through the schedule on one computer while ringing her up on the other. The phone beeped, reminding me I had someone on hold. I scrawled out an appointment card for Mrs. Klavandish and took her credit card receipt from her.

“Could you also make sure Courtney gets this?” she asked, handing me thirty dollars in cash. Jeepers, practically a fifty percent tip. Way to go, Courtney.

“I sure will. Thank you so much, Mrs. Klavandish. Stay warm out there!” With a wave and smile, she was out the door. “I’ll be right with you, sir. I’m just going to finish up this phone call,” I said, flashing him an apologetic smile.

“No problem. I’m actually waiting for someone anyway,” he said, smiling back at me. He removed his heavy coat, showing off his pressed white shirt underneath with a bright red tie. Just coming from work possibly? Or maybe just a man that always dresses nice?

I turned my focus away from him and hastily pulled up Sunday’s schedule. “Thank you so much for holding, ma’am. I have an opening tomorrow at three o’clock with Shawna. She specializes in deep tissue massage. Would that work for you?”

I typed in the woman’s name, phone number and address into Shawna’s three o’clock time, pressed save and ended the call. By the time I was putting the phone back in the cradle, a woman had joined Mr. Suit and Tie in the salon. She looked to be in her twenties, with platinum hair and big blue eyes. She took off her coat to reveal a slinky blue dress, patterned tights, and stiletto heels. Her boobs were way too big for her petite body–– silicone I was sure–– and her waist was practically non-existent. I didn’t know what to think of the couple.

“I can help you now. Thank you for your patience,” I said to them both, even though the man was really the only one waiting.

“We‘re checking in for a couple’s massage. Marcus Baylor and Tamara Schmidt,” the man said, putting his arm around Tamara’s tiny waist. She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. So they weren’t husband and wife. Maybe today was a special day, explaining the outfits. Maybe it started with a romantic brunch of strawberries and champagne, followed by a couple’s massage, then a romantic dinner and a proposal tonight! I loved making stories up in my head about the clients that came to Blissful.

“Okay, I have you both checked in. If you can just fill out this form for me, I’ll let Allie and Courtney know you are here.” I handed them each a clipboard with a pen attached, and they took a seat in the corner and started writing, Tamara practically in Marcus’s lap. An engagement was coming, I just knew it. How exciting for the two!

While they finished their paperwork, I hit the check-in button on the computer, alerting the therapists in the back that the clients were here. By the time Marcus and Tamara came back up with their clipboards, Allie and Courtney were approaching the front.

I was exhausted by the time Julia came in at two o’clock, and the Ibuprofen was beginning to wear off. My hangover was insistent on clawing its way back, making me feel sluggish and starving for a greasy cheeseburger. I tried to wait until Dani arrived before I went to get myself some lunch. I had told her not to rush when we were texting, but if she could be there around three that would be best. I felt bad making her change her plans, but I didn’t think it was fair for me to destroy my day either. By 3:30, still no Dani. From her messages I thought she should be there shortly, but decided it was best to eat. I didn’t want to wait any longer for fear I would a) throw up on the salon floor or b) not be hungry when I got to Bellini’s.

“Hey, Julia, do you think you’ll be okay for a few minutes?” I approached the desk with coat and hat on, purse in hand. “I haven’t eaten yet today and really need to feed my stomach.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry!” she answered in her soft voice, pushing a blonde curl away from her face. I knew that Julia actually preferred to work alone, and the girl could upsell better than myself. I assured myself she would be fine, and I would be gone for no more than ten minutes.

“Okay, I’ll be right back then. I have my cell phone on me if you need me. Do you want anything?” After she declined, I raced out the door and over to my Camry. I made it back to Blissful in seven minutes flat. Opening the salon door, I saw Dani at the desk with Julia. Finally! I could get home now.

“Hi, guys!” I said, feeling my spirits lift at both the thought of eating and being able to get home.

“Hi, Alex. How are you today, sweetie?” Dani said, giving me a warm smile.

“Good. It’s been a busy day. We called Katie in about two hours ago to help clear us for walk-ins. I just went to grab myself some lunch,” I said, feeling as though I needed to explain my absence. I held up the bag as proof.

“Terrific. Sales look great today. Thank you so much again for coming in. You were a real life-saver. You can head into the office to eat quick if you would like. Kevin’s back there,” Dani said, her eyes seeming to darken for a quick moment when she said her husband’s name.

“Okay. I’ll probably take off after that then. If that’s okay, I mean,” I tacked on. Dani was planning on staying until close, right? Please let her stay.

“Yes, that’s fine. Kevin and I will be here the rest of the night. Thanks again for covering today. I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

“Sure. I just want to get home quick because I have that second date I was telling you about.” I grinned at Dani, unable to hide my excitement about seeing Henry again.

“I totally forgot this was your date night! Oh, honey, please eat quick and get up out of here. Do you want anyone to do your hair or makeup here? Free of charge of course. I’ll cover it for you.”

“No, no, that’s okay. But thank you. My friends are planning on helping me, so I should be good.”

“Okay. Well, I hope you have a fabulous time with Henry. Henry, correct? I’m so excited for you. I’ll want details!”

I grinned at my boss, feeling the stress of the day slowly melt away. I really did like Dani. So what there had been a mistake today? It wasn’t her fault. It was her bastard husband’s.

“Thanks, I’ll make sure I tell you everything. Have a good rest of the night!” I headed back to the office clutching my bag of food. I was so ready to devour my burger and fries. I was starting to feel light-headed from the lack of food. Like Dani said, Kevin was at the desk, typing away at the keyboard. I smirked when I saw him typing, one finger at a time jabbing the keys. For such a smart businessman, you’d think he would learn the proper way to type.

“Alex. You’re here,” he said, turning to face me. I didn’t like his tone of voice. Sarcastic maybe. Condescending even.

“Yep. Went to get myself some lunch,” I said, once again holding the bag out as proof.

“I thought I went over this with you already. We want a manager here at all times.”

Before I could stop it, my mouth dropped open. Was he kidding? “Um, I’ve been here all day. I literally was gone for seven minutes to get myself some lunch,” I said, my hand beginning to shake.

Kevin shook his head, looking down at his phone. “Julia isn’t trained enough to be left here by herself. What if something had happened and she couldn’t fix it? The whole salon would have looked bad.”

My anger was to a boiling point. I had come in on my day off, worked my ass off, filled in for him, who couldn’t bother to call anyone including his wife to say he couldn’t come in, and now I was getting reprimanded for getting myself food? For having lunch at four o’clock instead of a decent lunch hour? “Kevin, I’m sorry, but I haven’t eaten yet today. I had to have some food or I would have literally fainted at the desk. I was called in this morning, on my day off, to fill in.” I wanted to say for your sorry ass, but I wasn’t feeling bold enough. “I’m not sure what I could have done differently in this situation. I rushed here this morning to try to open on time so I couldn’t get breakfast or lunch to pick up. I had to eat at some point.” I was surprised at how level my voice was coming out. I wanted to scream at him. How could I not be granted a lunch break?

“Next time, get something delivered. Or have one of the employees get it for you,” Kevin snapped back at me. His phone started ringing at that moment. “I have to take this. This Kevin,” he hollered into the phone, storming out of the office.

I stood there, stunned. So I couldn’t take a lunch break. I wonder if that was noted anywhere in the employee handbook. Or if the other employees were aware that I could force them to go get me food. Like I would ever ask anyone to do that. I ate my lunch without really tasting it, wanting to cry. I was bone-tired, furious, and really needed to turn my mood around. I couldn’t be snapping at Henry and taking my frustrations out on him. I needed to get out of this place. This soul-sucking, happiness-draining chamber called Blissful. What a joke.

I threw my fast food bag away and bundled myself up. Grabbing my purse, I opened the office door and started to walk down the hallway. As I passed the spa area, I could hear low voices coming from one of the rooms. I paused outside room number one, Allie’s main room. I could definitely make out Kevin’s low rumble and then Allie’s high-pitched laugh. I wondered what they could be discussing. I hoped it wasn’t me. Kevin wouldn’t talk shit about his own manager to another employee though–– would he? I hoped not. But after what I had seen today, I knew not to trust Kevin.

I was just getting ready to keep walking when I heard a different noise. It sounded like–– no, it couldn’t be. Kissing? Disbelief crawled through my skin. The soft smacking noise sure sounded like kissing to me. Before I could react, the door was pressed all the way closed. The click had me jumping out of my skin, and I practically ran the rest of the way into the salon area. Mandy caught my eye when I walked in, cocking her head in a silent question. I knew my smile was weak, but I forced it anyway and continued to rush to the front desk. Maybe it was Kevin and Dani in the room. Maybe they just needed a private moment. Maybe––

“Taking off then, Alex?” Dani asked me. F*ck. It wasn’t her. What the hell was Allie doing in her massage room with Kevin? And what the hell was Kevin doing with Allie just hours after he got done with Kamille? I felt dizzy.

“Yep, I’m off. I’ll see you on Tuesday.” My voice sounded shaky to my ears.

“Have fun tonight on your date. I can’t wait to meet this Henry guy,” Dani said, giving me a friendly wave. I waved back and said good-bye to Julia, then hurried out to my car.

What the hell was going on with Kevin Dohlman and the Blissful employees?