“Ghost, don’t be a shit.” The blue-haired girl had walked back to join them and pointed a finger at Jared. “You. Come talk to me.” She led him into a small break room that was off a short hallway where he waited impatiently while she got herself a drink out of the fridge. After offering him one, which he refused, she eyed him warily while she popped it open. Starla’s friends loved to torture him.
“Okay,” the girl began, “she told me everything that happened. Her version of it, anyway. Look, I’ve known that babe for years, and if there’s anyone on earth who realizes she’s made some questionable decisions in her life, it’s Star. You can’t be with her if you’re gonna throw them in her face. She told me she knew you’d turn from her at some point, and you only proved her right.”
“I know. I know. I promised her I wouldn’t, and I did. I only want to make it up to her.” He took a breath. “For the rest of her life.”
The girl practically hooted with laughter. “That’s a bold statement considering who we’re talking about. You sure about that?”
“As long as she’ll let me, then.”
Crossing her arms, Starla’s friend sobered and eyed him curiously. Then she stuck out one hand. “I’m Janelle.”
He shook it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Take care of her. Brian put her over the new shop in Everton. She has her own apartment over there now. I’ll give you the shop address, but it’s up to her if you get the rest. She’ll probably kill me.”
All that information made him smile inside. It was everything she’d wanted, wasn’t it? A complete change of scenery without quitting what she loved to do. No wonder she was doing so well, if Ghost could be believed. Did she really need him waltzing in to disrupt her new life? The smile died as quickly as it had come, but whatever happened, he would be happy for her. When it came to their future, or lack of one, as he’d promised Ghost, he would honor and support whatever choice she made.
But please, God, let her choose me.
“Thank you so much,” he said, accepting the card Janelle handed him announcing the grand opening of Dermamania’s new location.
“I think,” she said thoughtfully, “we should really try to blow her mind. Nothing too outrageous, or she really will kill me. Something fun.”
Whatever, he only wanted her. But they spent the next several minutes laying down plans.
As Jared headed for the front door of the shop almost at a run, Ghost, having finished with his client, called out to him. “Good luck, man. Not necessarily because I wish you well but because you’re gonna fuckin’ need it.”
Jared stopped at the door. “Come on. You wish me well at least a little, don’t you? After everything we’ve been through together?”
Ghost waved a hand toward the door, but Jared detected the hint of a grin on his face as the other guy turned away. “All right, all right, don’t push it. Get outta here.”
As he breezed out, he heard Ghost tell Janelle, “Fuckin’ need to rename this place Drama-mania.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
“Why are you sending him here?”
“You really need to meet this guy. And I’m booked up. He only wants his kids’ names in ink. You’ll be done in no time.”
Starla sighed as Janelle continued her pitch over the phone. “Whatever, send him. I’m open right now. Only because of the work, though, don’t expect any hookups. I told you—”
“I know what you told me, but never say never, right? Really, babe, this guy. Whew! Make sure you look cute, you know, just in case. Don’t go anywhere, he’ll be over in half an hour. Love ya!”
The line went dead, and Starla grumbled a curse. Look cute, right.
No.
She had on precisely two strokes of eyeliner and some three-hour-old lip gloss in the way of makeup, with her hair in a topknot to hide her two-inch-long dark roots. “Cute” wasn’t happening today, and she didn’t give a shit. “Cute” had gotten her into a fuck-ton of trouble. And lately she was far more comfortable in a pair of yoga pants than jeans. Having her own kitchen at last was a blessing and a curse, it seemed. If she wasn’t careful, she wouldn’t even be able to fit into her jeans before long, especially since she’d stopped smoking.
She didn’t care much about her weight either. Her cupcakes were awesome. So was wine. But damn, she did miss cigarettes.
Like now. Ordinarily, she would step out for a smoke since she had some time to kill before Janelle’s hottie client showed up. That wasn’t an option now, so she went for a walk around the block instead, allowing that maybe she cared a little more about an expanding waistline than she wanted to admit to herself.
It was a beautiful evening, warm and breezy, the kind of weather that turned one’s thoughts to summer. Emotionwise, she had good days and bad, but looking up at the clear, darkening cerulean sky, she decided today wasn’t too shabby.