Chapter 6

Chapter

Six

GRACE

My phone buzzes in my pocket, but I ignore it. I know exactly who is calling me. He's been calling me for days, and I've been ignoring him for days. I'll continue to ignore him, too. Because screw him completely and totally.

Moving around the salon, I try to keep busy, try to keep my hands moving so that I don't reach for my phone. Even though I know who it is, even though I don't want to talk to him, my initial reaction is to answer it anyway.

"You're buzzing," June calls out.

She's doing a foil highlight on a customer. I'm surprised she can hear the vibrations in my apron pocket. "I know," I murmur as I sweep around her.

June pauses, turning her head to look over to me, and then arches a brow. I don't know her very well. I don't know any of the girls well, but June lives with one of the players, Thomas. So, I haven't spent much time with her at all, just what I've spent with her here.

Sinking my teeth into the skin on the inside of my cheek, I bite down to keep myself from talking about my caller, about my past, about college. Because once I start, I won't be able to stop, and I don't want any of them to know just how stupid I am.

I'm sure I'll end up telling them all eventually, but to me, it's really important that they know me for me before they find out what I'm accused of. Before they find out what kind of man I allowed in my life, in my bed. Because I know that if I were hearing that about someone, I would judge them, even if just a little.

"Are you going to answer it?" she asks.

Shaking my head, I clear my throat and think about answering her but decide against it. "Not right now. I'm working."

She snorts but doesn't say anything. The woman in her chair comments, though, and she has plenty to say. I can't help but smile at her words. I'm not sure if she meant them to be sweet, but they are to me.

"Let her ignore the call. Trust me when I tell you, there are plenty of calls you have to take that you don't want to in life. Don't take them if you aren't required. Forget the assholes."

Smiling, I dip my chin in a nod, but then I hear June call out my name. Shifting my attention back to her, I give her a smile. But my smile fades as soon as she speaks. I don't think what she says comes from a bad place at all. I just think I'm not ready to be vulnerable yet or hear it.

"Those unanswered calls, they'd be a lot easier if you shared them with friends or just faced them head-on."

Instead of telling her to screw off the way I want or telling her to mind her business, I only smile. "I'm just not there yet," I whisper, and I don't wait for a response.

Turning away, I sweep my way to the back of the salon. I need to be alone for just a moment. I need to be with my own thoughts and locked inside of my own head. Once I'm in the back room, I know I won't be alone for long, mainly because this is where all the girls come to mix their color.

I lean against the wall and close my eyes, just breathing for a moment.

My phone buzzes in my apron again. I want to throw it across the room.

Shoving my hand inside the pocket, I take it out and glance down, expecting to see his name, but I'm surprised when I see Dad flashing across the front. Sliding my thumb across the screen, I hold it against my ear as I answer.

"Hey," I say.

"You at your new job?" he asks.

Clearing my throat, I let out a heavy sigh. "I am. It's not going to pay the bills, though. It's minimum wage and not full time."

I'm not sure why I feel the need to remind him of that again. I've told him more than once. I guess it's mainly because I still need him to help me financially or I'll be living in my car. I don't want him to cut me off like my mom did.

"I know. It's good that you got something, and maybe you'll figure out what you want out of it."

"What I want?" I ask.

"For the future," he says, then he pauses. He continues in the next breath. "You never know. It's a good trade."

I think about his words, but as I see the women with all their beauty and creativity, I know it isn't for me. I don't say that, though. Instead, I just hum as my response. He grunts as his, and that's that.

This is how we communicate, my father and me.

"Well, we have a scrimmage in a couple weeks. I hope to see you there."

I almost laugh. That's my father. Hope to see you in a few weeks, even though we live just a few miles from one another. And that hope to see you is at a hockey game, where he will be working, and I'll be dozens of feet away sitting in the stands.

Classic.

It's why I went away to college, why I never came here to visit, aside from obligatory Thanksgiving. My mother is the same. I went to her for Christmas.

And that was that as far as visits and family goes.

"I'll be there," I whisper.

"I'll make sure to deposit some money in your account next week."

He ends the call, and I'm sure I won't hear from him again until the scrimmage, and that might just be a text or email letting me know that the tickets are at the front box office.

OTTO

Walking into the salon, I'm assaulted by the scent of… well… girl . I couldn't describe them all, even if I wanted to. I don't know what the fuck is happening in here between dyes, chemicals, shampoos, and creams.

Brooklynn's face is the first one I see, which disappoints me because I want to see Grace, but I try not to show said discouragement. She gives me a big smile and tilts her head to the side, her gaze searching mine.

"Don't tell me that you're going to let me cut your hair?" she cries out excitedly.

I run my fingers through my hair, tugging on the ends. It's scraggly and long and needs to be cut. "Better cut it now before the first game starts. Maybe give me a clean shave, too, if you can?" I ask.

"I think I might faint. Better yet, maybe I should call everyone over to watch."

I let out a laugh. "First of all, it's not that bad. Secondly, it's not that bad."

Brooklynn smiles, shaking her head a couple of times, and then she takes a step toward me. "You're right. It's not that bad. It's just not often one of our boys comes into the salon."

Shaking my head, I let out a grunt and walk over to her station, sinking down in her chair. Before she says a single word to me, I hear a door open and close in the back of the room. Following the sound, I lift my gaze and turn slightly toward the back of the salon. I watch as the object of my desire moves toward me, then stops.

Her eyes widen, her lips part, and my heart fucking stops beating in my chest at the sight of her. I want to pick her up, carry her to the back room, and fuck her—hard. I want her more than I've ever wanted anyone before, and I don't even know her last name.

"Grace, can you help me out here?" Brooklynn calls out, but her eyes are on mine, and she gives me a wink.

If nothing else, Brooklynn likes to play matchmaker, and I'm good with that in this case. I want the match to be made, sealed, and fucking delivered—with my dick.

"Sure," she whispers.

She dips her chin, and I can see the pink on her cheeks. Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I try to hide my smile, but I can't. She shifts her feet from side to side, obviously nervous, and I like that, too.

"Can you get the men's shaving kit? It's in the back, in my cupboard," Brooklynn asks.

Grace spins around, and I tilt my head to the side so I can watch her walk to the back of the room. What a great fucking view. Brooklynn hums, which ends with a giggle. I grunt and turn my head to look up at her.

"You should ask her out," Brooklynn says. "I'm ninety-nine percent sure she's completely single."

I shrug a shoulder, unsure of how to tell her that I don't think Grace wants me to ask her out. She hasn't given me any green lights and is skittish as shit—which I happen to like. But I need a little something that tells me she'd say yes.

"I don't think she'd go for it," I admit.

Brooklynn smiles. "I think you'd be surprised."

She doesn't say anything else, and a moment later, Grace is back with the men's shaving kit and clippers. Brooklynn thankfully changes the subject. She asks me about my lessons and practices and then about my family.

The entire time we talk, I can't keep my gaze off Grace. She moves around the salon, cleaning, until Brooklynn asks me about my parents. She pauses with her duties, turns her head, and looks over to me. I flick my gaze from hers. For some reason, I don't think she wants me to know that she's listening to this part of the conversation.

"My mother calls me at least every other day, you know that. She still won't fly, and she wants to know when I'm going to come and visit them. My dad's birthday is in a couple of months. She wants me to come up there to celebrate."

"You should," Brooklynn says.

I'm not sure exactly how to respond to that. I should probably go and visit my parents. Life isn't something that is promised. I could be gone tomorrow, or they could be. Hell if anyone knows what is or isn't promised tomorrow.

Brooklyn continues to cut my hair, then my beard, and I stare at my reflection in the mirror when she's finished. I'm completely unrecognizable. I haven't looked this young since I was in high school.

Lifting my hand, I rub it across my jaw and chin, feeling the smooth skin of my face. I can't believe this is my face. I'd forgotten what I looked like beneath the hair. It's been a while.

"Grace, come and look at Otto's baby face," Brooklynn calls out.

A few moments later, Grace appears, and her eyes widen the instant I turn to face her. "Oh my," she breathes.

Brooklynn's laugh fills the space, but then she backs away. She doesn't have to because she disappears no matter where she is in the room—when Grace is in front of me, the whole world vanishes.

"Takes a few years off, right?" I ask.

She laughs, shaking her head a couple of times. "I'm not sure how old you are, but you don't look a day past twenty."

It's my turn to laugh at that. "So, it did shave a few years off," I say with a smile. "Considering I'm twenty-five."

"So it did," she whispers. "Well, I better go," she exhales.

She takes a step backward, but I reach out, wrapping my fingers around her wrist to stop her. My grasp is gentle and light. Even though I want to tighten it and tug her to my lap, I don't. Grace's eyes widen at the same time her cheeks tint pink.

Fucking perfection.

We stare at one another in silence for a moment, and then I clear my throat, tugging her closer to me. She takes one step forward, then a second before she stops. She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, and at the same time, I hear something buzzing. Her eyes widen, and her hand slaps against her apron.