"Fantastic! I'd be honored to hang out today."
And just like that, I knew there was no avoiding it anymore. My two worlds had just collided.
Kacie's face hardly contained the utter surprise in her reaction. "You're staying?"
"Yeah, I think it sounds like fun." The unfazed smile proved that Stefan wasn't going anywhere.
"Well, that is very nice, but don't you have a company to run? Or something along those lines?" The falsely sweet tone was fading away with each question.
Stefan just shrugged his shoulders. "Company's still in good hands, and if I am needed for anything they know how to reach me."
"The other issue is we are a salon so we have chairs at the stations but they're usually occupied by our clients. We do have our waiting area, but you'd be just sitting there while the rest of us focus on the people with appointments." Kacie posed a point that was hard to ignore but just as a smug grin lit her features, Kari piped up.
"You know, I'm actually taking a long lunch right now. I won't be back for about an hour and then I just have one more haircut scheduled. You can sit at my station if you'd like."
"Are you sure you're okay with me taking your seat?"
Kari nodded, sliding a quick indescribable look my way. "Absolutely, it's all yours. It was nice meeting you, have fun." She waved at the group of us standing around, and exited the salon before anything further happened.
Kacie's piercing eyes zeroed in on Kari's back as she walked away. I knew the three of us were going to battle about this moment later. Already I was dreading it.
"Then it's all settled, as long as it's alright with you, Grey?" Suddenly everyone's attention was on me. Kacie was sending serious vibes that I needed to get Stefan out of here and I knew I needed to respect that. Not only was she my business partner, but also my best friend.
Because I had never shared anything about my past with her all she saw was an old fling back to cause problems. As much as I understood his presence would complicate my whole world-it was worth it. Having Stefan around again on friendly terms was something I could hardly believe. Just being near him brought back all the fun and laughter we once shared. Without question Stefan had been my very best friend. Now that he was back, I refused to let it all slip away again.
"As long as none of our clients mind, it's fine with me." Tyler threw a victorious fist into the air. Stefan's beaming aura lit up the room, while Kacie turned on her heel and marched back to the client at her station.
The part of me that wanted to run after her and make things right needed to be pushed aside. My lunch break was officially over and my next client was due to arrive any minute. The last thing any customer needed was to see us all standing around like gossiping teenagers.
"Follow me, I'll show you to Kari's chair."
Stefan seemed elated that Kari's seat was so close to the center of the action and wasted no time settling in. Just as I had anticipated, my client showed up just minutes later. Mary-Ann was one of my very first clients upon opening Bella Donna, and she was the very first one to schedule a return appointment with me. I waved merrily as the sweet 70-year old woman checked in at the desk and took a seat in the waiting area.
Once every couple weeks she'd arrive, sit and wait while I prepared her favorite tea. As soon as it was ready I'd bring her to my chair and then we would go back and forth for at least ten minutes about whether or not she should cut her long hair. The end result was always the same, just a couple inches off the bottom and a revitalizing treatment to keep it healthy. It was a happy tradition we had and even still I looked forward to our hour together.
I set her tea onto my counter, and tried to ignore Stefan's unfailing focus on me. Getting nervous about doing hair after years of doing it most every day, was not something I was okay with.
"It's great to see you Mary-Ann! Come on back, and we'll talk about what you are looking to have done today."
She stood with a smile. "Sounds wonderful, and how are you doing, dear?"
"I am doing fantastic." Her face lit up at my response. Staying upbeat around clients was a normality, but I couldn't remember the last time Mary-Ann had seen such an enthusiastic response from me.
"That is swell to hear, Grey. I am always so happy when I hear your life is going well."
"That means so much from you, and yes, it really is."
I offered her my hand as she slid back into the chair. As always, she held out her purse to me and I traded it for the fresh hot tea. A few sips later she smiled and gave her approving nod.