Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
He was convinced Diana was the one to leave that letter. She lost everything for how she treated Diana. She was the only enemy he could think of that Nikki had made. Not that she was even aware of an enemy. Darlene had told Dan about the letter.
“Get in the car,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “You know, you could start giving me a complex with how much you don’t want to be seen with me.”
“It’s not about that, and you know it.”
She sighed.
He climbed into the passenger seat at the back, just as Nikki did.
“I picked up a sandwich for you. Turkey and mayo,” she said. “Buttered bread as well.”
He took the sandwich from her, taking a bite out of it. He didn’t like any fancy sandwiches, and in his forty years, he’d tasted a lot. Rye, whole wheat, granary, bagels, and shit. Why couldn’t people just leave a fucking sandwich alone, and he didn’t even want to get started on low fat shit. If people were going to start eating less salt, low fat, and all that bullshit, what was the point in eating? His mother would usually tell him that if they take something out, they have to put something back in. Wow, he hadn’t thought about his mom in quite some time.
“What’s the matter?” Nikki asked.
He was like his mother and liked things just plain and ordinary, while Nikki was like his dad, always experimenting. She never had the same kind of sandwich and today it looked like a chicken bagel. She told him she got bored of the same food, although he knew her income meant she couldn’t be too picky.
He always offered to pay for lunch, but she wouldn’t allow it. Along with the sandwich, she also had a couple of mugs of coffee. Again, his was black, with two sugars, and Nikki had whatever she wanted. Today, she told him it was a mocha latte. Coffee and chocolate was not a combination he liked. He preferred plain old coffee.
“How’s work?” he asked.
“Fine. I think Darlene’s not happy with my progress.”
“Why?”
“I just keep getting it wrong today. I mean, I’m doing everything like I did yesterday, but she is not happy with how I’m sterilizing the tools, cleaning the floors, or packing away the equipment.” She sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess she is just getting me ready for everything that’s about to come.”
“You start night school next week?”
“Yeah, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”
“Are you looking forward to it?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s going to be good, you know? It’ll be nice to finally fill in the blanks, and that is what I’m hoping to do.” She offered him a smile, then took a bite of her sandwich.
He ate his own, and he didn’t like this feeling that swept over him.
“Are you okay?” Nikki asked.
“Yeah, I’m good. Everything is okay.” He wanted to tell her not to talk to Diana, to ignore whatever that evil bitch said, but instead he kept his thoughts to himself.
They ate lunch, and it was strange as Nikki didn’t even talk that much. He was used to women constantly filling the silence, but she didn’t seem in a rush to do so. This he did find refreshing.
However, he didn’t like how Darlene was treating her, so once Nikki had left for the day, he’d already sent her a text, telling her to meet him at the motel room. She had her car, so he didn’t have to worry about it getting too cold. He sat and waited, then he entered the salon.
“We’re closed,” Darlene said, looking up from the main counter. She was usually in her office, but today, for some odd reason, she had decided to stay at the front without locking the main doors.
“Why?” he asked.
Darlene went bright red. “Dan said he was going to be here soon. He wanted a haircut, and then, we’re … you know.”
“I don’t give a fuck about the door, or the fact you’re waiting for some club cock. I want to know why you’re all over the place with Nikki. Why is her work good one day and not the next?”
He’d promised himself he wouldn’t interfere, but seeing the sadness in Nikki’s eyes, he couldn’t just sit back and watch that happen. It pissed him off to think of Darlene treating her like shit.
Darlene sighed. “It’s nothing personal, okay? Nikki is a great worker, and in all honesty, this is the first time I’ve been able to actually train someone.”
“If she’s so great, why are you giving her a hard time?”
Darlene put down her pen, and then stood up. “Because she is going to have awkward clients, and some of those clients are going to love the makeup or the style, or anything she did the time before, but the next time they’re going to hate it. Some people will try to get a freebie. Nikki’s great, but there is something missing when it comes to her confidence, especially in here. She knows what she is doing, and you’ve seen how she has made herself up, she is great at it, but something is holding her back. I’m not doing this because I want to do it, Hawk. I’m doing it for her own good. Trust me, given the time, she could be a real asset to this place.”