Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“Nothing is going on. I just … I need a break. I love working here, I do, and I think you’re amazing, but I also know Larissa has an amazing gift. I’m a vegan and even though the experiments I do sell well, they’re not as good as yours.”
She had amazing bestsellers and Ava knew this, but it was time for her to move on.
“Please consider this my notice,” Harlow said.
“I … I don’t know what to say.”
“I hope you’re not angry but I told Larissa of my plans, and she is hoping to get a call from you.”
Ava nodded.
Harlow saw how sad the other woman was, and she hated doing this to her. She had wanted to pretend to be strong but seeing Hunter in the hospital had only confirmed that she needed to get away. To make a clean break from the mess and all her problems.
She went to Ava and hugged her. “I do love you.”
“Oh, Harlow, I love you too, but if you need to move on, I get it. Trust me. Baking is a pain on the hips.”
They both burst out laughing. Harlow hadn’t been too concerned with her hips, just her heart, but she wasn’t going to tell Ava that.
Getting behind the counter, she wrapped an apron around her sore body and stood at the counter, serving customers as Ava went and called Larissa.
This was a good thing. She had even offered to help train Larissa, which Ava was thankful for. Ava was still in the early stages of her pregnancy, but it did exhaust her. She would make sure Larissa was perfectly capable in all things before she left. She had to keep repeating in her mind that this was a good thing.
The rest of the day went by without much event. Ava had told Larissa to be at the shop at six tomorrow.
Ava had also promised to handle Smokey. Larissa used to work at the local library. Cuts had to be made and Larissa lost her job. Smokey had taken her on as a cleaning lady, meaning the guys at the club had to be on their best behavior while around her. Everyone, including Smokey, had a deep respect for Jonah, and by extension, Larissa. They all cared about the two.
At the end of her shift, she hugged Ava, who offered to give her a lift. Smokey would be arriving soon, but Harlow wanted to be alone. She wished Ava a good night and left the bakery, walking down the street.
The cold was still very much gripping Fort Clover. She shoved her hands into her pockets and extracted her gloves, and as she did, she couldn’t help but turn. Right at the end of the street, Harlow hadn’t noticed it before, but it was pretty in pink, almost with a nice glow to it. “Hair, beauty, and nails, for all your beauty needs.” Hailey’s Beauty Parlor.
“When the fuck did that turn up?” Harlow asked.
She couldn’t remember there being a beauty parlor. Not that she had ever cared about beauty products or anything else to do with it. Curiosity got the better of her, and before she could stop herself, she had stepped through the glowing pink door. The moment she did, she was surrounded by warmth.
“Well, hello.”
Harlow turned to see a beautiful blonde walking toward her. “Hello.”
“Welcome to Hailey’s Beauty Parlor. I am Hailey, and it’s a pleasure to see you. How can I help you?”
“You’re very perky,” Harlow said.
Hailey laughed.
“What do you say if you’re not … Hailey?” Harlow didn’t even know why she was asking these questions.
The woman in front of her didn’t stop smiling. “I don’t have any employees.”
The smile wasn’t fake. Harlow had been on the receiving end of lots of fake smiles. This was rather unnerving. Were people this happy? She knew Larissa was happy and always found the good and hope in everything. Larissa was different. She was special. She was sweet and kind.
“So, it’s always me.”
“I don’t know you,” Harlow said.
“And I don’t know you.”
Harlow didn’t know what to do and she glanced around the shop. It was beautiful. She had never thought much about beauty products.
“You own this place?” Harlow asked.
“Yes.”
“How long has this been here?”
“Six months,” Hailey said. “And trust me, this hasn’t been easy, but I got it. My parents think it’s a total waste, but so far, the business is growing. I offer beauty sessions in store, and I sell products online. The online side of the business is where you need to be. If I wasn’t so afraid of being on camera, I would offer tutorials online.”
Harlow loved how chatty she was. It was refreshing.
A beauty store. Admittedly, it wasn’t something she had ever been interested in, but it would offer her a fresh start and a chance to think about something completely different.