Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Did he call?” she guessed.
“Yes,” I said, looking up from my console.
“And?” Lindsey grabbed one of the waiting chairs and pulled it over to sit down next to me.
“He asked me out.”
“When? Where?”
“Tonight. Drinks,” I answered.
“That’s so exciting!” Lindsey gushed, “I knew you guys would hit it off. He was sneaking glances at you in the mirror while he was getting his hair cut.”
“He was?” I gasped.
Lindsey nodded profusely, not hiding her giddiness very well.
I felt my face flush. Maybe Mike was more into me than I thought. It gave me butterflies deep in my stomach thinking of him and his pickup truck. The smell of the lumberyard in the morning had never left my nostrils. He was more of a man than anyone I had ever dated before.
“What are you gonna wear?” Lindsey asked.
“Oh.” I hadn’t considered that. I had a few dresses in storage, but I hadn’t brought a lot of clothing to Macy’s house. “I have a nice pair of jeans and this blouse with blue flowers on it,” I said.
“What about a dress?” Lindsey suggested. “Or a skirt. I have this little blue skirt, almost like a tennis skirt, that would go great with your flower blouse.”
I hesitated, thinking of the mess I had made of Macy’s little black dress. “I don’t want to impose.”
“Everyone in these parts wears jeans,” Lindsey said, shrugging off my reluctance. “When do you ever have the chance to dress up?”
I laughed, “Never, but—”
“But nothing,” Lindsey interrupted. “I can tell that we’re the same size. Anything I can do to make your night the best or boost your confidence is worth it.”
“Thanks,” I said, blushing. “I have a confession to make.”
“Go ahead.”
“I slept with him on the first date,” I admitted, looking around to see if anyone else had heard. All the other clients were busy with their heads in sinks or blow-drying machines. The stylists were focused on their work.
Lindsey leaned forward. “I may have rushed into things with my husband as well,” she assured me. “But it all worked out in the end.”
“I don’t think I’ll marry Mike,” I said quickly.
“You never know, Singer’s Ridge can surprise you.” Lindsey responded. “But I’ll leave that conversation to you two.”
I shrugged. I wondered if Mike knew how many people in my life were pushing us toward each other. “Okay, I’ll take you up on that tennis skirt,” I decided.
“Perfect,” Lindsey said. “You can come home with me after work, and I can show you how to get to Macy’s house from there.”
“Okay,” I agreed, not sure how much I enjoyed the idea of hiking through the woods.
We finished up with our last client around six, and after cleaning the floors and counting the till, we were ready to go. I texted Macy to let her know the plan. She texted back a string of heart emojis that summed up her feelings without words. Lindsey drove to the daycare, picked up Mary Ellen, and strapped her into a car seat.
“Mommy!” the little girl cried, fisting her hands in Lindsey’s long blonde hair.
Lindsey climbed back into the driver’s seat and took us to her cabin, which was just a little bit further away from town than Macy’s. It was a different access road, but very similar in its pitch. We climbed up into the mountains, leaving civilization behind. The cabin looked a little bit smaller than Macy’s from the outside and had a smaller common area when we opened the door.
Lindsey set Mary Ellen down and went immediately to her own bedroom. “Come with me,” she said, waving me down a small hallway.
I followed obediently, leaving Mary Ellen to play by herself. Lindsey opened her closet, sifting through a large collection of formal and casual wear.
“You have a lot of really nice clothes,” I observed.
She blushed. “I know it’s more than most people have, but I like dressing up. I used to have more… but that’s a story for another day.”
“I only brought one suitcase,” I admitted.
“We’ll have to take you shopping,” Lindsey said.
“I have more in storage,” I added.
“We could still go shopping.” She found what she was looking for and held it out. “Try it on.” She picked out a blouse as well, a blue silk number with buttons down the front. It was way fancier than anything I owned. “Just because you might not have time to pick up your own shirt,” she explained.
I took the two items into the bathroom and changed. They fit me perfectly and made me look like a sophisticated woman. I turned to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, loving the way the skirt accentuated my backside. I stepped out to model the clothing for Lindsey. She had returned to the living room and was sitting on the floor with Mary Ellen in her lap, a tower of blocks stacked before them.