by Dylann Crush
“You want to grab something from the concession stand?” Scarlett stood and managed to get past a few people to step into the walkway.
“You mean you’re not going to watch the half-time show?” Jaylene turned to me. “We might be small-town, but there’s nothing tiny about the Homecoming half-time show.”
“I’ve seen enough of April strutting around. I’m so nervous I need to get some popcorn or something to keep me busy while I watch the second half.” Scarlett lifted a shoulder in question. “You want to come with me?”
“Sure.” I made apologies as I climbed over a few spectators and joined Scarlett as she picked her way through the stands to get to the track.
The band had just taken the field for the half-time show and the Homecoming court appeared to be lining up along the fence. Scarlett increased her speed past the women in long dresses and the guys in suits. Finally, as she neared the edge of the crowd, she slowed down. I caught up and reached for her arm.
“Hey, I’ve got a question for you.”
“What’s that?”
“What the hell’s going on here?”
8
Scarlett
“I didn’t expect you to come to the game.” I whipped around, pulling away from Theo’s grip in the process, and walked under the bleachers to try to find a quiet place away from prying eyes and ears.
“Why not?” Theo shrugged, his broad shoulders rising and falling underneath the button-down shirt. “Seems like it’s the only place to be on a Friday night in Swallow Springs.”
He had a point. Most of the local businesses had shut down tonight since everyone in town would be at the game. “I’m sorry about earlier. Truth is, I didn’t have a date for tomorrow night. April’s been making my life a living hell since high school and just once I wanted to shut her up.”
A hint of a smirk turned up the edges of his lips. “So that’s why you bartered for a date.”
“Yes. I’m sorry. If you don’t want to go tomorrow night I’ll let you off the hook.”
“But then April would win.” He leaned against one of the supports holding up the bleachers.
“Nothing new about that.” I kicked at a rock with the toe of my high tops. “April always wins.”
“Hey, come here.” Theo held out a hand.
I wasn’t sure what possessed me to take it. He seemed like a nice guy, but that’s not what I was looking for. I’d all but given up on finding someone to set my soul on fire, figuring my chance at a happily-ever-after had been shot to hell when I found myself all alone with a baby on the way. If I ever was going to commit to someone, it would have to be someone who ignited every cell of my being. Not a bat guy with a bad haircut.
“What?” I let him pull me in.
He stopped when I stood about two feet in front of him. “I’ve got to be your date tomorrow night.”
“Oh yeah, why’s that?”
“I already bought new pants.”
“Well, that seems about as good a reason as any.” I’m sure marriages had been built on less. Like my mom and dad’s. Although, Dad left over twenty years ago so that hadn’t turned out too well.
“You know, it might be helpful if you give me a little backstory on April. If you want to take her down a few notches, it would be good to know where her weaknesses are.”
“I’m not trying to ruin her or anything. The rift between us is long and deep. We were friends back in middle school. Then she made cheer squad and I joined the math team.”
He stepped back, his jaw dropping. “You weren’t a nerd in high school, were you?”
“Define nerd.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“You were. I can see it now.” He circled me. “Let me guess. Braces?”
I nodded.
“Glasses, too, I bet.”
I reluctantly nodded again.
“And good grades?”
“That’s a given.”
He stopped, facing me, his eyes lit up with humor. “Wow. I never dated a nerd before.”
“First time for everything and all that, huh?” I turned the tables and began to circle him. “My turn. You were a jock.”
“A reluctant quarterback. Our neighbor was the high school coach. When I hit six-foot-four in eighth grade he started working with me in his free time.”
“But the glasses throw me off. Did you wear them in high school?”
“No.” The edge of his mouth ticked up in a quirky grin. “You’re going to laugh if I tell you about the glasses.”
“Try me.”
“I only wear them so people take me seriously at work.”
Now my mouth was the one hanging open. “You mean you’re trying to look like a nerd?”
“I guess so. My dad’s a brilliant scientist and my brother’s just as smart. Together they’ve published dozens of articles and initiated several research studies on bats. When I’m with them I look like a Neanderthal. The glasses seem to help people take me seriously.”
What would that be like? I wished I could just throw on a pair of glasses or some other prop and have people change the way they looked at me. “That’s so weird. I’ve spent most of my life hoping people take me a little less seriously.”
“Well, then we’ll be a good match. You can teach me how to nerd down, and I’ll help you loosen up.”
“Not so fast.” I could tell he’d been a player in high school. Just listening to him talk made me hear echoes of the guys who’d been at the top of the heap in my own class.
“Did you still want to grab that popcorn?” He dipped his head like he was trying to get me to look up at him.
His Adams apple sat at my eye level. The top button of his shirt was undone, revealing just a hint of dark hair. It had been a long time since I’d been alone with a man I wasn’t related to. Every one of my senses sprung into high alert.
“Scarlett?” Jaylene’s voice pulled me out of my stupor. “Second half’s about to start.”
“We should get back.” I tipped my head back and met his gaze.
“Yes, we should.”
“Does this mean you don’t mind playing my boyfriend for another twenty-four hours?”
He tilted his head to one side, studying me. “What kind of benefits come with the job?”
“Benefits? You mean besides getting to spend an evening with Swallow Springs’s finest?” I shook my head from side to side, trying to come up with something somewhat enticing. “How about a haircut? I’ve got a full schedule tomorrow since a lot of the girls will be coming in to get their hair done for the dance. Why don’t you come by my place a little early and I’ll give you a trim before we head to dinner?”
“You’ve decided I’m not a serial killer and are going to give me your address?”
My lips ticked up into a grin. I loved the easy banter between us. “You could ask anyone in town and they’d tell you I’m the little white house on the corner of Main and Elm. Not much privacy in a town the size of Swallow Springs. But I meant the salon. Swing by the Cut ‘N Curl and I’ll get you taken care of.”
“Noted.”
By the time we got back to our seats, Dottie had gathered up her stadium blanket and bag of gourmet snacks she’d brought from home, and was ready to go.
“It’s been too much excitement for this heart to handle. I’d better get on home. I’ve got a wedding over in Nevada tomorrow and have got to get ready.”
“I drove her over so I’m going to head out too.” Theo took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sounds good, thanks.”
Then he glanced down to where April sat. She looked up at us, her eyes narrowed like she was still trying to figure out what a guy who looked like Theo would ever see in a gal like me.
He kept hold of my hand and pulled me against him. As April looked on, he lowered his head toward mine. I didn’t move, I couldn’t. Full, sexy lips headed my way and I was paralyzed. His lips touched mine and the crowd erupted. It was like that moment at
the end of a chick flick when the guy and girl get their happy ending and everyone celebrates while they lose themselves in the kiss. And this was definitely a kiss to get lost in. His arms tightened around me, and I grabbed hold of his sides.
Jaylene shook me. “Scarlett, you missed it. Rodney just scored.”
“What?” I jerked back from Theo and shook the lustful haze away. “What are you talking about?”
The Swifties lined up to try for the extra point and the kick was good. Hell, I’d just missed my kid’s first varsity touchdown thanks to dormant hormones that had just been jolted awake after a long, long sleep. I needed to hit the snooze button and fast.
“See you tomorrow.” Theo let go of my hand, then turned to help Dottie down the stairs.
“Did you seriously just hook up with bat guy during your son’s football game?” Jaylene jabbed me in the ribs with her elbow.
“I guess I did.”
“You know what that makes you?”
“What?”
“Ready to face April tomorrow. Now get your head back on your shoulders, we’ve got a game to win.”
9
Theo
I walked into the Cut ‘N Curl at six o’clock on the dot. A cloud of hairspray met me at the door. It was like walking into a mist made up of chemicals and hope. Scarlett saw me and motioned me over to her station where she appeared to be putting the finishing touches on a girl’s ridiculous updo. The curls seemed to be shellac’d into place. No amount of dancing or whatever else kids at high school dances engaged in nowadays would knock that hairdo out of place.
“You made it.” Scarlett spritzed a light coat of shellac over the top of her creation and spun the girl around to face herself in the mirror.
“Yeah. Have you been at this all day?” I asked.
About a dozen girls scattered around the small shop, most of them with elaborate hairstyles perched on top of their heads. Only a few remained in stylist chairs. The countdown was on.
“Since seven this morning.” She gave me a smile that didn’t reach her glazed over eyes. She looked dead on her feet, not like she was ready to take on the band of bitches who’d made her own high school experience a living hell.
“You sure you’re up for this tonight?” I asked.
Scarlett ripped the velcro’d cape off the girl’s shoulders. “You can settle up at the front. Have a great time tonight and make good choices.”
The girl rolled her eyes. “You sound just like my mama.”
“Good. I am a mama, and I told my son the same thing. Now go have some fun.”
The girl headed to the front and was absorbed by her pack of friends on the way. Having grown up with a brother who’d rather spend an evening organizing his rock collection than at a social event and a mom whose idea of style was adding a ribbon to her ponytail, I’d never been inside the mysterious belly of a beauty salon. I took my time, letting my gaze drift around the room, trying to take it all in. So much pink. And so many things that plugged into the wall. To say I was out of my comfort zone would be a major understatement.
“You ready to get that mess trimmed up?” Scarlett had swept the hair off her chair and onto the floor. She held a clean cape in her hand and gestured to the light pink barber chair.
“If you think it’s absolutely necessary.” I took a cautious step toward the chair. “I don’t want you to be embarrassed to be seen with me out in public.”
She let out a half-laugh. The kind that came out like a breath without much effort behind it. “I’m not embarrassed. I sat next to you last night at the game, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did. Tell Rodney congratulations on the win. Dottie told me they pulled it off.” I leaned forward as she secured a pink cape around my shoulders then relaxed back against the cushion.
“It was a nail biter. But then the Swifties got an interception at the end of the third quarter and we ran away with the win. By the way, thanks for playing along with me at the game. I’m sure April will be on the prowl tonight, trying to figure out if what we have between us is real.”
“Any pointers on how you want me to handle that? Assuming you’re still planning on helping me find that cave tomorrow, tonight I’m all yours.” As I realized how that sounded coming out of my mouth, my cheeks tinged with a little bit of heat. “You know what I mean.”
“I suppose I do. And yes, I’m available all day tomorrow but I don’t think it will take that long. I have a pretty good idea which cave you want to see.”
“How’s that?” I leaned back and rested against the seat as she lowered the back of my chair.
“The kid on the video is Rodney.”
“What?” My abs contracted as I tried to sit up.
She put a hand on my chest and turned on the water in the sink. “Yeah, I thought it was him when you showed it to me but I wanted to check. Seems he and his buddies have been doing a little cave exploration of their own lately.”
“So he saw the bats?” This might be easier than I thought. I’d planned on it taking days to find out which cave the bats might be in. If Rodney could direct me to the one where he saw them, it would save a ton of time.
“He saw them all right.” She adjusted the temperature and moved the sprayer to send warm water coursing down my scalp.
“That’s great. So we can check it out first thing. If you know the cave I need to see then you won’t have to spend the whole day carting me around.” Good for her but bad for me. I kind of liked the sassy stylist and wouldn’t mind having some company. Especially since the last time I tried exploring the deep, dark, recesses underground, I’d gotten myself stuck. That wouldn’t happen this time, though. Especially if I was alone and didn’t have anyone with me I was trying to impress. Maybe it would be better for her to stay home after all.
“He can’t remember which one it was. There are a ton of entrances to caves on the western edge of our property. But it definitely narrows it down.” She squirted shampoo in her hands and began to massage my scalp. Her nails ran through my hair as goose bumps coursed over my arms.
Damn, she had magic hands. I could sit in this chair all night long with her running her hands through my hair.
“Let me know if that gets too warm for you.”
The only thing that was getting too warm was me. As she rubbed the shampoo into my hair, her breasts hovered near my cheek. I tried to distract myself by closing my eyes. Didn’t matter. The scent of her perfume surrounded me. Her fingers dug into my scalp and I couldn’t help but imagine what might happen if I reached up and pulled her against me.
That kiss last night had hit me hard. Scarlett wasn’t the kind of woman to take lightly. Even if she didn’t have a kid, she struck me as the type of woman who loved hard and wouldn’t be okay with a short-lived fling.
Too soon she turned on the water and rinsed then sat me up with a light pink towel wrapped around my head. Thank God no one was here to snap a photo. My brother would laugh his ass off. I could see the byline now. How could I be taken seriously if someone put a picture of me like this next to the research paper I’d write after I found the bat colony?
Scarlett squeezed my hair through the towel, trying to dry it as much as possible. Then she pulled the towel off and tossed it to the side. The shop had emptied quite a bit. All of the giggling girls were gone and only the stylists remained. They were cleaning up their stations, sweeping hair, and joking around about grabbing a cocktail. Scarlett didn’t engage. She reminded me of me a little bit—a loner within her group of peers. She fit but she didn’t.
“So, have you always wanted to do hair?” I tried to make conversation. The night would go much smoother if I had some background information. Besides, I liked talking to her.
“Um, no. I was on the math team, remember?” She combed and snipped, squatting down to eyeball the measurements and make sure my right side was even with my left.
“What happened?” I wanted to know.
“See Moriah over there?” Scarlett held her comb o
ut, pointed in the general direction of a very pregnant young woman who was sweeping under all of the stylists’ chairs.
“Yeah.”
“That happened.”
“Oh.” No explanation necessary. I knew girls at my own high school whose plans had changed with the delivery of a newborn. Thankfully I’d never been personally involved in a situation like that, but now I knew how she could have a kid in high school and not look a day over twenty-five.
“I planned on being the first person in my family to go to college but with a baby on the way and a mom who worked two jobs to keep food on the table for me and my younger brother, those plans faded.”
“Where’s Rodney’s dad?” I regretted the question as soon as I asked it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” Especially since she held a pair of very sharp scissors in her hand.
“That’s okay. You can ask but I won’t answer. That’s one of the reasons April is so pissed at me. Everyone has theories, and they can guess all they want, but I’m not spilling the beans.”
“Can I ask why? I’m sure it hasn’t been easy raising a kid on your own. Wouldn’t it have helped to have some support? Even if it’s just financial?” Now I’d gone and stepped in it. Why couldn’t I keep my fucking mouth shut?
Scarlett met my gaze in the mirror. “I tried. But he didn’t want to have a thing to do with me. I was a pit stop on his road to his happily ever after. All he did was offer me money to have an abortion. He said if I didn’t take him up on that, then I was on my own.”
“Sounds like a real winner.”
“Well, they’re not all knights in shining armor, now are they?” She spun me around to face forward. “What do you think?”
