by Liwen Y. Ho
When Brandon returned his attention to Bria, he frowned. “I guess I should start the signing now. I don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”
She nodded readily. “Go right ahead.”
He hesitated. “Will you be sticking around, Bria? It’d be nice to catch up.”
“Don’t you worry, Mr. Spark,” Amy answered. “We’ll be here for as long as it takes. Right, Bria?”
Bria wished Amy could see her wide-eyed glare. Instead she opted for a loud sigh that any hearing person would be able to catch. “We’ll wait a little while, but honestly, I’m really tired. I’ve been on my feet all day.”
“Oh? Did you become a teacher like you wanted to?”
Brandon’s question both surprised and impressed Bria. “You remember I wanted to go into teaching?”
“Of course. You talked about it all the time. You wanted to teach second grade because at that age, the kids are still cute, but they’re also more independent. Is that the grade you teach?”
“I’m not a teacher. I ended up doing something different.”
“She’s a hairstylist,” Amy piped up. “Bria’s the only one I trust with my crazy mane.” She smoothed down one side of her wavy red locks that had been cut into a short bob. “No one else can tame this frizzy head of mine.”
“It looks great.” Brandon smiled at Bria. “I’m glad you found something else you enjoy doing. You did have the coolest hair in our school.”
Bria smirked. Considering how small and conservative their college had been, it wasn’t hard to stand out among their classmates. “It pays the bills.”
“That’s always a good thing.”
“Yeah, it is.” Bria shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, her heels digging into the soft rubber of her flip-flops. She wished Brandon would stop looking at her with such concern. After what she’d done to him, she didn’t deserve to be treated so kindly. He had every right to be angry with her for disappearing from his life without an explanation. They’d been friends—close friends. He’d been the one person who had accepted her without question and had never judged her. Yet, she was sure he would think otherwise if he knew how far she’d fallen. “You better go,” she urged with a tight smile. “Your fans are waiting for you.”
Brandon glanced over his shoulder at the line of women—now doubled in length—waiting for him. “Oh, right. You know what, why don’t I sign your book now, Amy? I think I have a pen somewhere.” He patted the front and back pockets of his jeans but came up with nothing.
“I’ve got one.” Bria took the ballpoint pen that had been keeping her bun up and handed it to him, along with Amy’s book.
His cheeks flushed as their fingers brushed against each other. Ducking his head, he murmured a soft, “Thanks”, and proceeded to sign his autograph. When he finished, he touched Amy’s arm to get her attention then guided the book into her hands. “Here you go.”
“Thank you, Mr. Spark! I’m thrilled I got to meet you. Your voice sounds just like I imagined it would.”
“Oh yeah? How did you imagine it?”
“Deep and masculine, of course.”
He chuckled. “That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that about me, but I’ll take it. Women usually say that about my brother Darren. Speaking of …”
A tall man appeared at Brandon’s side. “Hey, bro, we’re done here, so I’m gonna head out.”
Bria observed the hunk of a man wearing a bright yellow fireman’s uniform. He stood a whole head taller than Brandon, with broad shoulders and a strong jawline. Her fingers tingled as she imagined what it would feel like to run them through his head of thick, wavy hair. Brandon was right. Everything about his brother screamed manly. “Whoa …”
“Thanks so much for coming.” Brandon gave his brother a quick pat on the back before introducing him. “This is my brother, Daring Darren as we like to call him. Darren, this is Amy, one of my readers. And this—” he added with emphasis “—is Bria.”
“It’s nice to meet you, ladies.” Darren shook Amy’s hand. When he took Bria’s hand between both of his, he gave her a pointed look. “Hold up. Are you the Bria?”
“The Bria?” To Bria’s surprise, her voice came out breathless. Perhaps it was because her hand had completely disappeared in Darren’s large palm. Or the fact that there was an unspoken meaning behind his question. “I suppose so. I don’t know of any other people with my name.”
He turned to Brandon. “This is the Bria you went to school with?”
“The one and only,” Brandon answered enthusiastically. “I can’t believe it either.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Darren flashed Bria a bright smile as he let go of her hand. “It’s good to finally meet you in person.”
“You, too.” Bria caught the knowing glance that passed between the brothers. The conversation was getting more awkward by the second. She took Amy’s arm, ready to escape. “We better go. Good to meet you, Darren. And, uh, nice seeing you, Brandon.”
She and Amy were nearly back to the children’s section when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She stopped and turned around to see Brandon with her pen in hand. “Oh, hey.”
“I forgot to give this back to you.”
Bria took the pen and stuffed it in her pocket. “No worries. Thanks.”
“Sure.” Brandon paused as he took a step back. “I guess I’ll see you around sometime?”
Before Bria could answer, Amy jumped in, “Mr. Spark, you should have Bria cut your hair. She works at a salon in downtown San Jose. Chic Cuts is the name. You should look it up.”
His face brightened, erasing the lines that had creased his forehead moments before. “Okay, yeah, I’ll do that. I could use a haircut.”
Bria eyed Brandon’s short hair. Unless he wanted to go bald, he really had no business seeing her. But then again, his wistful smile told her a haircut wasn’t the only reason he’d be looking her up. And that was exactly why she hoped to never hear from him again.
Chapter Five
Brandon
Brandon swung open the door to Cherry on Top, his brother Colin’s ice-cream shop. A blast of cold air hit his face as soon as he stepped inside, bringing some much-needed relief from the summer heat. He waved to the dark-haired man behind the counter then got in line behind a mom with her three sons.
As the line inched forward, he watched the young woman struggle to keep the older two in line while also balancing a baby on her hip. One of the boys looked to be around five or six, the other a couple of years younger. He grinned as he observed them and marveled at how much they reminded him of himself and his brothers.
It still amazed him to this day how his own mother had raised the five of them. Each brother had his own personality, and they all vied for attention at one time or another. Except for him. He preferred to fly under the radar and let his brothers shine. He’d never wanted anyone’s attention … until he met Bria.
Seeing his crush a week ago had both shocked and inspired him. After the book signing, he’d rushed home and finished his story, then sent it off to his editor. To say he was pleased with the last scene was an understatement. He couldn’t have written a better ending, and he owed it all to his chance meeting with Bria. She’d woken something up in him, the part of his heart that had been locked away and put on hold for the past decade.
Since then, he’d been debating with himself. Should he see her again? Could he drop by the salon where she worked and ask for a haircut? Then get her number—casually, of course—and call her up and ask her out? His palms grew sweaty just thinking about it.
Bria may have kissed him once, but she had also disappeared from his life soon after. She hadn’t returned any of his calls, texts, or emails. Now that he thought about it, she hadn’t seemed all that excited to see him at the bookstore. In fact, her eyes had only lit up when Darren joined their conversation. It figured. Who could compete with a man in uniform?
“Hey, Bran.” Colin sighed and raised his meta
l scooper in greeting. “Congrats on finishing your book.”
Brandon stepped up to the glass case that housed several large containers of ice-cream. He raised a brow. Colin was usually the optimistic, fun-loving one, but his tone today was flat and lifeless. His dark hair was disheveled, and his face was badly in need of a shave. With his posture slouched, they stood almost eye-to-eye for once. What was going on with his younger brother? “Are you okay?”
“I’ve been better.” Colin pointed at a tub filled with white ice-cream. “You want your usual, white chocolate?”
Brandon nodded. “Sure, thanks.”
Colin scooped up some ice-cream into a waffle cone and handed it to him. He wiped his hands on the apron tied around his waist then gestured with his head at a nearby table. “My treat. I’ll come over to chat after I ring up the other customers.”
Brandon took a seat at a table near the window. He began licking his sugary snack and had finished the cone by the time Colin joined him. His brother tapped his fingers on the table and absentmindedly stared out the window. Not wanting to push his brother to talk, Brandon sat back and waited. Waiting was one thing he was good at. As the more cautious one in their family, he’d been the last child to learn how to swim and ride a bike. Even Evan, who was younger by six years, had kissed a girl before he had. His slowness was a weakness most of the time; however, it came with its advantages. He’d become a great listener, the one his brothers confided in the most.
Releasing a deep breath, Colin leaned on his knees and laced his fingers together. His expression grew thoughtful as he turned to face Brandon. “No one’s supposed to know this, but Candy and I have been seeing each other.”
This news was no surprise to Brandon nor to any of their brothers. Aiden had already figured out there was something going on between their family friend—the sister of his old high school sweetheart—and Colin. How their happy-go-lucky brother had managed to catch the eye of a straight-laced food critic was the real shocker. “Is it not working out for you guys?”
“That’s the thing. I have no idea what she wants. She hasn’t told anyone about us. Her excuse was she didn’t want to make things awkward for Aiden since there’s so much history with her and our family. Then she didn’t want to take the attention away from Aiden and Abby when they were getting together.” Colin suddenly straightened and narrowed his eyes. “You know what, I think she’s stalling. Yup, she’s definitely stalling. I don’t know why, but she’s scared. Don’t you think she’s scared?”
“I-I guess so?” Brandon shrugged. “I’m the last person you should be asking for advice about women. I was actually hoping you could help me.”
“Oh yeah? You mean with Bria?” Colin’s whole demeanor changed as he focused his attention on Brandon. “I couldn’t believe it when Darren told me you ran into her after all these years. Did you ask her why she left school?”
Brandon shook his head. “There wasn’t enough time with the book signing starting. But I did find out she works at a salon ten minutes from here. I’m wondering if I should go see her, you know, to get a haircut.”
Colin held up his hands to make air quotes. “A ‘haircut,’ huh? I know where you’re going with this. First, you get a haircut, then you pop the question.”
“P-pop the question?” Brandon couldn’t help the quiver in his voice. “To marry me?”
“No, man, of course not! To ask her out.” Colin chuckled. “On a real date like you should’ve done all those years ago. Being best friends doesn’t get you anywhere except the friend zone. And that, bro, is the last place you want to be with a woman.”
Brandon winced. He knew all about that zone; he’d set up camp there during college as he watched Bria date one guy after another. It was a sad and lonely place to be. “You don’t have to tell me twice. I don’t ever want to go back there again. I thought for sure we’d moved out of it when she kissed me. I just don’t get why she disappeared. Do you think she regretted kissing me that much?” He lowered his voice as he realized how desperate he sounded. “I know I didn’t have any experience, but I thought it was good.” Actually, it’d been more than good. Amazing was a more accurate term to describe the jolt of electricity that zapped through his entire body when their lips touched, but he’d rather keep those details to himself. “You can tell when someone’s into a kiss, can’t you?”
“Sure, you can. But there are also people good at faking it. Did you see Evan’s kiss last week?” Colin wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively as he referred to their youngest brother’s TV show performance. “We all know he’s dating Emma, but the way he kissed his costar made me wonder if there’s something going on with them, too.”
“He’s a good actor.” Brandon found himself reassuring Colin as much as himself. He could only imagine how hard it must be to stay on the straight and narrow in Hollywood. He reminded himself to pray more regularly for Evan. “But for someone not trained in acting, it wouldn’t be so easy to fake passion, right?”
A smile played on Colin’s lips as he considered Brandon’s question. “I can only speak from personal experience. Which is why I know Candy’s into me, even if she doesn’t want to admit it.”
Brandon’s jaw dropped. “You guys have kissed?”
“Oh yeah. Can you blame her?” He puffed out his chest with a wink. “It’s nearly impossible to resist this work of art. I was designed by the good Lord Himself.”
“I see you’re feeling better about the situation.” Brandon rolled his eyes. Despite his teasing tone, he admired Colin’s confidence. If he had an ounce of his brother’s swagger, he’d have gotten the girl of his dreams long ago instead of dreaming about her. “At least that makes one of us.”
“Have some faith in yourself, Bran.” Colin pointed a finger in his direction. “God made you, too. And there’s a woman out there who’s going to find you irresistible. Maybe Bria, maybe someone else. But whoever she is, you’ll figure it out. You just need to be patient.”
Patience. Brandon knew all about longsuffering. But for once in his life, he was tired of waiting. He wanted to make things happen. His happily-ever-after was a decade overdue. It was time to rewrite the ending to his romance story, just as he’d rewritten the ending to his novel. And with that goal in mind, he decided to pay a visit to Bria’s salon the next day.
Chapter Six
Bria
Bria pulled a hair dryer from one of the slots in the cabinet to her right and selected a flat brush with boar and nylon bristles to use. With the easy familiarity that came from working in a salon for the past nine years, she began blowing her client’s short hair.
The older woman, a regular at the salon, fidgeted in her seat, her eyes squeezed shut. “I’m so nervous. I’ve never cut my hair this short before. Please tell me it looks halfway decent.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Connelly.” Bria raised her voice above the whirring sound of the dryer. She paused to place a comforting hand on her arm. “You’re going to love your new look when I’m done styling it. You have the perfect face shape for a pixie cut. Trust me. Have I led you astray before?”
Mrs. Connelly smiled and rested her hands in her lap. “No, you haven’t, dear. I trust you completely. I just can’t wait to see myself.”
“Just a few minutes more.” Bria busied herself with the task at hand. Without thinking, she swept the back of her client’s hair forward, blow-drying it in place to keep it from puffing up. She repeated the same step with the sides and front then worked toward the crown until the top of the head was dry as well.
Mrs. Connelly’s hairdo was coming together nicely, but Bria couldn’t help feeling more conflicted with each passing second. Something she’d said moments ago haunted her. Have I led you astray before? A pair of blue eyes flashed through her mind. Brandon. She shook her head in dismay. If there was anyone she’d misled, it was him.
She still couldn’t believe she’d run into him last week. Thankfully, he hadn’t shown up at the salon, despite Amy’s n
ot-so casual invitation. Her friend may have invited him with the best of intentions—or so she said—but it didn’t make the situation any less awkward. Amazingly enough, Bria was certain Brandon still carried a torch for her all these years later. This time though, she wasn’t going to take advantage of his kindness. She’d make it clear to him they were friends and only friends. Assuming she saw him again. Which wasn’t likely, considering how shy and passive he was. There was no way he’d show up at the salon … right?
The buzzing of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She chose to ignore it, though her body tensed up each time her back pocket vibrated. Not only was it unprofessional to answer a personal call during work, she dreaded seeing her ex’s name appear on the screen. She was certain it was Richard, calling again for what was the tenth time in an hour. Why couldn’t he take no for an answer? Because he was Richard Weaver, son of Senator Weaver, and Alameda County’s district attorney. The man didn’t know subtlety if it hit him in the face.
Bria brushed a last strand of wayward hair into place and shut off the dryer. She grabbed a small container of pomade from a shelf, took a dab of it, and warmed the sticky mixture between her fingers. She pulled it through the ends of Mrs. Connelly’s hair and stepped back to inspect her handiwork. Nodding with satisfaction, she removed the black cape draped over her client and turned the seat around to face the mirror. “Are you ready to be wowed?”
“I think so.” The older woman took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do it!”
“No! Come on!” Bria groaned as her phone sounded again. She fished it out of her pocket and pressed the button to send the call to voicemail. Richard would have to wait, something she knew he wasn’t good at doing, but such was life.
