“My hair could’ve fallen out?” Hope exclaimed and then slapped her hand over her lips.
Lance walked around the chair Hope was sitting in and stared her in the eye.
You can hear me.
She nodded, still covering her mouth.
“Well, that’s interesting,” he said, looking amused. “This is a new development, isn’t it?”
Another nod.
“So, what’s the juiciest thing you’ve heard that no one would want to say out loud?” he asked as he ran his hands through her hair.
Hope let out a bark of laughter. “I’m not going to tell you that. I already feel like a creeper just hearing things I shouldn’t.”
He raised one eyebrow at her. “You didn’t tell Grace and Joy?”
“I didn’t have to. One of them thought it,” she said, chuckling.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” He lowered the chair and held his hand out to her. “Come on. We need to condition this mess before we get started.”
Once Hope was situated at the shampoo station, Lance waved an assistant off and got to work on shampooing Hope’s hair.
“Was it Grace or Joy? It was Joy, right?” Lance asked.
Hope chuckled and let out a contented sigh as his fingers massaged her scalp. “How did you know that?”
“Grace is an open book. Joy is more reserved. You know what they say about the quiet ones.”
“Yeah. You’re right. But I’m not telling you. That’s between her and Paul.”
Lance snorted. “Paul. Now he’s a real piece of work, isn’t he?”
Hope’s eyes flew open. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “Just that he doesn’t seem to appreciate what he has. Joy deserves better.”
Hope was on the verge of asking what he meant by that, but then she heard his next thought.
Damn, girl. You did a number on this hair. Gonna have to cut off a lot to salvage it.
“Cut it off?” Hope exclaimed. “How much?”
Lance glanced down at her. “You really do read minds. I’ll have to be sure to keep my thoughts PG.”
“I don’t care about your dirty thoughts,” she insisted. “I want to know what’s going to happen to my hair!”
“Relax, Anderson. I’ll give you a sexy new cut that will have Lucas begging to take you home tonight.”
She closed her eyes again and silently cursed him for bringing up the love of her life. It had been a whole hour since she’d thought about him. “He can beg, but it’s not going to happen.”
“Uh-huh.” Lance couldn’t have looked more skeptical.
“Believe what you want,” Hope said. “That’s over and has been for years.”
“Whatever you say.” Lance finished with the shampoo and conditioning and led her back to the salon chair. “Now, let me work my magic. Any requests?”
She stared at him in the mirror. “If I tell you to just work your magic, can you promise me when I leave here I’ll be as sexy as I was fifteen years ago?”
Lance chuckled. “Hope Anderson, you’re already sexier than you were fifteen years ago. You’ve got age and wisdom and character that have turned you into a badass businesswoman. But yes, I promise that if you just turn me loose, that when you leave here today, you’ll feel sexier than you did fifteen years ago.”
A chuckle bubbled up from the back of Hope’s throat. “You talk a good game, Lance. I’m not sure I believe you, but let’s do it. Make me gorgeous.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Lance got to work, and thankfully any new thoughts he had were drowned out by a hair dryer that was in use by another stylist.
An hour later, Lance pulled the drape off of Hope’s shoulders and spun her around to see her new look in the mirror.
Hope let out a gasp of surprise. Her dark curls were indeed shorter, but he’d cut it into a sexy bob that was shorter in the back and longer in the front. “You made me look gorgeous.”
“Nah. That’s all you, sweetheart,” he said with a flirty smile. “I just did a little maintenance. Are you ready for that waxing?”
She nodded and followed him into the back where he handed her off to Carrie, one of his longtime estheticians.
“Hi, Hope. Nice to see you again,” the tall woman with long dark hair said. She smiled at Hope, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, making Hope wonder what was wrong. Carrie was one of those perpetually happy people, and it was highly unusual to catch her having a rough day.
“You, too. It’s been a while. You have your work cut out for you.”
Carrie gave her a small smile. “No worries, I’ve got you covered. Lie down here on the table and we’ll get you fixed up. Lance says you need a chin waxing.”
Hope nodded. “You might as well do the lip and eyebrows, too.”
“You’ve got it.” Carrie went to work with her torture wax, and when she was done, she eyed Hope. If I can talk her into getting her brows and eyelashes tinted, that would be enough for rent this week.
“Let’s do it,” Hope said, wanting to ease the worry in the woman’s eyes.
“Do what?” Carrie asked, frowning.
“Oh, um, the works. You know, whatever you can do to spruce this up.” Hope waved a hand around her face, trying to cover for accidentally answering the woman’s private thoughts.
“Ah. Got it.” This time when Carrie smiled, her blue eyes twinkled. “I was just wondering if you’d be interested in tinting your eyelashes and brows. I could also do a facial if—”
“All of that sounds great.” Hope had heard the relief in the woman’s voice when she’d said she wanted more services. There was no doubt she was under financial strain, and whatever Hope could do to alleviate her worries, that’s what she’d do. It didn’t hurt that she’d be all sparkling and new for the open house at Lucas’s store that evening either.
“Perfect.” Carrie got to work, waxing, tinting, and using a bunch of products on Hope’s face. When she was finally done, Hope figured she must’ve taken at least five if not ten years off of her face. “Okay. Your eyelashes and brows are good to go. But the rest of your face might be a little red for a couple days. The waxings and facials can do that sometimes, but then after twenty-four to forty-eight hours, you’ll look like a new woman.”
Hope swallowed a groan. Of course.
Chapter Four
Hope stared in the mirror and wondered if it would be unprofessional to wear a bag over her head. When Carrie mentioned there might be some redness for a couple of days, what she must’ve meant to say was that Hope was going to look like a roasted tomato. Whatever she’d used for that facial definitely didn’t agree with Hope’s skin.
After dabbing on some more makeup, Hope pulled her bangs over one eye, opting to let her hair hide as much skin as possible. It was better than the bag option at least.
“Hope?” Lucas called. “Are you back here?”
“Coming.” She walked out of the bathroom and down the hall to Lucas’s office. She found him leaning over his desk, reaching for something. And dammit, his backside was really filling out his jeans. She leaned against the doorframe, just taking in the view. She deserved that much at least, right?