“Really? Wow, I’m honored.”

She held up one hand and whispered behind it. “Yeah, I rearranged some other clients. I can do that. I own the place.”

Laughing, I followed her to her chair. “Awesome. I’m all yours. I was thinking about some highlights. Can I be a hot, sexy blonde when I leave here?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “Have a seat, and we’ll get to it.”

While she worked, putting foil after foil after foil on my head, I imagined surprising Noah later with my siren hair, my bright red toes, and my smooth-as-silk skin. Then I remembered I probably wouldn’t see him tonight.

Disappointment balled up in my stomach, and I found myself thinking up excuses to potentially cut out early. But I didn’t want to do that to my sisters. I wanted time with them—and I wanted time with Noah too.

Unfortunately, time was the one thing in short supply.

Seventeen

Noah

Wednesday afternoon, I got a text from Meg.

Meg: Your sister is awesome.

Me: Don’t tell her that. Her ego will be as big as her belly.

Meg: I already told her.

Me: Are you at the salon?

Meg: Yes. She is transforming me into a hot sexy bombshell.

Me: You do not need her help in that department.

Meg replied with a kissy-face emoji, and I checked the time. It was just after one, and I was starving, but instead of thinking about lunch, I was considering dropping by the salon.

I wouldn’t stay long or anything—I just wanted to say hi. We probably wouldn’t see each other at all today if I didn’t. Maybe not tomorrow either. She was probably going to be all tied up with lots of wedding stuff now that everyone was here.

Plus, there was a deli on that block I loved. I could pretend that I’d been heading there for lunch. I’d go in, say a quick hello, and get out. Then I’d grab a sandwich and get back to work.

I’d been thinking about her nonstop since I’d dropped her off, replaying all the little details that had made the last two nights so fucking amazing. Everything she said, everything she did, everything she let me do to her . . . it was better than a dream.

And the coolest thing was that nothing had changed. Nothing was awkward or weird or uncomfortable between us. I could still be myself around her. If anything, we were even closer friends than we’d been before. We were still us, but new and improved us, with one hundred percent more sex included.

I found a parking spot on the street near the deli, told Renzo I’d be right back, and walked up the block to the salon. As soon as I opened the door, I spotted her reading a magazine in my sister’s chair, her head under a dryer and full of tin foil. There had to be a hundred pieces of it sticking out in every direction.

Waving to the receptionist, who was on the phone but gave me a smile, I snuck up behind Meg and studied her in the mirror. Even with a head full of foil, she made my heart beat faster.

“If that’s my sister’s idea of sexy bombshell, you might want to ask for a refund.”

She looked in the mirror and gasped, hiding her face with the magazine. “Noah! You’re not supposed to see me like this! Get out!”

Laughing, I moved in front of her and leaned back on Nina’s station, crossing my arms over my chest. “Having fun?”

“I was.” She lowered the magazine to her lap. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m about to grab a sandwich for lunch at the deli up the street. Since I was in the neighborhood, I figured I’d stop in and say hi.”

Her cheeks went pink. “Well, I wish I looked better. Can you come back in three hours?”

“Three hours? It takes that long to get your hair done?”

“It’s a process. But it will be worth it.”

“Jeez. Where’s my sister?”

“In the back, I think. She had to get off her feet for a bit.”

I nodded. “What are your plans tonight?”

“Painting the town with my sisters, who are probably all looking over here right now, wondering what is going on.”

I glanced around the salon. Sure enough, every eye in the entire place was on us. “Should I arrest you? Give them a little excitement?”

She swatted me with her magazine and lowered her voice. “Don’t you dare put those cuffs on me in public.”

Our eyes shared the memory of last night, making the crotch of my uniform pants threaten to get tight. Not a good look. “I better go,” I told her. “Have fun tonight.”

“Thanks. What will you do?”

“Nothing much. Hang out with Renzo. Watch baseball.” Miss you, I thought, but didn’t say it.

“Okay. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” I wanted to kiss her, even if it was just on the cheek, but I couldn’t. Tongues were already going to wag about us. So instead, I took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I better get out of here before people start asking why I’m wasting their tax dollars talking to pretty girls in salons.”

Her mouth fell open. “Do people really say that kind of thing?”

“Sometimes.”

“Jerks.” Her face was angry, and it looked so funny with all that foil on her head I had to laugh.

“Oh my God, get out of here,” she said, giving my ass a shove and hiding behind her magazine again. “And forget you saw me like this.”

“I’m going. I’m just going to say a quick hello to Nina.” I headed for the salon’s break room, conscious of the way Meg’s family was staring at me—not rudely or anything. In fact, her mother and a couple of her sisters smiled and said a casual hello.

But it was clear they definitely knew what was up.

I’d told Meg it didn’t matter if they knew we’d spent the night together, but damn if I didn’t feel naked as a jaybird as I passed them. I nodded cordially at anyone who made eye contact and returned their hellos, but didn’t stop to chat.

When I reached the break room, I poked my head in. Nina was sitting in one chair with her bare feet up on another, her phone in her hands. “Hey,” I said.

She looked up in surprise. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

“I was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d come by and say hi.”

“To who?”

“To you, my ever-loving sister. Who else?”

“Ha.” Her smug expression told me she knew better. “You’re so obvious.”

“About what?”

She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t know Meg Sawyer was going to be here?”

“No. I mean, she might have mentioned something about it . . .”

“Please.” Nina held up one hand. “Don’t embarrass yourself. You’re a terrible liar. We both know why you’re here and it’s not to see me. So what’s with you two?”

“Nothing.”

“Really? Then why has every other word out of her mouth for the last two hours been Noah? Why does she turn a lovely shade of pink when she talks about you? Why do her eyes light up every time she tells me about something you said to her or something you’ve done or about how you’re taking her to Frannie’s wedding?” She shook her head. “Face it, Noah. That girl adores you. And you’ve always adored her. The only question is whether you’re going to be too stubborn to admit it.”