Chapter 5
EJ
Two weeks later
EJ was counting the minutes until he saw Savannah again.
He didn't try to contact her in any way during the two weeks between his haircuts, but he wanted to.
He wanted to tell her the truth. He had no idea how he sat there for an hour and didn't say they had that whole summer together.
She was his first kiss, and his chest felt tight every time he thought about it.
He worked out a lot during those two weeks.
He worked a lot as well. He focused on the tasks of his everyday life, trying not to get distracted by thoughts of the woman in Pittsburgh.
EJ had always been the type who set out to accomplish a lot every day, and doing that helped distract him, but his thoughts drifted to her even while he was working.
It did not help matters that he saw a bowl full of mints on the front desk every time he walked into his gym.
EJ knew that he would tell Savannah who he was this time. EJ had put thought into it for the last two weeks, and he simply had to tell her the truth.
The day had finally arrived, and the drive was even faster and easier this time than last. He was so looking forward to seeing her that he seemed to be transported there without even taking in the music or the audiobook he was listening to. His trip felt more like two hours rather than seven.
EJ was walking on clouds when he arrived at the salon. He had to stifle his smile, work to control it. He acted like everything was completely normal as he headed into the front door.
The receptionist was there to greet him, and she smiled warmly when he came inside. He couldn't help but notice the new bowl with candy. This one was an elongated, rounded triangular shape.
"Hello, Mr. Paul," the receptionist said, snapping him out of noticing it.
"Hello," he replied without skipping a beat.
He made eye contact with her, and she gave him a friendly smile. "Savannah's ready for you if you want to go ahead and head back."
"Oh, yeah, sure," he said.
EJ walked toward the room where he had his hair cut before.
There was a mirror behind the front desk, and EJ glanced at his reflection as he walked back.
Two weeks had seemed like forever in some ways, but his haircut still looked fresh, and he felt like it was slightly pushing it to come back for another one so soon.
He really didn't care.
What he did care about was what he was going to say to her. He was going to tell her that…
And there she was now.
She met him in the doorway just as he was about to turn the corner into her area.
They were close enough to almost bump into each other, and she put her hand up to brace herself.
EJ reached out and touched the top of her arm.
He let his hand drop just as soon as he touched her, but a shockwave hit him at the feel of her skin. He cleared his throat.
"Hello."
"Hello," they both said at the same time. "Hi," she added, taking a step back. "Let's go ahead and go over to the chair."
Someone was at the other station, but she had the blow dryer going.
EJ took a seat in her chair, and Savannah regarded him from behind, looking at him through their reflections in the mirror. She was close to him, standing at his back, but looking at her in the mirror made her seem further away. He scanned her appearance, thinking about how beautiful she was.
"I was going to take you over to the shampoo bowl and get started, but I figured we'd sit for a second and talk about your hair.
" He broke contact with her in the mirror long enough to turn and face her over his shoulder.
She saw what he was doing and she swiveled his chair.
They were now eye to eye. They were only a couple of feet away, and his heart reacted to her.
She was sweet and gorgeous, and he wanted to stand up, toss her over his shoulder, and claim her like some sort of Neanderthal.
She had her hair styled half-up with the top part in a ponytail right on top of her head.
Her hair was wavy and styled like a pro.
It shouldn't surprise him that she would have a nice hairdo, but he stared at the whole package, thinking she was just so adorable. He adored her.
This was the same girl who would smile at him mischievously and triple-dog dare him to do something stupid. Of course, he would do it.
Look at her.
He would still do anything for her.
He wished she would triple dog dare him to do something right then.
"Yeah, my hair was great like it was," he said. "I was wanting to talk to you about something that's not hair, anyway, and I was wondering if now's a good time, or if you want to wait until we're cutting my hair."
"Oh, I do have someone coming in right after you, but I definitely have a minute if you want to tell me something now before we get started. Is it about the bowl?"
EJ stared into her dark eyes, feeling like he was staring into his own eyes. There was no mistaking those eyes. They knew each other.
"Uh, no, well, I, I just… I think I should say straight away that I think we met one summer when I was twelve and had a broken foot."
It was like an outer shell crumbled from around her. Her shoulders slumped, and she broke into a gigantic smile.
"Oh my gosh, EJ? What the heck, you big goober? I knew it was you! Who is Edward Paul? I thought your last name was Hanson or something like that. Hensen? Dillon?"
"It's De-Decker."
"Yes! That's it! I can't believe you're him!
Pontiac? I knew it! I told Bree the other day that you looked just like…
wait, why do you call yourself Edward Paul?
Is that what you go by now?" She spoke with great excitement and interest, but she was being quiet enough that the blow-drying lady didn't pay them any attention.
EJ hardly knew what to say to her. She was just beautiful, and she was so excited and sweet. EJ knew he had to answer her question, but it was difficult to even think straight with how she was smiling at him.
"No, I just didn't know what it would be like seeing you," he said.
"You knew it was me?"
"Yes, and I use that name sometimes anyway, so it came naturally to me. It's my real first and middle name."
"Edward Paul?" she asked, her face turning a little confused.
"Yes."
"Edward Paul Decker?" she said, still confused.
"Yes," he agreed. He could tell that she was really thinking about it, and he figured she was putting together who his father was.
He glanced around for a second and then back at her.
He felt nervous about her recognizing him, and he braced himself.
This was the moment when all women flipped a switch and realized he could support them for the rest of their lives.
But all she said was, "Where does the J come from?"
She was confused about his initials, and he smiled when he realized. "Oh, the J is junior. Edward Junior. I'm named after my dad."
"Ohhhh," she said, smiling as she understood.
She stared at him intensely for a second and then broke into motion as she reached out for a hug.
She gave him a quick squeeze and then pulled back to look at him.
"Oh my gosh, it's you, EJ! I don't even know what to say.
I've thought about you so many times over the years!
This is so cool! I had so much fun with you that summer.
I wondered how you turned out, and it looks like you did good for yourself.
Did you say you knew it was me when you came to get a haircut the first time?
(he smiled) You rascal!" she said, pushing at his shoulder.
She grinned at him and changed directions, tugging on his hand to get him to follow her.
"Come on, I'm going to ask a thousand questions.
We'll sit here and talk for an hour. We should get started, and we can talk while I cut.
" She stopped and turned, wearing a different expression and tilting her head at him.
"Wait a second, do you even want a haircut right now?
I don't want you to have to do that if you were just coming to say 'hey' or catch up for a minute or whatever.
" Her face broke into a grin as she stared at his face.
"I was telling Bree how much I thought you looked like that boy I knew.
It's crazy seeing you all grown up and with facial hair and whatnot. "
She held the amazed smile as she reached out and touched his jaw.
EJ felt a jolt of electricity when he felt her fingers on him, but she didn't seem affected at all.
She was friendly and excited to see him, but she had a certain level of unattached confidence that told him she wasn't interested.
Maybe she was married. EJ glanced at her hand but didn't see any rings.
He thought maybe hairstylists couldn't wear them. "
"I don't mind getting the haircut," he said. "Unless you don't wanna do it."
"No, no, I just didn't want you to do all that if you only wanted to come here to you know, catch up.
You know what? I'll just do it, and then not charge you.
Come on. You gave me so much last time… and there's no way I can charge my buddy, EJ, from Gary's house in Pontiac!
" She peered up at him once they made it to the shampoo chair.
"You got so tall," she said with a grin as she stretched up to put a cape around his neck.
Her smile was sweet but unaffected. "I really can't believe how big you got!
It's no wonder you decided to open a gym.
" He laughed at that, and she shook her head at him dazedly.
"I'm putting all the pieces together with you tipping me so much and being interested in my work, EJ.
Come on, I can't believe you sat in my chair and didn't tell me! Sit down, let's wash your hair."
EJ reclined into the shampoo bowl. The other woman had finished with her customer, and they walked out of the room.
"Did you remember my name and search for me on the Internet or what?"
"Yes," he said, not explaining that he went to their old house and talked to a neighbor.
She was quiet for a few seconds as she began the shampoo. EJ felt the warm water hit his head, and then he felt her fingers.
"I thought about you a bunch over the years, EJ, because I wish I could go back and do it better. That whole interaction we had that summer, I'm so embarrassed about it."
He opened his eyes. "What? Why would you be embarrassed?"
"Because you were younger than me, and you were sweet, and I was a terrible influence on you."
"Barely younger than you."
"A year. That was a lot back then. And I don't know. I'm glad you turned out so good, that's all. I'm glad you came here so I could apologize. I was kind of worried I put you on a bad path—teaching you how to make out and smoke cigarettes. What were we thinking?"
"We smoked two cigarettes."
"Still," she said. "I wish I could take back so much of that.
You're not the only person I have regrets with in my life, and you rarely get to look someone in the eyes and say you're sorry.
But I'm sorry, EJ. I shouldn't have been pushing you into getting in trouble that summer.
" EJ glanced back at her while she was shampooing, and he found that she was peering at him sincerely.
She was standing behind him, which meant she was upside down.
"No," he said. "That's not how it was. You didn't help me get into trouble. We got into trouble together. I had so much fun with you. Why do you think I looked you up and drove over here for a haircut? It definitely wasn't for an apology."
Her relief was visible, even from upside down. She worked for a minute on his hair before responding.
"Oh, my goodness, that makes me feel so much better," she said. "And I'm glad you turned out good. You look great. This is unbelievable. I'm so happy you said something to me this time. I can't believe you sat through that whole haircut and didn't tell me! So, you're still in the Chicago area?"
"Yes," he said. "I live and work in Chicago. I go to Milwaukee a lot because my brother and his wife are there. We have a second gym there."
"Wow, that's great. So, what were you doing at your grandparents that summer? I know you had a broken foot. Is that why you were there? Your brother and sister weren't there, were they?"
"No, I was all messed up about my foot, so I was supposed to be helping my granddad in his workshop. I just didn't get to that part."
"Yeah, instead you met Miss Mischief."
"No, meeting you was good for me," he said. "Honestly, I was being a big baby before I met you, and you helped me out. You gave me a different perspective on it. Anyway, I got injured several more times in my life, and all of them were made easier because of that perspective."
"Really? That makes me feel better because I regretted so much of that all these years. I am sorry, anyway."
"Don't be," he said. "Do you remember how much Mario Party we played?"
"Yes, and hang on…" she said, turning off the water.
She expertly wrapped his hair in a towel. "I'll have you hold the towel right here and go ahead sit up. We're ready to head back over to the chair."
He stood up and followed her.
"Of course I remember Mario Party."
"I still play Mario Party when I'm injured," he said.
"What are you doing to yourself that gets you injured so much?" she asked. "Does that happen from working out?"
"No, I played sports in college and stuff."
He was being vague by instinct. He resisted the urge to give her details about his athletic career or his father's because he wanted to make her like him for who he was. He wanted to earn her affections the natural way. He held his tongue.
"College sports? That's pretty intense. I have a customer who played college football. A few women who were or are college athletes, too. They talk about it like it's a big part of their lives."
"Yeah, it was fun."
"What did you play?"
"Baseball. And football, actually." Part of him regretted saying that and giving her so many details, but she didn't get hung up on it.
"Wow, it's no wonder you had so many injuries," was all she said. "What made you want to open a gym?"
"It was my brother's idea. He came up with it while I was at a pivotal point in my life… so I went with it."
"That's great," she said. "Did you say he was your twin?"
"Yes."
"Man, that's so cool. And your sister is younger than you guys?"
"Yes. Lila. She got married recently."
"That's right," she said, nodding and working away on his haircut.