Chapter 3 #2
Hal’s still cautious with how he moves his body around me though. I almost get the impression he’s worried I’m a scared rabbit who might run off if he startles me. It’s kind of sweet, truth be told. He seems to worry about me, and I don’t know what to think about that.
“When is opening day at the salon?” Astraea asks, breaking my reverie.
I haven’t had a lot to smile about in far too long, but now I can’t hold back a grin. “Three weeks from Friday. I’ve got almost everything set up and ready to go, just waiting on our final order of product and the hair sinks to get installed.”
Astraea steeples her hands in front of her, clicking her long electric blue nails together.
“Excellent. In fact, I’d like to be one of your first appointments, if I may.
I’m loving this braid you’ve come up with, but I need to refresh my overall look.
After all, this color’s at least a couple of millennia old,” she offers with a mischievous wink.
The thought still blows my mind. As a being from the Celestial Realm and the mother of all dragons, Astraea is an actual force of nature and has been around for what sounds like nearly forever. I can’t even imagine what that must be like.
From what I’ve learned in my short time here, though, this is one of her first trips to our realm in many years.
I’m not entirely sure why, but she’s not often able to leave the Celestial Realm for extended periods of time, and she’s told me that her time here in Mystic Hollow is rapidly coming to an end.
I’m already bracing myself for the day she moves on.
She was my very first connection here, and I owe her so damn much.
From helping guide me through the small business loan process to pointing me toward the perfect place for my salon, she’s been front and center in every aspect of my dream becoming reality.
Most of all, she’s shown me how magical Mystic Hollow really is, and I’m ready to give back to the town as much as I possibly can.
“I keep telling you, Main Street is long overdue for a hair salon,” Astraea murmurs as she sips her coffee.
Hal sips his coffee too and nods enthusiastically. “So true. There used to be an old troll who acted as the town barber, but he retired several years before I arrived ten years ago. No one has even attempted to fill that void until now.” He gives me a bashful smile, then looks away.
Every time I’m around Hal, I can’t help but think he’s a big, adorable teddy bear who desperately needs a cuddle. Maybe that Papa Bear analogy was not all that far off…
Scratch that. I don’t really see Hal as a father figure. No, he makes me all warm and fluttery inside in ways I don’t want to look at too closely.
“Your salon will be an instant hit, Skylar,” Astraea says. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of clients from day one.”
“I sure as hell hope so,” I mutter, gnawing at my bottom lip and wishing I had a cigarette. “A lot of people have stopped by to tell me how excited they are about it. I hope it lives up to their hopes too.”
I pop one of the lozenges Hal makes for me—which I now call Hal’s Craving Crushers—into my mouth, and after sucking on it for a while, the craving starts to go away. Taking out the small business loan was a huge gamble, and all the town goodwill in the world doesn’t mean my salon will be a success.
And if it isn’t, I’m well and truly fucked in every way.
But if I don’t try to make my dream happen now, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ll regret it. And I’m fucking done with regrets. Moving forward, I’m all about my needs and my goals. Never again will I let someone else take advantage of me.
I finish my coffee and turn to Hal. “That book your orc professor friend lent me on Otherkind hair and fur has been real helpful. Interesting too.”
He peeks at me and smiles shyly. “I’m so glad. I knew if anyone could help, it would be Targan. He’s a famous scholar and one of the smartest people I know. You should see the library at his place. It’s so amazing, jam-packed with wall-to-wall books.”
“I can see why you’re friends with him. You have quite the library of your own.”
Hal flushes.
“How are the preparations for the Harvest Festival going?” Astraea asks Hal.
“Everything’s mostly ready, but…” His voice trails off and he shrugs, his brow furrowed.
I pipe up. “I’d love to help out with the festival. If you still need volunteers, that is.”
Hal blinks at me in surprise and then beams. “That would be amazing. I’ll talk with the planning committee and see what they think, but I know we all feel stretched thin right now.”
I’ve been wanting to get involved somehow, so I’m glad I spoke up.
Smiling to myself, I gaze out the window.
The idyllic backyard’s lined with beautiful flowers that are vibrant and colorful.
The sight of them is always somehow cheerful, kind of like Hal himself.
There’s also a large vegetable garden that Hal tends daily with the same devotion and care he seems to bring to everything around the B&B. Just looking at it brings me peace.
Suddenly, a small, naked bum streaks past the window.
I blink.
Then another round butt runs past.
And then another. And another. And another.
“What the hell?” I get to my feet and move closer to the window.
“Oh, my goodness.” Astraea comes to stand beside me. “Looks like they’re back.”
Hal groans.
From outside, I hear Mr. Snodgrass, the grumpy chupacabra who lives next door, yell, “Get out of here, you nudist hoodlums! I’ve called the police. Shove on or you’ll be sorry!”
Even from here, we can hear the giggles of about a dozen gnomes in response. And I bet even money they’re all naked too.
As if on cue, there’s a knock at the front door, and Hal hurries to answer it. A few seconds later, Mystic Hollow’s half-minotaur chief of police, Baxter Thunderbody, strides into the kitchen, and I shrink back.
Hal rushes around him to open the back door, and Baxter charges into the yard, where the naked gnomes are frolicking among the flowers, dancing and giggling. You’d almost think they were drunk or on something.
“This is private property,” he booms. “Get back to the beach campgrounds where you’re staying.”
The gnomes start fleeing en masse, but not before most of them bend over and shake their bums at the chief.
Once they’re gone, Baxter talks with a still angry Mr. Snodgrass, then comes back into the kitchen and sits down at the table with a weary sigh.
Although not as tall as Hal, the police chief is twice as wide and covered in thick muscle.
I make sure to put as much space between us as I can without being too obvious.
I’ve been around the police chief a time or two, and he seems decent enough.
I mean, if Hal’s friends with him, I’m sure he’s cool.
But sometimes he just triggers bad memories for me.
It’s his size and how loud he can get. Even though I know he can’t hurt me thanks to the magic protecting the town, my whole body is on edge around him.
Hal pours his friend a cup of coffee and sets it down in front of him with a worried frown. “Everything okay, Baxter?”
“That damned nudist gnome colony is giving me a constant headache lately. When they moved to town a few weeks ago, the council arranged a private section of beach on the far edge of town, away from prying eyes, where they can camp out and live it up in the nude. Things were fine at first, and they respected the boundaries we set up.” He rubs a hand over his face and groans.
“But lately they’ve started taking their clothing-optional partying to other places at random. ”
He’s not wrong. This is the third time this week we’ve seen said nudist gnomes in the neighborhood—although today was the first time I saw them much more up close and personal.
The one saving grace is that gnomes, both male and female, possess long, flowing beards that cover the more…
graphic parts of their bodies. But that doesn’t spare any of us from the naked ass views on display.
The chief shakes his horned head and rubs at his temple, and Hal reaches over to squeeze his shoulder.
Oddly, that action makes me all sorts of uncomfortable inside.
I enjoy Hal’s attentive care toward me and Astraea. It’s part of who he is. So I don’t know why it bothers me now that it’s directed at the police chief.
Is Hal interested in him?
Not liking the direction of my thoughts, I frown and drain the rest of my coffee. “Thanks for breakfast, Hal. It was real fucking good, as always. Gotta head down to the shop to help with some of the renovation details today. I’ll be back by dinnertime.”
Once again, Hal favors me with a warm, sunny smile. “Sounds good. I’m making my famous meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy tonight. You won’t want to miss it.”
Baxter licks his lips. “Meatloaf night, huh? How can I get an invite to that?”
I don’t wait to hear Hal’s answer as I book it. For some reason, the idea of Baxter joining us for dinner creates an unpleasant churning sensation in my gut that I try to ignore as I flee the B&B.