Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Cryptids United in Delightful Dating and Love Encouragement (CUDDLE) Forum
SuperShySasquatch: Holding back the full force of my feelings is proving to be a daily challenge.
IPutTheBrahInChupacabra: Don’t hold back, my man. Tell him the truth.
YetiOrNotHereICome: I’m having all the feels over here! We’re rooting for you two kids!
LoungeSingerLizardMan: We believe in you and your boyfriend. You guys are the real deal.
MerMagicMan: Exactly. I say life’s too short—don’t wait!
SuperShySasquatch: You’re all right. I never realized it could be so hard to say the words “I love you.” But when there’s so much riding on sharing that truth, it’s so much more intimidating and overwhelming than I thought it would be.
NessieNeedsLoveToo: That’s because your feelings are real and this guy means the world to you. It’s scary as fuck to make yourself vulnerable, but you gotta have faith.
SuperShySasquatch: I have all the faith in the world in him. Even if he doesn’t love me back yet, that’s okay. I can wait. Just being with him, and being part of his life, is enough.
IPutTheBrahInChupacabra: That’s beautiful, man!
YetiOrNotHereICome: Timing and mood matter. When it feels right, I say go for it! I’m sure the depth of your feelings will reach him.
LoungeSingerLizardMan: Trust your gut, my friend.
SuperShySasquatch: I appreciate the support. Wish me luck!
Late-October…
Hal
When Skylar turns the lights on in his fully renovated salon, I still can’t help but marvel at how much it’s changed in such a short span of time.
The small space has been even more utterly transformed.
Gone are the bare walls and messy construction materials.
In their place is a sleek, professional-looking space ready and waiting for new clients.
Skylar truly found the best storefront for his salon.
Large windows that frame the front door and look out on Main Street will bring in plenty of light during daylight hours.
To complement that feature, Skylar’s gone for a natural aesthetic with wood and stone accents and plenty of vibrant green plants.
There’s a small water fountain bubbling soothingly in the corner, and the whole atmosphere instantly relaxes me when I step inside.
To pull it all together, the walls are painted a soft cream color with green accents, and the floor is done in a light gray wood.
“Your salon looks amazing,” I tell him honestly.
He shoves his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, which I’ve noticed he does a lot when he feels a bit awkward. There are so many little things I’m still learning about him, and it fills me with joy. My boyfriend is shy when it comes to compliments.
Skylar gives me a brief tour of the small space. Two sink stations are set up for washing his clientele’s hair, and there’s an area for a future nail technician as well.
“I see you’ve got a dedicated space for a nail artist,” I comment.
“Yeah. A lot of salons have one these days, so I figured I’d get everything ready for when it happens since I know I want to offer that service,” he explains.
I nod approvingly. “There are a lot of folks in town who would be excited to have someone to beautify their nails… or claws.”
We both look at each other and say in unison, “Astraea!”
“She’ll probably be down here on a daily basis getting worked on. She’ll continue matching her outfits with them too.”
Skylar laughs. “No kidding. Although she does a pretty damn good job on her own. Those nails of hers are more than a little intimidating. I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side, that’s for sure.”
I chuckle. “I think nails like that come with the territory when you’re a dragon, particularly a dragon goddess.
But she definitely has a flair for fashion and always likes to look her best. I know some other folks in town who’d also jump at the prospect of nail art, including Max.
I’ve noticed he paints his nails a lot. He’s always so colorful. ”
“You know, I wasn’t sure he and I would have much in common, but I really like getting to know him. I admire the way he shows up and is fully and uniquely himself every time we meet. That takes guts in this world. He doesn’t dull his shine for anyone.”
“I completely agree. He’s one of a kind. He and Targan are very much opposites in personality, but you can see how much they truly belong together.”
“Gotta say, I’m kinda intimidated to meet the guy. I’m not the academic type, so the whole professor thing is unnerving.”
“Academic credentials aren’t the only marker of intelligence. You’re super smart, Skylar. Your ideas for your business as well as mine are brilliant, and you even helped us find a short-term solution to the out-of-whack magic in town. I’m so impressed by you.”
He takes my hand and leads me to a hallway that goes toward the back of the building. When he turns to me, I see uncertainty in his eyes.
“Everything okay?”
“I have a kind of surprise I want to show you.”
I cock my head in interest. “That sounds fun. I’m eager to experience anything you want to share with me.”
Skylar runs a shaky hand through his hair. “Get a grip, Skylar,” he mutters.
“You don’t have to show me if you aren’t ready,” I say, worried that he seems anxious.
But he takes a deep breath, squeezes my hand, and pulls me down the hallway like a man on a mission. Talk about adorable.
We pass several closed doors before he stops in front of one and shifts his attention to me.
“So when I commissioned this, I’ll admit, I was mostly thinking about you.” His cheeks flush. “I’m sure there’ll be other folks in town who’ll need me to work on them in here too, but you’re a special case, Hal, and deserve something special that I can give you.”
I hold my breath as he opens the door and turns on the light.
What I see leaves me speechless. The earthy vibe from the salon continues in here in the stone-accented walls and soft lighting, but this room features a huge walk-in shower with a special reclining chair set up in the center of the shower stall.
Skylar shuffles nervously. “When I met you, I got to thinking about how I’d need to plan differently for clients who have hair or fur all over their bodies.
In those cases, the typical washbasin wouldn’t cut it, so I talked with the contractor and he helped me design this room.
” He swallows. “Um, I’d be real honored if you’d be the first person I work on in here. ”
A tightening sensation fills my chest and I’m so overwhelmed I can’t breathe.
“You built this… for me?” I finally manage to whisper.
He gives a jerky nod. “It’s a bit embarrassing, but yeah. I really wanted to be able to give you a salon-worthy experience.” He flashes a sheepish grin. “Ever since we first met, I’ve wanted to get my hands on that gorgeous hair of yours.”
My cheeks warm, and I smile so hard that my jaw hurts. “Skylar, this is so much more than I could have ever imagined. No one’s ever done something like this for me. I’m in awe.”
Skylar crosses his arms and scowls. “Well, that means that some of the people you know are fucking idiots then. You’re one of the good ones, Hal, and believe me, there aren’t a whole lot of them out there.
” He looks down at his feet. “Until I met you, I’d kinda become convinced that a genuinely good guy was about as hard to find as a motherfucking unicorn. ”
My heart leaps in my chest, and I feel oddly lightheaded at his words.
“But you convinced me they do exist.” He lifts his gaze to mine again.
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed you spend a lot of time taking care of other people, me included, but there isn’t anybody who’s taking care of you.
” His gaze holds steady and unwavering. “I’d like to be able to take care of you just like you take care of me.
Because you deserve it, Hal. You deserve it more than anyone I know.
Like I said before, you’re something real damn special. ”
Those full body tingles only Skylar manages to give me start up again, and I feel so effervescent I might float away any moment.
Skylar didn’t exactly give me a conventional declaration of love, but it still feels as extraordinary as those memorable moments I’ve read about time and time again in my favorite romance novels.
He reaches out and takes hold of my hand again, brushing a gentle kiss against my knuckles. “Would you let me give you the best damn haircut of your life?”
Swoon.
I fight back tears. “Nothing would please me more,” I manage to say, my voice hoarse with emotion.
Skylar leads me over to the odd chair in the shower, and once I sit down, I’m a little startled when he reclines me so that I’m lying lengthwise.
“Trust me,” he says, a cocky note returning to his voice now that he’s in his element. “I know what I’m doing.”
He doesn’t even need to ask. I do trust him. In fact, I’m willing to trust him with my fragile heart. He’s the penguin that I’ve been searching for, the one meant for me, and I for him.
Skylar clears his throat. “I did a little bit of reading on sasquatches, and based on what I learned, we’re gonna start off with a full body brushing.
This will help me get a sense of how your hair lies on your body, but it should also be a soothing and relaxing experience for you.
A bit like a massage, at least based on what I’ve read.
” He brings out a specialized brush I’ve seen before, one designed specifically for sasquatches.
Tears well in my eyes at the knowledge that he took the time to plan this and even bought specialized equipment for me. I haven’t seen one of those brushes in years. My mother used to use one on me almost daily when I was a child.