Chapter 13 #2
I changed glamours to a very, very old one no one would ever care about since I had enough cash on me and went right for the salon.
It was a place that could do walk-ins, but my clothes didn’t fit the part.
So one quick swing back home and handled that before realizing the place wasn’t open yet because of the time difference.
Always fucking something.
The logistics of my life sometimes were the craziest killer of everything.
I spent the time writing up an email directly to the dancers of Heavenly Entertainment about Kyria’s promotion and our plan. I made it clear this was all for their benefit. That we knew their lives were too busy and they didn’t have time to change up their choreography and we fell into our ruts.
We were too awesome as dancers and women to ever feel bored, and we were going to help them become goddesses again. And do better with that in the future. Better ways to get new costumes—bring back the fun and flare of what they first felt when they joined us from wherever they’d come from.
And a big fat apology that we hadn’t kept all the promises we’d made.
We’d stretched ourselves too thin thinking we’d been able to juggle more than we could and we were eating our helping of humble pie.
That going forward, we promised to do better, and not only would they see it soon in their work environments, but also in their incomes.
I sent it to Natalia and Kyria for anything they wanted to add but then wrote a separate one for the lust demons.
I told them the truth and it was our time to shine.
That we were the reason so many demons had safety and protection and we were needed to lead again.
That I would get them new routines and more, but I needed their strength and help.
That we needed to be a people and get the word out—the truth that the council was legit and we had safe jobs.
That Heavenly Properties was really happening and more.
That we had more than we could handle there, and any ideas needed to be passed up the food chain and fast because we expected trouble now that we were out.
I wrote up a few more emails, announcing Kyle and Tracey, explaining what was going to be happening in the coming weeks. Also, that the training for security was going to get tighter and the work needed to be put in or… Or there was the door basically.
I sent those emails to Elijah and Natalia basically as legal and corporate knowing they would have more to put in. It was a lot off the plate fast and then I headed out to get my nails done.
The place was completely typical and exactly what one would expect. Middle of the road and clean, well tended to… And so stereotypical that it was hard not to chuckle.
I meant that in the best way possible. Asian aunties who nodded along to what customers were saying while clearly not keeping up with the conversation like they were pretending to. Broken English supporting them or agreeing they were right like they were therapists.
Exactly what you came for when you got your nails done.
One was telling them where to get the best Asian ingredients, so I asked for the best sushi recommendations since I was new to the area.
I smiled as she smiled and told me all the best places while starting with my pedicure.
I took down a few on my phone but then muttered an apology when another message came in.
Unfortunately, it distracted me from my actual goal and then I saw some from the slew of others.
I dug into those and then answered a few, sent several more asking questions.
I focused for a minute to pick my nail colors, deciding to do a cat’s eye heart design with gels.
Even if on my toes, that would work with the cover and be easy yet show care.
A few more replies that upset me and more messages and then I had to put my phone down because we had moved on to my nails.
Wait, when had that happened?
The woman chuckled, clearly understanding I’d gotten distracted. “Work bad?”
I sighed, deciding to take a moment and enjoy the environment.
“We’re doing some major restructuring at work.
I was against it, and now I realize I was part of the problem, not realizing it was overdue.
I’m so mad at myself, but also some of the people I trusted for not telling me these problems sooner. I wouldn’t have let it get this bad.”
“Yes, but they hurt themselves because they value you. That is to be rewarded. Valued back.”
She wasn’t wrong and I said as much.
She just wasn’t right either because fucking lives were at stake. However, I understood how easy it was to blink and realize you were underwater deep as opposed to what you thought was going on. So it was difficult, but… I just had to move past it.
But how was the question?
I must have said that out loud because she chuckled softly.
“If you are smart enough to have such loyal people, you are smart enough to find the right way to fix the problems. The answers are always in the strangest places.” She gestured around the salon.
“I never thought to find my happiness here. Work on people all day? Never wanted.”
“But it fit.”
“But it fit,” she agreed.
I studied her and her desires while she kept working. “You’re very good at your job and I don’t mean the nails.”
She smirked as she kept her focus. Yeah, she was in a tip-heavy industry and she knew how to listen and be what the customer needed.
Smart woman.
But I knew how to do the same.
Or maybe it was my karma from praising her worked for me because a text came in that had the most amazing timing to cut through my upset. It was from Owen on something he’d seen and wanted to share with me… And he’d spoken with Evan. They had talked and come to some decisions.
They now wanted to present some ideas to me. Pick my brain and maybe figure out how to make the puzzle they were looking at fit.
Yeah, hadn’t I just done that?
He knew I had actually, admitting Evan had seen part of my meeting with the other VPs in his dream. To take the sting out of how invasive that was into my personal life, he sent a picture of the two of them shirtless holding Mudbug.
Cheaters. Seriously, that was cheating.
I set the phone down with a sigh and gave her my other hand while I put the one she’d finished with under the UV light to set.
The idea Owen had sent me was cool. Like really cool and something we would absolutely want to do. My brain raced off, but I snorted given all the problems we were having.
Then another text came in—a grateful one, and it was like the bulb going off over my head I needed. Or maybe the Christmas lights plugged into each other to make the tree shine?
I wasn’t really sure, but the woman chuckled again and I did a double take.
“Your whole face filled with hope,” she explained. “You figured out the answer.”
“Maybe,” I hedged. “It’s risky and could backfire. But… Maybe. If done right.”
“Then good thing you are smart. You look ready to help people. You will do well.”
I didn’t think it was just her customer service persona saying that. Her desires were that I succeed if it meant something good for people even if it was business-related. She wanted more good in the world.
So did I.
So did a lot of us.
And yes, I left the woman a fat tip… Even if I didn’t get any damn information that I’d been there for.
Whoops!