28. Kelsey
Kelsey
There was no one more optimistic about love than a bride on her wedding day.
Juggling four cell phones, grinning ear to ear, Kelsey watched a series of women strike poses as she took pictures of them.
The glorious and unmovable updo Carrie styled for her or the immaculate dewy glam makeup Kelsey used for the bride could be the source of her glow, but it didn’t matter. Her soon-to-be husband was a lucky man.
This bridal party was a hoot. They arrived with a jug of orange juice and several bottles of champagne.
These ladies were ready to party. Well, not yet.
They still had to get dressed. Though Kelsey could admit that even in their fluffy pajamas, they looked fabulous.
Not walk-down-the-aisle ready, but damn near close.
When Kelsey got married, she hoped to be surrounded by such a jovial group of people.
Offering congratulations, Kelsey and Carrie walked the women toward the door. The bills were paid, and their rides had shown up. The next leg of their journey had begun. After a final wave, the door of the salon closed, and Kelsey locked it.
“Not bad for a Sunday morning,” she commented.
Carrie nodded as she arranged the bills in her hand. “I love weddings.”
Kelsey went over to her station and began packing. Their location wasn’t open on Sundays, except for special occasions. Sunday weddings weren’t popular, but when they happened, giving the women the entire salon to themselves was nice.
“Do you think we’ll ever get married?” Carrie asked wistfully as she tended to her station.
Kelsey scoffed. “Not anytime soon.”
Her friend frowned. “Why not?”
“Well, I’m not seeing anyone,” Kelsey replied.
Fucking a biker on several occasions rarely led to a white dress and a chapel. Especially the ones who wore those one percent diamonds. They were bad news.
“And you’re not exactly serious with anyone.” The words left Kelsey’s lips before she could second-guess them. She winced immediately.
“What?” Carrie sounded as if Kelsey had run over her puppy. “Why would you say that?”
They were having a good day. Why had Kelsey ruined it by talking about serious stuff?
“I just…” Now she had to justify her stance without hurting Carrie’s feelings. “Well, I mean…”
Come up with something good.
With wide-eyed innocence, Carrie held Kelsey’s gaze, waiting for the reason behind her hurtful words.
“What do you and Mike have in common?” Kelsey tried. “What do you talk about?” From what she’d seen, they didn’t do that. They fucked. That was not a serious relationship. Carrie had to know that.
Didn’t she? Kelsey hoped Carrie could see her arrangement was casual. If not, that was a conversation above her pay grade.
“Lots of things,” Carrie said as she turned her attention to organizing hair products.
She wasn’t getting off that easily. The can of worms had already been opened. Kelsey might as well see this conversation through.
“Like?” Kelsey asked.
Her friend squirmed slightly under the scrutiny. “Music.”
“Oh!” How deep. “What is his favorite band?”
Carrie frowned.
“Color?”
Her lips tightened into a thin line.
“What is his last name?” Kelsey asked.
The point wasn’t cruelty. She only wanted Carrie to understand that she didn’t know this guy. She sure as shit shouldn’t be dreaming about legally binding herself to him. She was a disaster waiting to happen.
Carrie could get a little carried away when she hooked up with someone, but this was a level of delusion she hadn’t anticipated. Someone had to be the voice of reason. If that made Kelsey the bad guy, so be it. Carrie needed someone to ground her. She’d thank her later.
Hopefully.
Reality was a hard pill to swallow. Kelsey sighed and approached her friend. Reaching for her, she rubbed her shoulders. “You’re having fun,” she offered. “Nothing is wrong with that.”
One little lie wouldn’t hurt if it got Carrie’s head on straight.
She looked up at Kelsey as though she were on the verge of tears.
“Don’t overthink your situation.” Kelsey pulled her friend in for a hug. “Just let things happen. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Live in the moment. Don’t worry about what your relationship could be. You’ll miss out on what it is.”
Fleeting. Her situationship was temporary. Nothing serious. Not worth getting her panties in a twist about.
Carrie wrapped her arms around Kelsey. “I just think I could really love him,” she stammered.
“I suggest learning his favorite color before you drop L-bombs,” Kelsey proposed.
Carrie’s shoulders shook as she succumbed to the giggle erupting from her.
Kelsey kissed her temple and gave her one last comforting squeeze. “Now let’s get out of here. You want to have lunch?”
“Can’t.” Carrie beamed as she rolled her shoulders back—all confidence and sunshine again. “I have a date.”
Sitting at the café with a half-eaten club sandwich on her plate and a glass of pinot grigio in her hand, Kelsey eyed her phone. She rarely ate out alone, but when she did, she preferred her eReader with her. That was at home, but she had her cell.
In theory, she could use the app and read on her phone, but something else tempted her. Someone else.
There were a slew of people inside that phone that she could text and fill her time while she enjoyed her meal. She’d feel less alone in public if she were chatting.
Picking it up, she considered who she should text.
Not him.
What would she even say?
Maybe ask him about his favorite band. Color. Last name. She snorted at herself. Was she really any better than Carrie? Definitely. She wasn’t sitting there dreaming of the big white dress she’d wear on her and Kev’s wedding day.
Tapping the screen, she scanned her contacts.
Anyone would do. Though most were probably busy. Wasn’t that why she was out alone? She should’ve gotten takeout for home. Or there was always the possibility that she could cook a meal within her apartment.
Except all she had in her refrigerator were ingredients. She wasn’t in the mood for that.
Her finger lingered on a contact.
He’d told her to use it if she saw Pete again.
Kelsey glanced around the café.
No leather. No motorcycles. No Pete.
That meant no reason to call.
Another tap and she opened a text message box.
He’d said nothing about that.
Would he want to hear from her?
Only one way to find out.