Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Eva
The moment I walk into Ashton’s salon, I stop in my tracks. “Okay... wow,” I whisper to myself.
The place has always been beautiful, but now it looks like it belongs in the pages of a luxury lifestyle magazine.
The walls are painted a soft matte sage green, paired with gold accents and sleek black furniture.
There’s a fresh, clean scent in the air—like eucalyptus and something expensive. Ashton really outdid himself.
“I know, right?” Ashton calls from behind the front desk, catching my stunned expression.
He’s wearing an all-black outfit, hair perfectly styled, as always, looking like he just stepped off a fashion shoot.
“I had a little redesign moment last month. I was feeling bored. So naturally, I made everything fabulous.”
“Bored?” I laugh, walking more into the space. “You turned the place into a Pinterest dream board. It looks amazing.”
“I do aim to impress,” he says, flipping his imaginary hair. “Come see your corner!”
He leads me to the front of the salon, and my heart does a little happy dance because the space he’s prepared is perfect.
He’s cleared a cozy but bright corner, right by the tall windows.
There’s a large, open bookshelf built into the wall.
It’s sleek and modern and where I’ll be able to display every product I’m selling.
A comfy, elegant chair sits across from a small table, giving me a spot to consult with clients.
There's even a ring light mounted discreetly above, ready for content creation. Of course, Ashton thought of lighting.
“Ashton… this is incredible,” I manage to choke out, blinking back tears.
He beams. “I figured if you’re going to take over the skincare world, you need the right setup. You like it?”
“Like it?” I step closer, running my fingers across the top shelf. “I love it. This is more than I imagined.”
He crosses his arms with a proud smile. “Good. I want you to feel like you belong here, because you do. This is your space now, babe.”
I hug him, which he pretends to hate but doesn’t pull away from. “Thank you.”
“So,” he says as he pulls back, “how’s your fake fiancé?”
I groan, laughing. “You’re never letting that go, are you?”
“Never,” he grins. “Come on, give me the tea. Did you kiss him? Fall madly in love over arroz and fried plantains?” I knew I shouldn’t have told them anything about the other night. It’s totally biting me in the ass now.
I roll my eyes but can’t stop smiling. “No kissing. But we did eat. He made this incredible spicy crab dip and more tostones because, apparently, I’m predictable. Then we filmed a little skincare tutorial with his face.”
Ashton gasps. “He let you put product on him?”
“Yep. He even let me record it. He was such a good sport about it—funny, actually. Really funny. Here, look, I still need to edit the video.” I pull it up and press play, smiling as I watch us again.
Ashton leans in, eyes narrowing. “Girl… the way this man is looking at you is something else.”
My smile falters, and for the first time I actually pay attention instead of just laughing at how ridiculous we were.
Esteban isn’t just humoring me. He’s watching me.
His gaze is steady, intent—like I’m the only thing in the room worth noticing.
Mesmerized. My chest tightens, warmth prickling across my skin as I see it through Ashton’s eyes.
Ashton narrows his eyes at me like he’s studying my soul. “Hmm.”
“What?”
“You’re smiling.”
“I always smile.”
“Not like that.” He smirks. “Girl, don’t you dare fall for the man you’re fake engaged to.”
“I’m not!” I insist, though my voice pitches a little too high. “We’re just helping each other. It’s a mutually beneficial agreement.” Even though I would love for him to really be interested in me.
Tilting his head, Ashton gives me a look. “That’s exactly what people say right before they trip and fall headfirst into love.”
I swat his arm. “Stop it.”
“I’m just saying,” he says, backing away with his hands up in mock innocence. “If you start writing his last name in your journal with little hearts, the only thing that I’ll say is, ‘I told you so.’”
If only that could really happen. But I know Esteban doesn’t look at me like that. He’s just being friendly, and flirting comes naturally to him. I just have to keep reminding myself, that’s his personality.
I shake my head, laughing as I take another look at my new space. Fake fiancé or not, this is the real start of something big. I can feel it.
And if Esteban’s stupid, flirty grin keeps sneaking into my thoughts while I organize product displays and plan out content for the next week? Well... that’s my business.
After finally finishing up placing all the products on the bookshelf, I take a step back and look around.
My little corner at the front of the salon is starting to feel real now.
The shelves are stocked with the brands I’ve been promoting for years, and seeing them lined up like that makes something warm settle in my chest.
I pull out my phone and snap a few pictures of the setup, the salon, and a quick selfie with Ashton.
I’ll post it on social media in a few minutes with a cute caption and a thank you shoutout.
The aesthetic in here is perfection with the lighting, the clean lines, the touch of glam Ashton added with the new decor.
Everything screams high-end, but still welcoming.
It’s the kind of place where you want to stay a little longer just because it feels good.
Thankfully, I already had the website ready to go, and now that I’ve got a physical location to promote, I can officially launch.
I type out a quick caption and post the photos to my stories and feed.
Big things coming! Honored to partner with my bestie @AshtonDoesHair—starting today, you can shop my favorite skincare brands right here in Honey Springs!
As if on cue, the little bell above the salon door jingles, and I look up.
Payton walks in, beaming, with a large canvas bag slung over one shoulder and a drink carrier in her hand. “Hey, girl!”
“Payton!” I wave her over. “Look at this place!”
She sets the drinks down on the front counter and takes it all in. “Eva, this looks amazing, girl. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks,” I say, smiling as I grab one of the iced coffees she brought. “I love it too. Ashton really outdid himself. I’m so lucky he gave me this opportunity.”
“Did someone say my name?” Ashton calls out as he appears from the back room.
He throws his arms wide. “Welcome to our empire, ladies.”
Payton giggles and slips an arm around him in a quick side hug. “See? I told you this remodel is giving total luxury vibes.”
“Only the best,” Ashton says with a wink, then turns to me. “So, you going viral yet?”
I snort. “Not yet, but give me a few hours.”
Ashton’s eyes light up as he points to the bookshelf. “That corner is everything. I told you this would work, didn’t I?”
“You did,” I say, taking a long sip of the coffee. “You’ve thought of everything. Even the chair!”
“Of course. You’re gonna need a place to talk to your skincare girlies. And,” he adds, lowering his voice dramatically, “it’s strategically placed near the best natural light in the whole salon. You’re welcome.”
“I’m obsessed,” I say, taking another photo of the setup, already planning a quick reel for later.
Payton strolls over and picks up a serum. “So, when do we get the exclusive Eva Ross facial treatment?”
“Oh, please,” Ashton jumps in before I can answer. “She already gave one to Esteban.” He draws out the man’s name, making it sound sexual.
Payton gasps. “You did not.”
“I did,” I admit, laughing. “We had dinner again, and then I used a few products on him and filmed a little video. I’ll show you—it’s not edited yet. I’ll work on it today so I can post tomorrow.”
Ashton claps his hands dramatically. “You’re practically in love. Look at the way he’s watching her.”
“Stop it.” I roll my eyes.
Payton leans in, squinting at the screen. “Oh my god, Eva. Ashton is right. He’s looking at you like you’re his next meal.”
“Come on, not you too.” I groan, rolling my eyes again, though my pulse kicks up at their words.
“I’m just saying,” Ashton continues in mock innocence, “when you end up in bed with your brother’s best friend, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”
I swat his arm. “You’re so annoying. I already told you nothing is gonna happen. He doesn’t see me like that. But if I’m honest… that man is hot as fuck, and last night, while I was so close to him, I was so tempted to lean in and kiss him.”
At my confession, both Ashton and Payton’s eyebrows rise at the same time.
“Don’t worry,” I say quickly. “Nothing happened. Honestly, I didn’t even notice anything until you pointed it out in the video. So I’ll just enjoy this little fake relationship while it lasts.”
“Girl, if he doesn’t see how gorgeous you are, then the man is blind,” Ashton says.
“I don’t know what to say. Just give it some time and see what happens. By the way, have you heard anything from Brandon?” Payton asks.
“Nope. He’s been liking my stories and pictures on social media, but he hasn’t reached out again. It’s like he wants me to know he’s watching. Sometimes I get the urge to block his ass.”
“You totally should. That’s giving me stalker vibes,” Payton says with a serious tone in her voice.
Before I can reply, my phone buzzes in my back pocket. A flutter dances in my chest the second I see Esteban’s name on the screen.
Esteban: So, McNeal contacted us and invited us to dinner this Friday. Are you free to come with me?
I stare at the message, biting back a smile that wants to take over my whole face. A dinner. With Esteban. Sure, it’s work-related. But in my delusion, it feels like more than that. The butterflies clearly haven’t gotten the memo that this is fake.
As I’m about to type back, Payton’s voice cuts through the air.
“Ashton, look at her face.”
Glancing up, I see she’s grinning like she just caught me red-handed. “I bet you anything that’s Esteban inviting her to dinner with that guy they need to impress.”
My eyes narrow. “How did you know that?”
She lifts her iced coffee and takes a long sip before answering.
“Did you forget that I work for your brother and Esteban? I got an email this morning from McNeal’s assistant confirming the meeting.
Before I came in here, I forwarded it to Esteban and Noah.
” She wiggles her brows. “Looks like your fake relationship kicks off this Friday instead of two weeks from now.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop the smile tugging at the corners of my lips. This is happening. It’s all happening. I ignore my best friends and reply to Esteban.
Me: Sure