32. Candice
CANDICE
I ’ve been working here for almost twelve months. It’s the seventh job I’ve had in the last three years, but I’ve finally found one where I feel most comfortable. It’s a far cry from the glory days of working with Jax at Wicked Ink, but it’s a job nevertheless. I really miss working there.
After trying my hand at a few different professions, I decided to go back into the beauty industry.
It’s never been my career of choice, but it’s what I know.
Sophia spent a small fortune when she sent me to the most reputable beauty school in Sydney, and it would be a shame to waste it.
At least my new boss Naomi is lovely, not like the cow I used to work for.
“Morning,” Naomi says when I push through the front door of the salon. She’s in her early fifties and bought this place six years ago when her husband left her for someone younger. She needed to work to help provide for her two daughters.
“Morning,” I reply, with a smile, as I walk past her to stow my handbag in the back room.
“How was your weekend?” she asks when I return to reception.
“Lonely,” I say with a shrug. “It was Jax’s turn to have Maddie, and my mum spent the weekend with her fiancé.”
Sophia and Brendan’s relationship is coming along in leaps and bounds. It’s nice to see her so happy, she deserves it. Brendan’s the perfect man for my mum. He loves her just as much as she loves him. He’s fantastic with me and Maddie as well, and we adore him.
Sophia has been on my case for months about finding a boyfriend, or at the very least a friend to spend my free time with. I did join a dating site briefly. What a nightmare that turned out to be.
The first guy wasn’t too bad—he was cute and seemed nice enough—but ten minutes into our date he reached across the table to grope one of my tits while he whispered, “I can’t wait to titty fuck you later.
” I calmly picked up my glass of water and threw its contents in his face.
I vaguely remember hearing a few gasps from the other diners in the restaurant before I stood and left without a word.
The second guy, well, that is an entirely different story.
He was easily sixty in the shade, even though he claimed to be only twenty-eight on his online profile.
The moment I saw him waiting in our designated meeting spot, holding a flower that looked half dead—like him—I turned around and hightailed it out of there.
The moment I got home, I permanently deactivated my account and made a mental note not to listen to any more of my mother’s suggestions.
To be honest, I’m not ready for a boyfriend anyway. Not when my heart still belongs to Jax. It wouldn’t be fair to jump into a relationship with someone else if my heart wasn’t completely in it.
“Aww, sweetie,” Naomi says, running her hand down my arm. “You should’ve called. We could’ve done lunch or a movie.”
Naomi doesn’t know the ins and outs of my situation, just that Maddie’s father and I aren’t together.
I laugh. “I’m sure you have better things to do than hang around with me.”
“Not really. Kylie has just taken up a second job on the weekends. She’s saving for her European holiday. And Amanda is busy making all her wedding plans. I would’ve enjoyed your company, so next time call. Okay?”
“All right. I will. Thank you.”
“Good girl.”
When she opens the cash drawer and starts counting out the day’s float, I pick up the appointment book to go over my client list. I silently groan when I see Joseph Pentecost’s name down as my last appointment.
Just thinking about him makes all the hairs on my neck stand on end.
He is a major creep. He’s one of those types who think they’re God’s gift to women, but let me tell you, he’s not.
He has a nice body, and he’s not what you’d call ugly, but he has shifty little eyes, and the way he flirts and stares at me gives me the heebie-jeebies.
His mere presence will make your vagina dry up, your womb retract and your clit hide for its own safety. No kidding.
He’s a self-confessed gym junky and he never stops talking about himself or his damn physique.
I have the misfortune of seeing him once a month—he comes in regularly to get his arms, legs, chest and back waxed.
He has a disgustingly hairy back. I presume he waxes his body so he can oil himself up and admire his muscles in the mirror. Puke .
My eyes move over to Naomi’s schedule. I see only two appointments for later today, so her afternoon is pretty much free.
My first instinct is to fake another illness and go home early, but I can’t do that again.
One day I went home, pretending to be sick, only because he was coming in later that day.
To my displeasure, he rescheduled his appointment for when I was back.
Plus, Naomi let me leave early last week when Maddie hit her head at school. I contemplate asking her to take Joseph’s appointment for me, but I can’t do that either. He always insists on me being the one to do it anyway.
One hour tops , I remind myself. I can suffer through it, just like I always do.
Putting the diary back down on the front counter, I head into my cubicle to turn on the wax pot and get prepped for the day.
When I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, I pull it out.
Naomi lets me keep my phone on me while I work, as long as it’s on silent.
When I see Jax’s name on the screen, I’m instantly smiling.
He rarely messages me these days. I miss his friendship so much.
Jax: Hey. Are you free for lunch? I need to talk to you about something.
It would have to be something about Maddie—she’s all we ever talk about. He never mentions the tattoo parlour, or asks me about my job or my life outside of being the mother to his daughter. I hate that he no longer has any interest in me or what I do.
Me: Sure. My break’s at one. Is everything okay?
Jax: One o’clock is perfect. Everything is fine. I just want to talk to you about something Maddie said. I’ll pick you up out the front.
Way to leave me hanging.
Me: What? No hint?
Jax: Nope. See you at one.
I growl when he sends me a smiley emoji. I’m tempted to send him the middle finger in return, but I don’t.
My mind is on our lunch date all morning.
I’m excited to see him, even though I’m concerned about what he has to say.
By 12.55 pm, I have butterflies in my stomach.
I spend the next few minutes fixing my hair and makeup.
I know it’s not a real date, but I still want to look nice for him.
I long for him to look at me the way he used to.
I pop my head into Naomi’s cubicle before I leave. “I’ll be back by two.”
“Okay, sweetie.”
There’s a bounce in my step as I emerge onto the footpath.
Jax has been distant from me for months, ever since our almost kiss on Maddie’s birthday.
That night I finally realised we were over, but here I am again, hoping that this lunch will lead to something more.
There’s nothing wrong with carrying a little hope around in your heart.
It’s all I have, and none of us knows what lies around the corner.
“Hey,” he says when I open the passenger door and climb in. He gives me a genuine smile when my eyes meet his. It’s been a while since he’s graced me with one of them. I’m always left feeling a little breathless when he looks at me like that.
“Hey. How’s the parlour going?” I ask as he pulls away from the kerb.
“Good.”
I smile, even though I hate the one-word answers he gives me.
“That’s good. Is Gus still working there?”
“Yep.”
“Can you tell him I said hello?”
“I will.”
Wow, I got two words that time. Lucky me.
“I miss working there.”
He glances at me briefly, before focusing on the road again.
Right. Okay then. The old Jax would’ve said, “ You’re welcome to come to the shop whenever you want .” It hurts that he doesn’t want me there anymore. I gaze out the window. My hope is fading fast.
“Where are we going for lunch?”
“Just somewhere local. I got Ana to make reservations for us.”
“Ana?” Please don’t tell me that’s his girlfriend. Maddie has never mentioned her.
“My receptionist.”
“Oh.” The person who stole my job.
We’re quiet for the rest of the drive. I have so many questions I want to ask him. I hate that he’s become a virtual stranger.
My eyes scan the small but elegant restaurant when we enter. Ana did well, I’ll thank her if I ever get to meet her. I’ll be telling her to give me my damn job back while I’m at it.
“Are you going to tell me what this is about? I think we both know that you’re not here because you wanted to see me.” I don’t mean to sound so cold, but his lack of enthusiasm when he’s around me hurts.
“Can we order first? You’ve gotta be back by two, right?”
“Yes.”
I pick up the menu and pretend to read over it. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. When the waitress comes over to take our order, I ask for the same as him. I’m only going to pick at it anyway.
“Does Maddie ever say anything to you about our situation?” he asks the moment the waitress walks away.
“What do you mean by ‘our situation’? The fact that you hate me?”
“I don’t hate you,” he says, his brow furrowing.
“You don’t exactly like me.”
“Of course I like you. Why would you think I don’t?”
“I’m not blind, Jax. I have eyes.”
“Really?” he says, sarcastically. “I didn’t notice.”
“What we were and what we are now are miles apart. You’re always so … distant.”
“It’s called self-preservation, Candice.”
“Oh, you find it hard to survive when you’re around me? Wow. Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better.”
“No, smartarse.” He looks at the table briefly, then back to me. “I find it hard not to feel when I’m around you.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Look, do we need to have this conversation right now?” He removes his baseball cap and runs his hand through his hair. He always does this when he’s nervous or uneasy. I can read him like a book.