How foolish. It was impossible. First of all, he was younger than she. She was forty-three while he couldn’t be more than thirty-five. At least an eight-year difference right there.
More than that, he was in love with another woman. Courtney.
“Who’s Courtney?” Desi’s voice bounced off the walls, surprisingly loud in the quiet of the salon.
Gloria clenched her teeth. “Don’t you have to meet Ashlynn,
m’ija
? Don’t let us keep you.”
Desi waved the warning away and leaned against the door jamb, ready to watch the show. All she needed was a bowl of popcorn. “I’m good. I’m fine.”
With Bryan and Desiree both watching her, Gloria felt like a specimen under the microscope. Just a few minutes ago, she’d been telling her daughter how no man would ever measure up to Emilio. Now this man showed up, one she’d known for only a few hours, and she was a tangle-tongued ball of confusion.
Suddenly feeling she had something to prove, if only to herself, Gloria heard herself say, “Yes. I’ll help you.”
Something flashed in Bryan’s eyes. It came and went so quickly, she might have imagined it. But for an instant, she could have sworn it was triumph.
A whoosh sounded, and Desi checked her phone, muttering under her breath. “It’s Ash. She’s at Bananas Foster already.”
“Then go,” Gloria said. “Don’t keep her waiting.”
For a moment, her daughter looked like a little girl afraid to leave her mommy. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Bryan and I will be fine.”
After one more doubtful glance her mother’s way, Desi left but not before saying, “Text me when you get home.” Quite the reversal. Usually it was Gloria who issued that request.
Bryan turned to her when they were alone. “I hope I didn’t spoil your plans this evening.”
“Not at all.” Her confidence was returning. This was her salon, her world. And
he
had come to
her
. “But I’m wondering why you chose to show up here instead of just calling. It’d be easy enough to find the phone number.”
“Yes.” He took a step toward her. “But it’s easier to refuse someone over the phone than it is face to face.”
“I see.” He had it all figured out, didn’t he? Well, maybe she could throw him a curve and surprise him. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
He was about to sit in one of the straight back chairs in the waiting area when she gestured to the stylist’s chair at Desi’s station. “I mean right there.”
His eyebrows lifted, but he followed her directions. Once he sat, Gloria whipped a styling cape around him, twirling it the way a magician might unfurl his cape for an audience’s delight. She tied it neatly behind his neck. Bryan sat up straight, about to bolt, but she placed a hand on his shoulder and gently urged him down. He went still as she threaded her fingers through his shaggy mop. “How long since you’ve had a trim?”
He hesitated. “It’s been a while.”
She tsked. “Too long a while. Let me clean it up for you.”
“I—”
“It’s too late to work on the letter now. But since you’ve come all the way here tonight, it shouldn’t be a wasted trip.”
She ran her fingers through his hair again, and he sank back in the chair, like a dog rolling onto its back to invite a belly rub.
She tapped his shoulder. “Come.”
He sank onto one of the shampoo chairs lined up to the sinks along the wall and reclined as she directed. His eyes closed, and he sighed as she rinsed his hair under the warm water before applying the shampoo.
He inhaled deeply as she rubbed the shampoo into his hair. “Smells good. Coconut?”
“Yes.” She lathered him up, massaging his scalp with the pads of her fingers. His expression was one of pure bliss. She understood completely. There was something so deliciously sensual about having one’s hair shampooed. The touch was intimate but not sexual.
Bryan kept his eyes closed, and Gloria took advantage by gazing her fill at him. God, what a beautiful man. It was hard to believe some mistake hadn’t been made in heaven when looks were being passed out. Had Bryan received double the rightful amount while some other poor soul missed out?
While she admired him, alternating between massaging his scalp in small circles and rubbing vigorously, he moaned. That decadent sound thrilled her down to her toes and made her want to moan, too, as she imagined other ways to delight him. Ways that might involve warm water and probing fingers but had nothing to do with coconut shampoo.
Stop it, Gloria. Remember, you’re a professional.
Quickly and efficiently, she finished the job—rinsing out the shampoo, adding conditioner, rinsing again. She squeezed out the excess water, then wrapped his head in a towel. “This way, please.”
Better. Pretend he’s just another client. That’ll keep you out of trouble.
When she had him seated, it was all business. She combed out his damp hair, then picked up her scissors. She took her time snipping and shaping, enjoying the smooth texture of his hair. It wasn’t fine, nor was it too coarse, and she was delighted to find it had a bit of a wave.
When she finished, Gloria took a step back. “What do you think?”
He surveyed himself briefly, then glanced upward so their gazes connected in the mirror. “What do
you
think?”
“I think you look very handsome. And professional. Like a professor.” She gave him a hand mirror so he could check the back. When he nodded in approval, she brushed bits of hair from his shoulders and untied the cape.
“I shudder to think what I looked like before.” He stood and reached for his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”
She waved the offer away. “Not a thing. It was my pleasure.” Desi had left the broom leaning in the corner. Gloria took it and swept up, making a mental note to remind her daughter not to leave items out in the salon. It looked messy.
“Well then, let me take you for a drink,” Bryan said.
She gathered the sweepings into a dustpan and deposited them into the trash. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m supposed to come in early tomorrow.”
“We’ll make it a short one,” he countered quickly.
She shook her head. “I really need to get home.”
That wasn’t the complete truth. Yes, she was scheduled for the morning, but nothing stopped her from going for a quick drink. Nothing except the dangerous attraction she felt for this man. She’d agreed to help him and wouldn’t go back on that promise. But tonight she had to keep her distance.
His expression shadowed with what seemed disappointment. Or was that simply wishful thinking on her part? “When can I see you again? Can we meet tomorrow? Or sometime this weekend?” Then he added, “I don’t want to wait too long to get back to the letter.”
The letter. Of course, that was why he was so eager to meet with her again. She wanted to laugh at herself for imagining it was because Bryan wanted to be with
her
.
“That won’t work. I’m pretty busy this weekend.” She and Blaise were hosting a wedding shower for their daughters on Sunday. Saturday would be a blur of errands, shopping, and preparation, and by late Sunday, she’d sorely need some down time to recover from the festivities.
More than that, she needed some down time from Bryan. Surely, a week would give her enough time to dismiss this foolish attraction, to erect an imaginary fence to remind herself that he was strictly off limits.
“Why don’t we say next Thursday?” she said. “We’re both free during the day. We can meet at the fountain in the park.”
He opened his mouth as if to argue, then closed his lips in a flat unhappy line. “If that’s the best we can do.”
“Blame our busy schedules.” She put the broom and dustpan in the closet where they belonged, slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, and turned to him with a smile. Impulsively, she reached out and ran her fingers through his shorter, neater hair. “I like this. Now if only you’d do something about the scruff on your face.”
He winced. “Ouch.”
“Sorry. I’m sure the co-eds love it, though.”
“But you don’t?”
She’d already said too much. “Walk me to my car?”
She turned out the lights and locked up. He escorted her to the small parking lot behind the salon, walking just a step behind. When she reached her car, she turned to say goodbye and found him staring at her intently. For a moment, she forgot to breathe, mesmerized by his dark gaze.
“Good night.” It took her a few tries to get the words out.
“Good night, Gloria.” His voice was raspy.
She fumbled the keys, almost dropped them before unlocking the driver’s side door. He opened it for her, and she felt the heat of his body as she slipped past him and into the seat.
Before closing the door, he leaned down to her. “See you Thursday.”
She nodded as her voice had deserted her.
He waited while she turned on the ignition and watched her pull out of the lot. She had a whole week to get her house in order, to put her feelings for him into perspective. She only prayed a week would be long enough.
Chapter Four
Desiree and her fiancée Ashlynn invited Gloria out to breakfast on Saturday.
“Well, this is a nice treat,” she commented as she slid into a red vinyl booth in their favorite diner. She took a deep breath, inhaling the combined aromas of coffee and sizzling bacon. Glancing at Ashlynn, she asked, “Will your mom be joining us?”
Ashlynn and Desi exchanged a look. “Uh, no. She’s, uh—”
“No, we wanted you all to ourselves this morning.” Desi’s smile was a little too bright, her voice a tad too perky.
Gloria’s mom alarm jangled. “All right, what’s happening?”
“Can’t your favorite daughter and daughter-in-law-to-be ask you out without something
happening
?” Desi flapped open her menu. “What looks good? They’ve got awesome French toast here.”
“Desiree.”
Desi shifted impatiently, then slapped the menu back onto the table. She nodded to Ashlynn. “Go on, tell her.”
Ashlynn responded with a pleading
Don’t make me
look. “I don’t even know if it’s true.”
Gloria and Desi spoke at the same time. “If what’s true?”
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” That was Desi. Then, insistently, “
Tell
her.”
Ashlynn sighed. “Desi said that you’ve…gotten friendly with Professor Dunn.”
“Ash knows him,” Desi put in quickly. “He’s in the library all the time, isn’t he, Ash?”
“That’s not surprising,” Gloria said. They went silent when the server appeared at the table with coffee, then began talking again when their cups were full.
“I don’t know him well,” Ashlynn said. “We’ve spoken several times. He’s always been nice. He’s very personable…”
“Personable.” Desi rolled her eyes. “Tell her what else. Go on.”
“Well…”
“He’s a player!” Desi blurted, her eyes snapping with indignation.
Ashlynn gave an exasperated huff. “I never said that. I just said that a lot of the girls kind of throw themselves at him. I mean, he is a hottie.”
An unpleasant chill crawled up the back of Gloria’s neck. “These girls who throw themselves. Does Professor Dunn ever catch any of them?”
“He doesn’t go with students,” Ashlynn answered. “That’s what everyone says.”
At those words, Gloria felt herself relax.
“But everyone else is fair game,” Desi said. “He’s one of those love ’em and leave ’em types.”
“He gets around,” Ashlynn admitted. “He’s dated several women who work on campus. And I guess there’ve been plenty of others. The rumor is he’s broken a lot of hearts.”
Gloria shrugged, keeping a poker face to hide her disappointment at this tidbit, though it didn’t surprise her. “He’s dated a lot of women. He’s young. He’s attractive. Unattached. What’s unusual about that?”
“Ma.” Desi gave her a piercing look. “Dating is a euphemism, okay? He’s hooking up with all these chicks. Sleeping with them.”
“Thank you, Desiree, for explaining that to your decrepit old mother.” Gloria’s tone was crisp as she stirred sugar into her coffee. And she didn’t even take sugar. “I know what hooking up means. And I know what consenting adults do on their dates. Again, what’s the problem? What does this have to do with my friendship with Bryan?”
“You think that’s all he wants from you? Friendship? Come on.
Mami
, I know you’re not decrepit. I’d never think of you that way.” Her daughter’s lovely brown eyes were wide and full of concern. “You’re beautiful. But this guy, how do you know you can trust him? What if he only wants to get in your pants?”
Was that Bryan’s end game? Could it be that crude and blatant? Gloria couldn’t believe that, not after the time they’d spent talking, getting to know each other. “I’ve been there,” she answered. “Men have wanted to get in my pants before. That doesn’t mean they succeed. I can handle myself. I’ve been doing it a long time.”
Her daughter’s expression softened. For a moment, she looked like the little girl she used to be, the one who loved to have her hair brushed and braided. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Sweetheart, that’s not going to happen. I’m not dating Bryan. What he does with other women is not my business. He’s just a friend.” In a show of nonchalance, she lifted her cup to her mouth. She choked, then coughed. Too hot. The roof of her mouth burned.
“That’s how guys like him do it. Tell you they just want to be friends. Then when you’re comfortable, when you trust them, they make their move.”
Her daughter spoke as though Gloria were a dewy-eyed, naïve child. “Desi, please.”
“Des.” Ashlynn spoke up. “Your mom is right. She’s grown. She can handle herself. Bryan Dunn, from all reports, is a ladies’ man. He might even be a player. But he’s not a predator.”
Desi shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. Ashlynn slipped her arm around Desi’s shoulder. “It’s okay.”
Gloria felt an invisible fist squeeze her heart. It hurt to see her daughter so worried. She was grateful Ashlynn was there to calm her down as well as comfort her. Desi used to turn to her mother for those things, but now her fiancée had moved into that role. And that was exactly how it should be. That didn’t mean it was easy to step aside.
But step aside she must. For her daughter’s sake and her own. Now that Desi had found her soul mate,
Gloria wondered if it was time to pursue a serious relationship for herself. Not that anyone could replace Emilio.
He
had been her soul mate.