*was talking to is Thad Mays, the CEO of our company." Angela stepped to the side so I could get a good look at him.

"He never comes to these things," Angela continued. "I don't have a lot of big accounts, but I do have an extensive amount of small ones. I don't want to be in the next round of layoffs, so I need to make a good impression."

I was already feeling nervous, and Angela made me want to run screaming from the room. Frankly, I would've done that, but Kalen considered Angela a friend.

"To be honest..." Angela leaned in closer to us. "If he weren't here, I would make my rounds and hit the clubs."

Angela didn't look like a party girl to me dressed in her burgundy business suit. Although as I looked at her, I could picture her letting down the long glossy waves of blond hair that were pinned back conservatively and donning a tight pair of jeans.

"You can count on us to represent," Marvin said. "The presentation that Kalen has prepared is phenomenal. I use your products every day, and I have never been disappointed."

Angela's shoulders relaxed as she smiled back at Marvin.

"Thank you, thank you both. You're doing me a huge favor and I won't forget it."

"Your boss is headed over here," I said, glancing over Angela's shoulder.

He smiled as Angela turned to look at him. "Mr. Mays, I'd like to introduce you to Shannon Brycen. She owns Brycen Sisters in New Orleans with her sister, Kalen."

"It's a pleasure." He took my hand limply into his own. I tried not to stiffen as he continued to hold it.

"I was just asking Shannon where her partner was," Angela said. "Forgive me, what was her name again?" Angela looked me in the eyes.

I was taken aback by the odd change in topics but recovered when Marvin shifted his stance and b.u.mped into me slightly.

"Hailey, and she couldn't make it this time." Mr. Mays released my hand. "This is Marvin Henderson. He's one of our most talented stylists." I stepped back as Marvin moved in and shook his hand.

120.

*"We were just telling Angela how proud we are to be here representing Natural Beauty," Marvin said. "I especially love your hair-coloring products. I use them on all my clients."

"Thank you," Mr. Mays said with a slight nod.

To me, he looked as though he hadn't a clue about their products. I imagined he had a staff that worried about product lines while he looked at the numbers generated by sales. I felt for Angela, who was dependent on his favor, and made the effort to speak on her behalf. "I'm sure you have many clients much larger than we are, but Angela treats us like a major player. Your products are excellent, but her service is what demands our loyalty."

Thad's gaze moved through the crowd as I spoke, probably looking for someone far more prestigious to mingle with before he looked back at me and Angela. "I'm very pleased to know that," he said with another slight nod. "If you'll excuse me." He didn't say more as he walked off.

"He's an a.s.shole," Angela said quietly. "And a womanizer.

That's why I made that comment about your partner. I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to make it clear that you weren't interested before you had to."

"Wel , thank you for that." I smiled at Angela. "I owe you now."

Angela stayed with us as long as she could, then went to visit with some of her other clients. Marvin and I spoke with a few other salon owners, and thankfully, Marvin did most of the talking. I stood there trying to look interested in the conversation, though like Thad Mays, my time was spent looking at figures on a spreadsheet.

It's not that I didn't like people, I just lacked the social graces that came so naturally to Marvin and Kalen. I smiled and nodded when it seemed appropriate and paid close attention to all the conversations, learning more about our business than I ever really had."You're doing really well," Marvin said when we were alone.

"I'm afraid I don't know much about the latest styles or product lines. I really can't add much to the conversations."

"You're not like Angela's boss." Marvin accepted a gla.s.s 121.

*of champagne from a server. "You're listening, it's obvious."

Marvin grinned at me wickedly. "I think the whole aloof thing is actually working in your favor. A few women we've talked to were looking you over pretty good."

"Are my b.o.o.bs hanging out?" I readjusted my shirt.

"No, Shannon, they're looking at the total package." He elbowed me. "You're hot."

"That's all because of you." I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Thanks again."

"All my pleasure. Now let's get out of here."

After I removed my makeup, Marvin and I stood in the mirror of my bathroom, rubbing moisturizer into our faces like two schoolgirls. "I think I look like Howdy Doody without facial hair. What do you think?" Marvin glanced at me.

I looked at his reflection in the mirror as he opened his eyes wide and snapped his jaw open and shut. "No, no, you don't...

okay, yes, you do."

"That's it," he said with a hand on his hip. "I'm growing the goatee back. Join me for a nightcap? I think I'm in the mood for a White Russian. h.e.l.l, honey, I'd settle for a Tom Collins if he'd treat me right." Marvin gave me a playful shove. "Get it?" he asked as he laughed at his own joke.

"Romance blows." I followed him out of the bathroom.

Marvin wrapped an arm around my waist and led me to the bar where I took a seat on one of the stools.

He moved behind the bar and started mixing our drinks.

"Pretend I'm a bartender, a very dashing bartender, and tell me all your problems."

Once again, I found myself telling about Hailey, but unlike when I talked to my mom, I spared no detail right down to the last text message I got from her. By the time I finished, we'd polished off our drinks and Marvin mixed a couple more.

"Still no word from her?" He leaned against the bar.

"No, I guess whatever we had is over."

Marvin shook his head. "She seemed so enamored with you when she came to the salon and the night she joined us for drinks.

122.

*Granted she didn't come right out and say that, but she steered the conversation in your direction every chance she got."

"It's like a game of tennis with her, you know?" I said, staring into my gla.s.s. "It's like I'm up against the net trying to keep the ball going, and she backs farther away. Every now and then, she'll make a move that makes me think she's interested, then she'll back off. Although this time, she just quit the game."

"I dated a guy like that once," Marvin said. "He came from a very well-to-do family that put a lot of pressure on him to marry the right woman. He did right out of college and spent five miserable years hiding who he really was." Marvin smiled ruefully. "I didn't know he was married when we started going out. I was too young and eager to notice all the warning signs.

Anyway, I saw him having dinner with his wife one night, and this time, he was wearing a wedding band."

I winced at the mental image. "Did you make a scene?"

"No." Marvin shook his head. "I just stopped returning his calls until he tracked me down. He swore that he was going to leave her and he did. Everyone in his family turned their backs on him. I was all he had."

"So what happened?"

"I messed it up," Marvin said before taking a drink. "I was so young, and he was so clingy. When I look back on it now, he must've been terrified that I'd leave him, too. I felt like I was being smothered, so I broke it off."

"Whatever happened to him?"

Marvin sighed. "I have no idea. I never saw him again after that." Marvin drained his gla.s.s and set it on the bar. "I have no idea what Hailey's situation is, but I imagine that she's just as scared as he was. She left not one, but two relationships and moved away. I'd be a mite apprehensive, too."

I hadn't given any thought to the woman Hailey had admitted having the affair with. Too focused on the husband, I never asked what happened to her. A queasy feeling washed over me as I wondered if that was where Hailey was taking refuge.

12.

Chapter 19.

Beware the Stanky Leg.

We repeated the dressing process over again the next morning sans the b.l.o.o.d.y Mary. Marvin picked out a gray suit and a soft pink blouse to wear with it. After he'd done my hair and makeup, I looked in the mirror pleased with the results.

"You are stunning," he said with pride.

He bolstered my self-esteem and made me feel comfortable in a world that I didn't belong. "I wish you were a woman," I said with a laugh.

"Me too, baby," Marvin said as he sauntered off to dress.

We had breakfast with Angela, who yawned repeatedly, and still managed to look fresh. She wore her hair down, and against the green blouse, her eyes sparkled like emeralds. I was reminded of Hailey as I looked at her. I thought back on the conversation I had with Marvin and felt myself sinking lower into gloom. If I had only accepted her dinner invitation, things might've turned out differently.

Natural Beauty's booth was impressive. Large pictures of our models were hanging on the back wall where they could easily be seen. Our name and logo figured prominently with some major salons in New York and Los Angeles. It made me proud.

We hadn't been there long when a woman approached Angela.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as the statuesque brunette looked my way a few times. I moved closer to Marvin as she caught my eye and smiled.

124.

*"That's Zoe Martinez," Marvin said in a whisper. "She owns a salon in Houston. A friend of mine worked for her for a while.

She's a b.i.t.c.h to the men, but she loves the ladies."

"She and Angela keep looking over here."

"I've noticed," Marvin said as he looked around. "Angela is probably filling her in on who you are. She's a femme that likes femmes. She's bedded half of her clients, and the word is she's fire between the sheets. She's not into commitment, but she'd be great entertainment for the weekend."

Zoe was smoking hot, that was undeniable. It was obvious that she knew it, too. She wasn't shy about meeting a few stares from women as they pa.s.sed, nor did she look away when she caught my eye. I averted my attention.

"Shannon?" Angela said behind me a few minutes later.

I turned and looked at her, then at Zoe, who stood close by. A slight smile curled the side of her lips. I couldn't help but look away from her dark gaze as she scanned my face. Embarra.s.sment washed over me as I looked down at the cleavage revealed by her tunic-style top. I looked back up at Zoe's face.

"I'm Zoe," she said, not waiting for Angela to make the introduction. "Angela was just telling me about your salons. I pa.s.sed by the one on Ca.n.a.l Street the last time I was in New Orleans, very impressive." She smiled then and c.o.c.ked her head to the side. "Actually, I checked out all four. I took a cab ride out to St. Charles, then to the one on West End Boulevard. Rampart and Ca.n.a.l are the real jewels, though."

Her voice was smooth and low. When my gaze met hers again, she looked as though she could see directly into my thoughts.

I think she knew and enjoyed that she made me nervous. "I'm Shannon, nice to meet you." My voice conveyed every bit of the tension I felt as it rose an octave higher. Marvin wasn't going to be able to help me with this conversation, and the little s.h.i.t knew it, too. He moved off, taking Angela with him, to my horror.

"I'm afraid that I'm not that familiar with your salon." I tried to sound relaxed. "My sister is usually the one that attends these types of things. I stay behind the scenes and manage the finances."

12.

*"And why are you here now?" Zoe asked with a playful smile.

"She's pregnant and is supposed to be living stress-free, although I imagine she's beside herself wondering what kind of trouble I'm making."

Zoe's gaze stayed locked with mine. "What kind of trouble have you gotten into so far?"

"I've been very well behaved."

"Then you're not having a lot of fun." Zoe pursed her full lips. "Are you staying here at the hotel?"

I had to shuffle my feet to keep my knees from banging together. "I am."

"I'm staying in room 140. Look me up later, and we'll find some trouble to get into." She turned and walked away, then looked over her shoulder seductively. "Nice to meet you, Shannon."

Marvin strolled over with his hands in his pockets sporting a grin. "She gave me her room number," I said when he looked at me expectantly.