So Right With You (7 page)

Harper rolled her eyes while Chloe smiled. It was amazing how much business Ree could rack up with her bless-your-heart, Southern-belle charm.

“
Perfect for You
. I’ve heard of you. I’ve been meaning to try you out. Your salon is supposed to be one of the best.”

“Come on by, and we’ll see what we can do for you.”

“Oh, I will. Thank you so much.”

The women proceeded through the connecting door. Chloe closed it behind them for privacy. Although Donna May had taken Garrett’s warning to heart and had drastically improved her professional attitude, she could just imagine Donna May scoping them out with a glass to the door. Putting her finger to her lips, she signaled the girls to remain quiet until they retreated to her office.

As soon as they reached her desk, both women verbally ignited.

“Why didn’t you call us?” Harper spouted.

“Now, Harper, give Chloe a chance to explain. Honey, where the hell are you staying?” Ree demanded. “We have been beside ourselves with worry. We even texted Leighton to see if she had any ideas, but we haven’t heard from her yet. You look great, by the way.”

“Well, she did lose one hundred eighty pounds.”

The words slammed into Chloe’s stomach like a sucker punch. Harper never had liked Trevor but it still hurt. She bit down on her lip.

Ree turned and gave Harper a hard look.

“Sorry, I just never liked him. I can’t say I’m sorry they broke up, though I’m sorry you got hurt, Chloe.”

“Back to the subject at hand, where are you are staying? We’ve been calling everyone.”

“Of course, Dimwit knew nothing. When did he start shacking up with Ashley?” Harper griped. Harper had never taken to Trevor and had called him Dimwit practically since they’d met. Chloe had done her best to keep the two separated. Of course, in Trevor’s defense, not everybody took to Harper, either. Obviously, after his unfaithfulness, she was more than willing to let that slide.

“How do you know that?” Chloe asked.

“She answered the phone when I called, of course.” Releasing a heavy breath, Ree scowled in disgust as she flicked back her blond locks.

“The skank,” Harper contributed, flipping through Chloe’s Rolodex.

“Now, tell us what’s going on,” Ree said.

“Yes, do tell.”

“Okay, but give me a second. Jeez, you two. You’re worse than any Spanish Inquisition.”

The women didn’t look offended at all. They simply folded their arms across their chests to wait her out.

Chloe tried to outlast them, but they were like the Terminator, unrelenting. “All right, all right already. Look, two nights ago—”

“Two nights!” they exclaimed.

“Do you want to hear this or not?” Chloe asked.

“Go on, honey. We won’t interrupt again. We
promise
. Don’t we, Harper?” Ree shot Harper a look, telling her to keep quiet.

“Yeah, whatever.” Harper nodded in agreement.

“Two nights ago, I thought I would surprise Trevor. The only trouble was the surprise was on me. He was doing Ashley on our dining room table.”

“Now, that brings a whole new concept to the dining experience.”

“Harper!” Ree swung toward Harper to give her a look that said
shut up
, or in Ree’s case,
shush
.

Harper merely shrugged.

Ree swiveled back with a tight smile. “Okay, but that still doesn’t answer where you’ve been staying and why you didn’t call us.”

“I guess I didn’t call you because I knew you’d react this way.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ree demanded.

“You guys can be a bit overwhelming.”

“Okay.” Ree took a deep breath and jammed a finger in the air. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Well, I’m not going to,” Harper snapped.

Chloe crossed to the windows and looked out, not really seeing the view. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t do the emotional thing well. I needed time. The truth is I was embarrassed. I had no clue Trevor and Ashley were together, but evidently, it had been going on for some time. I know now there were signs. I just didn’t notice them. I feel like such an idiot.”

“Honey, some men are just crap. They’re good at lying.” Ree crossed over to her and put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder.

Chloe looked up and held her gaze. “But, don’t you see? That’s my point. He wasn’t. I just didn’t notice.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. He was the one that cheated,” Harper assured her.

“I know. But I realized somehow that during the last few months I had disconnected. I was going through the motions but wasn’t really there.”

“Well, it’s over. He obviously wasn’t the one. Now, tell us where you’ve been staying,” Ree said.

“The first night, I was too upset. I didn’t have much money so I…” She knew they weren’t going to like it. “…stayed at the Oakside Inn.”

“The one on Stillmore?” Ree asked, frowning.

“The same,” Chloe said.

“That place is beyond awful.” Harper scowled.

“That settles it. You can stay with me. I’ll make up the couch for you,” Ree offered.

“Or you can stay with me. I’ll move my studio stuff into the living room. We can set up the futon for you,” Harper countered.

“Actually, I’ve already made other arrangements.”

“What kind of arrangements?” Ree raised a questioning brow.

“Garrett.” She cringed, expecting them to react.

“Garrett?” Ree and Harper asked in unison.

“Yeah. Anyway, Garrett’s been really great since this happened, and…” Chloe paused. “I’m, uh, kind of staying with him,” she finished quickly.

“What do you mean, you’re staying with him?” Ree asked.

“You’re not sleeping with him, are you?” Harper asked.

“Of course not!” Chloe denied, blushing. She’d slept with him, just not in the sense Harper meant.

“I don’t know.” Harper shot her a look, playing devil’s advocate. “Maybe you should. He’s totally hot, and it would get the whole ugly breakup out of your system. He could be your rebound guy. He’s perfect. He also never stays in a relationship long, so you wouldn’t have to worry about any messy attachments. I say go for it. He’s definitely an upgrade from Dimwit.”

“What would possess you to tell her that?” Ree gave Harper a look of disbelief, then spun back to Chloe. “Please don’t listen to her. The whole thing reeks of stupidity. Don’t do it. It doesn’t work.”

“How do you know? You’re still hung up on your ex. As far as I know, there has been no rebound guy for you. Maybe if you did, you could finally get over Jackson,” Harper argued.

“Enough, Harper,” Ree said with a look that said Harper had just pushed things too far.

Chloe could see the hurt in Ree’s eyes and wanted to change the subject. “Okay, that’s enough talk about rebound guys. Garrett is not going to be mine.”

Both women became silent and stared behind her.

She cringed and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. “He’s standing behind me. Isn’t he?” She turned to look.

Sure enough, there he was, bigger than life and grinning. She was mortified.

“It’s all right, sweetheart. I have no intention of being anyone’s rebound guy, not even to make you feel better.” He looked directly at Chloe and winked. “Anyway, it never works. You still feel like crap.”

“Told you,” Ree chimed in.

“Hi, ladies.” He glanced around the room, taking in each woman. His eyes once again rested on Chloe. “What are you three up to? It sounds dangerous. I take it Chloe spilled the beans on our current living arrangement. And to think, we swore to a vow of silence.” He gave a quick wink. “I trust that you ladies will keep that information to yourselves. I do have my reputation to consider.” He smiled widely at them all. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do.” With that, he entered his own office.

All three women stared after him. Shaking their heads, both Ree and Harper looked knowingly at Chloe.

“Honey, you’re playing with fire with that one. That man is surely inflammatory. He just kind of sucks all the air out of the room. Doesn’t he?” Ree said.

“Without a doubt,” Harper added.

“I know,” Chloe admitted, as she chewed her bottom lip.

“I do hope you know what you’re doing. My couch is still available if you want it,” Ree offered.

“So is my futon.”

“Thanks, but it will be okay,” Chloe said. She tried to sound more assured than she felt. She had her own doubts about the current living situation, but she didn’t like the alternatives, either. She didn’t want to impose on her friends. At least with Garrett, they had an agreement. She supposed if it ever did get to be too much, she could always change her mind and stay with one of them. She’d only do that as a last resort, though.

“Keep telling yourself that. You’re bound to believe it eventually,” Ree said as she looked at Chloe with worry in her eyes. “The reason we’re here is that we’ve decided to have a girls’ night out. Plus, now we’ll have the time needed to convince you of the error of your ways.

“It’s going to be fine.”

“That’s what you think. Anyway, we’re planning to go out tonight, and you can’t say no.”

“I don’t know. She may have something better going on at home.” Harper gestured toward the door Garrett had just gone through.

“Would you stop that?” Chloe protested.

“Why? It’s kind of fun. From the way you’re blushing. I swear I’m on to something.” Harper smirked.

“Back to the matter at hand, we’ll pick you up here at five,” Ree said.

“Yeah, I managed to get Uncle Joey to loan us one of his limos so we can travel in style,” Harper added.

“Okay, but I have to call it an early night. I am officially moving out of the condo tomorrow.”

“You need any help? It would be hard, but I might be able to have Sienna handle things for a few hours at the salon. Of course, I would have to cancel a few appointments.”

“I could help, too. I could get a few of Uncle Joey’s drivers to help carry the big stuff. He might be able to even get us a truck if you need one.”

“No, don’t worry about it. Garrett’s taking care of it all.”

“That man is such a prince. I still say it might not be such a bad idea.” Harper grinned.

“Harper! Please, enough. Chloe has enough problems without you encouraging her.”

After the women left, Chloe tapped on Garrett’s office door. “Garrett, can I come in?”

“Sure, come on in.”

When she opened the door, she saw that he was engaged in a conversation on the phone. He held up a finger. “I understand. We’ll set up a meeting for Friday at six. He started writing instructions for the meeting. “Thanks, Jenkins. See you then.” He hung up the phone, pushed back his chair and looked at her expectantly. “So what’s up?”

“I finished the correspondence for Anders. I thought you might want to have a look at it.”

“Thanks.”

“I also wanted to let you know that I have plans tonight, so I won’t need a ride back to the ranch.” That morning they had driven in together, so her car was still at the ranch. “I am afraid you’ll be on your own tonight as far as dinner. I’ll make it up to you, though. My friends want to have a girls’ night out. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No. It’s fine.”

She set the Anders letter on his desk and turned to leave.

“Chloe.”

“Yes?”

“Have a great time.”

“Thanks.” She was surprised by how much she was going to miss him.

The limo arrived at five-fifteen. The door swung open. Both women leaned out.

“Sorry we’re late. Harper insisted we stop and get a bottle of champagne,” Ree said.

“Hey, what is a girls’ night out without it? Isn’t that the whole point of riding in a limo? A guaranteed designated driver. Besides, I felt like celebrating. You finally got rid of Dimwit.”

“Jeez, Harper.” Ree groaned. “I love you like a sister, but sometimes—”

“It’s all right. She’s right. It’s better it happened now rather than after we were married,” Chloe said.

“Exactly. Now climb in so we can celebrate.” Harper reached out to help her.

Taking her hand, Chloe climbed in and pulled the door shut. Noticing the driver was none other than Uncle Bobby, Chloe said, “Hi, Uncle Bobby.”

“Sorry to hear about your broken engagement. You need a real man. Maybe you’d consider going out with me sometime. I’ll show you a good time.” Uncle Bobby pushed back his greasy dark hair, which was showing definite signs of thinning.

Uncle Bobby was actually Harper’s second cousin on her dad’s side. His idea of customer service included driving the limo while singing Sinatra. Uncle Joey tended to use him only when he was in a pinch, or he knew the client wouldn’t be offended by Bobby’s lack of professionalism and coarse manner. In Harper’s case, she was family and so was he, unfortunately.

“Thanks for the offer Uncle Bobby. But I think I need some time to get over it. Plus, you’re like family. I don’t think it would be right.”

“Of course. Besides, I might not be available later.”

The girls looked at each other and barely refrained from laughing. Uncle Bobby still considered himself quite the ladies’ man.

Harper reached over to a compartment and pulled out three champagne glasses. She passed a glass to each of them. Giving hers to Ree to hold, she popped the cork. The champagne bubbled over the top.

“Hey, watch it back there. I don’t want to report to Joey that the upholstery got ruined,” Uncle Bobby said.

“Got it covered, Uncle Bobby.” Harper grabbed some paper towels to wipe up the spillage. She poured the liquor into each glass. “A toast. To lasting friendships.”

Each of the women clinked glasses and drank.

“So, what are our plans for tonight?” Chloe asked. This was exactly what she needed. It had been a while since they had last gotten together.

“We thought pizza and bowling at Skyline Lanes.” Skyline Lanes was located in one of the high-rises in downtown Houston. “It’s Neon Nights. They have disco lights and music until midnight,” Ree informed her.

Harper snorted, “You forgot the most important part—glow-in-the-dark balls and pins. Kind of makes you think of glow-in-the-dark condoms.”

“Jeez, Harper.”

“Sorry. It’s been so long. After a while, everything starts to remind me of sex.”

“I know what you mean,” Ree said.

“Me, too,” Chloe said.

Both Ree and Harper exchanged looks.

“Oh, boy,” Ree said.

“And to think I was jealous of you,” Harper said, shaking her head.

“Look, I was busy and so was he. Let’s just say it’s been some time,” Chloe confided.

“Oh, man, that was more than I needed to know,” Uncle Bobby groaned.

“Sorry, Uncle Bobby, we’ll try to watch it,” Harper said.

The three old friends burst out laughing.

“We’re going to have some fun tonight,” Ree said.

Chloe regarded her chiffon blouse, gray skirt, and sling-back heels, not exactly the right attire for a night of bowling.

Ree noticed her frown. “Don’t worry, I thought of everything. Luckily, we’re about the same size. I already picked out something for you to wear. We’ll stop at my salon first to get ready. While we’re there, I’ll give you a trim. I’ve got the perfect hairstyle in mind for you. I also have something in mind for Harper if she’ll allow it.”

Harper tapped her fingernail against her chin. “Hmm, only if you both agree to what I have in mind later. Besides, what harm can you do? I can always change it back, if I don’t like it.”

“Did you see the look in her eyes? She’s up to something. I’m not sure I’m ready for anything she has in mind,” Chloe said.

“Come on, you have to live more adventurously. It will be fun.” Harper smiled.

“Yes, but is it something we’re going to live to regret?” Ree questioned.

In about fifteen minutes, the women arrived at Perfect for You. Ree’s salon was in a prime location for a business. But as for living arrangements, it was less than ideal. It was near a busy industrial street. Even with the insulation of double-pane glass, the sounds of the surrounding neighborhood could be heard. Ree had spent most of her savings on giving the salon a welcoming ambience, starting with cheery lemon-yellow walls. To create a more classic feel, Ree had chosen a cherry-wood finish for the work stations and fixtures. The salon advertised as full service. It catered not only to the client’s needs for their hair but also to their needs for manicures, pedicures, waxing, facials, and massages. One could get all their beauty needs met in one location. It was, as its name said, perfect.

About two hours later, Ree was completing their transformations. Ree had turned their chairs around, insisting they couldn’t see the results until she was done. She also made sure they couldn’t see each other and give it away with their reactions. She had given both girls a color, cut, and style. They had also changed into the clothes she had selected.

For Chloe, she had chosen an olive-green patterned blouse, dark straight-leg jeans, olive-green ballet shoes, and a cream-colored sweater. It fit Chloe snugly, clinging to her full, curvaceous figure. Chloe wasn’t sure about the olive green. It wasn’t a color she would choose for herself, but she was willing to give it a try. After all, Ree was an expert on styling people.

For Harper, Ree had picked a collared shirt in pink with black swirls in the pattern. It matched her black leather leggings, black knee-high boots, and black blazer from which Ree had painstakingly removed all the safety pins.

Both women were now sitting through Ree’s meticulous application of makeup.

“You know we will never be able to apply it the way you do,” Chloe said.

“I’ll show you some easy steps to get almost the same results later. Now close your mouth for a second before you ruin the effect I’m going for.” Ree finished applying lip gloss to Chloe’s lips. She had already completed Harper’s transformation.

Harper was sitting swirling the chair back and forth while frowning at the pink shirt. “I can’t believe you chose pink. Pink.” Harper shuddered. “What were you thinking? I never wear pink.”

“I picked up the shirt for your birthday. I know it’s early, but I wanted you to have it. It’s time for you to broaden your horizons and wear something besides black. I think you’ll be surprised at how great you look. Anyway, it has a touch of black in the pattern. Now stop pouting.”

“Just remember, you agreed to go along with my plan, too,” Harper warned.

“Don’t worry, it hasn’t left my mind at all. It had better not be anything that gets us arrested.” Ree said.

Harper’s mouth grew tight-lipped. Her usual air of indifference was gone. “Believe me, I have no intention of ever doing anything that lands me there.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. But could you give us a clue?” Ree asked.

“When the time is right, you’ll know everything. Until then, you’ll have to wait and see,” Harper said, her mood lightening.

“Ree, what have you gotten us to agree to? Have you noticed the gleam in her eyes? I don’t like it. She’s scaring me.”

Harper smiled at that. She was obviously enjoying taunting them.

“Ignore her. She’s just trying to get to you,” Ree said.

“Well, it’s working,” Chloe said.

Ree added a touch more lip gloss to Chloe’s lips. “I’m done. Are you two ready to see the results?” She helped them take off the gowns she’d had them wear to protect their clothing. “Okay, turn around.”

Both women stared in momentary silence.

“Oh, wow! You look like a girl,” Chloe said, staring at Harper’s reflection.

“Shut up. I am a girl,” Harper said.

“I know, but you look softer, more approachable.” She paused. “I know who you remind me of.”

“Who?” Harper asked.

“Katy Perry. It’s nice.” Harper’s hair was a dark brunette; the green highlights were gone. Her eyes had a smokier look with just a smidge of eyeliner instead of the black smudges she normally wore. Her lips had a glossy, wet look to them, complementing the pink blouse. The Goth girl was gone, and in her place was a sophisticated, prettier one. Harper seemed stunned. She had never looked prettier. Of course, she had never tried.

Harper glanced Chloe’s way. She rolled her eyes. “You look like a young Ann-Margret. On second thought, you remind me of that really hot actress from
Mad Men
.”

“You mean Christina Hendricks?”

“Yeah, her.”

“Hardly,” Chloe said, frowning. There was no way she looked as pretty as Christina. She studied herself in the mirror. Ree had dyed her hair a more vibrant shade of her natural color, parting it on the side and straightening it to add more height. She had accentuated the gold of her hazel eyes with a rich brown shadow. Even the olive-green shirt brought out the noticeable flecks in them. Her lips were painted a glossy color that emphasized their full poutiness. She looked good, but she still didn’t look sultry like Christina.

“You know, I have to admit you did a great job. You’re truly a genius, Ree. I’m just not sure this fits my image.” Harper said.

“Maybe it’s time for a new one. So you guys really like it?” Ree asked.

“Yes, as much as it pains me to admit that,” Harper said.

“You did a really great job. I love it. All of it,” Chloe added enthusiastically.

“Thanks.” There was a slight tinge to Ree’s cheeks. She really enjoyed making people look their best, and Chloe knew their warm praises meant the world to her. “Well, I guess it is my turn.” Ree touched up her makeup and was ready to go. Of course, she already looked fabulous. The girls left the shop with high spirits for the night ahead.

*~*

The girls were well into their third game of bowling. They had consumed a large pizza before starting.

Harper set her beer down, looked directly at Chloe, and said, “I wonder what it would be like to sleep with Garrett. I bet the man has moves that leave his partners humming.”

Chloe stumbled and dropped the ball, which crashed to the floor and made a beeline for the gutter, missing all ten pins. She twirled and glared at Harper.

“Sorry, I was thinking out loud.” She smirked, obviously anything but sorry.

Ree shook her head. “Harper, behave.”

“Who, me? What did I do?” She leaned back in the chair and laughed.

Ree took her turn next. She scored a spare. Harper followed, managing to hit eight out of ten pins.

It was Chloe’s turn again. She picked up the ball, shot Harper a look, and walked purposefully toward the lane. She started to swing her arm.

“So, have you kissed him yet?”

This time, Chloe released the ball, but was leaning too far to the left and nearly fell. The ball rolled across the gutter into the next lane and hit all ten pins dead center, scoring a strike.

The Pink Ladies League, a group of silver-haired senior citizens, stared at her angrily. Chloe had just screwed up their game.

She scrunched up her face and closed her eyes for a moment. Opening her eyes, she gave the women an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

“My bad.” Harper laughed. She watched Chloe carefully for any signs of guilt. This time, Chloe didn’t look Harper’s way.

Ree’s and Harper’s eyes narrowed. They both chimed, “Oh, I don’t believe it. You have.”

Chloe’s face became a vivid shade of pink. “It’s not what you think.”

“Sure, it’s not,” Harper said.

“Honey, have you lost your mind? There is no way you should stay with that man. I’m worried you’re headed for another fall,” Ree said.

“No, really. It was nothing. It was all perfectly innocent.” Sort of.

“Mmm hmm.” Ree shook her head. “Nothing’s innocent about that man.”

Chloe knew there was no way she could explain it. They’d never believe her. She slumped down on the seat and took a swig of her beer.

*~*

By unanimous agreement, the women decided it was to be the last game.

“So are you guys ready to hear what I have in mind?” Harper asked.

“I suppose we’re as ready as we will ever be,” Ree answered.

Now that the moment was at hand, Harper bit her lip worriedly. “Well, I thought we could get a tattoo.”

“A tattoo? Have you lost your mind? This is your plan?” Ree shouted.

“Oh, I just know this is going to hurt.” Chloe sank further into her seat and drank another sip of her beer.

“I was thinking we could get a friendship tattoo. You know you guys mean the world to me. So I thought we could get a tattoo to symbolize our friendship. I’ve been working on a design that will be unique for us. It’s a swirl design with yellow roses on each end for the symbol of friendship and Texas. When Leighton comes back, we can take her to get hers. Andrea assures me she’ll be able to pull it off. I trust her, and she does amazing work,” Harper spewed out.

Harper looked from one to the other, expecting them to say no.

It was obvious Harper had put a lot of thought into this. It wasn’t some spur of the moment decision. She had taken the time to design it. That in and of itself meant something. This was important to her. Chloe and Ree exchanged glances.

“So we’re going to do this?” Ree said.

Chloe smiled nervously. “I guess so.” She gulped down the rest of her beer.

“You mean it. You’re willing to do this?” Harper asked.

“Yeah,” Chloe said.

“Why not?” Ree said.

“I wasn’t sure you guys would go for it.”

“You caught us in a weak moment. You know we love you,” Ree said.

“Will this make us like blood sisters or something?” Chloe said.

They all laughed.

“Before we go, let me call Garrett and let him know I’m going to be late.”