player who had put his blacking on the wrong way.
Ariel approached the woman without hesitation. “I’m here to get my ears pierced.”
The woman lifted her eyebrow which had been pierced with four, silver studs. “Most little girls have that done at the mall.”
Ariel squared her shoulders. “I’m not most girls. Plus, I’m a friend of Tommy Lefevre’s,” she added proudly.
The woman rolled her eyes. “Of course you are. Tommy!” she bellowed. A moment later, Tommy came out of the office. When he saw me, he gave a guilty start, most likely wondering how much of the argument I’d overheard.
Ariel ran over and carefully hugged him. He patted her back.
“How are you?” I asked, worried. In the two days since he’d moved away, his complexion had grown more sallow, and dark circles bloomed under his eyes.
“I’m fine.” His smile seemed forced. He looked around the store hopefully. “Is Jasmine here, too?”
I hadn’t told her we were visiting Tommy because I worried that she’d ditch her interview to join us. “No, sorry,” I said. Not wanting to jinx her chances, I didn’t mention the prospective job.
Tommy’s face sagged. “Is she still mad at me?”
“She’s upset,” I admitted. Since Ariel was busy examining a case of earrings, I quietly added, “What’s going on with you two anyway?”
“It’s complicated.”
Maybe for you, I thought. For Jasmine, it was the easiest thing in the world.
The redhead’s voice rang out from the office. “Tommy! Why the hell is the couch all wet?”
Tommy closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “I knocked over a bottle of water this morning. Sorry.”
The woman waddled back into the showroom. The butt of her jeans bore a huge, dark mark. Ariel and I exchanged smirks. Sam glared at us before turning back to Tommy. “Did you at least get that room ready?”
“I can’t move the table,” he said. He put his hands to his stomach. “I’m not supposed to lift anything heavier than five pounds.”
Her irate glare could have stripped paint from the walls. “Terrific. Now I’ll have to do it.”
“You do realize he’s just had surgery, right?” I asked, hating her.
“That’s Neil’s wife, Sam, and, yes, she knows.” Tommy leaned against the counter, bracing his elbows on top. “Sam, this is Lilith.”
“ This is Lilith? The Lilith Straight?” Sam folded her arms over her chest and sneered at me. If she’d been passing out grades, I would have gotten a D minus. “She’s a lot older than I expected.”
Why on earth did everyone know me? And why were they so disappointed? I glanced at Tommy to see if he had the answer, but he refused to meet my eyes.
Ariel pressed both hands against the glass counter as she studied the jewelry. Finally, she pointed to a pair of black, onyx studs. “I want those.”
Sam ushered us into a back room and had Ariel sit on the chair.
Ari squeezed her eyes shut. “Will it hurt?”
“They’re only earlobes,” Sam said. “How painful can it be?” She roughly swabbed Ariel’s lobes with disinfectant, making Ariel cringe.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” I told her.
“I want to do it.” Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. “I’m just scared.”
Tommy massaged her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m nervous whenever I get a new piercing, too.”
Ariel opened her eyes. “Really?”
“Yup. But then it’s over in a second, and I love the way it looks so much I don’t notice if it hurts or not.”
Ari relaxed. “Okay, then. I’m ready.”
Tommy held her hand and talked her through the procedure while she grinned up at him. My niece had been right. Tommy would make a really good father.
A minute later, Sam had finished and Ariel was examining her ears with a handheld mirror. “Cool,” she said, turning her head back and forth to view each earring.
As I paid
Ariel approached the woman without hesitation. “I’m here to get my ears pierced.”
The woman lifted her eyebrow which had been pierced with four, silver studs. “Most little girls have that done at the mall.”
Ariel squared her shoulders. “I’m not most girls. Plus, I’m a friend of Tommy Lefevre’s,” she added proudly.
The woman rolled her eyes. “Of course you are. Tommy!” she bellowed. A moment later, Tommy came out of the office. When he saw me, he gave a guilty start, most likely wondering how much of the argument I’d overheard.
Ariel ran over and carefully hugged him. He patted her back.
“How are you?” I asked, worried. In the two days since he’d moved away, his complexion had grown more sallow, and dark circles bloomed under his eyes.
“I’m fine.” His smile seemed forced. He looked around the store hopefully. “Is Jasmine here, too?”
I hadn’t told her we were visiting Tommy because I worried that she’d ditch her interview to join us. “No, sorry,” I said. Not wanting to jinx her chances, I didn’t mention the prospective job.
Tommy’s face sagged. “Is she still mad at me?”
“She’s upset,” I admitted. Since Ariel was busy examining a case of earrings, I quietly added, “What’s going on with you two anyway?”
“It’s complicated.”
Maybe for you, I thought. For Jasmine, it was the easiest thing in the world.
The redhead’s voice rang out from the office. “Tommy! Why the hell is the couch all wet?”
Tommy closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “I knocked over a bottle of water this morning. Sorry.”
The woman waddled back into the showroom. The butt of her jeans bore a huge, dark mark. Ariel and I exchanged smirks. Sam glared at us before turning back to Tommy. “Did you at least get that room ready?”
“I can’t move the table,” he said. He put his hands to his stomach. “I’m not supposed to lift anything heavier than five pounds.”
Her irate glare could have stripped paint from the walls. “Terrific. Now I’ll have to do it.”
“You do realize he’s just had surgery, right?” I asked, hating her.
“That’s Neil’s wife, Sam, and, yes, she knows.” Tommy leaned against the counter, bracing his elbows on top. “Sam, this is Lilith.”
“ This is Lilith? The Lilith Straight?” Sam folded her arms over her chest and sneered at me. If she’d been passing out grades, I would have gotten a D minus. “She’s a lot older than I expected.”
Why on earth did everyone know me? And why were they so disappointed? I glanced at Tommy to see if he had the answer, but he refused to meet my eyes.
Ariel pressed both hands against the glass counter as she studied the jewelry. Finally, she pointed to a pair of black, onyx studs. “I want those.”
Sam ushered us into a back room and had Ariel sit on the chair.
Ari squeezed her eyes shut. “Will it hurt?”
“They’re only earlobes,” Sam said. “How painful can it be?” She roughly swabbed Ariel’s lobes with disinfectant, making Ariel cringe.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” I told her.
“I want to do it.” Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. “I’m just scared.”
Tommy massaged her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m nervous whenever I get a new piercing, too.”
Ariel opened her eyes. “Really?”
“Yup. But then it’s over in a second, and I love the way it looks so much I don’t notice if it hurts or not.”
Ari relaxed. “Okay, then. I’m ready.”
Tommy held her hand and talked her through the procedure while she grinned up at him. My niece had been right. Tommy would make a really good father.
A minute later, Sam had finished and Ariel was examining her ears with a handheld mirror. “Cool,” she said, turning her head back and forth to view each earring.
As I paid
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