I pull into a parking spot in front of the salon and make my way inside. Luckily, no one is here that I know, so I don’t have to spill my life story or catch anyone up.
“How can I help you?” a nice-looking woman with long, dark hair and olive skin greets me.
“Hi, I was hoping for a haircut.”
“Sure, follow me.” She grabs a cape and drapes it around me as I sit down. “What are we thinking? A trim? Such beautiful hair.” She runs her fingers through it in awe.
“No, I want to cut ten inches and donate it. I saw a sign out front that said you guys did that, that’s true, right?”
“Yes, it is. This is natural?”
“All natural,” I nod.
“Gosh, I feel like cutting this would be a crime.” She grabs her scissors and locks eyes with me in the mirror. “Last chance, doll.”
“Do it.”
She makes the first snip to the ponytail she gathered it in, and a few seconds later, my head is lighter. She holds up what used to be my hair, and I cup my mouth with my hands and start to laugh. My hair falls right above my shoulders now. I love it. My face looks brighter, and my eyes seem bigger. I know it isn’t possible, but my hair seems like it has natural highlights too. Maybe it’s because I’ve never cut it so short, and I’m looking at myself in a new way. No longer is the sad, broken girl who has only loved one man, staring back at me.
A new woman has emerged. One ready to blow caution to the wind.
“You must have really needed a change to cut this beautiful hair off.”
Oh, she had no idea how bad I needed this. Plus, I needed to get ready for my fake date, and what better way than to get a new haircut?
Chapter 5 Rowan
“Do you like it?”
I stare out over the view that Gray found and want to laugh. Of course, the Overlook is for sale. And of course, Gray fell in love with it. And then he asks if I like it?
A build up of laughter starts to shake my shoulders. Unreal. I can’t escape her even if I tried, and now he wants to build our headquarters on the land where I fucked the woman I love for the first time? The same place where she tore my heart out and stomped on it?
Damn it to hell, man. Everywhere I look, she is there. I can’t escape it.
“What’s so funny? This is prime real estate, Rowan. It won’t last long.”
My laughter finally slows. I look around and walk to the place my truck was parked two years ago. The view is still the same. All of Spokane is before me, nestled between the mountains. The sky goes on for miles, a bright, blue color, so different than the night and the stars this spot remembers.
Why can’t I let it go? Why can’t I shake it off like all the other girls I have been with over the years? I’ve been with a lot of women to try and forget Everly, but it never worked. They were only a temporary solution to the real fix I needed.
“I know this spot is all. It’s where all the teenagers would come to make out,” but not Everly and me. We came here all the time, but it was just to hang out and be near each other. I wanted to kiss her so badly, every single time, but the loyalty to our friendship held me back. What if I kissed her sooner? What if we admitted our love to each other at an earlier age? Would we be together today?
“Oh, so this is where you and Everly, you know,” he clicks his tongue to signify having sex.
I sigh, “Yeah.”
“Well, I love you bro, but I don’t want to miss out on a great property over a girl.”
“No way, this place is amazing. We would be stupid not to take it. Let’s do it.” I bounce on my heels and smile, trying to look excited, which I am. I just might have my office on the opposite end of where I am standing.
“Really? Are you serious?”
“Yeah man, this is the best view in the entire town. Pretty sure all the teens are going to be pissed, having to find another place to get their freak on, but they’ll live.”
“Holy shit, we have a plot of land!” Gray whooped and pulled me in for a hug. “I can’t believe this, man. We did it. Out of a dorm room, nonetheless.”
My hands dive into my pockets, and I stare out towards the town, the view we own now. “Yeah, we did. We need to celebrate.”
“Let’s buy it first before we go too crazy.”
“Good idea.” I wave my hand at the agent who is standing off the side, talking on the phone. When he sees us, he ends the call immediately and gives us a large grin, the one that says he knows he is about to make a lot of money.
“Gentleman, have we come to a decision?” Weston, our agent, asks.
“Yes. We’ll take it,” Gray nods.
“And we will be making a cash payment,” I add. I never thought at twenty years old I’d be able to say that. And it feels fucking great.
Weston’s grin took over his entire face. I guess for him that is great news. “Absolutely, let’s go back to the office and dot those I’s and cross those T’s, shall we?” he says, holding his arm out to lead the way back to the cars.
A few hours later, Gray and I are the proud new owners of the Overlook, which still makes me laugh, and are on our way home. Regardless of the memories that the Overlook holds, I’m excited to see what the future brings. Not many people can say
