“W akey, wakey, eggs and bakey!” Brad chirps, opening my bedroom door like there’s nothing wrong with a man barging into a woman’s bedroom when she’s sleeping. Then again, Brad is a guy I could prance around the room half naked with and not be worried about him getting inappropriate. He’s stayed over the last two nights, helping me not freak out about the camera guy, and it’s helped .

Still, I was up late and slept like shit. “Fuck off, Brad !”

He slips in, eyes covered with one hand but with his fingers so wide apart I can easily see the blue of his eyes. “You decent, bitch? Well, other than the obvious that you’re totally indecent, but you got your girly bits covered? I do not want to see your meow-meow this morning. Or ever .”

I laugh a bit. I can’t help it. He’s so weird, and it’s exactly what I need to lighten this fog that’s surrounding me. His other hand carries a steaming cup of coffee and he offers it to me with a smirk. Instead of throwing my pillow at him, I sit up and take the cup. “How is it?” I nod at the steaming cup .

“Just the way you like it . . . sweet as candy and as dark as your soul,” Brad says, handing it over to me. I sip the dark brew, moaning my appreciation that he fixed it just the way I like. “Damn, last time I made someone moan like that, I was naked and covered in sweat. So was he .”

“Yeah, well . . . the coffee’s worth a moan,” I reply, setting my cup aside long enough to stretch. “Fuck, I’m gonna need about another five of those today with the way I feel .”

Brad yanks my blanket away from my legs without warning, making me squeal as he shakes his head. “Don’t matter how bad you slept, girl. We’ve got a busy day today so chop, chop . . . up and at ‘em and all that jazz. Basically, get that jiggly ass of yours out of bed and do it now .”

I flop back to the pillows, careful not to spill my precious coffee. “Just for calling my ass jiggly . . . I don’t wanna. I’m just gonna stay here, curled up in bed, safe and sound and watch trashy TV. I heard they were doing a rerun marathon of Matchmaker. So you and your overly bony ass can do my appointments .”

Brad reaches out and takes the coffee from my hands, setting it gently down on the nightstand. Not sure what he’s doing, I’m surprised when he grabs my shoulders and shakes me. “I. Don’t. Do. Hair!” he mock growls before giving me a sparkling grin. “And you damn well know it. We’ve got a VIP coming in today and it’s all hands on deck. In case you didn’t get the corporate memo, all hands is me and you. We haven’t hired our new assistant yet, you know .”

I perk up a bit. This is news to me. “A VIP? Who’s coming in ?”

Brad gives me a grin and sits down on the edge of my bed. “Well, I got a call yesterday. Remember my old friend Roxy I’ve told you about ?”

Yeah, the famous rock star you supposedly know but suspiciously haven’t introduced me to?” I point out. “What about her ?”

“What can I say, she’s a busy girl. Anyway, you met her sister, Mindy, when we did Emily’s wedding. Anyway, not important. Back to the VIP. Their grandmother is coming in to see the great-grandkids for a birthday party. Picturesque, no ?”

“Cute as a bunch of toddlers going apeshit all over a Chuck E. Cheese’s,” I reply, even though the idea of having a toddler doesn’t seem that bad to me recently .

“Yeah, well, this grandma, she’s a bit . . . hell, that lady’s way over the top. And when Mindy called me about this, she said they want to treat her to a bit of a spa getaway, give everyone some breathing room .”

I get the feeling grandma’s a ‘small doses’ kinda broad, but most people see me as that kind too. “Okay, I get it. So what’s the deal ?”

“She’s coming in at ten for the works—scalp massage, shampoo, deep conditioner, cut, color, and curl for you, and facial, brows, mani, pedi, and makeup for me. She’s the only client we have all day since I moved the other appointments we had for this one. Trust me, they made it well worth clearing house for this lady .”

Going along with Brad, I get out of bed, taking my sweet damn time showering and washing some wakefulness into my eyes before heading downstairs to a granola bar at nine thirty, just early enough to get my station ready. Right at ten, the door dings and I see Mindy holding the door open for an older lady who seems to still have plenty of spunk in her .

“At least you chose a good place to ditch me!” she says as she spies the historical committee plaque. “John Wayne, huh? Let me tell you, back in the day, I’d have given good money to give ol’ Duke a ride !”

Brad comes forward, giving both women a huge grin. “Hi, Mindy. And Ivy Jo, it’s been too long !”

Mindy, who obviously has had enough of her grandmother for the next few moments, is glad for the distraction. She gives Brad a hug, patting his back. “Brad, you’re looking fabulous, as usual .”

Brad laughs. “Flattery ain’t gonna get you a discount. I know how much money you have. Ivy Jo here is getting full service, and you’re gonna just have to pay for full service .”

“Full service?” Ivy Jo asks, grinning. “I don’t see no hunky muscular men around here, so unless you’ve switched teams, you can’t give me full service !”

Brad gives her a hug, careful as the old woman’s got a cane. “Here, let me introduce you. And Mindy, I’ll give you a call when she’s ready to be picked up .”

Mindy gives Brad a grateful nod and a smile to me as she gives her grandmother a kiss on the cheek. “Be good, Grandma .”

“Hey, now, I’m always good,” she says. “ It’s — ”

“When she’s bad, you gotta worry,” I finish for her, causing Ivy Jo to turn and give me an amused look and a smile. “Hi, I’m McKayla. I’ll be doing your hair today .”

She grins, pointing a finger at my hair. “You going to make me look like that ?”

I pat my hair, which I’ve slicked down from my normal big curls into something chic and sleek. “Sorry, this sort of fabulousness is reserved for me only. But I can make you the hottest thing at your next family reunion .”

“Considering my family, that’s quite a tall order, but I’ll take you up on that challenge,” Ivy Jo says. “But no crazy colors. People already give me dirty looks when I start talking with the great grandbabies like I’m going to ruin then. I just want to hug and cuddle them. What’s so wrong with that ?”

“Not a damn thing,” I reply. “Come on, let’s get you settled into a chair and you can tell me all about your visit .”

Ivy Jo settles in, adjusting herself for a few moments, and soon, we get her leaning back, shampoo worked into her hair .

“So tell me about you, Pinky,” Ivy Jo says. “You been around town long ?”

“Just a little while,” I admit. “Moved here because I wanted to get out of the Hollywood game. It’s a good place .”

“That it is,” Ivy Jo agrees. “Now, if I weren’t living in a good old folks’ complex near my other granddaughter, I’d be settling around here myself. So you get settled in, got yourself a man yet ?”

“Whoa, slow down, Ivy Jo,” Brad says. I glance up at him and he gives me a roll of his eyes. “This one . . . she’ll get the claws out in a minute, know what I mean ?”

I’m not sure if Brad’s speaking to me or to Ivy Jo, but I’m sort of glad he’s interjecting. Ivy Jo, of course, thinks he’s talking to her. “Damn, boy, you get cattier than my granddaughters !”

Brad gives a remarkable imitation of a cat yowling before hissing twice and scratching at the air. “Yeah, well, just for that, I’m going to eat all the chocolate scones Mindy brought. As long as nobody tells my trainer .”

“Boy, please, you know my Mindy makes the best in town!” she says. “But go ahead, let us girls do our thing. You know a grandma always wants to feed her kids, so go eat your scone and mine too .”

“You’re so good to me, Ivy Jo,” Brad replies as he walks up front and plops down at the desk, digging into the box .

Once she sees Brad occupied, she looks up, grinning. “So? Entertain an old lady on her deathbed. Besides, I’ve been around the block a time or two. Maybe I can even teach you this trick I do with my tongue ?”

I can’t help it. My fingers are covered in suds, and I start laughing so hard I cover my mouth, inhaling a bunch of bubbles until I cough, having to walk away for a moment. “No . . . I think I’m good there .”

“Well, you see, what you do is . . .” Ivy Jo threatens, and I laugh hard, holding my hand up .

“Okay, okay! Fine, I’ll spill it. It’s, well, I’ve got my eye on a guy named Evan .”

“Accountant?” Ivy Jo asks sarcastically as I get back to washing. “You strike me as the accountant type .”

“Yeah, right. More like mechanic who’s a growly, grumpy asshole who just turns me on like no other, especially when he actually does and says nice things . . . but only for me .”

“Sounds like my husband,” Ivy Jo says wistfully. “When I first had my eye on him, he was that man in town nobody wanted to look wrong at, else he might just be tempted to rearrange that look. But I got past that. Why’s he that way ?”

“He’s former service, had some bad times,” I explain as best I can. “I don’t know all of it, but he thinks he’s damaged and by putting up this mean fuck off façade, he won’t hurt anyone .”

“Mmm, I know the type. My generation don’t like talking about it, but my husband served in Korea. When he came back, he wasn’t the same man. Oh, he was still a good man, but I could see it in his eyes. It made him kinder though. I think he was lucky in that he saw that life was precious so he was more open to me. Not all men are so lucky though .”

“Yeah,” I whisper, getting the spray nozzle to start rinsing her hair. “Evan’s hot and cold, pulls me in and then pushes me away. I’m not the type that gives up easily though .”

Ivy Jo grins, nodding. “Good on you. So what about the sex? I’m guessing it’s off the charts good ?”

Damn, I like this woman. “Best ever. He’s aggressive in a good way but can be soft and teasing too. We’ve been all over the place . . . parking lots, his garage, the salon .”

Brad, who’s on his second scone already, looks up and interrupts. “Oh, hell no, bitch, you didn’t just say the salon? Oh em gee, please tell me you disinfected whatever it was you got your groove on? In fact, never mind, I’m nope-ing the fuck outta here, burning the place down, and we’ll start over with the insurance money. Just tell me this, can I sit in my chair? The lobby ?”

I smirk, giving Ivy Jo a wink, and purse my lips, zipping them shut as Brad throws his hands up and picks up a third scone. It’s mine, but at this point, I think it’s safer to just let him have it .

I turn my attention back to Ivy Jo, who’s chuckling. “So yeah, the sex is definitely off the charts good .”

She laughs as I sit her up. “Whoo-whee, girl, you are gone for this man. He likes you too, I can tell by what you said. Ain’t no man gonna pull you back after pushing you away unless he’s got something invested .”

“Yeah well, not sure it matters. I’ve basically thrown myself at him, and he’s caught me, but then he retreats back to his corner and shuts me out again with a wall around him. I’m trying to make him see he doesn’t need to worry about breaking me, but damn if he’s not stubborn .”

“Don’t you worry, just keep tapping that wall,” Ivy Jo says. “It won’t come down all at once, but the cracks will spread like spider webs, little weak spots all over until . . . boom, it comes crumbling down. Ooh, that reminds me, that’s an old Mellencamp tune. Lord, that man was hot back in his day, but then again, so was I. Anyway, when that wall falls, he’s gonna be scared to death, so you’d better be right there for him. But listen and listen close. You deserve to be loved right. I don’t mean sex, I mean in your soul. You need to be loved right, and he does too. Maybe you’re willing, ready, and able to love him right, and do it now. But if he isn’t ready, if he isn’t capable of doing right by you, don’t you wait around too long for him to get it straight. Every day is precious and you don’t want to spend it waiting around for him to figure out that you’re a damn good thing .”

I don’t really know what to say, so I sort of agree and change the subject. “You’re right, and I just hope it works out. So tell me about your great-grandbabies .”

Ivy Jo grins and gets the point, and as I finish with her hair, she goes on and on about her family. The cut and color is just like she asked, and while the old lady curl set isn’t something I’ve done in years, it’s just like a bicycle. You don’t forget how .

“Okay, Ivy Jo, just a minute now.” I turn her to the mirror and she shrieks in horror .

“Oh my gosh, child! You made me look like a damned drowned poodle!” She fluffs her hair with light fingers, her eyes horrified. “Someone call my damned lawyer !”

I’m shocked. Maybe the curl set wasn’t as easy as I thought. “I’m really — ”

She catches my eye with a smirk, almost giggling. “Gotcha!” A huge wave of relief sweeps over me, and she cackles while leaning back, wiping at her eyes. “Oh, that was fun. You should’ve seen your face. An old lady’s got to get her laughs in where she can, and that was too easy to not take advantage . ”

I sigh and laugh along. It feels good, this woman’s crazy energy infusing me with some needed lightness in the midst of my swirling drama. “Good point. Okay, let’s get you turned over to Brad .”

She moves over to Brad’s chair, and I think for a minute about asking her advice about the car drama and the camera guy .

But before I start, I realize she’s talking to Brad about the cute trainer down at his gym and whether he should ask him out or not. I decide that maybe it’s his turn for a little Grandma wisdom and let it go, just enjoying the moment .

I turn to look out the window, seeing the big bay doors open at the garage. There are legs sticking out from under a car, but even from here, I can tell it’s TJ and not Evan. I sigh, hoping that Grandma is right and it’s just a matter of sticking it out until Evan’s walls crumble down .