140 Dotting the i’s...
"Sorry I haven’t called you," I began apologizing to her, while Zavir only snorted behind the wheel as the car started moving. "How’s your little one?"
"Wonderful," my friend’s eyes lit up at the mention of her baby. "He’s with my parents. This is actually my first time daring to run off like this."
"A break is sometimes very necessary—and healthy," came another sharp snort from the driver’s seat. A smile tugged at my lips, and the moment Lakisha caught sight of my expression, she burst out laughing too.
"Uh-huh! Go ahead and laugh!" the blond finally barked. "Somebody here won’t have time for laughter soon enough. Not a minute to spare."
My cheeks instantly flushed crimson—the hint was crystal clear.
Between our little exchanges, we finally arrived at a massive shopping mall. Zavir kept grumbling and hurrying us along, his sour face and frayed nerves impossible to ignore, until Lakisha persuaded him to wait by the entrance instead of stalking us through the stores.
We wrapped up our shopping rather quickly, and then headed straight to the beauty salon Lakisha had reserved for us in advance. This time, Zavir had absolutely no business being there, so we sent him off again while we surrendered ourselves to the hands of the beauty fairies.
While the beauty-industry fairies were working their magic on me, my phone suddenly rang. It was Aiden.
"Shorty, where the hell have you disappeared to?" my friend grumbled. I shut my eyes in dismay and made a face. With the sudden reappearance of the blond, I had completely forgotten to call Aiden and explain everything—even though we had agreed to meet.
"Damn it, Aiden," I squeaked with a frustrated, apologetic tone. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lakisha suddenly go silent. "The thing is…"
"He found you?" the brunet sighed, perfectly aware that under normal circumstances, I never forget a thing.
"Yeah," I exhaled shortly. "Sorry."
"Where are you? You do understand I need to have a little disciplinary chat with him?" my friend declared flatly, leaving no room for argument.
I convinced him that everything was fine, that I wasn’t hiding from Zavir anymore, and that all my choices were voluntary and well thought-out. Only after that did I finally end the call, releasing a long, relieved breath.
Of course, two hours were nowhere near enough for all the procedures, but when we finally emerged from the salon, we were radiant, beautiful, and in high spirits.
Right outside, I collided with the hungry gaze of the beta.
His eyes scanned me from head to toe, and judging by his expression, he liked what he saw. To be honest, I liked my own reflection too.
I was dressed in a short, light summer dress with a delicate floral print, strapless, with a flared skirt. On my feet—comfortable sandals. My hair was softly curled and left loose, while my makeup was subtle and natural.
"You look stunning," Zavir finally said after clearing his throat. I’d be lying if I said his verdict didn’t make me blush.
"I agree, you look… great," came Aiden’s suddenly hesitant voice.
Turning toward the voice, I saw Aiden, the brunet, who was staring at Lakisha a bit too long. Lakisha, for her part, looked nervous, her gaze darting around without resting on anything in particular. Either it was just me, or there was some serious spark between them.
"Aiden," the beta growled slowly and irritably at my friend, interrupting the awkward moment.
"That’s him," the brunet replied calmly. "Let’s step aside for a few words," he nodded toward Aiden, and they moved off to talk.
"Lakisha," I turned to my friend, who had gone pale. "What was that about?"
"Nothing," the blonde huffed, nervously picking at her fresh manicure.
"Oh my god! You like him!" I covered my mouth with my hand, squealing in excitement.
"Don’t scream!" the blonde snapped. "It’s not like that!"
Uh-huh, sure I believed her. But I didn’t get a chance to voice my thoughts because the guys returned, and Zavir dragged me toward the car.
"What about Lakisha?" I asked the beta as we got in.
"She wanted to do a bit more shopping. Maybe Aiden will keep her company," the man replied reluctantly. "She’ll be fine. You’d better worry about yourself."