Evelyne (Book 2)

Eve’s pov:

“Thank you so much, dear.” Mrs. Gilbert bobbed her hair several times looking at her image in the mirror, “I think this hairstyle suits me.”

“You look amazing, Ms. Gilbert.” I praised her and took off her long black apron. She did look changed in this new haircut that I just gave her. After I got done with blow drying, she could not stop herself from smiling and examining her image in the mirror again and again.

“I hope, my husband likes it.” She whispered and took me by surprise when she kissed my cheek. Only thirty minutes were left in closing the salon. My subordinates were still not done with the services.

June looked up while attending to a customer’s pedicure, “Eve. Once I will be done, I will help you with the daily income records.” I nodded at her kindness and went to the bathroom for washing my hands.

I had come a long way from Ice Cream Heaven where we used to manage every record in a thick register. Now I had a laptop where I used to keep the record of the Salon’s income.

“Eve!” Mrs. Margret whispered after closing the bathroom door behind her, “Brian is here!”

“What?” I spun around, “Again?” The dude did not seem to take no for an answer. He met me at Electra and Steward’s wedding dinner. When he came to know I owned a salon in Arguli, he was over the moon.

He was a business associate of Justin Deluca and lived in a small town, just a few kilometers away from Arguli.

I had given him subtle clues that I was NOT interested. But the man was not wise enough to take the hints. Or he didn’t want to understand at all.

Now what should I do?

“Do you want to use the backdoor to exit the salon?” Mrs. Margret wiggled her brows mischievously.

“What about closing it, Mrs. Margret?”

“Don’t worry about that. I can close it for you. After all, I have done it before.”

“Umm. Can you ask June to enter all the details on the laptop before leaving?” I could always count on June and Mrs. Margret. They both had been with me for the past two years. 

“You just go home, girl. Use the back door and shoo away!” the older lady said sternly but kindly and went out.

Rolling my eyes, I quickly wiped my hands and threw the paper towel in a hamper. Taking the narrow passage, I was about to leave the place when Mrs. Margret approached me quickly and handed over my purse to me.

“He is a fine-looking young boy, Eve. It’s ok if you don’t like him. At least, give yourself a chance to be happy.”

The kind-hearted woman advised me sincerely, but I chose to turn a deaf ear to it. As always, my mind was screaming, “Not now, Mrs. Margret. I am not ready.”

Taking my purse, I went out and then tilted my face to eye the club just a few steps away from the Salon. I hardly went there.

When I entered the nightclub, the music was so loud that I felt my eardrums shaking and my body dancing to the beats. The combination of neon lights and the music wanted me to go and forget everything about the pain that had been burning my insides for the past two years.

I walked a few more steps and took a stool at the bar.

“What should I offer to the beautiful lady?” The bartender started flirting with me.  

“Anything that is not too strong. I need to drive back home.” He snapped his fingers and gave me a se*xy smile.

“On it, ma’am.”

I fished out my phone from my purse and started checking messages. There was one from Aniya.

“I won’t be home for the night. Don’t worry. I am safe and have lots of condoms. Winks!” I shook my head and smiled.

No matter how hard she tried to annoy me or show me she didn’t give a damn, I knew better. She used to do all those annoying things just to piss me off.

“A special drink for a special lady!” I saw it from the corner of my eye when the bartender placed a glass near my purse. I was about to pass a snarky remark when another message appeared on my phone. It was from June.

[Brian has seen you slipping inside that club. He must be on his way to get you.]

What? I looked around in panic. Was he a creep or what? What the hell! Let him come. I knew how to deal with clingy people like him.

“I got you! Ha-ha.” I kept sitting like a dummy when someone hugged me from behind.

“I told you, Brian. I am not interested. Why are you following me? Geez!” Holding his wrist, I shoved it away. But he didn’t seem to mind it. With a prod grin on his face, he rounded and stood before me.

“I thought maybe we could have dinner together, Evelyne. But if you are not interested then it’s fine.” After hearing that I wanted to take a sigh of relief, but I guess it was short-lived.

“If you are interested in having drinks with me here then I am happy with that too.” He continued and the forced smile on my lips faltered a little.

“You egoistic pig!” I chuckled and eased back against the counter edge licking my lower lip, “Can’t take no for an answer? Huh?”

He followed the movement of my tongue and gulped down, “I am not following you, Eve. And I am not a pig. It’s just that I came to know about you from Justin and Ashley. You also deserve happiness.”

I frowned and made a face, “Brian. Shut up. Maybe I am not alone and someone else is accompanying me here.” I shrugged and picked up my glass to take a sip, “Maybe I am here to meet someone. So don’t be sad about my non-existent love life.”

A smile cracked up on his lips, “Liar!”

I scoffed and took another sip, “I am not lying. He just went to the bathroom. So, you better go out and stop pestering me to go to bed with you.”

His mouth hung open at that, “Seriously? And why would I do that? I … I never asked you to…”

“Shut up!” I turned away from him and muttered, “F*ck boy!” he must have heard it because I heard a sharp intake of breath.

“Listen, Eve. You are taking it all wrong. I …” Before he could finish it, I felt someone snaking his strong arm around my waist from behind. A heavy voice appeared just close to my ear,

“Hey, Cherie! I am back. And you haven’t ordered my drink? Not fair!”

I went still and saw Brian’s face go pale.

“The lady is with me. Stop pestering her. Get lost!” He didn’t have fury in his voice but the authority in there demanded respect and submission.

Brian gulped hard and took a step back.

I tried to control my quivering smile and leaned back a little to show Brian that we were together. Just then I felt him sniffing my hair.

Was he a creep as well? Ok. Let me get done with Brian first.

Brian threw a last glance at me and then turned on his heels to leave the place. I tried to take a sigh of relief when I felt the stranger man’s hot breath against the skin of my neck.

“He is still out there. It’s better if we stick together for a little while.” He suggested in that heavy se*xy voice, and I decided to turn around and look at my knight in shining armor.

Very slowly I turned around and found myself staring into ocean green eyes of a man towering over me. He looked taller because maybe I was sitting, and he was standing.

Greek God!

That was the first thing that came to my mind when I looked at his face.

He was looking down at my face, observing my facial features. But nah! He could be anything but a creep.

There was no amusement on his face. He was quietly looking into my eyes.

Before I could say anything, his arms held me gently and pulled me into his muscular hard chest. The whiff of male perfume hit my nostrils. My eyes went wide. Before I could protest, I heard that heavy voice again whispering against my ear,

“He is still here … looking at us.”